Gearhart wins Northern California Public Links
6/7/2023 | by AmateurGolf.com Staff
see also: View results for NCGA PubLinks, Poppy Ridge Golf Course
Jeremy Gearhart defeated runner-up Jason Herrera on the first hole of sudden death
Atascadero resident Jeremy Gearhart may want to play at Poppy Hills a little more often.
On Tuesday, Gearhart, who plays out of Chalk Mountain GC, captured the NCGA Public Links Championship after defeating runner-up Jason Herrera on the first hole (No.1) of a sudden-death playoff.
The event marked the first time that Gearhart, a 39-year-old project manager for MGE Underground, had played Poppy Hills since the course was re-modeled in 2014.
"It feels awesome, I was super stoked to play in my first Public Links," said Gearhart, who placed second back at the 2007 NCGA Amateur. "Today everything was firing on all cylinders and I was able to putt well, which is what you need to play well here."
Gearhart's final round was one for the books. He posted a tourney-low 4-under 67 despite rain and at times strong winds to finish regulation at 1-over 143. Herrera, a 34-year-old accountant from Sacramento, was the first-round leader following a 70.
In the playoff, Herrera's drive faded a bit too far, nearly entering the penalty area. He was able to hit but had a horrible lie. His second shot would fly right deeper into the woods. leading to a double bogey. Gearhart, meanwhile, got on in two, eventually two-putting for a par and the win.
"I hit a bad drive. At least he (the tournament official) was able to find it," Herrera said. "Jeremy's 67 in that weather though...that was pretty good."
The tall, 6-foot-5 Gearhart was a machine in the finale, hitting 17 of 18 greens in regulation while missing only one fairway.
His big push came with a string of three straight birdies from holes No.9 through No.11.
"These are the events you want to win as an NCGA player," Gearhart said. "I have to say a big thank you to the Chalk Mountain men's club for all of their support over the years."
Third place went to Jordan Hashimoto at 145 after a 69.
Results: NCGA PubLinks
| Place | Player | Location | Pts | Scores |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Atascadero, CA | 150 | 76-67=143 | |
| 2 | Rio Linda, CA | 100 | 70-73=143 | |
| 3 | Danville, CA | 50 | 76-69=145 | |
| 4 | Campbell, CA | 50 | 72-74=146 | |
| 5 | Brentwood, CA | 50 | 71-76=147 |
About the NCGA PubLinks
The NCGA Public Links Championship began in 1966 at Spyglass Hill and is the premier event for the public-course player. The tournament has always included a championship flight for players with handicap indexes of 5.4 or less and two handicap divisi...
Most Popular Articles
2025 PGA TOUR Q-School Guide: Sites, Scores, and Who Advanced
Dec 5, 2025Second Stage is complete and Final Stage awaits at Sawgrass — follow every Q-School leaderboard and the players still chasing
2025 LPGA TOUR Q-Series: Final Qualifying Stage LIVE SCORING
Dec 4, 2025Full 2025 LPGA Q-School (Q-Series) schedule, results, and leaderboard updates
Australian Open at Royal Melbourne: Preview, amateur bios, and how to watch
Nov 30, 2025Rory McIlroy headlines one of the championship's top fields in years - at least four amateurs will have their chance at glory
Playing with the Stewart Golf Q Follow: Full Hands-Free Cart Review
Nov 18, 2025Can a hands-free electric cart actually improve your round? I put the Stewart Q Follow to the test over 9 holes to find out.
Luke Ringkamp Cruises to Rolex Tournament of Champions Title at TPC San Antonio
Nov 26, 2025One week after committing to Pepperdine, Luke Ringkamp won the Rolex Tournament of Champions by nine shots.