CHAMPIONSHIPS PREVIEW


Racing forthe Top Prizes T


BY JERRY STEWART


hey are the trophies players clamor to get their name etched on. The big enchiladas. While the 2017 NCGA championship calendar


features over 500 competition days, there are 13 championships that rise to the top. Earn a victory at any of them, and your name becomes part of NCGA lore forever. The following list represents what will be referred to


as the ‘Lucky 13’. Ladies and gentlemen, let the races for the hardware begin!


1 2 5 6 3 4


1


52nd NCGA Public Links Championship When: April 24-25


Where: Poppy Hills GC/Bayonet GC Defending Champion: Matt Cohn Divots: Whoever wins, don’t look for them to go low. The 36-hole scoring record remains just 6-under, set by 1999 winner Ryan King. Aaron Oberholser, who won the title in 1995, later won the 2006 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. St. Mary’s men’s head golf coach Scott Hardy is the last player to go back-to-back (2010-2011).


2


51st NCGA Four-Ball Championship When: May 12-14 Where: Spyglass Hill GC


Defending Champions: Bobby Bucey and Brett Viboch Divots: Venerable Spyglass Hill was under assault last year, with both champions Bobby Bucey and Brett Viboch and the team of Matt Cohn and Nick Moore posting record tying scores of 10-under 62. Randy Haag has won a record four times – with two different partners (Darryl Donovan and Bob Blomberg). Bucey and Viboch also set the 54-hole scoring record last year, finishing with a score of 21-under 195.


3


36th NCGA Mid-Amateur Championship When: June 10-11 Where: Poppy Hills GC


Defending Champion: Zachary Solomon Divots: You never know what’s going to happen at the Mid-Am. In 2012, Jim Knoll took the title at the age of 59. In nearly 40 years, only one player (Jeff Burda, 1996-1997) has gone back-to-back. The championship became open to players age 25-over in 2016. The champagne trophy bucket was donated to the NCGA by amateur legend, Ernie Pieper Jr.


36 WINTER 2017 | WWW.NCGA.ORG 6 5


4 13th NCGA Women’s and Senior Women’s


Amateur Championship When: June 12-13 Where: Poppy Hills GC


Defending Champions: Camille Orito and Lynne Cowan (Senior) Divots: Lynne Cowan is the queen of the Women’s Am, having won two Women’s titles (2006-2007) and two Senior crowns (2014, 2016). Defending champ Camille Orito posted a women’s course record 5-under 66 at Poppy Hills en route to winning in 2016.


106th California Amateur Championship When: June 19-24


Where: The Olympic Club Defending Champion: Shintaro Ban Divots: Each of the last two championships have been won by a Ban brother – Shotaro in 2015, Shintaro in 2016. They’re the only brothers to have won in over a century of the championship. Inaugural champ Jack Neville had a hand in designing Pebble Beach Golf Links. Among those who’ve tried and failed to win the granddaddy of them all are Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods.


37th NCGA Amateur Stroke Play Championship When: July 7-9


Where: Poppy Hills GC


Defending Champion: Robby Salomon Divots: One thing’s for sure, two-time defending champ Robby Salomon will not three-peat. He’s now pro. Ben Geyer, who went back-to-back in 2012-2013, went on to play on the Web.com Tour. Other winners are Ken Venturi, George Archer and Johnny Miller.


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