7th NCGA Valley Amateur Championship | Morgan Creek GCC | September 20-21, 2010
Played for the first time in 2004 as a replacement for the San Joaquin and Sacramento Valley championships, the NCGA Valley Amateur has become a staple in the tournament season.
Drawing the NCGA’s top players during the late summer, the Valley Amateur has 500 points up for grabs to the champion at a time when the Player-of-the-Year race is at its peak.
The 36-hole stroke play event is played in the San Joaquin and Sacramento valleys each year and provides a top-level championship opportunity for the more than 125 players who attempt to qualify for the event annually.
Bob Niger is the championship’s only two-time winner, setting scoring records of six-under-par 66 at Winchester in 2004 and seven-under-par two-day total 137 at Elkhorn in 2005.
Qualifying Information
Qualifying for the Valley Amateur Championship will be held on August 18, 2010 at the following sites:
Copper River | Darkhorse | Hiddenbrooke | Poppy Ridge | San Juan Oaks
Format: 18 holes qualifying. 60 players (including exempts) will advance to the championship proper.
All players must qualify except the following: All past champions of the Sacramento Valley and San Joaquin Valley (beginning in 2004, this is a 10-year exemption), the top 10 and ties from the preceding year and the following current NCGA champions: Public Links, Junior, Master Division, Amateur Stroke Play and Amateur Match Play. Exemptions are also granted to the top 10 players on the preceding year’s final NCGA Points List. Each exempt player is required to submit an entry prior to the closing date. Valley Amateur Exemptions.
Tournament Recaps
There is something about the NCGA Valley Amateur Championship that suits Steven Chung. Read Full 2009 Recap
The 22-year-old came from one-stroke back to win the championship by a single stroke over the field. After losing in a six-hole playoff last year, Chung felt like it was well overdue to etch his name on the trophy. The Sacramento resident fired rounds of 69-77 to finish at two-over-par 146 for the biggest win of his amateur career… Read Full 2008 Recap | View 2008 Photo Gallery
With 11 players grouped within four strokes of each other, the championship was up for grabs. After nine holes, NCGA Master Division and Stroke Play champion Casey Boyns had a one-stroke lead. But Slover, Steven Chung and Darryl Donovan were able to tie for the lead at four-under-par 140 on the 7,251-yard course, as Boyns faded to fourth place… Read Full 2007 Recap | View 2007 Photo Gallery
Past Champions
| 2004 | Bob Niger at Winchester CC | 75-66-141 |
| 2005 | Scott Hardy at San Joaquin CC | 71-69-140 |
| 2006 | Bob Niger at Elkhorn CC | 69-68-137 |
| 2007 | Cody Slover at Riverbend GC | 69-71-140 |
| 2008 | Steven Chung at Winchester CC | 69-77-146 |
| 2009 | Steven Chung at Turlock GCC | 67-66-133 |
About Morgan Creek
The classic architectural style of Kyle Phillips is founded on letting the natural lay of the land dictate the course, avoiding moving the earth whenever possible. The result at Morgan Creek is remarkable – created landforms remain indistinguishable from the original landscape, and the terrain is so natural that it lends to the player a distinct feeling that the course wasn’t so much built, as discovered. And always, the course will challenge – demanding equal parts intellect and ability.