Travers, the 22-year-old California State Amateur champion who plays out of Santa Clara University, is not only on the fast track to shatter the SCGA Amateur scoring record, but become the first player since 1942 to win concurrent SCGA Amateur and California State Amateur titles.
"I'm feeling confident, my wedge game is really good right now and I'm putting pretty well," Travers said. "I'm not hitting as many fairways as I'd like, but it can be a birdiefest out here if you play the course right."
With dad Morse on the bag, Travers collected seven birdies and two bogeys in his third-round 66, to go 68-65-66--199. Hot on his tail, however, is local favorite Perry, a recent Santa Barbara High School graduate bound for Northwestern. Perry's shot 66-67-67--200 in the event, thanks to hitting 17 greens and a solid short game.
"I gave myself a good look at birdies," Perry said after his round. "Playing in your hometown, there's always a little more expectation, but I'm just trying to think of the final round as another day of golf.
The SCGA Amateur-California State Amateur combo win has only happened three times in the events' simultaneous 99-year history: Dr. Paul Hunter in 1921, George Von Elm in 1925, and most recently, Johnny Dawson collected his first SCGA and California State Amateur titles in 1942.
The previous SCGA Amateur scoring record is 14-under-par 270, which was set by Tiger Woods in 1994 during his first SCGA Amateur win at the par-71 Hacienda Golf Club.
Also in the hunt for the title is two-time SCGA Amateur champion and 2005 U.S. Mid-Amateur champion Kevin Marsh of Henderson, Nev., a La Cumbre member who's drawn a crowd over the weekend with his 68-70-66--204, 9 under par. Marsh is tied with 2004 SCGA Amateur champion Tim Hogarth of Northridge, 70-66-68.
Alone in fifth place is Patrick Cantlay of Los Alamitos, the 2010 CIF-CGA High School Boys champion. Cantlay, who defeated Perry in a playoff for the CIF title, is at 8-under 65-71-69--205.
Ryan Barry of San Diego scored a hole-in-one on the 159-yard seventh hole with his pitching wedge (he's currently tied for 35th at 6 over par). Sam Smith of Turlock shot the low round of the tournament so far, an 8-under 63 that catapulted him into a tie for sixth (he shot 70-75-63).
JULY 9 -- California State Amateur champion Scott Travers of Trabuco Canyon continued his stellar play this week, currently tied for the lead with Santa Barbara's Jack Perry at 9-under-par 133 after the first day of the 111th SCGA Amateur Championship at La Cumbre Country Club.
Travers, 22, a Santa Clara University golfer, went 68-65--133 today, playing nearly flawless golf that included only one bogey in his second round. Travers defeated Harry Rudolph of La Jolla 4 and 3 in June at the State Amateur at Rancho Santa Fe Golf Club, but he says that didn't affect the way he played today.
"I tried to think of this as just another tournament," Travers said. "No expectations."
Perry, a Santa Barbara High School graduate bound for Northwestern in the fall, shot 66-67. Narrowly missing winning the CIF-SCGA State High School Boys title when he lost in a playoff, but whose team won the state title, Perry amassed six birdies in each of his rounds, including an eagle-3 on the par-5 10th hole in round 1.
Three shots back, 2004 SCGA Amateur winner Tim Hogarth of Northridge overcame a rollercoaster first round to shoot 70-66--136, and is tied for third with 2010 CIF-State high school champion Patrick Cantlay of Los Alamitos, who shot 65-71. Cantlay defeated Perry in the State High School playoff to take the individual title.
Other notables in the hunt include two-time SCGA Amateur champion and past U.S. Mid-Amateur winner Kevin Marsh of Henderson, Nev., a member of La Cumbre who fired a 4-under 68-70--138 and is tied for fifth. Three-time winner and recently reinstated amateur Scott McGihon of Bermuda Dunes is tied for 22nd at 1-under 69-72--141.
The 2009 SCGA Tournament of Club Champions winner and reinstated amateur Jeff Coburn of Rancho Santa Margarita makes the cut at 67-72--139, tied for eighth, while CIF-SCGA high school champion Jake Katz of Thousand Oaks shot 72-68--140. Katz is tied with California State Amateur co-medalist Scott Almquist of Coto de Caza, 68-72--140.
The field has been cut to the low 42 scores and ties, with the cutline at 3-over-par 145. Those players will compete in 18 holes on Saturday and the final 18 on Sunday.