SHAG BAG ACCOLADES
Shintaro Ban: Player of the Year
an Jose native Shintaro Ban nearly matched a feat accomplished only by Nathaniel Crosby, who was crowned NCGA Player of the Year in 1981 by playing in and winning just one event - the U.S. Amateur. Ban, a junior at UNLV, captured 2015-2016 NCGA Player of the Year honors by playing in only three events and one was a qualifier. “It means a lot. I think Player of the Year is one of the bigger things for a golf association,” Ban said. “It gets marked down in history. There are a lot of great names who have won it and I’m glad to be one of them.”
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With his accomplishment, the 20-year-old became only the 11th player to capture both the California Amateur Championship and the NCGA Amateur Match Play Championship in the same year, joining the likes of Jack Neville (1913), Charles Seaver (1933), Michael Brannan (1976) and current PGA Tour member Spencer Levin (2004). Ban collected a total of 1,475 points to earn the NCGA annual award as a result of 700 points for each of his victories, and 75 points for advancing through a U.S. Amateur qualifier. Bayonet/Black Horse GC member Nick Moore, the defending 2014- 2015 NCGA Player of the Year, finished second with 1,457 points. Moore, who made a late surge with his record third win at the NCGA Valley Amateur, had a chance at passing Ban but finished as runner-up at the Las Positas Open. Third place went to E-Club San Francisco member and 2016 NCGA Public Links champion Matt Cohn with 1,286 points. In its 105-year history, the California Amateur Championship had never seen a pair of brothers hoist the Edward B. Tufts Trophy, let alone in back- to-back years. Ban changed all that, defeating Hidetoshi Yoshihara, 5 and 4, in the finals at Valencia CC to win the title just a year after his older brother, Shotaro, triumphed. At the NCGA Amateur Match Play Champi- onship, Ban was like a buzzsaw, defeating 17-year old runner-up Eddy Lai, 10 and 9. Through the first 13 holes of the 36-hole final, Ban went 6-under and he never trailed at any point in his final three matches. During his five matches, he only trailed for a total span of three holes.
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Sabrina Iqbal: Women’s Player of the Year
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an Jose resident Sabrina Iqbal had already established herself as a formidable golf com- petitor in the junior ranks. That will happen when you win a record three straight Junior Tour of Northern California Girls’ Player of the Year titles. Apparently, Iqbal is a force at the higher levels
as well.
Still 15 years old, the Pioneer High junior cap- tured the inaugural NCGA Women’s Player of the Year award after finishing the season with 1,323 points. Taking second place was E-Club Fresno member Camille Orito at 815 and third place went to Poppy Hills Club member Monica Matsubara with 690 points.
“Winning Player of the Year means a lot to me and is a huge accomplishment,” Iqbal said. “Being the first one is exciting knowing that my name will always be first in the record book.”
If there was a big tourney in Northern California, Iqbal, who has verbally committed to Texas Chris- tian University, would leave her stamp on it as she did with a win in her debut at the San Francisco City Women’s Championship.
In an amazing July run last year, she captured the NCGA Junior Championship, the Sacramento County Women’s Championship and the California Women’s Amateur Championship. Her CWAC win at Pebble Beach Golf Links was also her debut in this championship and it marked her first time play- ing the famed course. Through a stretch of seven holes (No. 9 to No. 15), she’d go 3-under. “July was a huge month for me,” Iqbal said. “Overall, I’m very happy how last season turned out and I’m really looking forward to the new season.” Iqbal didn’t play in the NCGA Women’s Ama- teur due to school. Orito won that event. According to Iqbal’s father Shaheen, a PGA teaching professional at Los Lagos GC, one of Sabrina’s biggest assets is her temperament. “She never complains. She doesn’t bring her game home,” Shaheen said. “What she did yesterday is gone tomorrow. She has a great ability to move on.” Along with learning from her father, Iqbal honed her skills as a Santa Teresa Youth on Course member.
Dale Bouguennec: Senior Player of the Year
hen he picked up his first NCGA title at the 2015 Senior Valley Amateur, there was a premonition that Dale Bouguennec was serving notice for future events. The 58-year-old Contra Costa CC member was indeed, just warming up.
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Bouguennec, backed in part by wins at the Santa Clara County Senior and Contra Costa County Senior and a quarterfinals run at the NCGA Senior Amateur Match Play Champi- onship, went on to win 2015-2016 NCGA Senior Player of the Year honors. He’d finish the season with 2,411 points, edging out runner-up and record six-time NCGA Player of the Year, Randy Haag of Olympic Club (2,360 points). Steve Wilson of Roddy Ranch GC was third at 1,640. Along with the two victories, Bouguennec racked up a whopping 25 Top 5 finishes, including a critical T-4 at the NCGA Senior Valley Amateur, second at the Monterey City Senior Amateur, T-3 at the Sonoma Valley Senior Amateur and a fourth place finish at the NCGA Senior Four-Ball Championship (with partner Jamie Looper). “It means a lot. My primary goal for 2016 was to win Senior Player of the Year,” Bouguennec said. “First, I made sure my wife (Irma) under- stood the commitment and sacrifices we would have to make. I also set objectives to continually improve my performance and mental approach.” Throughout the final few months of the season, Bouguennec needed to hold off a hard- charging Haag who would win the NCGA Senior Amateur Match Play title. Bouguennec’s late push came at the California State Fair Senior Championship, where he would finish second with Haag coming in at fourth place. Finally, needing at least a Top 10 finish at the NCGA Senior Valley Amateur, Bouguennec clinched the title with a clutch T-4 finish.
“I sweated and grinded over every shot coming down the stretch at the Senior Valley Am, but was able to calm my nerves,” Bouguen- nec said. “The seniors are very competitive, but they also support and encourage one another.”
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