The NCGA earned points in all eight singles matches and swept three of them, earning a total of 18 ½ singles points. Jim Knoll, Jeff Burda and Anthony Barrera were the three that shut out their competitors, while four of the five other NCGA team members earned two or 2 ½ points in their respective matches. The only NCGA player not to win his match was Randy Haag, who took his SCGA opponent Tim Hogarth to the 18thhole losing 2 up and earning a half point.

The NCGA team played exceptional over the three sessions, particularly behind the play of Knoll, Burda and Danny Paniccia who contributed in scoring eight points apiece. Not to be disregarded is also the play of Casey Boyns contributing to 7 ½ points. The win gives the NCGA possession of the Seaver Cup for the next two years and is only the second time in the event’s short history that the NCGA has come out on top. The last and only other time the NCGA won the cup matches was in 2002 with 28 ½ to 19 ½ victory. The NCGA is now 2-3-2 in Seaver Cup history (the two ties came in 2000 and 2006).

NCGA Team Members: Jim Knoll, Jeff Burda, Kevin Wentworth, Danny Paniccia, Casey Boyns, Scott Hardy, Randy Haag, Dan Hansford (NCGA Vice President) and Anthony Barrera

December 15, 2011

     After the first day of the 7th Seaver Cup at La Quinta Country Club the NCGA has a commanding 15- 9 lead over the SCGA. The duo of Casey Boyns and Danny Paniccia scored the biggest coup for team NCGA on Thursday as they earned 5 ½ out of a possible six points from morning and afternoon matches. The format for the two sessions consisted of foursomes—or better known as alternate shot—in the afternoon and four-ball in the morning. Both formats were arranged to where teams can earn up to three points from every match. One point is awarded to the winning team of front-nine, another to the winning team of the back- nine and a point to the 18-hole match winner.

     Boyns and Paniccia won all three points over SCGA members Robert Funk and Justin Warthen in the four-ball morningmatch, and in the afternoon earned 2 ½ points against the same two in foursome play. Jim Knoll and Jeff Burda were the other pair to carry the NCGA on Thursday as they earned two points in their morning match and three points in the afternoon over SCGA’s Howie Knodt and Mark Nickeas.

     Anthony Barrera and Kevin Wentworth broke even with their two SCGA competitors Dan Sullivan and Mark Miller as Barrera and Wentworth won the morning match 2-1 and lost the afternoon match by the same margin. The only NCGA pair not to come out even or ahead of their SCGA opponents was Scott Hardy and Randy Haag. The two were swept by SCGA members Tim Hogarth and Kevin Marsh in the morning four-ball matches, but played steady in the afternoon to halve both nines and the match for a 1 ½ to 1 ½ score.

     The action will wrap up Friday with singles matches holding the same point potential as the four-ball and foursome matches, with three points available in every match. Although the NCGA has what looks to be a comfortable six point lead, the team must be cognizant of the last time it had a lead going into the final day. In 2008 leading by four points after the first day, the NCGA squandered its lead and lost to the SCGA 23-25. Twenty-four points are available from the eight singles matches, the NCGA needs 9 ½ of those to get to 24 ½ points and gain possession of the Seaver Cup.