May 8-10
Spyglass Hill
May 10, 2009
Champions Taylor Travis and Ryan Sloane
PEBBLE BEACH - The volatile nature of four-ball scoring almost mandates that back-to-back championships don’t occur. Ryan Sloane and Taylor Travis broke the mold, then, in becoming the first repeat winners in the more than 40-year history of the NCGA Four-Ball at Spyglass Hill.
One of only two teams to card all three rounds in the 60s, the duo lingered toward the top of the leaderboard all weekend, finally securing the lead via a birdie on the par-four 6th hole in the final round.
“We felt we were playing poorly, especially compared to last year,” Sloane said. “But we were only one stroke off the lead. That gave us confidence going into the final round that we could turn it around.”
The championship represents the second win in three outings – they finished third in an amateurgolf.com event last year. The pair is the ultimate Ying and Yang duo. Taylor, 18-years-old and a redshirt freshman at UCLA, is a laconic and steady player whereas Sloane, 30 and a Santa Clara graduate, is fiery and streaky. “It’s a fun team,” Sloane said. “I don’t have near the talent Taylor has. I just follow his lead.”
“We pick each other up,” Travis added. This was evident on the 16th hole in the final round. With Sloane out of scoring position, Travis holed a crucial 10-footer to save par. That momentum carried through to the 18th where a Travis birdie slammed the door on any other competitors’ chances.
The two met through Travis’ swing coach in Burlingame, Alex Murray. “We get competitive with each other; we really have fun,” Sloane said. Three bogeys versus 17 birdies – including a birdie in each round on the par four 2nd hole – totaled a 14-under 202 score, two more than the champions’ total in 2008.
A.J. Hohn (Elkhorn) and Reid Scarff (Butte Creek) and Anthony Verna and Brandon Harkins (Orinda) tied for second place three strokes back of the champions. After a one-hole playoff, Hohn and Scarff earned runner-up honors via a par on Spyglass’ 10th hole.
Coming into the final round, veterans Casey Boyns and Bill Moore and the brother tandem of Roberto and Nicolo Galletti were tied for the lead. But neither team was able to establish momentum.
Three of Spyglass’ four par 3s yielded holes-in-one during the tournament. During the first round, Anthony Verna on the 15th and during the second round, Colin Peck on the 12th and Robert Pereira on the 3rd.
Runners-up A.J. Hohn and Reid Scarff and third-place finishers Brandon Harkins and Anthony Verna
Photo Gallery
Final Results
| Ryan Sloane, Fifth Major, Taylor Travis, Fremont Park GC | 67 | 69 | 66 | 202 |
| A.J. Hohn, Elkhorn Country Club, Reid Scarff, Butte Creek CC | 68 | 69 | 68 | 205 |
| Brandon Harkins, Orinda CC, Anthony Verna, Orinda CC | 64 | 74 | 67 | 205 |
| Casey Boyns, Monterey Bay GC, William Moore, Bayonet GC | 64 | 71 | 72 | 207 |
| Nicolo Galletti, Oakhurst CC, Roberto Galletti Jr., Oakhurst CC | 66 | 69 | 73 | 208 |
| Jon Peterson, Granite Bay GC, Eddie Davis, Green Valley CC | 71 | 68 | 69 | 208 |
