Valley Amateur First Round Results
Round One- Keith Okasaki takes leads
ROSEVILLE, Calif. (Sept 20, 2010) – Keith Okasaki of William Land Park has a two-stroke lead after the first round of the NCGA Valley Championship at Morgan Creek GCC.
Okasaki fired a stellar, five-under-par 67 – a round that boasted 10 birdies – to lead 2009 NCGA Player of the Year Randy Haag of The Olympic Club. With a solid finish in tomorrow’s final round, Haag all but locks up an unprecedented fifth such award.
Michael Gillette of New Sac Golf eClub and Tanner Makimoto of eClub Sacramento complete the parade of Sacramento residents crowding the top of the leaderboard. They are three back of the lead.
In the senior championship, Ron Johnson of Diablo and Dan Bieber of Green Valley are tied for the lead after opening-round two-under 70s. Tim Grunsky of Stockton GCC is one back. Earlier in 2010, Johnson captured the NCGA Senior Four-Ball with partner Peter Moren. Bieber took home the Senior Match Play title in August at Spyglass Hill.
One of the interesting subplots of the senior championship if the race for the senior partplayer of the year award. Mark Miller, the 2009 award winner, has a narrow lead in the points race over 2008 Player of the Year Jeff Burda of Del Rio. Miller also has the lead in the tournament, standing in fourth place – Burda is in sixth, but only one stroke behind Miller.
The final round of the Valley Championship is set for Tuesday at Morgan Creek.
ABOUT THE NCGA Valley Amateur
Played for the first time in 2004 as a replacement
for
the San Joaquin and Sacramento Valley
championships, the NCGA Valley Amateur has
become a staple in the tournament season. The 36-
hole
stroke play event is played at a venue in the San
Joaquin or Sacramento valley each year and
provides
a top-level championship opportunity. Open to
players with a handicap index of 5.4 or less, and
seniors
with a 7.4 handicap index or less.
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