Senior qualifying: Stieler leads a tightly packed field

Mike Stieler earned medalist honors in the Senior division with a 3-under 69, the best score of the day and the mark that secured the No. 1 seed heading into match play.

Behind him, Joseph Schiebold and Stephen Sear both posted 1-under 71, while a cluster of players at even par kept the bracket packed with experience and very little separation. Randy Haag, Mark Sanchez, Bob Niger, and Glenn Gregersen all finished at 72, and the rest of the qualifying positions were stacked closely behind them.

Senior match play: early upsets hit the bracket fast

The Senior division wasted no time producing surprises. While Stieler advanced, several highly seeded players were knocked out in the opening wave of matches, opening up multiple parts of the bracket.

• Mike Stieler (1) def. Peter Wood (32), 1 up
• Jeff Heit (17) def. Scott Morris (16), 5 & 4
• Michael Staskus (8) def. Daniel O’Connor (25), 3 & 2
• Corey West (24) def. Dan Corral (9), 2 up
• Kevin Stillian (29) def. Randy Haag (4), 1 up
• Todd Doss (13) def. Bob McCallister (20), 5 & 4
• Craig Miyamoto (28) def. Mark Sanchez (5), 2 & 1
• Jeff Britton (21) def. Tony Ralph (12), 1 up
• Scott Bacon (31) def. Joseph Schiebold (2), 2 & 1
• Lawrence Alioto (15) def. Christopher Jue (18), 2 & 1
• Steve Haynes (26) def. Glenn Gregersen (7), 1 up
• Jud Spencer (23) def. David Borrelli (10), 3 & 2
• Stephen Sear (3) def. Robert Funk (30), 2 up
• Paul Dix (14) def. Scott Hunter (19), 1 up
• Bob Niger (6) def. Dave Swanson (27), 4 & 3
• Dan Young (11) def. Lawrence O’Neill (22), 7 & 6

The standout theme was simple: the lower half of the seed list bit back. Kevin Stillian (29), Craig Miyamoto (28), and Scott Bacon (31) all knocked off top-five seeds, while several other matches were decided by a single hole.

That leaves the Senior bracket in a dramatically different position than qualifying suggested.

Senior Round of 16 matchups (March 19)

• Mike Stieler (1) vs. Jeff Heit (17)
• Michael Staskus (8) vs. Corey West (24)
• Kevin Stillian (29) vs. Todd Doss (13)
• Craig Miyamoto (28) vs. Jeff Britton (21)
• Scott Bacon (31) vs. Lawrence Alioto (15)
• Steve Haynes (26) vs. Jud Spencer (23)
• Stephen Sear (3) vs. Paul Dix (14)
• Bob Niger (6) vs. Dan Young (11)

By the end of Thursday, the Senior field will already be down to eight players, and with this many early upsets, the bracket feels unusually open.

Super Senior qualifying: Miller claims top seed as bracket locks in

The Super Senior division also completed stroke-play qualifying on Wednesday, with Rob Miller taking medalist honors at even-par 72.

He was followed by Bob Ceremsak at 74, while Jim Williams, Jeff Thomas, Richard Petit, and Joey Ferrari all posted 75. Jeff Duncan rounded out the visible top group at 76, and as with the Senior division, the qualifying scores suggest very little margin between seeds once match play begins.

Now the Super Senior bracket is set to start its own sprint through match play on Thursday.

Super Senior Round of 16 matchups (March 19)

• Rob Miller (1) vs. David Games (16)
• Kevin Radich (8) vs. Michael Wishart (9)
• Jeff Thomas (4) vs. Steve Donnelly (13)
• Richard Petit (5) vs. Matt Vukicevich (12)
• Bob Ceremsak (2) vs. Ron Fernandez (15)
• Jeff Duncan (7) vs. Dean Prince (10)
• Jim Williams (3) vs. John Pigott (14)
• Joey Ferrari (6) vs. Kevin Velligan (11)

The Super Senior division is only just arriving at match play, but with a compact field and a tightly bunched qualifying board, it should move quickly once the first round begins.

What comes next

For both divisions, Harding Park now becomes less about qualifying position and more about timing, patience, and survival.

In stroke play, a player can absorb a mistake and recover over the next few holes. In match play, one bad swing can erase an advantage or end a week outright. That is what makes this phase of the City Championship so compelling, especially in brackets already showing how quickly form can be overturned.