POPPY HILLS
SEPTEMBER 28-30

Tournament Information |  CGA Senior Amateur Website |  Scorecards

September 30, 2009

PEBBLE BEACH – Jeff Burda showed who’s boss.

The Modesto resident began the day just one stroke ahead of a field stacked with the state’s best senior amateur players and captured a wire-to-wire victory at the California Senior Amateur Championship with a final-round four-under-par 68. 

In the process, Burda became only the second player in the event’s history to win back-to-back victories (Jim McMurtrey won in ’94 and ’95) and equaled the par-72 tournament scoring record of five-under-par 211, set by Ted Lyford in 2002.

The 56-year-old carded a first-round 66 which gave him a six-stroke lead, but struggled the second day when the wind kicked up and posted a five-over-par 77.  “I knew a lot of good players were close by,” said the Del Rio CC member.  However, being chased proved to be a motivator for Burda who notched three birdies on the front nine with tricky hole locations.  He rolled in a birdie on No. 2, then two-putted for another on the par-5 fourth hole and secured a third birdie at the par-3 6th.  “When I found out I had a seven stroke lead at the turn I was a little surprised.” 

The 2008 Senior Player-of-the-Year only missed one green in the final round and backed it up with solid putting all week for an eight-stroke victory.   Burda had been playing well leading up to the championship, he recently made it to the round of 16 at the 2009 U.S. Senior Amateur, pocketed a win at the NCGA Senior Match Play and made a strong appearance at the Crump Cup at Pine Valley.

One of the unlikeliest stories of the week emerged from Antioch’s Mark Miller.  The Roddy Ranch GC member fired a final-round one-under-par 71 to nab second place at three-over-par 219.  Miller’s finish earned him just enough points to capture the 2009 Senior Player-of-the-Year honor, edging out the decorated Gary Vanier, who was unable to compete due to an injury.

Boyd Martin of Corona del Mar played consistent all week with rounds of 73-73-74, 220 and took third place after a five-foot putt narrowly missed on the final hole to force a playoff with Miller.

September 29, 2009

PEBBLE BEACH – Jim Knoll is in hot pursuit heading into final round of the CGA State Senior Championship.

As everyone kept their eye on Jeff Burda after his blistering first-round 66 at Poppy Hills, a quiet Jim Knoll crept his way into the spotlight, carding the low round of the day – a three-under-par 69 – to edge just one stroke shy of the leader.

Knoll began the day at three-over-par and nine strokes behind friend and NCGA teammate Jeff Burda.  But an eight-stroke swing emerged as blustery and cold conditions swept through the Del Monte Forest and the 2008 NCGA Player-of-the-Year carded a five-over-par 77.

“I just wanted to play with Burda in the final group,” said Knoll.  “I never thought I would be one stroke off the lead heading into tomorrow, I just wanted to shoot around even-par today.”  The printing salesman made four birdies and chipped-in twice to finish at even-par 144 and will indeed be paired in the final group tomorrow.

One might suggest that Knoll is looking for some redemption after last year’s championship.  The Sunnyvale resident led the tournament for the first two days after firing an opening-round 64, but then lost on the final day when Burda came into the clubhouse with a 65.

The 56-year-old has proven he can go low on any given day.  Last year he captured the NCGA Senior Valley Amateur at Winchester with a seven-under-par 65 in the final round.  He also made the cut at the U.S. Senior Open at Whistling Straits in 2007.

Boyd Martin of Corona del Mar is in third place at two-over-par 143 with a pair of 73s.  He is closely followed by two other Southern Californians, Steve Yavorsky of San Clemente and Chris Veitch of Newport Beach at three-over-par 147.

In the North-South Team Competition, the NCGA once again claimed the trophy.  The team of Gary Vanier, Mark Miller, Herb Jensen and Jeff Burda won by seven strokes at eight-over-par 440, counting the best three of four individual scores on each of the first two days. The South team of Kemp Richardson, Howie Knodt, Boyd Martin and Clark Heath finished at 15-over-par 447.  After succeeding this year, the North leads 10-5 over the South.

Current No. 1 ranked NCGA senior  and 2007 champion Gary Vanier withdrew before the second round with an ankle injury.  Vanier is the only player in history to have won both the State Amateur and State Senior Amateur championships.

The cut at 12-over-par 144 means that 35 players advance to tomorrow’s final round at Poppy Hills and tee times begin at 7:30 a.m.

NCGA Team: Mark Miller, Gary Vanier, Herb Jensen, Jeff Burda and captain Vaughn Kezirian.

SCGA Team: Clark Heath, Kemp Richardson, captain Kent Keller, Howie Knodt and Boyd Martin.

