Alexander Elia Wins the San Diego City Amateur in a Playoff at Torrey Pines

It took more than 54 holes to settle the San Diego City Amateur this year. Alexander Elia, a Coronado native and sophomore at Vanguard University, outlasted San Diego State’s Phillip Kench in a playoff on the South Course to claim the title on Wednesday at Torrey Pines.

The two had spent three rounds separated by almost nothing. Elia opened 69-66 before a closing 73, while Kench went 71-67-70 — both arriving at the same number, 8-under 208, when regulation ended. With the trophy on the line, it was Elia who came through in extra holes.

That the drama played out on the South Course only made it fitting. The same layout that hosted the U.S. Open in 2008 and 2021, and that welcomes the PGA TOUR every January, is a proper stage for a city championship — firm greens, coastal wind, and precious little margin for error coming down the stretch.

For the full account of the final round, the complete report is at AmateurGolf.com. And if watching an amateur grind out a win on this course has you itching to play it yourself, you don’t need a playoff to get here — you just have to know who to call.

Ready to book your own Torrey Pines experience? Call us at 800-TORREY PINES.