Hardy defends at NCGA Publinx
4/26/2011 | by Northern California Golf Association
see also: View results for NCGA PubLinks, Poppy Ridge Golf Course
Playing his favorite course, Scott Hardy, a long-time amateurgolf.com member, defends his title
PEBBLE BEACH, Ca (April 26, 2011) -– Having experience matters and it showed Tuesday at the 46th Annual NCGA Public Links Championship at Spyglass Hill.
Scott Hardy defended his public links title with a solid 1-under par 71 giving him a two-day total of 144 and a one-shot victory over Matt Cohn. With the victory Hardy now has won three of the last five titles in this prestigious event, solidifying him as one of the top amateurs in the region.
Hardy, who played in the final group of the championship flight, didn’t start believing that he could win the event until the fourth hole. Joshua Stone who started the day with a three-shot lead on the field (four over Hardy) relinquished that lead after registering consecutive double bogeys on the second and third holes.
Despite struggles of his own to start the day by bogeying two of the first three holes, Hardy knew he was in the hunt for another title after seeing Stone falter.
“I thought I was tied for the lead after four (holes), so I figured from there on out, if I play well I have a real good shot (at winning),” he said.
Hardy did exactly that. Over the next eight holes Hardy made six pars and two birdies, and despite bogeys on 13 and 16, he converted birdies on 15 and 17 erasing the prior miscues. No birdie may have been bigger than his final one at 17.
After dropping back into a tie for the lead with Cohn (unknown to Hardy at the time) with a bogey on 16, Hardy had a breaking 20-foot birdie putt on the 17 that found the center of the cup. Hardy’s fellow-competitors all were inside of his approach shot with birdie putts of their own on the short par 4 17th.
“That putt was huge,” he said. “If it didn’t hit the hole it was going to go past it, so I was fortunate to have it go in for sure.”
The birdie proved to be huge because Cohn missed his 10-foot birdie putt only moments later, giving Hardy a one-shot lead going into the 36th hole.
It’s not easy for Hardy to put this victory into words, he feels very fortunate to win this event once again.
“I shocked myself this week,” he said, explaining that he has practiced very little lately and that this is his second tournament in the past seven months.
“To win this tournament means a lot me; it’s a great start to a good year.”
Besides the consistent play of Hardy, Cohn took second place with a two-day total of 145 (72-73). Casey Boyns added to his stack of medals as he finished in third place at 147 (74-73). First-round leader Stone had seen better days as he followed yesterday’s 69 with an 85, putting him in a tie for 10th place.
In the President’s Flight David Fletcher overtook first-round leader Dale Richards as he shot a net 67 giving him a two-day total of net 137. In the Director’s Flight Joyce Glatt won with a two-day total of 133 over Ahmed Shah at 136.
Results: NCGA PubLinks
| Place | Player | Location | Pts | Scores |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pleasant Hill, CA | 150 | 73-71--144 | |
| 2 | San Francisco, CA | 100 | 72-72--145 | |
| 3 | Pacific Grove, CA | 50 | 74-73--147 | |
| T4 | Sunnyvale, CA | 50 | 79-71--150 | |
| T4 | Fairfield, CA | 50 | 73-77--150 |
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 FINAL SCORING
Dec 8, 2025Helen Briem earns medalist honors, 31 players headed to the LPGA next year
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
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.
Inside Gil Hanse’s Restoration of Baltusrol’s Upper Course: A Return to Tillinghast’s
Dec 11, 2025Renowned architect Gil Hanse reveals how he brought Baltusrol’s Upper Course back to life by honoring A.W. Tillinghast’s original