PEBBLE BEACH, CA (August 2, 2005) -- Its the grip that really stands out. A hybrid,
claw-like grip that's not unlike Chris DiMarco or Craig Stadler's grip where the
left hand (for a right-handed putter) holds the club in a conventional manner
and the lower (right) hand holds it as someone might hold a pen. In the hands
of now three-time NCGA Master Division champion Jeff Burda, the grip rolls in
every short putt it needs to.
"My son strongly suggested I try something else last winter," the
champion said in reference to his new grip, "so we came up with something
new - and it works, I'm making more short putts." That was evident throughout
the 36-hole event which concluded today at Spyglass Hill GC. Burda smoked the
field to the tune of an opening-round, three-under 68 yesterday that left him
two shots up. The seven-time club champion at Del Rio CC followed with a 74
in the second round that left him with a one-stroke victory. "I held it
together today," the 52-year-old said regarding his second round. "I
had some good ups and downs."
Burda was closely followed by two competitors who had their best finish ever
in NCGA competition. Clayton Davis of Atascadero and Hunter Ranch and Kevin
Kobalter of Meadow Club both brought past club championship wins to the event,
but neither had cracked the medalist category. Davis won the playoff for the
silver medal but that hardly mattered to these two competitors. "I don't
play as much as some of these guys, so overall I'm very happy with this result,"
the Shell Beach resident said. Kobalter, a member at the Meadow Club and a three-time
Marin County amateur champion hoped the finish would give him some momentum
going into USGA Mid-Amateur qualifying next Monday.
With the win, Burda adds to a resume that is as illustrious as it is long.
Along with numerous USGA qualifications, Burda is now the only golfer to win
an NCGA major event in four different decades (1973 Public Links, 1989 Four
Ball with partner Ken Webb, and the 1996, 1997 Master Division championships).
The 2005 Master Division title also places Burda at the top of the list of multiple
Master Division championships won at three - quite a distinction since only
golfers aged 40-54 are eligible.
Final results from the NCGA Master Division Championship, played at the par
71 Spyglass Hill Golf Course:
Player |
Rd1 |
Rd2 |
Tot |
Jeff Burda, Del Rio G&CC |
68 |
74 |
142 |
Clayton Davis, Atascadero GC |
73 |
70 |
143 |
Kevin Kobalter, Meadow Club |
70 |
73 |
143 |
Bob Niger, Serrano CC |
74 |
70 |
144 |
Mark Gardner, Scratch Players GC |
75 |
70 |
145 |
Dan Bieber, Green Valley CC |
72 |
74 |
146 |
Tom Moshier, Kings River G&CC |
73 |
74 |
147 |
Steve Wilson, Discovery Bay CC |
71 |
76 |
147 |
Casey Boyns, Monterey Bay GC |
75 |
73 |
148 |
Jon Dechambeau, Riverbend GC |
74 |
75 |
149 |
Lee Markarian, Fort Washington |
71 |
78 |
149 |
Terry Foreman, Antioch GC |
79 |
71 |
150 |
John Justus, Green Valley CC |
75 |
75 |
150 |
Gary Vanier, Olympic Club |
77 |
74 |
151 |
Brady Myers, Colusa G&CC |
76 |
75 |
151 |
Chick Valley, Copper River CC |
74 |
77 |
151 |
Rob Adolph, San Joaquin CC |
78 |
74 |
152 |
Tommy Koster, Corral De Tierra CC |
77 |
75 |
152 |
Dan Sexton, Bayonet / Black Horse |
76 |
76 |
152 |
Greg Loosigian, Fort Washington |
74 |
78 |
152 |
Scott Terry, Summitpointe CC |
76 |
77 |
153 |
Thomas Brinker, Copper River CC |
78 |
76 |
154 |
Dale Bouguennec, Contra Costa CC |
80 |
74 |
154 |
Rick Nolan, Amateurgolf.com |
75 |
79 |
154 |
Dennis Dachtler, Rancho Murieta CC |
75 |
79 |
154 |
Robert Goodwin, San Francisco GC |
73 |
81 |
154 |
Russell Kamibayashi, Brookside GC |
78 |
77 |
