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Northern California Senior Am: Burda wins easily
Wins his first NCGA Sr. Am by 10
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.

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