110th NCGA Amateur Match Play Championship | Spyglass Hill GC | August 12-16, 2013

 

The oldest of the NCGA’s major events, the Amateur Match Play Championship, dates back to 1903 when it was first played at San Rafael GC.

The antique sterling silver trophy reveals a who’s who of historical Northern California amateur golfers including Pebble Beach course designer Douglas Grant, Charlie Seaver, Lawson Little Jr., as well as current and past PGA Tour players Kevin Sutherland, Arron Olberholser, Spencer Levin, Matt Bettencourt, Roger Maltbie and Ray Leach.

Varying formats have been used over the 106 years of competition but today the tournament is 36 holes of stroke-play qualifying, followed by a 32-person seeded match play bracket. The one-day final match is a 36-hole test of stamina and concentration after a week of golf at Spyglass Hill. The match play event has been played at Spyglass Hill every year since 1966, with the exception of 1996 when the course was closed due to renovations.

The largest winning margin was in 1930 when Herbert Schultz beat Hugh Ditzler by 11 & 10 at Castlewood GC, this was equaled in 2004 when Spencer Levin claimed the title. The longest final match was seen in 2007 when Ryan Hallisey triumphed on the 39th hole over Jeremy Gearhart, equaling the record set in 1947. Notable runner-up finishers include Ken Venturi and Johnny Miller, with Jack Neville having finished runner-up more than any other player, five times.

The event often determines the NCGA’s Player of the Year award with 700 points awarded to the winner. Multiple-time Player of the Year winners Casey Boyns and Randy Haag have both claimed the championship twice. Over 300 players attempt to qualify for the championship each year and the event is open to anyone with a handicap index of 5.4 or less.

Online Registration — Paper Registration

Qualifying Information

ENTRIES CLOSE: June 21, 2013

Qualifying for the Amateur Match Play Championship will be held on July 18 at the following sites:

Del Monte | Paradise Valley | The Reserve at Spanos Park | The Ridge | Riverbend | Roddy Ranch | San Juan Oaks

Format: 18 holes qualifying. 100 players plus ties (including exempts) will advance to the championship.

All players must qualify except the following: All past champions prior to 2004 (beginning in 2004, this is a 10-year exemption), players who reached the quarter-finals the preceding year, the top 10 and ties from the preceding year’s Amateur Stroke Play Championship, the following current NCGA champions: Public Links, Senior, Junior, Master Division, Valley Amateur and Valley Senior Amateur. Players who reached the quarterfinals of the CGA in the previous year are also exempt. Exemptions are also granted to the top 15 players on the preceding year’s final NCGA Points List. Each exempt player is required to submit an entry prior to the closing date. Amateur Match Play Exemptions

Tournament Recaps

Given the spectacular nature of Spyglass Hill’s first five holes, it might come as a surprise that NCGA Amateur Match Play Champion Jake Yount now has a special affinity for the iconic course’s back nine. The champion made do this week by playing his best golf on Spyglass Hill’s final nine. In his four matches leading up to the 36-hole final, Yount trailed early in three of the four before making a move on the back nine to finish off his opponents. Friday told a different story, though, as Yount got off to a quick start and cruised to the finish line, winning 6 & 4 over Eric Ash. Read Full 2012 Recap | 2012 Bracket Results

If this keeps up, NCGA Amateur champion John Catlin might never change his shirt. Catlin captured his second NCGA Amateur title in as many years at Spyglass Hill, propelled by a sublime putting performance that upended Michael Weaver 5 and 3.  The champion intentionally wore the same shirt as a year ago, when he defeated Scott Hardy 3 and 2. Catlin’s back-to-back wins are the first since ’92-’93 when Randy Haag accomplished the feat.  It is the 10th time in the 108-year history of the tournament. Read Full 2011 Recap | 2011 Bracket Results

