The 2006 Pacific Invitational officially got underway Sunday afternoon as Brookside Country Club served as host to the College-Am tournament. Over 60 Pacific supporters and members of the Stockton community joined together with players from the collegiate teams to form an exciting College-Am field. The teams, taking advantage of a beautiful Northern California day, headed out on the course at noon.

The five-some of Ernie Segale, Jeremy Purdy, Pete Troger, Jackie Cox and UC Irvine’s Brian Edick proved to be too much for the rest of the field as they shot a 117 in the net best ball event, taking home the championship. Finishing runner-up was the team of Walter Chang, Jim Nylen, Ed Sprague Sr. and Fresno State’s Matt Ryan.

However, no one went home empty-handed as each member of the College-Am received a gift bag with a commemorative Pacific Invitational jacket and golf shirt as well as TaylorMade golf balls and the first edition of the Pacific Digest.

Other winners of Sunday’s event included those with some pinpoint accuracy on Brookside’s par three’s and those who swung a big stick on the par five’s.

Walter Chang did double-duty, winning the day’s Closest to the Pin contest on both #3 (3’3’’) and #14 (20”). Brookside’s own Phil Herrera collected on #8 with a shot 14 feet from the pin while Jeremy Purdy knocked it to 15 inches on #12. Ron Trengrove took home the final prize, a case of Pacific logo Bridgestone golf balls for his 24” effort on #17.

Big hitters Ed Sprague, Jr. and Brookside assistant professional Joel McAuley won the day’s Long Drive Contest; with Sprague driving it on #9 and McAuley ripping one deep on #15.

While the College-Am teams enjoyed a day of golf the rest of the collegiate field set off to discover Brookside for the first time in their practice round. Teams gathered at the end of the day as the sun crept behind the mountains to the West for an awards presentation, good appetizers and good company. Anticipation rose high for tomorrow as players begin individual tee-times at 8:00 a.m.