52nd NCGA Senior Championship | Spyglass Hill GC | April 1-2, 2013
2013 Senior Champion: Gary Vanier
First played in 1962, the NCGA Senior Championship is the association’s premier event for players aged 55 and over. Hundreds of players at multiple sites around the region attempt to qualify for the championship each year. Traditionally, the final field has played 36 holes of stroke play at a different venue each year; however, beginning in 2009 the tournament has been played annually at Spyglass Hill.
The tournament record was set in 2008 by Jeff Burda who beat the previous record by five strokes with a 135 at Saddle Creek GC. The low tournament score at Spyglass Hill GC was Michael Brannan’s 142 in 2012, the only under-par 36-hole total since the tournament has been played there on annual basis. Jim McMurtrey has won the championship a record five times (1990, 1992, 1994, 1995 and 2000). Cornelius Bertolone (1963, 1964 and 1966) and Kai Thomsen (1988, 1989 and 1991) are tied with second most victories, each winning three times a piece.
Online Registration — Paper Registration
Qualifying Information
ENTRIES CLOSE: February 22, 2013
Qualifying for the 2013 Senior Championship takes place March 7 at the following courses:
Boundary Oak | Darkhorse | Eagle Ridge | Stevinson Ranch
Format: 18 holes sectional qualifying. 100 senior players, plus ties, including exempts will advance to the championship. Non-exempt seniors will be required to go to sectional qualifying.
All players must qualify except the following: All past champions prior to 2004 (beginning in 2004, this is a five-year exemption), the top 10 and ties from the preceding year, the Senior Valley Amateur Champion, the Senior Match Play Champion, Master Division Champion (if applicable) and the CGA Senior Champion. Exemptions are also granted for the top 15 players on the preceding year’s final NCGA Senior Points List. Each exempt player is required to submit an entry prior to the closing date. Senior Championship Exemptions
Tournament Recaps
Gary Vanier may have a new nickname after his latest victory at the 52nd Annual NCGA Senior Championship. When presented the first place medal by NCGA Vice President Brian Morse, he dubbed the new champion “Mr. Lucky.” Despite having a two-stroke lead going into the day, everyone who stuck around was surprised to see the 2009 champion add a second title to his name, even Vanier himself. Read Full 2013 Recap | View 2013 Photo Gallery
After his first round 72, Michael Brannan talked about how he got away with his mistakes. Well today was as close of a mistake-free day as he could have. Brannan shot an impressive 2-under 70 at Spyglass Hill with four birdies and two bogeys. “If you get ahead of yourself, Spylass will chew you up,” he said. “You know you’re going to make bogeys here you just try to limit them.” Read Full 2012 Recap | View 2012 Photo Gallery
Just when the NCGA Senior Championship looked like another rendition of the “Jeff Burda Show,” Jim Knoll stole the spotlight with a come-from-behind, two-shot victory. Knoll carded a final-round two-over 74 to join his three-over first-round 75 for a 149 total on a blustery day at Spyglass Hill. That 74 was matched by runner-up Ron Johnson as the low scores of the second round after Burda set the standard with an opening-round, one-under 71. Read Full 2011 Recap | View 2011 Photo Gallery
For NCGA senior champion Jeff Burda, the tournament was nearly over after the first shot. But 145 shots after his errant opening drive clipped a tree leading to a bogey, the most dominant senior player in the region had secured a four-shot win, adding to NCGA Senior titles earned in 2008 and the last two State Senior championships. Read Full 2010 Recap | View 2010 Photo Gallery
