SHAG BAG ACCOLADES
Tournament Official of the Year–Karl Rodefer
S
Lynne Cowan: Senior Women’s Player of the Year
A
t first, it didn’t look good for Rocklin resident Lynne Cowan when, on the opening day of the 2015-2016 season Auburn Valley GC member Karen Garcia was awarded 700 points for her victory at the U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur Championship. It was only the start of a long race to come. Slowly but surely, the 54-year-old Cowan kept chipping at Garcia’s lead. By the end of the season, the Sierra View CC member passed Garcia to earn the inaugural NCGA Senior Women’s Player of the Year title. “I didn’t think I had a chance after Karen won the U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur last year,” Cowan said. “I’m honored to be the recipient of the first NCGA Senior Women’s Player of the Year award and am pleased that Northern California women and senior women are now being recognized for their efforts on the golf course. Thank you to every- one at NCGA who had a hand in implementing this program.”
Backed by a 500-point win at the NCGA Senior
Women’s Amateur, Cowan finished the season with a total of 1,785 points. Garcia finished second at 1,563, with Fountaingrove GC member Stacey Camara taking third at 725. Along with her NCGA Senior Women’s Amateur
victory, Cowan reached the Round of 16 at both the 2015 and 2016 U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur. She also finished third at the 2015 California Women’s Championship and reached the Round of 16 at the same event in 2016.
Garcia again reached the semifinals of the 2016 U.S. Senior Amateur, but finished second at the NCGA Senior Women’s Amateur behind Cowan. That event alone was a difference of 175 points, enabling Cowan to continue her surge.
S
Gary Vanier: Super Senior Player of the Year
G
ary Vanier may have moved on to the Super Senior level, but it certainly hasn’t slowed
him down.
At 66-years old, the Olympic Club member wasted no time in introducing himself to his fellow Super Senior competitors by winning the NCGA Super Senior Championship in his debut. From that point, Vanier never looked back head- ing toward his first Super Senior Player of the Year award with 1,271 points to edge runner-up and defending Super Senior Player of the Year Herb Jensen (1,230) by 41 points. Third place went to inaugural NCGA Super Senior Match Play cham- pion Frank Pieper at 1,145. Vanier also won Senior Player of the Year honors in 2006.
Along with his victory at the Super Senior,
Vanier picked up a win at the Alameda Commuters Senior Championship. Other highlights included a semifinals run at the San Francisco City Senior, a T-4 finish at the California Senior Amateur and a sixth place finish at the NCGA Senior Champi- onship.
“I was sort of lucky to win it because I didn’t play all that much,” said Vanier, who’s the first player in NCGA history to earn both Senior Player of the Year and Super Senior Player of the Year honors. “It’s another notch in the belt.” On the senior NCGA amateur circuit, Vanier has racked up eight career wins including three California Senior Amateur crowns. The eight are the second most senior titles of all-time, behind only Jim McMurtry’s nine.
A standout collegiate player at Stanford in the
1970’s, Vanier has won the San Francisco City Championship a record six times. He now resides part time in Idaho.
Course Rater of the Year–Tom Huckaby
an Jose resident Tom Huckaby always wondered exactly how golf courses were rated. Little did he know that’d eventually become one.
“I was always just curious how it all worked,” said the now 53-year-old Huckaby. “I wanted to know how one course was different from another.” The question piqued Huckaby’s mind enough that, years later, he eventually wrote the NCGA enquiring how one became a course rater. In 2001, he got a call back from the NCGA asking if his services were available. “I still the enjoy the process. It’s hard to explain. Once you get expertise it becomes second nature,” Huckaby said. “I enjoy working with the other guys. It’s always a team effort.”
24 WINTER 2017 |
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ometimes, things are just meant to be. That was the case for Karl Rodefer. Back in the early 2000’s, he was vice- president of his club, Mountain Springs GC, and eventually found himself at Poppy Hills GC for the NCGA Annual Meeting. While there, Rodefer and the then-Mountain Springs president noticed that awards were being handed out to tournament officials. Something in Rodefer’s mind clicked. “The club president asked one of the NCGA Board members how one became a tournament official,” Rodefer recalled. “The Board member ended up giving us both a business card. The president didn’t call back, but I did.” In 2006, Rodefer, who resides in Colum- bia in the Sierra Nevada foothills, made his debut as an NCGA tournament official. His schedule is a bit lighter these days, but his dedication remains strong as ever. “I’ve always thought that the NCGA isn’t just a great regional association, but the best,” Rodefer said. “It’s great to be affili- ated with that. I also get to work with others who are dedicated to what they do.” And it’s much more than just working with other officials that fuels Rodefer. In re- cent years, he’s discovered his appreciation for Junior Tour of Northern California events. “I enjoy watching the kids grow up, not just in their game but in their lives,” Rodefer said.
Another favorite of Rodefer’s is getting the chance to referee match play. “I really enjoy that,” he said. “I think match play is the purest form of golf. You get great exercise, but you’re also a part of what’s going on. It’s a great opportunity to help players play well.”
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