John Catlin’s trips to Pebble Beach in August each of the last two years produced wildly different results. The 19-year-old Carmichael resident last played at Spyglass a year ago in the NCGA Junior, making the cut but then finishing in last place with a final-round 83. A year later, he found himself atop the region with a 3 and 2 victory in Northern California’s most prestigious amateur event, the NCGA Amateur Match Play. In doing so, he defeated one of the top mid-amateurs in the state in St. Mary’s Golf Coach Scott Hardy. Read Full 2010 Recap | 2010 Bracket Results

Forgive George Gandranata if he ignored NCGA history.  The 23-year-old posted “the biggest win of his life” in defeating 53-year-old Casey Boyns for the NCGA Amateur title at Spyglass Hill.  Gandranata played the role of Stewart Cink in stopping Boyns’ Tom Watson-like quest to add an amazing 15th NCGA title to his legacy. In the semifinals, the champion had stopped the other legend in the younger NCGA ranks, Randy Haag.
Read Full 2009 Recap | 2009 Bracket Results

Matt Marshall picked a fitting way to end his last summer of competition as an amateur. The story of the match between Marshall and the 30-year-old Marin came down to putting. The champion put on a display of clutch putting that simply made it impossible for Marin to make up ground after ending the first 18 holes of the scheduled 36-hole final 2-down. The 3rd through the 5th holes of the second 18 told the story of the entire day. Marshall saved par on the 3rd with an 8-footer and then canned a triple breaking 35 footer on the 4th for birdie…
Read Full 2008 Recap | 2008 Bracket Results
View 2008 Finals Photo Gallery | View 2008 Bracket Photo Gallery

This one was a classic. In an epic 39-hole match that tied for the longest in NCGA Amateur history (1947), Ryan Hallisey of Granite Bay prevailed over Jeremy Gearhart of Atascadero at Spyglass Hill Friday in one of the most competitive finals in recent memory. Hallisey, a 19-year-old rising sophomore at the University of Nevada-Reno, established an early 3-up lead in the morning 18 via a deft short game. But consecutive birdies on the 13th and 14th holes by Gearhart, playing in his first major amateur competition after getting his amateur status back, brought the lead back to 1-up…
Read Full 2007 Recap | 2007 Bracket Results
View 2007 Finals Photo Gallery | View 2007 Bracket Photo Gallery

Past Champions

 

