California Senior Team: North rallies for win
SCGA photo
PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. (Sept. 16, 2008)--With reigning NCGA Senior Amateur champion Jeff Burda and defending CGA Senior Amateur titleholder Gary Vanier leading the way, the North rallied from a two-shot deficit and scored an eight-shot victory in the annual North-South Team Competition held concurrently with the first two rounds of the 17th CGA Senior Amateur Championship at Poppy Hills GC.
With the best three of four scores counting each day, the North shot 216 today and finished with a 439 total to regain the Senior Cup. The South slipped to a 226 today and finished at 447.
Burda, who was a quarterfinalist at this year’s California Amateur Championship, shot a 1-under-par 70 today, while Vanier came in with a 72. Rob Thompson, the 2004 CGA Senior Amateur champion, filled out the team total with a 74 today.
Clark Heath, the reigning SCGA Senior Amateur champion, paced the South team with a 1-over-par 72 today, while Boyd Martin, the 2008 SCGA Senior Match Play champion finished with a 75 today.
The North now has a 9-5 margin since the matches were begun.
Final scores follow:
North -- 439
Jeff Burda, 74-70
Mark Miller74-76
Rob Thompson 75-74
Gary Vanier 75-72
South -- 447
Warren Caves 79-78
Clark Heath 75-72
Boyd Martin 76-75
Rich Tolly 70-79