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NCGA Four-Ball: Sloane, Travis Repeat
PEBBLE BEACH, CA (May 10, 2009)--The volatile nature of four-ball scoring almost mandates that back-to-back championships don’t occur. Ryan Sloane and Taylor Travis broke the mold, then, in becoming the first repeat winners in the more than 40-year history of the NCGA Four-Ball at Spyglass Hill.

One of only two teams to card all three rounds in the 60s, the duo lingered toward the top of the leaderboard all weekend, finally securing the lead via a birdie on the par-four 6th hole in the final round.

“We felt we were playing poorly, especially compared to last year,” Sloane said. “But we were only one stroke off the lead. That gave us confidence going into the final round that we could turn it around.”

The championship represents the second championship in three outings - they finished third in an amateurgolf.com event last year. The pair is the ultimate Ying and Yang team. Taylor, 18-years-old and a redshirt freshman at UCLA, is the laconic and steady player whereas Sloane, 30 and a Santa Clara graduate, is fiery and streaky. “It’s a fun team,” Sloane said. “I don’t have near the talent Taylor has. I just follow his lead.”

“We pick each other up,” Travis added. This was evident on the 16th hole in the final round. With Sloane out of scoring position, Travis hole a crucial 10-footer to save par. That momentum carried through to the 18th where a Travis birdie slammed the door on any other competitors’ chances.

The two met through Travis’ swing coach in Burlingame, Alex Murray. “We get competitive with each other; we really have fun,” Sloane said. Three bogeys versus 17 birdies – including a birdie in each round on the par four 2nd hole – totaled a 14-under 202 score, two more than the champions’ total in 2008.

A.J. Hohn (Elkhorn) and Reid Scarff (Butte Creek) and Anthony Verna and Brandon Harkins (Orinda) tied for second place three strokes back of the champions. After a one-hole playoff, Hohn and Scarff earned runner-up honors via a par on Spyglass’ 10th hole.

Coming into the final round, veterans Casey Boyns and Bill Moore and the brother tandem of Roberto and Nicolo Galletti were tied for the lead. But neither team was able to establish momentum.

Three of Spyglass’ four par 3s yielded holes-in-one during the tournament. During the first round, Anthony Verna on the 15th and during the second round, Colin Peck on the 12th and Robert Pereira on the 3rd.

Final results of the Northern California Four-Ball Championship, played May 8-10, 2009 at Spyglass Hill Golf Club in Pebble Beach, California:

1 Ryan Sloane, Fifth Major
Taylor Travis, Fremont Park GC 
  67   69   66   202
T2 A.J. Hohn, Elkhorn Country Club
Reid Scarff, Butte Creek CC 
  68   69   68   205
T2 Brandon Harkins, Orinda CC
Anthony Verna, Orinda CC 
  64   74   67   205
4 Casey Boyns, Monterey Bay GC
William Moore, Bayonet GC 
  64   71   72   207
T5 Nicolo Galletti, Oakhurst CC
Roberto Galletti Jr., Oakhurst CC 
  66   69   73   208
T5 Jon Peterson, Granite Bay GC
Eddie Davis, Green Valley CC 
  71   68   69   208
T7 Darryl Donovan, The Olympic Club
Randy Haag, Cordevalle GC 
  68   71   70   209
T7 Scott Watson, Ancil Hoffman GC
Christopher Johnson, Green Tree GC 
  67   69   73   209
T7 Scott Hardy, amateurgolf.com
Rick Reinsberg, Moraga CC 
  70   68   71   209
T7 Russell Humphrey, Woodbridge GCC
James Watt, Lockeford Springs GC 
  67   69   73   209
T11 Matt Fagundes, Fort Washington GCC
Jon Bettencourt, Sunnyside CC 
  66   71   74   211
T11 Dean Menante, Plumas Pines GR
Steve Sear, Scratch Players GC 
  69   71   71   211
T11 Anthony Stockton, Salinas Fairways GC
Ricky Stockton, Salinas Fairways GC 
  69   70   72   211
T14 Chris Botsford, E-Club East Bay
James Williams, Orinda CC
  70   72   70   212
T14 Jeff Gilchrist, Sunset Whitney CC
Steve Woods, Coyote Creek GC 
  72   70   70   212
T14 Joseph Becko, Masters Big Valley GC
Brett Mormann, amateurgolf.com 
  71   70   71   212
T17 Jay Guittard, Players Choice GC
Kevin Wentworth, TPC at San Francisco Bay 
  67   73   73   213
T17 Geoff Gonzalez, Diablo CC
Colin Peck, Palo Alto GC 
  77   68   68   213
T17 Nicolas Marin, Harding Park GC
Buck Branson, The Olympic Club 
  68   73   72   213
T17 Matthew Costello, The Bridges
Greg Ford, The Bridges 
  70   74   69   213
T17 Patrick Burda, Del Rio CC
Jeff Burda, Del Rio CC 
  72   71   70   213
T17 Chris Cuttone, Merced GCC
Ron Ewing, Merced GCC 
  72   72   69   213
23 Kaz Hoffman, Mill Valley GC
Alex Schmitt, Meadow Club 
  74   71   69   214
24 Scott Travers, NCGA Association Membership - SCGA
Alexander Bon, E-Club South Bay
  68   74   73   215
T25 Jeremy Moreno, Riverbend GC
Jon Dechambeau, Belmont CC 
  68   72   76   216
T25 Josh Twist, Rancho Murieta CC
Don Thames, Rancho Murieta CC 
  70   74   72   216
T25 Keith Berry, Riverside GC
Danny Paniccia, Riverbend GC 
  69   71   76   216
T25 Greg Loosigian, King’s River GCC
Tom Moshier, Fort Washington GCC 
  72   72   72   216
T25 Jake Johnson, Cameron Park CC
Brian Knoll, Cameron Park CC 
  74   68   74   216
T30 Stan Morrison, amateurgolf.com
Andrew Biggadike, The Olympic Club 
  75   71   71   217
T30 R.C. Orr, Adobe Creek GC
Roman Hubalek, Adobe Creek GC 
  69   73   75   217
T32 Spencer Rowley, San Luis Obispo CC
Mike Rowley, San Luis Obispo GCC 
  71   75   72   218
T32 David Rathjen, Cinnabar Hills GC
Ken Helwig, Silver Creek Valley CC 
  74   72   72   218
T32 Steven Chung, Morgan Creek GCC
Jasper Gill, Wildhawk GC 
  70   73   75   218
35 Nick Arata, Ruby Hill GC
Justin Grilli, Sharon Heights GCC 
  72   75   72   219
T36 Jack Wilson, Green Valley CC
Jeff Wilson, Green Valley CC 
  73   70   77   220
T36 Danny Gums, Rancho Murieta CC
Kevin Stillian, Rancho Murieta CC 
  72   73   75   220
T38 Mike Prescott, Peninsula GCC
Brandon McNally, Poplar Creek GC 
  68   79   74   221
T38 Jerry Ledzinski, Tehama GC
Jeff Britton, Tehama GC 
  71   75   75   221
T40 John Ashlock, Forest Lake GC
Tim Breland, Brookside CC 
  73   74   75   222
T40 James Atchison, Creekside GC
Brandon Dunn, Modesto GC 
  70   73   79   222
T40 Greg Wenzel, eClub Sacramento
Dick Wenzel, eClub Sacramento 
  70   76   76   222


ABOUT THE NCGA Four-Ball

The NCGA Four-Ball Championship began in 1967 at Spyglass Hill golf course and has been played the Robert Trent Jones layout ever since. The 54-hole competition consists of two-man teams in which both players play their own ball and the lowest score of the two is counted on each hole.

18 holes qualifying four-ball stroke play. The championship proper will be 54 holes of four-ball stroke play, 18 holes per day. After 36 holes, the field is cut to 40 teams and ties. Both partners must meet eligibility requirements, holding a handicap index of 5.4 or less.

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