| Darryl Donovan, The Olympic Club, Randy Haag, Cordevalle GC | 68 | 71 | 70 | 209 |
| Scott Watson, Ancil Hoffman GC, Christopher Johnson, Green Tree GC | 67 | 69 | 73 | 209 |
| Scott Hardy, amateurgolf.com, Rick Reinsberg, Moraga CC | 70 | 68 | 71 | 209 |
| Russell Humphrey, Woodbridge GCC, James Watt, Lockeford Springs GC | 67 | 69 | 73 | 209 |
| Matt Fagundes, Fort Washington GCC, Jon Bettencourt, Sunnyside CC | 66 | 71 | 74 | 211 |
| Dean Menante, Plumas Pines GR, Steve Sear, Scratch Players GC | 69 | 71 | 71 | 211 |
| Anthony Stockton, Salinas Fairways GC, Ricky Stockton, Salinas Fairways GC | 69 | 70 | 72 | 211 |
| Chris Botsford, E-Club East Bay, James Williams, Orinda CC | 70 | 72 | 70 | 212 |
| Jeff Gilchrist, Sunset Whitney CC, Steve Woods, Coyote Creek GC | 72 | 70 | 70 | 212 |
| Joseph Becko, Masters Big Valley GC, Brett Mormann, amateurgolf.com | 71 | 70 | 71 | 212 |
| Jay Guittard, Players Choice GC, Kevin Wentworth, TPC at San Francisco Bay | 67 | 73 | 73 | 213 |
| Geoff Gonzalez, Diablo CC, Colin Peck, Palo Alto GC | 77 | 68 | 68 | 213 |
| Nicolas Marin, Harding Park GC, Buck Branson, The Olympic Club | 68 | 73 | 72 | 213 |
| Matthew Costello, The Bridges, Greg Ford, The Bridges | 70 | 74 | 69 | 213 |
| Patrick Burda, Del Rio CC, Jeff Burda, Del Rio CC | 72 | 71 | 70 | 213 |
| Chris Cuttone, Merced GCC, Ron Ewing, Merced GCC | 72 | 72 | 69 | 213 |
| Kaz Hoffman, Mill Valley GC, Alex Schmitt, Meadow Club | 74 | 71 | 69 | 214 |
| Scott Travers, NCGA Association Membership – SCGA, Alexander Bon, E-Club South Bay | 68 | 74 | 73 | 215 |
| Jeremy Moreno, Riverbend GC, Jon Dechambeau, Belmont CC | 68 | 72 | 76 | 216 |
| Josh Twist, Rancho Murieta CC, Don Thames, Rancho Murieta CC | 70 | 74 | 72 | 216 |
| Keith Berry, Riverside GC, Danny Paniccia, Riverbend GC | 69 | 71 | 76 | 216 |
| Greg Loosigian, King’s River GCC, Tom Moshier, Fort Washington GCC | 72 | 72 | 72 | 216 |
| Jake Johnson, Cameron Park CC, Brian Knoll, Cameron Park CC | 74 | 68 | 74 | 216 |
| Stan Morrison, amateurgolf.com, Andrew Biggadike, The Olympic Club | 75 | 71 | 71 | 217 |
| R.C. Orr, Adobe Creek GC, Roman Hubalek, Adobe Creek GC | 69 | 73 | 75 | 217 |
| Spencer Rowley, San Luis Obispo CC, Mike Rowley, San Luis Obispo GCC | 71 | 75 | 72 | 218 |
| David Rathjen, Cinnabar Hills GC, Ken Helwig, Silver Creek Valley CC | 74 | 72 | 72 | 218 |
| Steven Chung, Morgan Creek GCC, Jasper Gill, Wildhawk GC | 70 | 73 | 75 | 218 |
| Nick Arata, Ruby Hill GC, Justin Grilli, Sharon Heights GCC | 72 | 75 | 72 | 219 |
| Jack Wilson, Green Valley CC, Jeff Wilson, Green Valley CC | 73 | 70 | 77 | 220 |
| Danny Gums, Rancho Murieta CC, Kevin Stillian, Rancho Murieta CC | 72 | 73 | 75 | 220 |
| Mike Prescott, Peninsula GCC, Brandon McNally, Poplar Creek GC | 68 | 79 | 74 | 221 |
| Jerry Ledzinski, Tehama GC, Jeff Britton, Tehama GC | 71 | 75 | 75 | 221 |
| John Ashlock, Forest Lake GC, Tim Breland, Brookside CC | 73 | 74 | 75 | 222 |
| James Atchison, Creekside GC, Brandon Dunn, Modesto GC | 70 | 73 | 79 | 222 |
| Greg Wenzel, eClub Sacramento, Dick Wenzel, eClub Sacramento | 70 | 76 | 76 | 222 |