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Semifinals set at NCGA Senior Match Play
Randy Haag approaches a green during NCGA Match Play action <br>(NCGA Photo)
Randy Haag approaches a green during NCGA Match Play action
(NCGA Photo)

PEBBLE BEACH, CA (August 17, 2016) -- Kaboom!

That was the sound of the brackets as the match play Round of 16 and quarterfinals moved over to Spyglass Hill on Wednesday.

In what was a day of upsets, No. 1 seed Dale Bouguennec fell. So too did No. 3 Steve Wilson. Ditto No. 4 seed and former two-time champ Casey Boyns.

Meanwhile, No .2 seed Randy Haag kept cruising along. Haag, playing in his first fulll season as a senior, opened with a 3 and 2 win in the morning and followed that up with a comfy 6 and 5 victory in the afternoon quarterfinals. The record six-time NCGA Player of the Year already has wins this season at the San Francisco City Senior and the NCGA Senior Four-Ball Championship, where he teamed up with recent British Senior Amateur winner Chip Lutz.

In both of his matches, Haag never trailed. The last time he’s trailed was on the second hole in the Round of 32.

In Thursday’s semifinals, Haag will take on No. 19 Rich Gleghorn of De Laveaga GC. Gleghorn began his day by knocking out Wilson with a par on the 20th hole. He later defeated No. 11 Ken Noonan, 2 and 1.

The other semifinals match will pit No. 25 seed Robert Miller of San Jose CC against No. 12 Jim Williams of Orinda CC.

In Tuesday’s Round of 32 at Poppy Hills, Miller knocked out defending champ and record five-time NCGA Senior Player of the Year Jim Knoll. He’d continue to be a wrecking ball, eliminating No. 9 Mark Morgan, 1-up, in the Round of 16 and defeating Bouguennec, 2-up, in the quarterfinals.

In beating Morgan, Miller came up with a clutch birdie on the 18th hole. In eliminating Bouguennec, who survived an early morning bout with No. 17 Jeff Burda, he again birdied the 18th.

Williams also came up big, defeating Boyns 2 and 1 in the quarterfinals. The runner-up to Haag and Lutz at the NCGA Senior Four-Ball playing with his brother, Doug, Williams took a 1-up lead over Boyns with a birdie on the 2nd hole and never gave it up. With a birdie on the 11th and a par on No. 12, Williams’ lead mushroomed to 5-up.

Boyns, the winner of this year’s NCGA Senior Championship, got it back to 2-up with victories on three of the ensuing four holes, but the two halved the 17th.

SUPER SENIOR DIVISION

No. 1 seed Herb Jensen marched on, defeating No. 9 Richard Brown in the quarterfinals, 3 and 2.

In Thursday’s semifinals, Jensen will face No. 5 Bob Thomason, who dispatched No. 4 Mark Miller thanks to a birdie on the 20th hole (No. 2). Thomason formerly was the head men’s basketball coach at University of Pacific for 25 years.

In the second semifinal, No. 7 Ron Johnson will take on No. 3 Frank Pieper. Johnson moved on with a 1-up win over No. 15 Rob Thompson, while Pieper advanced with a 4 and 3 win over No. 6 Jay Guerin.

View results for NCGA Senior Match Play

ABOUT THE NCGA Senior Match Play

The NCGA Senior Match Play Championship was historically an invite-only event in which the top 16 players on the NCGA Senior points list were invited to participate in the Senior Match Play Championship, held concurrently with the NCGA Amateur Match Play at Spyglass Hill, over a three- day period. However, beginning in 2012 the event was modified to a 32-player match play field, still allotting 16 spots to the top 16 of the NCGA Senior points list, while allowing the other half of the field to qualify.

Senior players (ages 55+) must have a handicap index of 7.4 or less. There is no handicap limit for super seniors (ages 65+).

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