155 |
Jose Sanchez, Monterey Peninsula CC |
78 |
77 |
155 |
Mark Miller, Antioch GC |
79 |
76 |
155 |
Bruce Hanavan, Olympic Club |
77 |
78 |
155 |
Tim Snow, Yolo Fliers Club |
81 |
74 |
155 |
Michael Gums, Valley Hi CC |
77 |
78 |
155 |
Chris Bailey, Cold Springs G&CC |
76 |
79 |
155 |
Ted Tsuchiyama, Blackhawk CC |
75 |
80 |
155 |
Mike Holt, San Jose CC |
78 |
78 |
156 |
Jeff Hoffman, Empire Ranch GC |
77 |
79 |
156 |
Gregory Isom, Napa GC |
81 |
75 |
156 |
Bob Burnett, Sequoyah CC |
76 |
80 |
156 |
Patrick Pernice, Amateurgolf.com |
75 |
81 |
156 |
Jim Wilson, Butte Creek CC |
78 |
79 |
157 |
John Desantis, Corral De Tierra CC |
78 |
79 |
157 |
Richard Dewey, Tehama GC |
76 |
81 |
157 |
Brian Rugne, Teal Bend GC |
83 |
74 |
157 |
Gary White, Whitney Oaks GC |
75 |
82 |
157 |
Greg Olson, Gold Hills GC |
74 |
83 |
157 |
Jim Knoll, Rooster Run GC |
80 |
78 |
158 |
Rich Friebel, Riverview G&CC |
82 |
76 |
158 |
Tom Marks, Sacramento GC |
79 |
80 |
159 |
Ken Noonan, Castlewood CC |
76 |
83 |
159 |
Dean Prince, Olympic Club |
74 |
85 |
159 |
Ken Helwig, Silver Creek Valley CC |
78 |
82 |
160 |
Robert Fulton, Las Positas GC |
78 |
82 |
160 |
Ron Collet, Madera G&CC |
81 |
79 |
160 |
Robert Levin, Wildhawk |
81 |
79 |
160 |
Charles McDonald, Shoreline GC |
82 |
78 |
160 |
Keith Postler, Copper River CC |
75 |
85 |
160 |
Jim Porter, Green Valley CC |
80 |
81 |
161 |
Jeff Hatfield, Adobe Creek GC |
78 |
83 |
161 |
Dave Stone, Blackhawk CC |
80 |
81 |
161 |
Joe Beato, Sunnyside CC |
81 |
80 |
161 |
Phillip Herrera, Brookside GC |
81 |
81 |
162 |
Allen Herd, Mountain Springs GC |
81 |
81 |
162 |
Richard Miller, Walnut Creek GC |
76 |
86 |
162 |
Rich Rowley, Almaden G&CC |
84 |
78 |
162 |
Troy Williams, Stevinson Ranch GC |
86 |
76 |
162 |
Michael Wiechers, Granite Bay GC |
80 |
83 |
163 |
Jon Ramer, Sacramento GC |
78 |
85 |
163 |
Joseph Zanassi, Antioch GC |
78 |
85 |
163 |
Michael Facciani, Madera G&CC |
79 |
84 |
163 |
James Ryan, Indian Valley GC |
83 |
80 |
163 |
Parrish Barker, Sunset Whitney CC |
84 |
79 |
163 |
Akihiro Okada, Fairway GC |
85 |
78 |
163 |
Paul Rice, Scratch Players GC |
81 |
83 |
164 |
John Martin, Mountain Springs GC |
77 |
87 |
164 |
Jim McCarley, SDG Tour |
82 |
82 |
164 |
Jim Anderson, Ridge Runners GC |
86 |
78 |
164 |
Dino Forristall, Green Valley CC |
82 |
83 |
165 |
Doug Olkein, The Golf Club.com |
86 |
79 |
165 |
Brian Veerkamp, Cold Springs G&CC |
79 |
87 |
166 |
Garth Keehan, Concord GC |
85 |
81 |
166 |
Robert Cayton, Pasatiempo GC |
82 |
85 |
167 |
Greg Omalley, Adobe Creek GC |
83 |
84 |
167 |
Lon Alward, Riverview G&CC |
89 |
78 |
167 |
Matt Cripe, Lockeford Springs GC |
83 |
85 |
168 |
Jeff Atkinson, Half Moon Bay GC |
83 |
85 |
168 |
Scott Behiel, Castlewood CC |
86 |
82 |
168 |
David Yip, Oakland Chinese GC |
86 |
82 |
168 |
Bill Foley, The Bridges GC |
87 |
81 |
168 |
Bill Blastic, Golden Bay GC |
78 |
91 |
169 |
Ed Pelles, The Club GC |
82 |
87 |
169 |
Ken Webb, Turlock G&CC |
87 |
83 |
170 |
Glenn Hessler, Pacific Grove GC |
88 |
82 |
170 |
Chris Crump, Whitney Oaks GC |
80 |
91 |
171 |
Matt Vukicevich, Sea Ranch GC |
86 |
86 |
172 |
Len Pruss, Brookside GC |
90 |
83 |
173 |
Dave Vinson, Bailey Creek GC |
94 |
80 |
174 |
David Wilkins, Stanford University GC |
90 |
85 |
175 |
Charlie Homo, Adobe Creek GC |
92 |
83 |
175 |
Eric Hauser, Gleneagles Intl GC |
85 |
91 |
176 |
Neil Duffy, Spring Hills GC |
89 |
87 |
176 |
Robert Jacobs, Olympic Club |
88 |
89 |
177 |
Eric Fischer, Harding Park GC |
91 |
87 |
178 |
Benj Noto, Gilroy G&CC |
90 |
90 |
180 |
Luis Gandara, Las Positas GC |
91 |
90 |
181 |
Carey Robinson, El Rancho Chico GC |
92 |
94 |
186 |