ATLANTA'S BILLY MITCHELL TAKES EARLY LEAD

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CARMEL, Calif. (Oct. 16, 2008) -- After last year's Stocker Cup Invitational, where Craig Doell topped Pat Tallent in a one-hole playoff after each finished at 1-over, tournament chairman George Kelley noted that: "This year, the course won."

If the first round is any indication, the 2008 field of golfers is looking to take the title back.

Georgia's Billy Mitchell grabbed the early at The Preserve Golf Club with a 2-under-par 70 despite bogeying the final three holes.

"I putted really well for the first 15 holes, I ended up with six birdies and four bogeys," said Mitchell, noting that his knowledge of the course was a factor after playing for the first time last year. "That's huge, knowing where to place the balls, for example, some of these greens, you just can't above the pin. These greens go from rolling a 12-14 to rolling 22's. I struck the ball well and never felt out of control.

Mitchell, a golf-specific trainer who works with high school and college golfers in Georgia, is chased by a pair of competitors with impressive resumes.

Tim Jackson of Tennessee is a two-time U.S. Amateur winner (1994, 2001) who has also won three straight Birmingham National Invitational tournaments. Jackson trails by a stroke in his first Stocker Cup, as does veteran Jim Lehman of Minnesota, who was the runner-up in 2001.

There are 15 golfers within five strokes.

In the chase for the Elliott Cup, a 54-hole best-ball team competition which pits one of the scratch A-Players with a B-Player competing at their assigned handicap from the gold tees, the Northern California pairing of Garrett Larson and Martin Connolly put up a scorching 10-under 62, to leave the competition five strokes back.

Connolly, a native Irishman who now owns a series of pubs in San Francisco, got things started for the team with four straight gross birdies on the his back nine (holes 1-4).

"If I live to be 200, I'll never do it again," said Connolly, before someone at the bar yelled to him that he should admit to skulling a ball off the pin for a birdie.

"That information stays on the course," he laughed.

amateurgolf.com will be on site throughout the tournament, providing daily coverage and a tournament video wrap-up which will be posted on the Oct. 20, be sure to check back in with us to keep up with the action.

ABOUT THE STOCKER CUP:
The Stocker Cup, played in memory of Peter Stocker, is held each October at The Preserve Golf Club in Carmel. The field is comprised of 52 world-class mid-amateur invitees, who meet stringent eligibility requirements, and pay a minimal fee for their participation. Offering both NCGA and national Golfweek and amateurgolf.com - Bridgestone Player Rankings points, the Stocker Cup also holds a one-day qualifying tournament for regional players who were not among the original invites. On October 2, eighteen competitors with a handicap index of 2.4 or lower vied for the final two A-list spots in the main tournament. Hank McCusker and Stephen Molinelli joined the field after carding 68 and 71, respectively, at Harding Park in San Francisco.

Those final A-list golfers are complimented by a matching number of qualified B-list competitors, with invitations extended to friends, relatives and associates of the late Peter Stocker, as well as to various sponsors and other supporters of the event. Every A-player is teamed with a B-player in a handicapped best-ball competition held simultaneously with the individual stroke-championship.

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On-site live scoring is provided by the Northern California Golf Association.

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Media Information:

MEDIA CONTACT INFORMATION:
Peter Conroy
amateurgolf.com
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email: pconroy at amateurgolf.com (use at sign)

Notes:
1.) www.amateurgolf.com provides information on amateur tournaments around the U.S., runs a 18-event tournament series, and provides web and media services for events such as The Stocker Cup. The subscription fee of $45/year will be waived for members of the golf media upon receipt of an email or phone request.

2.) A-player biographies can be viewed at- http://www.stockercup.com/contestants.htm

RESULTS ARCHIVES:
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