Year	Course	Champion	Runner-Up	Score	Medalist (score)
1903*	San Rafael GC	A.Guthrie Harvey (187)	W.P. Johnson (189)
1904*	San Rafael GC	A.Guthrie Harvey (182)	W.P. Johnson (194)
1905	No Championship
1906	San Francisco GC	Frank C. Newton	Frank Kales	5 & 4	John Lawson 83
1907	San Francisco GC	Frank C. Newton	B.D. Adamson	10 & 9	Frank Newton 83
1908	San Francisco GC	Frank C. Newton	Frank Kales	3 & 2	Campbell Whyte 83
1909	San Francisco GC	Douglas Grant	Jack Neville	4 & 3	Douglas Grant 82
1910	San Francisco GC	D.P. Fredericks	A.A. Cuthbertson	10 & 9	Campbell Whyte 80-73-153
1911	San Francisco GC	Frank Kales	Jack Neville	7 & 6	Robin Y. Hayne 79
1912	Claremont CC	Campbell Whyte	D.P. Fredericks	3 & 2	Frank Kales 72
1913	San Francisco GC	John F. Neville	Frank Kales	2 & 1	Vincent Whitney 77
1914	Presidio GC	H.K.B. Davis Jr.	Jack Neville	1 up	Fletcher Elliot 76
1915	Claremont CC	Robin Y. Hayne	Warner Sherwood	6 & 4	Robin Y. Hayne 75
1916	Menlo CC	Douglas Grant	Roger Lapham	37 holes	H.K.B. Davis Jr. 77
1917	San Francisco GC	Douglas Grant	Jack Neville	1 up	Douglas Grant 71
1918	Beresford CC	D.P. Fredericks	Vincent Whitney	3 & 2	F.W. Von Schrader 77
1919	Burlingame CC	R.K. Coleman Jr.	Vincent Whitney	6 & 5	Douglas Grant 69
1920	California CC	Sam L. Conlan Jr.	Jack Neville	5 & 4	Russell Smith 78-77-155
1921	San Francisco GC	Norman MacBeth	Vincent Whitney	3 & 2	Russell Smith 78-77-155
1922	Olympic Club	C.H. Walter	John McHugh	3 & 1	John McHugh 77-77-154
1923	Berkeley CC	George Ritchie	John J. McHugh	6 & 5	John J. McHugh 155
1924	Lake Merced GCC	John J. McHugh	Capt. A. Bullock-Webster	1 up	Francis Brown 156
1925	San Francisco GC	George Von Elm	Randolph Wilhelm	3 & 2	George Von Elm 76
1926	Beresford CC	Capt. A. Bullock-Webster	Claire Griswold	2 & 1	Oscar Willing 73
1927	Del Paso CC	George Ritchie	C.H. Walter	3 & 2	John McHugh 74
1928	Orinda CC	Lawson Little Jr.	Dr. Jack Wolf	1 up	Claire Griswold 72
1929	Olympic Club	John McHugh	George Ritchie	4 & 2	Dr. Jack Wolf 73
1930	Castlewood CC	Herbert Schultz	Hugh Ditzler	11 & 10	G. Schwartz, J.Ritchie 73
1931	Lake Merced CC	Lawson Little Jr.	Mel Thompson	8 & 6	Dr. Jack Wolf 73
1932	San Jose CC	Charlie Seaver	Charlie Ferrera	1 up	Lawson Little 74
1933	California Golf Club	Charlie Seaver	James “Babe” Ritchie	7 & 6	Ernest Pieper 73
1934	Orinda CC	Stuart Hawley Jr.	Jim Ritchie	1 up	Vern “Spec” Stewart 72
1935	San Francisco CC	Frank Dolp	Jim Molinari	1 up	Ernest Pieper 73
1936	Del Paso CC	Frank Shelden	Charley Swanston	3 & 2	Tommy Dwyer 70
1937	Lake Merced CC	Don Edwards	Mat Palacio	6 & 5	Mat Palacio 72
1938	Pasatiempo GC	Mat Palacio	Ernest Pieper	2 up	Mat Palacio and Ernie Carli 73
1939	Claremont CC	Mel MacNaughton	Walter Myers	11 & 9	G.C. Ehmann 66
1940	Harding Park GC	William Fritz	Jim Molinari	1 up (36 H)	Don Kennedy 70
1941	Orinda CC	Bud Brownell	Dee Replogle	4 & 3	Walter Gilliam 69
1942	Del Paso CC	Jim Molinari	Phil Gordon	3 & 2 (36 H)	Eddie Frye 69
1943	Harding Park GC	Jack McChesney	Pat Casey	2 & 1	W.M. Higgins 72
1944	Olympic CC	Ralph Hall	Richard McCreary	3 & 1	no medalist – “war restrictions”
1945	California GC	Ralph Hall	Nelson Cullenward	6 & 5	Bill McCallum 72