September 28, 2009

 

PEBBLE BEACH – Jeff Burda came out with guns blazing in the first round of the 18th Annual CGA Senior Championship at Poppy Hills.

The defending champion racked up four birdies on the first nine holes (starting on No. 10), no bogeys and an eagle finish on the par-5 9th totalling a six-under-par 66 on the scorecard.  The 53-year-old didn’t seem affected by the thick Pebble Beach fog that blanketed the course for most of the morning and holds a six-stroke lead over the field.

Hampered with a back injury earlier in the year, the Modesto resident recently found his past form when he made it to the round of 16 at the 2009 U.S. Senior Amateur and pocketed a win at the NCGA Senior Match Play Championship.

Burda’s eight titles in 2008 included the NCGA Senior, State Fair and the Modesto, Madera, Manteca and Sacramento City championships, Sacramento County and the State Senior. He was only the second player to win both the NCGA Senior and State Senior in the same year.  After advancing to the round of 16 at the State Amateur at Lakeside last year, Burda went on to become 2008 NCGA Senior Player of the Year. If Burda wins, he will be the only player since Fair Oaks’ Jim McMurtrey in 1995 to win consecutive CGA Senior titles (McMurtrey went on to win a total of three titles).

NCGA Senior Four-Ball Champion Doug Johnson of Fresno is tied for second at even-par 72.  He is chased by NCGA Valley Amateur Champion Herb Jensen of Carmichael, Chris Vetich of Newport Beach and Corona del Mar’s Boyd Martin at one-over-par 73.  The 2009 SCGA Senior Champion Howie Knodt of Chula Vista is at 10-over-par 82.

The NCGA team leads the SCGA team by nine strokes in the North-South Team Competition, held concurrently with the first two rounds of the tournament.  The South team of Kemp Richardson, Howie Knodt, Boyd Martin and Clark Heath carded a 223 team total, while the North team of Gary Vanier, Mark Miller, Herb Jensen and Jeff Burda are at 214.  The best three of four individual scores count each day.  After succeeding last year, the North leads 9-5 over the South.

In other stories of note, shortly after Tom Lyons hit a crisp 5-iron on the par-3 11th hole, he heard cheers echo from the group on the next tee box.  “Nobody could see because of the fog,” the Castlewood CC member said.  But when they got up to the green they discovered his ball had bounced and rolled into the cup for an ace.  Some would consider this a once-in-a-lifetime event, but the Pleasanton resident added the hole-in-one to a collection of six others in his career.  Lyons went on to post a four-over-par 76 and is tied for 16th.

The championship is being hosted by Poppy Hills GC for the 15th year in a row.  The challenging Robert Trent Jones Jr. design opened in 1986 and is the home course for the NCGA. It was the first course in the United States to be owned and operated by an amateur golf association.  The challenging par-72 layout weaves through the Del Monte Forest and measures 6,857 yards from the black tees.

A field of 112 of the best senior golfers in California are competing for the state’s premier senior title.  Tee times begin at 7:30 a.m. on Tuesday and the field will be cut to the low 33 and ties after tomorrow’s second round.

