Scott Erickson

Scott Erickson, 17, of Villa Park, California, won the Junior Amateur Championship in his home state by defeating Matt McCarley, of Camden, South Carolina, 4 and 3, at the Sunnyside Country Club in Fresno. Erickson became the 10th Californian to win the Junior Amateur in that last 20 years, but the first since 1975.

Two other Californians, Mike Blewett of Burlingame, and Jeff Combe of Clovis, shared medalist honors with 36-hole even par 144s after 36 holes of stroke play. Despite their fine stroke-play performances, Jerry Haas, Combe, and Blewett all failed to survive the first round of match play. Erickson had little trouble qualifying with a fine 148 total, but McCarley could do no better that 155, one stroke below the cutoff score of 156.

Erickson's early victims on his way to the Championship final were Peter Jordan, of Wooddale, Illinois, 1 up; Robert Park of Shawnee Mission, Kansas, 5 and 4; Kevin Earl of Pleasanton, California, 5 and 4; Louis Brown of Newnan, Georgia, 4 and 3; and, in the semi-finals, Ken Miller, of Modesto, California, 1 up.

McCarley had rather an easy time of it through his first five matches. He defeated Peter Savarino of Ann Arbor, Michigan, 3 and 2; Chris Webb of Shreveport, Louisiana, 4 and 3; James Kelson of Grand Prairie, Texas, 4 and 2; Mike Foley of Solana Beach, California, 5 and 3; and, in the semi-finals, Jim Benepe of Sheridan, Wyoming, 6 and 4.

In the final match, Erickson took a three-hole lead early in the match which McCarley was not able to overcome. Johnny Miller was the guest speaker at the contestants' dinner the Sunday night before the Championship. The USGA received 1,516 entries for the Championship, well short of the record 2,230 in 1963.