Northern California (NCGA) Junior Amateur Championship
with NCGA President Bill Giffen
DALY CITY, CA (August 9, 2005) -- There must be something in the water at Peninsula Golf and Country Club. A special ingredient that the San Mateo club adds to its water that produces young champions, exemplified in the case of the 76th NCGA Junior Championship, as both the boys and girls’ champions were captured by Peninsula members.
Junipero Serra sophomore-to-be Dennis Carson ran away with the boys’ event at the 6,782-yard, par 72 Lake Merced Golf Club Tuesday by six shots. Carson’s three-round score of three-under-par 213 reflected improvement with each round, with a stellar 68 in the final round driving him to the title.
“It feels great to win, especially this event,” the Peninsula CC member stated. The 68, by far the round of the tournament, included a back-to-back birdie-eagle stretch that demonstrated Carson’s superior ball striking in the final round. “Yesterday, my putter saved me. But today I was hitting it well,” the champion said.
The tournament is flighted, with competitors aged 14-15 competing in Class B and golfers aged 16-17 playing for the Class A flight with both classes competing over 54 holes. As a 15-year-old, Carson dominated the championship from the younger class, an impressive feat. The Burlingame resident added the overall title to the two Class C championships he won as a 12 and 13-year old.
The girls’ championship was grabbed by 16-year-old Joanne Lee, a junior-to-be at Carlmont High School. The win caps the best summer of Lee’s career as it closely follows a run to the semi-finals of the USGA Junior Girls’ championship at BanBury GC in Idaho. “After the junior amateur I gained a lot of confidence,” the champion said, “and it was great to win this championship in my first time playing in it.” The San Carlos resident also qualified for the U.S. Women’s Amateur, but did not make it to match play.
The Class A flight was won by overall first-round leader Andrey Mindirgasov of Pacific Grove. The Class B flight was won by Miguel Camitoc of Hayward while the Class C flight, for boys aged 12-13, was captured by Mark Wyllie of San Jose.
Carson follows in the footsteps of another Junipero Serra standout, Jordon Cox, who captured the Class B championship two years ago. When asked if he plans on mentioning his overall championship to his older classmate, the newly-crowned champion said simply, “Oh yeah.”
For complete results, click on the tournament link above (amateurgolf.com membership required).
ABOUT THE NCGA Junior
The NCGA Junior Championship began in 1930 and
carries with it a rich history of young
champions including eventual PGA Tour players.
Open to all boys and girls who have not reached
their 19th birthday by the start of the
tournament. NCGA membership is required.
Divisions: Boys: 13 & under, 14-15, 16-18 Girls:
All girls will be competing in the same division.
Championship consists of 54 holes for boys,
ages 14-15, 16-18; 36 holes on the first day with the
field cut to 18 holes on the second day.
Boys 13 & under and all girls will play 18 holes each
day with no cut.
View Complete Tournament Information