NCGA Master Division winner Jerry Ledzinski (right)
with runner-up Terry Foreman (NCGA)
When Jerry Ledzinski posed for his winning
trophy
shot, Terry Foreman gently pointed out that the
Ernie
Pieper Jr. Trophy was facing the wrong way.
“Hey, this is the first time I’ve won one of
these!” defended Ledzinski.
Ledzinski looked the part when it counted,
playing the back nine at Spyglass Hill in even
par to
make up a three-stroke deficit and catch
Foreman,
before winning the first playoff hole with a par
to
capture the NCGA Master Division (40 and older)
Championship on Tuesday afternoon.
“I’ve made the papers a few times, but not
because I’m Randy Haag,” said the 42-year-old
Ledzinski, who finished at even-par 143 after a
1-
under 71 at Spyglass Hill. “I’ve led tournaments
for
the first or second round, but I haven’t been able
to
finish them off. But I’ve got one now. You have
to
have one before you get two.”
Ledzinski may not be confused with Haag,
but he
held off a valiant charge from the four-time
Master
Division champion and six-time NCGA Player of
the
Year. Haag shot a closing 2-under 70 at Spyglass
Hill
to finish third, two shots out of a playoff.
“The NCGA does such a great job running its
championships,” Ledzinski said. “You get to play
Spyglass? I mean, come on. It doesn’t get much
better than that. I’m ecstatic to add my name to
a
trophy that has a lot of great names on it, and
hopefully you’ll see my name going
forward.”
Ledzinski opened with a 1-over 72 at Poppy
Hills, and got back to even for the championship
with
a birdie on No. 8 at Spyglass. He finished with
eight
straight pars, winning the title with a wedge on
No.
10 that was safely placed to the middle of the
green,
leading to a two-putt par for the win. Foreman
tugged his drive on the first playoff hole left into
the
trees, where he was stymied, and had to punch
back
out to the fairway. His wedge shot finished 20
feet
left of the hole, and the tying par putt slid just
right.
“Both days my ball-striking was really
good,”
Ledzinkski said. “I hit 15 to 16 greens both days.
I
hung in there pretty good.”
Ledzinski actually had a chance to win in
regulation after he stuffed his approach on No.
18 to
within 5 feet. But the winning birdie putt lipped
out,
sending Ledzinski and Foreman to a playoff.
“I’m just trying to get a little more
consistent,”
Ledzinski said. “I did that this tournament, and
next
week is State Am, so hopefully I can parlay this
into
next week.”
Foreman had an outstanding first 30 holes,
shooting an opening 3-under 68 at Poppy Hills
that
was four clear of the rest of the field. He
followed
that up with three birdies in this first 11 holes at
Spyglass to reach 4 under for the
championship. But
bogeys on Nos. 13, 15, 16 and 18 dropped him
back
to even and into a tie with Ledzinski.
“I was 1-under par for most of the day,”
said
Foreman, who shot 68-75-143. “I’m
disappointed. I
hit it good, except for the last three holes. You
just
go on to the next one.”
Then Foreman paused with a smirk before
asking, “What’s my next one? Oh yeah, the U.S.
Senior Open.”
Foreman will join Haag, Jim Knoll and Jeff
Wilson and local amateurs who qualified for the
U.S.
Senior Open at Del Paso CC in two weeks.
“I’ve been playing really good,” Foreman
said.
“I’ve been hitting it good. I’m starting to score.
My
confidence level is really good. My rounds that
I’ve
been playing away from tournaments have been
really good. I’m very pleased, especially going
into
the Open.”
After making a quadruple-bogey 8 the very
first
hole of the tournament on his way to an opening
77
at Poppy Hills, four-time NCGA Player of the
Year
Casey Boyns fought all the way back to 2 over
for
the championship with five birdies in his first 13
holes at Spyglass Hill. Boyns had a chance to
move
to 1 over for the championship with a 5-foot
birdie
putt on No. 14, but missed, taking the wind out
of his
sails. Boyns finished 77-71-148 to tie for fifth
with
Gary Vanier and Jon Peterson. 2010 Master
Division
Champion Dan Sullivan finished fourth at 74-73-
147.
NCGA Story