Wins his first NCGA Sr. Am by 10
COPPEROPOLIS, Calif. (May 6, 2008)--Welcome to senior golf, Mr. Burda.
In a dominating performance, Del Rio’s Jeff Burda ran away with the NCGA Senior Championship Tuesday, winning by 10 strokes at Saddle Creek Resort. The Modesto resident’s first-round, 6-under-par 66 established a lead that the rest of the field could not cut into.
“Sometimes when you get that under par you can get nervous,” Burda said of his five-stroke lead after the first round. “But I felt confident. The greens were perfect and I always felt comfortable.”
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.
Runner-up Gary Vanier of The Olympic Club was never able to get his putter going.
“I’m not making anything, but when you are my age, you’re not supposed to,” he said.
The runner-up finish for the 2006 Senior Player of the Year breaks a string of NCGA Championships at the senior level that dates back to the 2006 NCGA Senior Valley Amateur. Vanier tied with Jim Knoll of Rooster Run, but was able to birdie the first playoff hole to secure second place.
Defending champion Bill Bowen of Lincoln Hills finished 18 strokes back of the champion, turning in a two-round 9-over-par 153 total.
The Super Seniors division, for competitors aged 65 and older, was captured by Jim Welsh of Spring Valley. Welsh came from two strokes down in the final round to upend first-round leader and runner-up Bob Olds of Brentwood.
The Senior is the fifth different NCGA title won by Burda, joining the Public Links, Master Division (which he won three times), Master Division Four-Ball and Four-Ball.
“I really wanted to win this tournament,” Burda said. “I knew this was the NCGA’s top event and I’m thrilled to win.”
Full results from the Saddle Creek Golf Resort follow:
Name |
Club |
Score |
Jeff Burda |
Del Rio CC |
66-69–135 |
Gary Vanier |
The Olympic Club |
71-74–145 |
Jim Knoll |
Rooster Run GC |
75-70–145 |
Mark Miller |
Roddy Ranch GC |
72-76–148 |
Rob Thompson |
Merced GCC |
75-75–150 |
Bob Schoenherr |
Rooster Run GC |
74-77–151 |
Thomas O’Grady |
Los Altos GCC |
73-78–151 |
Earl Stewart |
Meadow Club |
71-80–151 |
Dino Forristall |
Green Valley CC |
76-76–152 |
Dan Bieber |
Green Valley CC |
75-77–152 |
Charles Richesin |
Woodbridge GCC |
75-77–152 |
Dennis Younglove |
El Macero CC |
75-77–152 |
Merton Goode |
Lake Merced GC |
75-77–152 |
Michael Neal |
North Ridge CC |
75-77–152 |
John Enright |
The Olympic Club |
76-77–153 |
Bill Bowen |
Lincoln Hills Club |
75-78–153 |
Ronald Johnson |
Diablo CC |
74-79–153 |
Dave Parsons |
Chardonnay GC |
79-75–154 |
David Kinser |
Almaden CC |
79-75–154 |
Bruce Swanson |
Roddy Ranch GC |
78-76–154 |
Marshall Raymer |
Castlewood CC |
80-75–155 |
Tom Lyons |
Castlewood CC |
79-76–155 |
Ben Whipple |
Serrano CC |
82-73–155 |
Herb Jensen |
Del Paso CC |
78-77–155 |
Douglas Johnson |
Fig Garden GC |
78-77–155 |
Chris McKenna |
Sunset Whitney CC |
73-82–155 |
Bob Berg |
Riverview GCC |
77-79–156 |
Lou Alvarez |
Black Oak GC |
78-79–157 |
Bob Fleming |
Sacramento GC |
83-74–157 |
Stan Lefrak |
Intel Folsom GC |
80-78–158 |
Rob Adolph |
San Joaquin CC |
80-78–158 |
Frank Pieper |
Monterey Peninsula CC |
83-75–158 |
Jay Guerin |
Chuck Corica GC |
75-83–158 |
Bill Wachtel |
Belmont CC |
78-81–159 |
Shellton Washburn |
Stonetree GC |
77-82–159 |
Barry Brady |
Ridgemark GCC |
85-74–159 |
Jan Jakovac |
Napa GC |
83-77–160 |
Bud Christians |
Diamond Oaks GC |
80-81–161 |
Rex Massier |
Green Valley CC |
81-80–161 |
Richard Thompson |
Sacramento GC |
83-79–162 |
Joseph Nemeth |
Sierra View CC |
78-84–162 |
Carl Selkirk |
Butte Creek CC |
85-77–162 |
Chuck Sabbatini |
Chuck Corica GC |
80-83–163 |
Gregory Saiki |
Sunnyside CC |
79-84–163 |
Topper Owen |
Coyote Creek GC |
82-81–163 |
Greg Olson |
Gold Hills CC |
84-79–163 |
Jeff Early |
Castlewood CC |
84-79–163 |
Richard Pech |
Hunter Ranch GC |
85-78–163 |
David Love |
Harding Park GC |
79-85–164 |
Sherman Haggerty |
Serrano CC |
82-82–164 |
Rob Seidel |
Fig Garden GC |
80-85–165 |
Vic Shellenberg |
Bennett Valley GC |
83-82–165 |
Tony Wilmer |
Castlewood CC |
85-80–165 |
Joe Beato |
Sunnyside CC |
86-79–165 |
Bill Sonnenberg |
Meadow Club |
82-84–166 |
Gene Ackerman |
Valley Hi CC |
83-83–166 |
William Snell |
De Laveaga GC |
80-87–167 |
Neal Pearson |
Orinda CC |
84-85–169 |
Gary Conti |
De Laveaga GC |
83-90–173 |
Jay Durmanich |
Merced GCC |
84-89–173 |
Don Mancebo |
Merced GCC |
79-95–174 |
Bruce Lorin |
Poplar Creek GC |
84-90–174 |
Michael Donnelly |
Oakhurst CC |
86-88–174 |
John Livingston |
Stanford University GC |
93-81–174 |
David Wilkins |
Stanford University GC |
85-90–175 |
Donel Geisen |
Rancho Canada GC |
85-90–175 |
Tom Kintigh |
Tahoe Donner GC |
86-95–181 |
William Hammonds |
San Francisco GC |
95-90–185 |
Super Senior |
|
|
Name |
Club |
Score |
Jim Welsh (SS) |
Spring Valley GC |
80-79–159 |
Bob Olds (SS) |
Brentwood GC |
78-82–160 |
Dick Dallagiacomo (SS) |
Gold Hills CC |
80-82–162 |
Robert Heaton (SS) |
Antioch GC |
82-82–164 |
David Ellis (SS) |
Granite Bay GC |
87-79–166 |
Robert Luff (SS) |
Adobe Creek GC |
86-87–173 |
Robert Blakeslee (SS) |
Yolo Fliers Club |
93-80–173 |
Robert Hope (SS) |
Sunset Whitney CC |
85-92–177 |
Bobby Fries (SS) |
Fort Washington GCC |
86-91–177 |
Jerry Chirpich (SS) |
San Luis Obispo CC |
88-90–178 |
John Hunt (SS) |
Las Positas GC |
88-90–178 |
Kevin Cottrell (SS) |
The Olympic Club |
88-92–180 |
ABOUT THE NCGA Senior
First played in 1962, the NCGA Senior Championship
is the
association’s premier event for players aged 55 and
over. The
championship will be 54-holes of stroke play (18
holes per day). After
36 holes, the field will be cut to the low 30
individuals and ties. Pre-
qualifying required for non-exempt players. Players
must have a
handicap index of 7.4 or less.
View Complete Tournament Information