Gary Vanier put an end to the bridesmaid moniker when he captured the NCGA Senior Championship by four strokes at Spyglass Hill. The 2007 State Senior Champion fired a three-over-par 75 to edge out the rest of the competitors. The win makes it his first NCGA Senior Championship title after two runner-up finishes in 2006 and 2007, adding to an already sparkling resume. Read Full 2009 Recap | View 2009 Photo Gallery
Burda’s commanding play came in one of the NCGA’s most competitive tournaments, with numerous former Senior Players of the Year in the field. But two rounds in the 60s (66-69) ended any semblance of close competition. Burda’s final tally of nine-under 135 on a difficult course where no one else broke par is impressive, to say the least… Read Full 2008 Recap | View 2008 Photo Gallery
To Bill Bowen, humility is a second language: “I played with some great players the last two days; I was just trying to stay out of their way.” After capturing the NCGA Senior Championship Tuesday, Bowen placed himself squarely in the way and on top of a highly-competitive tournament… Read Full 2007 Recap | View 2007 Photo Gallery
Past Champions
| 1962 | Adrian McManus at Menlo CC | 70-72-142 |
| 1963 | Cornelius Bertolone at Burlingame CC | 76-79-155 |
| 1964 | Cornelius Bertolone at North Ridge CC | 149 |
| 1965 | John DiPietro at La Rinconada CC | N/A |
| 1966 | Cornelius Bertolone at Woodbridge CC | 71-75-75-221 |
| 1967 | George Gnau at Spyglass Hill GC | 79-70-149 |
| 1968 | Richard Giddings at Spyglass Hill GC | 77-79-156 |
| 1969 | Don Spillman at Spyglass Hill GC | 74-81-155 |
| 1970 | Ernest Pieper, Jr. at Spyglass Hill GC | 75-76-151 |
| 1971 | Cy Pennel at Spyglass Hill GC | 74-73-147 |
| 1972 | Gene Taano at Spyglass Hill GC | 74-77-151 |
| 1973 | Ernest Pieper, Jr. at Spyglass Hill GC | 77-76-153 |
| 1974 | William Colm at Spyglass Hill GC | 72-72-146 |
| 1975 | Mat Palacio at Spyglass Hill GC | 77-76-153 |
| 1976 | Gene Taano at Surmyside GCC | 76-69-145 |
| 1977 | Richard Giddings at Peninsula GCC | 77-69-146 |
| 1978 | Ed Grimm at Del Rio GCC | 77-75-152 |
| 1979 | Don Butcher at Marin CC | 77-74-151 |
| 1980 | Lyle Gray at Sharon Heights GCC | 78-76-154 |
| 1981 | Hank Lucente at Fort Washington GCC | 73-71-144 |
| 1982 | Robert Knutson at Oakmont GC | 72-77-149 |
| 1983 | Jack Bariteau at Santa Rosa GCC | 77-76-153 |
| 1984 | Lloyd Ferguson at Santa Rosa GCC | 76-74-150 |
| 1985 | Leo Futch at Monterey Peninsula CC | 73-74-147 |
| 1986 | Lyle Gray at Fountaingrove GCC | 73-74-147 |
| 1987 | Ed Trout at Surmyside CC | 73-80-153 |
| 1988 | Kai Thomsen at San Jose CC | 73-70-143 |
| 1989 | Kai Thomsen at Poppy Hills GC | 76-73-149 |
| 1990 | Jim McMurtrey at Auburn Valley GCC | 72-71-143 |
| 1991 | Kai Thomsen at Sequoyah CC | 75-75-150 |
| 1992 | Jim McMurtrey at San Joaquin CC | 72-73-145 |
| 1993 | Andy Gonzalez at Del Paso CC | 77-71-148 |
| 1994 | Jim McMurtrey at Corral de Tierra CC | 74-70-144 |
| 1995 | Jim McMurtrey at San Luis Obispo CC | 77-73-150 |
| 1996 | Dick Dallagiacomo at Meadow Club | 72-79-151 |
| 1997 | Tom Culligan at Poppy Ridge GC | 72-74-146 |
| 1998 | Jerry Chirpich at El Macero CC | 76-75-151 |
| 1999 | Robert Heaton at Contra Costa CC | 72-75-147 |
| 2000 | Jim McMurtrey at Castlewood CC | 74-69-143 |
| 2001 | Earl Stewart at Brookside CC | 74-68-142 |
| 2002 | Gary Bagnani at Blackhawk CC | 69-76-145 |
| 2003 | Tony Reboton at Saddle Creek Resort | 74-67-141 |
| 2004 | David Ellis at San Luis Obispo GCC | 77-69-146 |
| 2005 | Rob Thompson at Ft. Washington GCC | 70-74-144 |
| 2006 | Bob Rowland at Ruby Hill CC | 73-67-140 |
| 2007 | Bill Bowen at Hiddenbrooke GC | 71-71-142 |
| 2008 | Jeff Burda at Saddle Creek GC | 66-69-135 |
| 2009 | Gary Vanier at Spyglass Hill GC | 71-75-146 |
| 2010 | Jeff Burda at Spyglass Hill GC | 71-75-146 |
| 2011 | Jim Knoll at Spyglass Hill GC | 75-74-149 |
| 2012 | Michael Brannan at Spyglass Hill GC | 72-70-142 |
| 2013 | Gary Vanier at Spyglass Hill GC | 70-75-145 |
About Spyglass Hill GC
Spyglass Hill No. 14
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.