1946	San Jose CC	Ralph Hall	E.O. Pieper, Jr.	2 & 1	Joe Diaz, Ernie Pieper 68
1947	Del Paso CC	Capt. F.J. Moseley	Paul Millett	39th hole	Elmer Clites 68
1948	San Francisco CC	Bob Silvestri	E.E. Lowery	9 & 8	Robert Rosburg 70
1949	Meadow Club	Talbert Smith	Kenneth Venturi	8 & 7	Martin Stanovich 68
1950	Pasatiempo GC	Robert Rosburg	Kenneth Venturi	38th hole	Robert A. Roos 67
1951	Olympic Club	James Molinari	Ernest Pieper	4 & 3	James Molinari 70
1952	Sequoia-Sunnyside	Ed Castagnetto	Cy Donaldson	8 & 6	Tom Beck 68
1953	Orinda CC	Talbert Smith	Eli Bariteau	6 & 5	Eli Bariteau 69
1954	California GC	Daniel “Bob” Silvestri	Paul Millett	9 & 8	Phil Getchell 68
1955	Del Paso CC	Scotty McBeath	Dennis Hession	3 & 2	Frank Mogey 70
1956	Silverado CC	Robert Cardinal	Ed Castagnetto	8 & 7	Ed Castagnetto 65
1957	Green Hills CC	Bill Shook	Ed Castagnetto	3 & 1	Nelson Cullenward 68
1958	Belmont CC	John Brodie	Tom Beck	5 & 4	John Spinola 69
1959	North Ridge CC	Verne Callison	David Bohannon	1 up	Ron Luceti 68
1960	Del Rio GCC	Richard J. Giddings	Lloyd Rossi	4 & 3	Cliff Davis 69
1961	Stanford University	John Lotz	Kent Winton	1 up	George Archer 67
1962	Silverado CC	John Lotz	Kent Winton	2 & 1 (36 H)	Ron Cerrudo 68
1963	Valley Hi CC	John Lotz	Steve Oppermann	6 & 5	Steve Oppermann 66
1964	Silverado CC	Ron Cerrudo	Guy Bill	2 & 1	Guy Bill 66
1965	Olympic Club	Ron Cerrudo	Jack Chapman	7 & 6	Johnny Miller 69
1966	Spyglass Hill GC	Vic Loustalot	Bernard Magnusson	3 & 2 (36 H)	Robert E. Smith 72-73—145
1967	Spyglass Hill GC	Ross Randall	Tom Culligan	4 & 2 (36 H)	John Yelland 73-73—146
1968	Spyglass Hill GC	Ray Leach	Forrest Fezler	4 & 3	Forrest Fezler 78-70—148
1969	Spyglass Hill GC	Lee Cook	Greg Bean	2 & 1 (36 H)	Ray Leach 151
1970	Spyglass Hill GC	Steve Bohn	Sandy Galbraith	1 up	Jim Lathum, Jim Boer 74
1971	Spyglass Hill GC	Doug Nelson	Roger Maltbie	2 & 1	Sandy McCall 74
1972	Spyglass Hill GC	Roger Maltbie	Dallan Ragland	7 & 6	Bruce Robertson 71
1973	Spyglass Hill GC	Chuck Van Linge	Dean Prince	2 up	no qualifying round
1974	Spyglass Hill GC	Tom Culligan, III	Dean Prince	3 & 2	no qualifying round
1975	Spyglass Hill GC	Scott Hoyt	Ray Pellegrini	10 & 9	no qualifying round
1976	Spyglass Hill GC	Michael Brannan	Scott Hoyt	3 & 1	no qualifying round
1977	Spyglass Hill GC	Bryan Pini	Rick Gordon	3 & 2	no qualifying round
1978	Spyglass Hill GC	Bryan Pini	Dennis Trixler	8 & 6	no qualifying round
1979	Spyglass Hill GC	Jim Kane	Chris Gutilla	3 & 2	no qualifying round
1980	Spyglass Hill GC	Mike Rubio	Gary Vandeweghe	5 & 3	no qualifying round
1981	Spyglass Hill GC	Neil Robinson	Mark Morgan	1 up	no qualifying round
1982	Spyglass Hill GC	Bill Malley	Terry Foreman	4 & 3	no qualifying round
1983	Spyglass Hill GC	Michael Allen	Casey Boyns	6 & 5	no qualifying round
1984	Spyglass Hill GC	Tom Silva	Tim Loustalot	4 & 2	no qualifying round
1985	Spyglass Hill GC	Tim Robinson	Dana Banke	10 & 9	Dana Banke 217
1986	Spyglass Hill GC	Kevin Sutherland	John Childs	37th hole	Terrence Miskell 215
1987	Spyglass Hill GC	Casey Boyns	Frank Schiro Jr.	1 up	John Kennaday 68-74-75—217
