NCGA Masters: Niger Notches another victory
- Photo courtesy NCGA
PEBBLE BEACH, CA (July 6, 2006) -- The litany of Bob Niger's tournament wins was joined by an impressive entry today: the NCGA Master Division Championship. The 2005 NCGA player of the year's scoring efficiency wore down 2003 Master Division champion and runner-up James Hay, as Niger captured the title on the second playoff hole with a par.
"I've wanted to win this one since I was old enough to play so it's great to get it," the Serrano member said. After co-leading the first round with an even-par 72 on the 6,782-yard Spyglass Hill, the champion demonstrated his consistency by turning in an one-over-par 73. "By the time you are my age you figure out how to manage your game and play with what you got," Niger said in reference to his trademark ruthlessly exacting shotmaking. The Master Division title joins the Amateur Stroke Play Championship he won in 2005, the Valley Amateur title in 2004, and two Sacramento Valley Championships on the resume of one of the NCGA's most decorated players. The champion will play in the prestigious Porter Cup at the end of July and attempt to qualify for the U.S. Amateur outside of California to "get away from all these great players."
Runner-up James Hay also has a strong foundation of experience from numerous past NCGA titles. The runner-up came out firing in the second round, at one point producing a torrid stretch of five-under-par for four holes highlighted by an eagle on Spyglass' finicky 4th hole where Hay holed a 7-iron from the fairway. But a double bogey on the last hole put the 2000 NCGA player of the year into a playoff. "I'm normally very consistent," the Diablo Grande member said, "but today it was the exact opposite." Hay's five birdies and one eagle versus five bogeys and one double bogey spelled too much inconsistency as Hay's bogey on the last playoff hole (Spyglass' 9th) left him in second place.
Cordevalle's Darryl Dononvan final-round, tournament-low 69 catapulted him into a three-way tie for third place with Randy Haag of The Olympic Club and Conrad Nilmeier of San Joaquin Country Club.
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Final Results from the NCGA Master Division Championship:
Bob Niger
Serrano
72-73--145* (won on 2nd playoff hole)
James Hay
Diablo Grande Resort
73-72--145
Darryl Donovan
Cordevalle
77-69--146
Randy Haag
The Olympic Club
73-73--146
Conrad Nilmeier
San Joaquin
73-73--146
Al Bello
Rio Vista
77-71--148
Steve Pacheco
De Laveaga
73-75--148
Jamie Looper
Oakdale
74-75--149
Casey Boyns
Monterey Bay Club
73-76--149
Jim Wilson
Butte Creek
77-73--150
Paul Rice
Scratch Players
75-75--150
Steve Wilson
Discovery Bay
74-76--150
Brady Myers
Colusa
74-76--150
Ken Noonan
Castlewood
79-74--153
Michael Rowley
San Luis Obispo
78-75--153
Randal Cross
Sunset Whitney
77-76--153
Michael Facciani
Madera
75-78--153
George Erbez
Oakhurst
73-80--153
John Justus
Green Valley
76-78--154
Terry Foreman
Lone Tree
75-79--154
Daniel DeKock
Bailey Creek
75-79--154
Jose Sanchez
Monterey Peninsula
80-75--155
Paul Balatti
Mayacama
75-80--155
Steve Robinson
Pin High
81-75--156
Don Nolan
Redwood Empire
82-74--156
Mark Gardner
Scratch Players
75-81--156
Russell Kamibayashi
Brookisde
80-77--157
John Balfanz
Scratch Players
80-77--157
Gregory Isom
Napa GC at Kennedy Park
79-78--157
Brian Rugne
Whitney Oaks
79-78--157
Joe Beato
Sunnyside
78-79--157
Richard Schacht
Chuck Corica
78-79--157
Robert Pereira
Blue Rock Springs
76-81--157
Gary Wing
Chalk Mountain
72-85--157
Michael Wiechers
Granite Bay
80-78--158
David Rebman
Ridge Runners
79-79--158
Greg O'Malley
Adobe Creek
78-80--158
Dan Bieber
Green Valley
77-81--158
Jeff Burkhead
Whitney Oaks
80-79--159
Kevin Kobalter
Meadow Club
81-78--159
Paul Jordan
Valley Oaks
82-77--159
Clifford Smith
Turlock
79-80--159
Greg Olson
Gold Hills
77-82--159
Robert Fulton
Las Positas
83-76--159
Gary White
Whitney Oaks
81-79--160
Parrish Barker
Sunset Whitney
81-79--160
Robert Levin
Wildhawk
77-83--160
Rich Rowley
Almaden
81-80--161
L. D. Dale Bouguennec
Contra Costa
80-81--161
Michael Duncan
Mariners Point Linksters
79-82--161
Ron Collet
Madera
78-83--161
Bruce Hanavan
The Olympic Club
83-78--161
Mike Murphy
Blackhawk
83-78--161
Troy Williams
Stevinson Ranch
84-77--161
Wade Nonnenberg
Whitney Oaks
83-79--162
Michael O'Shaughnessy
Sunset Whitney
81-82--163
Bobby Davis
Copper River
79-84--163
Scot Lance
Stonetree
78-85--163
Randy Blankenbaker
Foxtail
82-81--163
Michael Flood
Discovery Bay
88-75--163
Dino Forristall
Green Valley
88-75--163
Robert Cayton
Pasatiempo
81-83--164
Ben Whipple
Serrano
82-82--164
Jim McCarley
Bolado Park
76-88--164
Tony Amaral
Paradise Valley
80-85--165
Len Pruss
Bell GC of SF
84-81--165
Howard Aschwald
Adobe Creek
84-81--165
Bill Kleinecke
Marin
87-78--165
Glenn Hessler
MBGFR
87-78--165
Wesley Chong
Good Guys Chinese
82-84--166
Joseph Oliva
Yuba/Sutter MAGA
77-89--166
Mark Hill
Diablo Grande Resort
84-82--166
Ken Webb
Turlock
87-79--166
Steve Batte
Kaiser
87-79--166
Dan Sexton
Bayonet
89-77--166
Kent Ichiho
Catta Verdera
81-86--167
Edward Pelles
The Club
82-85--167
Clayton Davis
Chalk Mountain
82-85--167
Joseph Zanassi
Lone Tree
83-84--167
Paul Decena
Las Positas
84-83--167
John Silvester
Ed's Mudville Grill
85-82--167
Richard Ramsay
Windsor
78-90--168
Joel Goldsmith
Eagle Ridge
83-85--168
John Murray
Lake Tahoe
84-84--168
Greg Funk
Riverbend
85-83--168
Perry Trisler
Haggin Oaks
85-83--168
Jon Dechambeau
Riverbend
86-82--168
Steve Halsey
Woodlake Ranch
87-81--168
Jeff Hatfield
Adobe Creek
87-82--169
Rory Poblitz
Mariners Point Linksters
87-83--170
Doug Olkein
The Golf Club.com
90-80--170
Steven Lopez
Sunset Whitney
84-91--175
Jerry Davisson
Tulare
86-89--175
Scott Straub
Bridge Dept
88-87--175
Robert Jacobs
The Olympic Club
86-90--176
Chris Redfield
The Olympic Club
87-89--176
Dave Stone
Blackhawk
89-87--176
David Johnson
Whitney Oak
84-96--180
Craig Johns
Granite Bay
93-88--181