Results

Jeff Burda	Del Rio CC	66	77	68		211
Mark Miller	Roddy Ranch GC	75	73	71		219
Boyd Martin	Santa Ana CC	73	73	74		220
Jim Knoll	Rooster Run GC	75	69	78		222
Ray Vanyo	Mission Lakes CC	80	71	72		223
Bob Rowland	The Castlewood CC	74	74	76		224
Kemp Richardson	El Niguel CC	75	75	74		224
Jack Anthony	Green Valley CC	78	73	74		225
Chris Veitch	Santa Ana CC	73	74	78		225
Herb Jensen	Del Paso CC	73	76	77		226
John Enright	Sharp Park GC	74	81	72		227
Conrad Nilmeier	San Joaquin CC	76	75	76		227
Steven Hakes	Coronado Municipal GC	74	78	75		227
Rob Adolph	San Joaquin CC	76	79	73		228
Douglas Johnson	Fig Garden GC	72	79	77		228
Steve Yavorsky	Talega GC	75	72	81		228
Dan Pouliot	Lakeside GC	77	76	76		229
Greg Olson	Gold Hills CC	79	76	75		230
Neil Duffy	Pajaro Valley GC	76	77	78		231
Kent Richardson	Seven Oaks CC	80	75	76		231
Karl Stewart	Canyon Crest CC	80	75	76		231
David Ujihara	Los Coyotes CC	81	73	77		231
J. David Carroll	Silverado CC	77	77	78		232
Dennis Younglove	El Macero CC	76	78	78		232
Bill Brammer	San Luis Rey Downs GRCC	77	73	82		232
Jeff Hooper	Simi Hills GC	74	78	80		232
Scott Parker	Alta Vista CC	74	76	82		232
Paul Kay	MountainGate CC	76	77	80		233
Bruce Swanson	Roddy Ranch GC	81	75	78		234
Tim Grunsky	Stockton GCC	80	76	82		238
Frank Merhar	La Jolla CC	78	78	82		238
Michael Miyasaki	Hacienda GC	80	76	82		238
Richard Braun	Cottonwood GC	78	77	84		239
Bill Wachtel	Chalk Mountain GC	79	77	84		240
Thomas O’Grady	Los Altos GCC	80	75	86		241
Failed to Qualify:
Joe Beato	Kings CC	81	76		157
Ben Whipple	Serrano CC	79	78		157
Joseph Zanassi	Antioch GC	81	76		157
Rick Doebler	Hacienda GC	77	80		157
Donald Ludwig	San Diego Advertising GA	77	80		157
James Myers	El Camino CC	77	80		157
Lee Tomlinson	GOLFEXTRA at  Roger Dunn	81	76		157
Steve Wilson	Lomas Santa Fe CC	77	80		157
Robert Cayton	Pasatiempo GC	80	78		158
Rich Morrison	eClub South Bay	78	80		158
Bob Olds	Roddy Ranch GC	81	77		158
Tom Lyons	The Castlewood CC	76	82		158
Warren Caves	Big Canyon CC	79	79		158
William Cvengros	El Niguel CC	79	79		158
Howie Knodt*	San Diego CC	82	76		158
Michael Uptegraff	Marbella CC	78	80		158
James Wisda	Bel Air CC	77	81		158
Dan Bieber	Green Valley CC	80	79		159
James Camaione	Crystalaire CC	82	77		159
Don Baker	Woodland Hills CC	78	82		160
Clark Heath*	Coto de Caza GC	75	85		160
Rick Lindsay	The CC of Rancho Bernardo	80	80		160
Warren Shafer	San Diego CC	81	79		160
Marty Temple	Hacienda GC	84	77		161
David Baskins	El Macero CC	77	84		161
Bill Bowen	The Lincoln Hills Club	81	80		161
Lee Jeberjahn	San Luis Obispo CC	76	85		161
Bob Schoenherr	Rooster Run GC	80	81		161
Greg Grohs	Brookside GC	80	81		161
Rick Herrera	Santa Ana CC	80	81		161
Gregory Hetzer	Virginia CC	80	81		161
Bruce Loman	Oak Creek GC	78	83		161
Robert Baker	Talega GC	80	82		162
Peter Daley	Mesa Verde CC	81	81		162
Frank Pieper	Monterey Peninsula CC	84	78		162
Bob Berg	Riverview GCC	82	81		163
Donel Geisen	Rancho Canada GC	82	81		163
Byron Johnson	Belmont CC	76	87		163
Tom Eastlack	Temeku Hills GCC	78	85		163
Gary Grimes	Antelope Valley CC	82	81		163
Larry Hampsten	El Niguel CC	83	81		164
Nyal Leslie	Los Angeles CC	79	85		164
Deane Manning	CrossCreek GC	83	81		164
Douglas Tambara	SeaCliff CC	82	82		164
Michael Duncan	Mariners Point Linksters	84	81		165
Rick Novak	California GC	82	83		165
Vic Benson	La Purisima GC	82	83		165
Rob Seidel	Fig Garden GC	87	79		166
Mark Battista	Desert Willow GR	82	84		166
Kerry Booth	San Diego CC	83	83		166
Mike King	Industry Hills GC	85	81		166
Monte Mahan	Coto de Caza GC	83	84		167
Topper Owen	The Valley Club	81	86		167
David Sunker	The TPC at Valencia	81	86		167
Bruce Taylor	Wilshire CC	83	84		167
James Cylke	FPIGA	83	85		168
Ted Lyford	San Bernardino GC	85	83		168
John McCarthy	River Ridge GC	84	84		168
Bryan Rolfe	Mesa Verde CC	87	81		168
Jim Krusen	Lomas Santa Fe CC	84	85		169
Pat Rohan	Fairbanks Ranch CC	86	83		169
Rich Sims	Las Posas CC	87	82		169
Gary Conti	De Laveaga GC	81	89		170
Bill Cushman	La Purisima GC	88	83		171
Robert Hallock	San Luis Rey Downs GRCC	83	89		172
Dean Richesin	GOLFEXTRA at Costa Mesa	82	90		172
Jeffrey Howard	UAC GC	90	83		173
Michael Cooney	Torrey Pines GC	90	84		174
Terry Ackerman	Laguna Seca GR	89	87		176
Larry Grant	Meadowlark GC	85	95		180