PEBBLE BEACH, CA - Nick Watney will be the only Sacramento area representative at the Accenture Match Play Championship Feb. 23-26 in Arizona.
Sunday was the final week to qualify for the first World Golf Championship of the year, and the Match Play takes the top 64 players off the world ranking.
The tournament is considered to be Golf's fifth major.
Watney, who born in Sacramento and attended Davis High School, is the 13th ranked professional golfer in the world, earning him a spot in the field of 64.
Elk Grove's Spencer Levin finished on the outside looking in. He missed the field of 64 as he ranks 72nd.
Local golfers have had a history of success at the Match Play event.
Sacramento's Kevin Sutherland won the event in 2002 when he defeated Scott McCarron in the final round. McCarron is also a native of Sacramento.
Ernie Els can plan on a trip this year, but just barely.
Pebble Beach winner Phil Mickelson is not playing that week, so Els earns the final spot at No. 65.
He narrowly finished ahead of George Coetzee, a fellow South African, who is at No. 66. Coetzee still might get in if Paul Casey, recovering from a shoulder injury, decided not to play at Dove Mountain.
Luke Donald is the No. 1 seed. Dubai winner Rafael Cabrera Bello and Kevin Na, who tied for fifth at Pebble Beach, played their way into Match Play.
By Sean Cunningham, SCunningham@News10.net
Twitter: @News10Sean