SACRAMENTO, Calif. (September 3, 2018) - It looked like
Ryan Sloane's (Campbell, Calif.) State Fair Masters winning streak would be snapped at Bing Maloney Golf Course on Monday. But with two big putts late, Sloane pulled it out and notched his fifth straight win in the event.
The 39-year-old Sloane grabbed the lead with a 5-under 67 on Saturday, with
Chris Johnson (Rancho Cordova, Calif.) and three-time State Fair Masters champion
Jeff Hoffman (Folsom, Calif.) two shots back.
A 70 on Sunday allowed Sloane to maintain a two-shot lead over Hoffman, with Johnson (71) falling four shots behind.
On the final day, Sloane was unable to match the pace he had set the previous two rounds. After bogeying the easy par-5 9th hole, Sloane three-putted the 10th and it suddenly became a three-way race.
With Sloane treading water, it was Johnson who made the biggest push in the final round, chipping away at the lead and eventually catching Sloane on the back nine. Johnson birdied the 16th, and when he made a great putt on the 17th hole, he took the lead for the first time in the championship.
But winning is also a habit, and Sloane would answer in the biggest possible way.
Johnson overcame a poor drive on the final hole, punching out and hitting the stick with his 30-yard pitch shot. Sloane hit his 140-yard approach to 15 fee, and needing to hole the birdie putt to deny Johnson and force a playoff, Sloane converted.
The playoff started on the short par-4 17th. Johnson had a 15-footer for birdie but narrowly missed. Sloane then faced a 7-footer for the title, and again he came through, putting his name on the trophy for the fifth straight time.
For Sloane, it was the second straight year he made a putt on the 17th to win in a playoff; last year he dispatched Juan Gonzales with a 30-foot walk-off birdie.
Sloane (73) and Johnson (69) finished the tournament at 6-under 210.
Garett Wagner (Brentwood, Calif.) closed with a 70 to finish alone in third at 4 under. Hoffman was fourth at 2 under, with
Kevin Alexander (Napa, Calif.) rounding out the top five at 1-under 215.
"Bing Maloney has been really great to me over the last five years", said Sloane afterward. "I knew I had my work cut out for me against a 3-time champ (Hoffman), a 3-time runner-up (Johnson), and a 2-time Seaver Cupper (Garett Wagner). It was another nail-biter for me and this tournament has a very special place in my heart."
Related: 2017: Four in a Row for Sloane at California State Fair Masters
Related: 2016: Ryan Sloane Wins Third Straight California State Fair Masters
Related: 2015: Ryan Sloane defends Calif. State Fair Masters title
Related: 2014: Ryan Sloane wins State Fair Masters by ten shots
ABOUT THE
California State Fair Mid-Amateur
The California State Fair Men’s Mid-Amateur
Championship (formerly State Fair
Masters Championship) will be contested at Bing
Maloney Golf Course on
August 17-18, 2024.
The tournament is open to all male amateur golfers
age 30 or older (no
maximum age), who are members of an organized
golf club with a GHIN Index of 6.8 or less. The
August 15th Index will be
used to determine eligibility unless confirmation of
equivalent ability is
received.
The entry fee of
$149 ($99 for past State
Fair Masters champions)
per player includes greens fees, range balls and all
awards
(power carts are
not included).
The tournament format is 18 holes of stroke play on
Saturday, August 17 and
18 holes on Sunday, August 18. The contestant with
the lowest score for the
36-holes will be declared the
2024 California
State Fair Mid-Amateur
Champion. A tie
for the
championship will be resolved with a sudden death
playoff starting immediately following play
beginning on the 17th tee.
The entry deadline is Tuesday, August 6, 2024.
There will be a $10
cancellation fee for all withdrawals prior to the entry
deadline.
View Complete Tournament Information