Two Southern California stalwarts, Jim Plotkin and Craig Steinberg, battled each other all day at “Mission Impossible,” neither giving an inch until Plotkin slowly pulled away for victory down the stretch.
Steinberg, the 2018 champion of this event at Bear Creek, jumped out to a 1UP lead after the first hole but Plotkin struck back with a birdie on No. 2 to pull even. Both players recorded pars for the next six holes before Plotkin rolled in a birdie on the closing hole of the front-nine, giving himself a 1UP lead.
Plotkin stuffed an approach on the uphill par-4 12th to five feet and rolled in the birdie to jump 2UP. Then on the short dogleg 14th, the eventual champion nearly jarred his approach to tap-in range, putting himself 3UP with three to go and effectively ending the championship.