Patrick Pockels shot a final-round 65 for a two-stroke victory over Owen Avrit at the 13th annual Nipomo Amateur Championship that took place Jan. 7 and 8 at Monarch Dunes in Nipomo.
Jeff McNeil was one of the 102 players in the field. McNeil, a Nipomo High School graduate who plays for the New York Mets, won the 2023 National League batting title.
Avrit was a standout golfer at Arroyo Grande High School. Rain affected the event, but event spokesman Reilly McMahon said the scores this year were the lowest ever for the event. The rain caused the event to switch to a 10:30 a.m. shotgun start the morning of Jan. 8.
Avrit, the 2020 Nipomo Amateur champion, took an early lead on the first day with a bogey-free 65. Going into the second day, Avrit held a one-stroke lead over Cal Poly's Austin Lui, a two-shot lead over Pockels, and a three-shot lead over McNeil, AJ Fitzgerald and Dylan Herbert. Five other players were under par going into the second day.
Pockels and McNeil vaulted into a tie for the lead at six under through six holes. Then McNeil bogeyed holes seven and eight, and Pockels made birdie on hole No. 8 to take the lead.
Mathew Sutherland and Ethan Ashbrook, both of whom shot a 69 in round one, began to make a move and Avrit birdied holes 10, 11, 13, 16 and 17 for a 31 on the back nine. Pockels, however, made birdie on holes 10, 13, 15 and 17 and a par on hole 18 to secure the win. Â
Kenny Cress is a sports reporter for the Santa Maria Times, covering local sports in northern Santa Barbara County. You can send information or story ideas to him by emailing it to KCress@SantaMariaTimes.com.
