NCGA Masters: Burda wins by 1 at Spyglass

August 2, 2005 | by

NCGA Photo

Modesto banker Jeff Burda uses a claw grip, solid ball striking, and experience to record his third Master Division title

PEBBLE BEACH, CA (August 2, 2005) -- Its the grip that really stands out. A hybrid, claw-like grip that's not unlike Chris DiMarco or Craig Stadler's grip where the left hand (for a right-handed putter) holds the club in a conventional manner and the lower (right) hand holds it as someone might hold a pen. In the hands of now three-time NCGA Master Division champion Jeff Burda, the grip rolls in every short putt it needs to.

"My son strongly suggested I try something else last winter," the champion said in reference to his new grip, "so we came up with something new - and it works, I'm making more short putts." That was evident throughout the 36-hole event which concluded today at Spyglass Hill GC. Burda smoked the field to the tune of an opening-round, three-under 68 yesterday that left him two shots up. The seven-time club champion at Del Rio CC followed with a 74 in the second round that left him with a one-stroke victory. "I held it together today," the 52-year-old said regarding his second round. "I had some good ups and downs."

Burda was closely followed by two competitors who had their best finish ever in NCGA competition. Clayton Davis of Atascadero and Hunter Ranch and Kevin Kobalter of Meadow Club both brought past club championship wins to the event, but neither had cracked the medalist category. Davis won the playoff for the silver medal but that hardly mattered to these two competitors. "I don't play as much as some of these guys, so overall I'm very happy with this result," the Shell Beach resident said. Kobalter, a member at the Meadow Club and a three-time Marin County amateur champion hoped the finish would give him some momentum going into USGA Mid-Amateur qualifying next Monday.

With the win, Burda adds to a resume that is as illustrious as it is long. Along with numerous USGA qualifications, Burda is now the only golfer to win an NCGA major event in four different decades (1973 Public Links, 1989 Four Ball with partner Ken Webb, and the 1996, 1997 Master Division championships). The 2005 Master Division title also places Burda at the top of the list of multiple Master Division championships won at three - quite a distinction since only golfers aged 40-54 are eligible.

Final results from the NCGA Master Division Championship, played at the par 71 Spyglass Hill Golf Course:

