NCGA Masters: Niger Notches another victory

July 6, 2006 | by

- Photo courtesy NCGA

Bob Niger of El Dorado Hills builds on his impressive 2006 season with a sudden-death victory over James Hay at Spyglass

PEBBLE BEACH, CA (July 6, 2006) -- The litany of Bob Niger's tournament wins was joined by an impressive entry today: the NCGA Master Division Championship. The 2005 NCGA player of the year's scoring efficiency wore down 2003 Master Division champion and runner-up James Hay, as Niger captured the title on the second playoff hole with a par. "I've wanted to win this one since I was old enough to play so it's great to get it," the Serrano member said. After co-leading the first round with an even-par 72 on the 6,782-yard Spyglass Hill, the champion demonstrated his consistency by turning in an one-over-par 73. "By the time you are my age you figure out how to manage your game and play with what you got," Niger said in reference to his trademark ruthlessly exacting shotmaking. The Master Division title joins the Amateur Stroke Play Championship he won in 2005, the Valley Amateur title in 2004, and two Sacramento Valley Championships on the resume of one of the NCGA's most decorated players. The champion will play in the prestigious Porter Cup at the end of July and attempt to qualify for the U.S. Amateur outside of California to "get away from all these great players." Runner-up James Hay also has a strong foundation of experience from numerous past NCGA titles. The runner-up came out firing in the second round, at one point producing a torrid stretch of five-under-par for four holes highlighted by an eagle on Spyglass' finicky 4th hole where Hay holed a 7-iron from the fairway. But a double bogey on the last hole put the 2000 NCGA player of the year into a playoff. "I'm normally very consistent," the Diablo Grande member said, "but today it was the exact opposite." Hay's five birdies and one eagle versus five bogeys and one double bogey spelled too much inconsistency as Hay's bogey on the last playoff hole (Spyglass' 9th) left him in second place. Cordevalle's Darryl Dononvan final-round, tournament-low 69 catapulted him into a three-way tie for third place with Randy Haag of The Olympic Club and Conrad Nilmeier of San Joaquin Country Club. * * * * Final Results from the NCGA Master Division Championship: Bob Niger Serrano 72-73--145* (won on 2nd playoff hole) James Hay Diablo Grande Resort 73-72--145 Darryl Donovan Cordevalle 77-69--146 Randy Haag The Olympic Club 73-73--146 Conrad Nilmeier San Joaquin 73-73--146 Al Bello Rio Vista 77-71--148 Steve Pacheco De Laveaga 73-75--148 Jamie Looper Oakdale 74-75--149 Casey Boyns Monterey Bay Club 73-76--149 Jim Wilson Butte Creek 77-73--150 Paul Rice Scratch Players 75-75--150 Steve Wilson Discovery Bay 74-76--150 Brady Myers Colusa 74-76--150 Ken Noonan Castlewood 79-74--153 Michael Rowley San Luis Obispo 78-75--153 Randal Cross Sunset Whitney 77-76--153 Michael Facciani Madera 75-78--153 George Erbez Oakhurst 73-80--153 John Justus Green Valley 76-78--154 Terry Foreman Lone Tree 75-79--154 Daniel DeKock Bailey Creek 75-79--154 Jose Sanchez Monterey Peninsula 80-75--155 Paul Balatti Mayacama 75-80--155 Steve Robinson Pin High 81-75--156 Don Nolan Redwood Empire 82-74--156 Mark Gardner Scratch Players 75-81--156 Russell Kamibayashi Brookisde 80-77--157 John Balfanz Scratch Players 80-77--157 Gregory Isom Napa GC at Kennedy Park 79-78--157 Brian Rugne Whitney Oaks 79-78--157 Joe Beato Sunnyside 78-79--157 Richard Schacht Chuck Corica 78-79--157 Robert Pereira Blue Rock Springs 76-81--157 Gary Wing Chalk Mountain 72-85--157 Michael Wiechers Granite Bay 80-78--158 David Rebman Ridge Runners 79-79--158 Greg O'Malley Adobe Creek 78-80--158 Dan Bieber Green Valley 77-81--158 Jeff Burkhead Whitney Oaks 80-79--159 Kevin Kobalter Meadow Club 81-78--159 Paul Jordan Valley Oaks 82-77--159 Clifford Smith Turlock 79-80--159 Greg Olson Gold Hills 77-82--159 Robert Fulton Las Positas 83-76--159 Gary White Whitney Oaks 81-79--160 Parrish Barker Sunset Whitney 81-79--160 Robert Levin Wildhawk 77-83--160 Rich Rowley Almaden 81-80--161 L. D. Dale Bouguennec Contra Costa 80-81--161 Michael Duncan Mariners Point Linksters 79-82--161 Ron Collet Madera 78-83--161 Bruce Hanavan The Olympic Club 83-78--161 Mike Murphy Blackhawk 83-78--161 Troy Williams Stevinson Ranch 84-77--161 Wade Nonnenberg Whitney Oaks 83-79--162 Michael O'Shaughnessy Sunset Whitney 81-82--163 Bobby Davis Copper River 79-84--163 Scot Lance Stonetree 78-85--163 Randy Blankenbaker Foxtail 82-81--163 Michael Flood Discovery Bay 88-75--163 Dino Forristall Green Valley 88-75--163 Robert Cayton Pasatiempo 81-83--164 Ben Whipple Serrano 82-82--164 Jim McCarley Bolado Park 76-88--164 Tony Amaral Paradise Valley 80-85--165 Len Pruss Bell GC of SF 84-81--165 Howard Aschwald Adobe Creek 84-81--165 Bill Kleinecke Marin 87-78--165 Glenn Hessler MBGFR 87-78--165 Wesley Chong Good Guys Chinese 82-84--166 Joseph Oliva Yuba/Sutter MAGA 77-89--166 Mark Hill Diablo Grande Resort 84-82--166 Ken Webb Turlock 87-79--166 Steve Batte Kaiser 87-79--166 Dan Sexton Bayonet 89-77--166 Kent Ichiho Catta Verdera 81-86--167 Edward Pelles The Club 82-85--167 Clayton Davis Chalk Mountain 82-85--167 Joseph Zanassi Lone Tree 83-84--167 Paul Decena Las Positas 84-83--167 John Silvester Ed's Mudville Grill 85-82--167 Richard Ramsay Windsor 78-90--168 Joel Goldsmith Eagle Ridge 83-85--168 John Murray Lake Tahoe 84-84--168 Greg Funk Riverbend 85-83--168 Perry Trisler Haggin Oaks 85-83--168 Jon Dechambeau Riverbend 86-82--168 Steve Halsey Woodlake Ranch 87-81--168 Jeff Hatfield Adobe Creek 87-82--169 Rory Poblitz Mariners Point Linksters 87-83--170 Doug Olkein The Golf Club.com 90-80--170 Steven Lopez Sunset Whitney 84-91--175 Jerry Davisson Tulare 86-89--175 Scott Straub Bridge Dept 88-87--175 Robert Jacobs The Olympic Club 86-90--176 Chris Redfield The Olympic Club 87-89--176 Dave Stone Blackhawk 89-87--176 David Johnson Whitney Oak 84-96--180 Craig Johns Granite Bay 93-88--181

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