1988	Spyglass Hill GC	Steve Sear	Frank Schiro Jr.	2 & 1	Steve Sear 74-76-74—224
1989	Spyglass Hill GC	Mike Foster	Ron Ewing	7 & 5	Pat Lay 72-74-71—217
1990	Spyglass Hill GC	Terrence Miskell	Brian Pemberton	3 & 2	Casey Boyns 72-74-72—218
1991	Spyglass Hill GC	Mike Lane	Jason Larson	6 & 5	Casey Boyns 74-73-74—221
1992	Spyglass Hill GC	Randy Haag	Darren Dragovich	7 & 6	Dennis Mitchell 74-74-72—216
1993	Spyglass Hill GC	Randy Haag	Joey Ferrari	3 & 2	Randy Haag 74-70-74—218
1994	Spyglass Hill GC	Rod Souza	Jon Bettencourt	2 & 1	Casey Boyns 70-71-74—215
1995	Spyglass Hill GC	Jeff Gilchrist	Randy Haag	3 & 2	B. Nottingham 72-73-73—218
1996	Poppy Hills GC & Rancho Canada GC	Casey Boyns	Aaron Oberholser	5 & 4	Darren Slackman 70-71—141
1997	Spyglass Hill GC	Gary Vanier	Casey Boyns	3 & 2	Justin Russo 67-73—140
1998	Spyglass Hill GC	Matt Christensen	Ray Otis	37th hole	Jim Wilson 73-75—148
1999	Spyglass Hill GC	Darryl Donovan	Bob Niger	3 & 2	Tom Johnson 80-68—148
2000	Spyglass Hill GC	James Hay	Randy Haag	2 up	Tim Tipton 74-73—147
2001	Spyglass Hill GC	Matt Bettencourt	Scott Hardy	6 & 5	Jonathan Echols 71-70—141
2002	Spyglass Hill GC	Spencer Levin	Jason Higton	6 & 4	Matt Bettencourt 74-69—143
2003	Spyglass Hill GC	Patrick Nagle	Darryl Donovan	7 & 6	Randy Haag 73-67—140
2004	Spyglass Hill GC	Spencer Levin	Terry Foreman	11 & 10	Travis Esway 70-69—139
2005	Spyglass Hill GC	Eddie Olson	Eric Lillibridge	4 & 3	Eddie Olson 68-70—138
2006	Spyglass Hill GC	Ryan Thornberry	Eddie Olson	2 & 1	R. Thornberry, Kaz Hoffman 139
2007	Spyglass Hill GC	Ryan Hallisey	Jeremy Gearhart	39th hole	Scott Hardy, 70-70—140
2008	Spyglass Hill GC	Matthew Marshall	Chris Marin	3 & 2	Matthew Hollinsead, 70-73—143
2009	Spyglass Hill GC	George Gandranata	Casey Boyns	1 up	Mat Montez, 77-70—147
2010	Spyglass Hill GC	John Catlin	Scott Hardy	3 & 2	Randy Haag, 70-69—139
2011	Spyglass Hill GC	John Catlin	Michael Weaver	5 & 3	Kevin Wentworth, 68-71—139
2012	Spyglass Hill GC	Jake Yount	Eric Ash	6 & 4	Jay Myers, Austin Roberts 66-75—141

* Championship was 36-hole stroke play in 1903 and 1904

About Spyglass Hill

Ranked number 11 on “America’s 100 Greatest Public Courses” list by Golf Digest for 2011-2012. Spyglass Hill was designed by Robert Trent Jones, Sr., as a part of the master plan for the Pebble Beach ocean front between Cypress Point and Pebble Beach. Opened in 1966, the design features two distinctly different kinds of terrain that influence the way the holes look and play. The first five holes roll through sandy seaside dunes challenging the golfer to carefully pick the safest path. The following 13 holes are cut through pine trees with elevated greens and strategically placed bunkers and lakes to grab the errant shot. Spyglass Hill is rated one of the toughest courses in the world from the Championship tees, boasting a course rating of 75.5 and a slope rating of 147. The PGA Tour consistently lists Spyglass Hill’s holes 6, 8 and 16 among the toughest on the tour, and during the 1999 United States Amateur, the stroke average of the field during medal play was in excess of 79.

Spyglass Hill Course Tour | Get driving directions