Player	Rd1	Rd2	Tot
Jeff Burda, Del Rio G&CC	68	74	142
Clayton Davis, Atascadero GC	73	70	143
Kevin Kobalter, Meadow Club	70	73	143
Bob Niger, Serrano CC	74	70	144
Mark Gardner, Scratch Players GC	75	70	145
Dan Bieber, Green Valley CC	72	74	146
Tom Moshier, Kings River G&CC	73	74	147
Steve Wilson, Discovery Bay CC	71	76	147
Casey Boyns, Monterey Bay GC	75	73	148
Jon Dechambeau, Riverbend GC	74	75	149
Lee Markarian, Fort Washington	71	78	149
Terry Foreman, Antioch GC	79	71	150
John Justus, Green Valley CC	75	75	150
Gary Vanier, Olympic Club	77	74	151
Brady Myers, Colusa G&CC	76	75	151
Chick Valley, Copper River CC	74	77	151
Rob Adolph, San Joaquin CC	78	74	152
Tommy Koster, Corral De Tierra CC	77	75	152
Dan Sexton, Bayonet / Black Horse	76	76	152
Greg Loosigian, Fort Washington	74	78	152
Scott Terry, Summitpointe CC	76	77	153
Thomas Brinker, Copper River CC	78	76	154
Dale Bouguennec, Contra Costa CC	80	74	154
Rick Nolan, Amateurgolf.com	75	79	154
Dennis Dachtler, Rancho Murieta CC	75	79	154
Robert Goodwin, San Francisco GC	73	81	154
Russell Kamibayashi, Brookside GC	78	77	155
Jose Sanchez, Monterey Peninsula CC	78	77	155
Mark Miller, Antioch GC	79	76	155
Bruce Hanavan, Olympic Club	77	78	155
Tim Snow, Yolo Fliers Club	81	74	155
Michael Gums, Valley Hi CC	77	78	155
Chris Bailey, Cold Springs G&CC	76	79	155
Ted Tsuchiyama, Blackhawk CC	75	80	155
Mike Holt, San Jose CC	78	78	156
Jeff Hoffman, Empire Ranch GC	77	79	156
Gregory Isom, Napa GC	81	75	156
Bob Burnett, Sequoyah CC	76	80	156
Patrick Pernice, Amateurgolf.com	75	81	156
Jim Wilson, Butte Creek CC	78	79	157
John Desantis, Corral De Tierra CC	78	79	157
Richard Dewey, Tehama GC	76	81	157
Brian Rugne, Teal Bend GC	83	74	157
Gary White, Whitney Oaks GC	75	82	157
Greg Olson, Gold Hills GC	74	83	157
Jim Knoll, Rooster Run GC	80	78	158
Rich Friebel, Riverview G&CC	82	76	158
Tom Marks, Sacramento GC	79	80	159
Ken Noonan, Castlewood CC	76	83	159
Dean Prince, Olympic Club	74	85	159
Ken Helwig, Silver Creek Valley CC	78	82	160
Robert Fulton, Las Positas GC	78	82	160
Ron Collet, Madera G&CC	81	79	160
Robert Levin, Wildhawk	81	79	160
Charles McDonald, Shoreline GC	82	78	160
Keith Postler, Copper River CC	75	85	160
Jim Porter, Green Valley CC	80	81	161
Jeff Hatfield, Adobe Creek GC	78	83	161
Dave Stone, Blackhawk CC	80	81	161
Joe Beato, Sunnyside CC	81	80	161
Phillip Herrera, Brookside GC	81	81	162
Allen Herd, Mountain Springs GC	81	81	162
Richard Miller, Walnut Creek GC	76	86	162
Rich Rowley, Almaden G&CC	84	78	162
Troy Williams, Stevinson Ranch GC	86	76	162
Michael Wiechers, Granite Bay GC	80	83	163
Jon Ramer, Sacramento GC	78	85	163
Joseph Zanassi, Antioch GC	78	85	163
Michael Facciani, Madera G&CC	79	84	163
James Ryan, Indian Valley GC	83	80	163
Parrish Barker, Sunset Whitney CC	84	79	163
Akihiro Okada, Fairway GC	85	78	163
Paul Rice, Scratch Players GC	81	83	164
John Martin, Mountain Springs GC	77	87	164
Jim McCarley, SDG Tour	82	82	164
Jim Anderson, Ridge Runners GC	86	78	164
Dino Forristall, Green Valley CC	82	83	165
Doug Olkein, The Golf Club.com	86	79	165
Brian Veerkamp, Cold Springs G&CC	79	87	166
Garth Keehan, Concord GC	85	81	166
Robert Cayton, Pasatiempo GC	82	85	167
Greg Omalley, Adobe Creek GC	83	84	167
Lon Alward, Riverview G&CC	89	78	167
Matt Cripe, Lockeford Springs GC	83	85	168
Jeff Atkinson, Half Moon Bay GC	83	85	168
Scott Behiel, Castlewood CC	86	82	168
David Yip, Oakland Chinese GC	86	82	168
Bill Foley, The Bridges GC	87	81	168
Bill Blastic, Golden Bay GC	78	91	169
Ed Pelles, The Club GC	82	87	169
Ken Webb, Turlock G&CC	87	83	170
Glenn Hessler, Pacific Grove GC	88	82	170
Chris Crump, Whitney Oaks GC	80	91	171
Matt Vukicevich, Sea Ranch GC	86	86	172
Len Pruss, Brookside GC	90	83	173
Dave Vinson, Bailey Creek GC	94	80	174
David Wilkins, Stanford University GC	90	85	175
Charlie Homo, Adobe Creek GC	92	83	175
Eric Hauser, Gleneagles Intl GC	85	91	176
Neil Duffy, Spring Hills GC	89	87	176
Robert Jacobs, Olympic Club	88	89	177
Eric Fischer, Harding Park GC	91	87	178
Benj Noto, Gilroy G&CC	90	90	180
Luis Gandara, Las Positas GC	91	90	181
Carey Robinson, El Rancho Chico GC	92	94	186

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