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Vanier wins NCGA Senior Championship
(NCGA Photo)
(NCGA Photo)

PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. (April 28, 2009) - Gary Vanier put an end to the bridesmaid moniker when he captured the NCGA Senior Championship by four strokes today at Spyglass Hill.

The 2007 State Senior Champion fired a three-over-par 75 to edge out the rest of the competitors. The win makes it his first NCGA Senior Championship title after two runner-up finishes in 2006 and 2007, adding to an already sparkling resume.

“The hole locations set up tough today and it was tough to be aggressive,” said the 2006 Senior Player of the Year, “I was just trying to concentrate on keeping it in play.”

After a first-round 71 that included five birdies, Vanier discovered a challenging layout on the second day. A cool foggy breeze blew in the morning and made scoring difficult. Vanier posted a three-over-par 39 on the front side and then found some stability. The Olympic Club player made birdies on 11 and 13, along with a great par save on the par 4 16th to finish at even-par on the back side, despite a bogey on 18.

Former NCGA President Bob Berg of Riverview proved that consistency was the key with a pair of 75s. Berg took second place at six-over-par 150. John Enright of Sharp Park and Del Paso’s Herb Jensen tied for third at 151. Jensen charged up the leaderboard in the final round with the low-round of the day, a one-over-par 73.

In the Super Senior division, Frank Abbott of Silverado Country Club secured the win with 13-over-par 156. Steady golf in the final round allowed Abbott to card an 80 and secure the title by a single stroke over Butte Creek’s Carl Selkirk. Bob Rowland came in third with 16-over-par 160.

This year marked the first time the Senior Championship has been held at Spyglass Hill Golf Course, with the plan to hold the event at the Robert Trent Jones Sr. design each year. Vanier echoed the sentiment of most the players after the round, “Anytime you can play here [Spyglass Hill] it’s fun.”

Final results follow:

Gary Vanier The Olympic Club 71-75–146
Bob Berg Riverview GCC 75-75–150
Herb Jensen Del Paso CC 78-73–151
John Enright Sharp Park GC 75-76–151
Conrad Nilmeier San Joaquin CC 75-77–152
Rob Adolph San Joaquin CC 78-75–153
Jeff Burda Del Rio CC 76-78–154
Mark Miller Roddy Ranch GC 81-74–155
Joe Beato Sunnyside CC 76-79–155
Bob Fleming Sacramento GC 80-76–156
Rich Morrison eClub South Bay 81-75–156
Frank Abbott (ss) Silverado CC 77-80–157
Chris McKenna Sunset Whitney CC 78-79–157
Carl Selkirk (ss) Butte Creek CC 78-80–158
Gregory Saiki Sunnyside CC 81-78–159
Dick Wenzel eClub Sacramento 81-78–159
Dennis Younglove El Macero CC 78-81–159
David Baskins El Macero CC 84-75–159
Ronald Johnson Diablo CC 83-77–160
Jim Knoll Rooster Run GC 81-79–160
Greg Olson Gold Hills CC 78-82–160
Bob Rowland (ss) Castlewood CC 81-79–160
Rob Thompson Merced GCC 77-83–160
Bob Olds (ss) Roddy Ranch GC 82-79–161
Charles Richesin Woodbridge GCC 79-82–161
Dan Bohannon Del Rio CC 76-85–161
Mark Maroney Ridgemark GCC 83-79–162
Frank Pieper Monterey Peninsula CC 82-80–162
Bill Wachtel Atascadero GC 81-81–162
Paul Balatti Mayacama GC 83-79–162
Robert Cayton Pasatiempo GC 82-80–162
David Kinser Almaden CC 81-82–163
Topper Owen eClub San Francisco 77-86–163
Bill Bates Apple Mountain GR 82-81–163
Dino Forristall Green Valley CC 82-82–164
Bobby Fries (ss) Fort Washington GCC 83-81–164
Jan Jakovac Napa GC 82-82–164
Lee Jeberjahn San Luis Obispo CC 83-81–164
Eb Luckel Richmond CC 82-82–164
Dan Bieber Green Valley CC 79-85–164
Thomas Marks New Sac Golf eClub 81-84–165
David Wilkins Stanford University GC 85-80–165
Stuart Francis San Francisco GC 85-81–166
Douglas Johnson Fig Garden GC 80-86–166
Ronnie Wiley (ss) Mariners Point Linksters GC 79-87–166
Lew Garbutt (ss) Gold Hills CC 82-85–167
Tony Reboton (ss) Nor Calif Left Hander’s GC 84-83–167
Gary Addison Paradise Valley GC 84-84–168
Michael Harding Roddy Ranch GC 82-86–168
Earl Stewart (ss) Meadow Club 85-83–168
Shellton Washburn Stonetree GC 84-84–168
Greg Zipp Par 5 Club 87-81–168
Bill Bowen Lincoln Hills Club 86-82–168
Gary Conti De Laveaga GC 86-82–168
Larry Edwards (ss) Ancil Hoffman GC 85-83–168
Donn Levine Stanford University GC 84-85–169
Thomas O’Grady Los Altos GCC 84-85–169
Larry Riis Petaluma GCC 86-83–169
Vic Shellenberg Bennett Valley GC 85-84–169
Ben Whipple Serrano CC 83-86–169
James Cottrell Shoreline GL 83-87–170
Butch Mendonca Modesto GC 83-87–170
Scott Van Acker East Bay Hackers 85-85–170
Tom Lyons Castlewood CC 86-85–171
Frank Ontiveros Valley Oaks GC 82-89–171
Alan Schneider Presidio Players 88-83–171
Ken Slasor Monterey Peninsula CC 85-86–171
Jim Welsh (ss) Spring Valley GC 88-83–171
Dave Finley (ss) Lakeridge GC 85-86–171
Robert Heaton (ss) Antioch GC 88-84–172
John Martin Mountain Springs GC 90-82–172
Michael Neal North Ridge CC 91-81–172
James Sullivan (ss) Pasatiempo GC 82-90–172
Gary Bagnani Creekside GC 85-87–172
Barry Brady Ridgemark GCC 87-85–172
Frank Burkhead Turkey Creek GC 88-84–172
Robert Frey (ss) De Laveaga GC 83-91–174
Robert Luff (ss) Adobe Creek GC 82-93–175
Brandon Murphy Del Rio CC 86-89–175
Michael Armstrong Quail Lodge GC 84-91–175
Michael Scott De Laveaga GC 90-86–176
Sherman Haggerty Serrano CC 89-88–177
Bruce Lorin (ss) Poplar Creek GC 83-94–177
James Henry Monterey Peninsula CC 93-85–178
John Hunt (ss) Las Positas GC 86-92–178
Jack Koski (ss) Manteca Park GC 90-88–178
Walter Sasser (ss) Walnut Creek GC 86-93–179
Joseph Nemeth Sierra View CC 88-92–180
George Bardizbanian (ss) San Luis Obispo CC 86-95–181
Andy Gonzalez (ss) Quail Lodge GC 93-92–185
Jim Manzi Moraga CC 91-94–185
Jerry Chirpich (ss) San Luis Obispo CC 89-97–186

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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