SEASIDE, Calif. (May 26, 2103) -- After two days at Monterey’s Bayonet and Black Horse, the clear winners were the courses themselves.

However, a playoff would eventually decide both the winners of the Championship division and Senior division. After a first round which saw cold and windy conditions making the Blackhorse course one of the tougher tracks around, Sunday’s light breezes and sunny skies were a welcome change. After the first round, only Jay Burlison managed to better par on the Black Horse course.

Burlison, however struggled on day two and was not a factor at day’s end. Three players did make the playoff to decide the champion; Nick Moore, recent NCGA public links champion, Kraig James Mcleod, and Ben Shur who all posted two day totals of 148. The playoff opened on the par 5 first hole of the Bayonet course. All three players struggled off the tee requiring them to lay-up on the usually reachable par 5. The approach shots was where things got interesting. Moore struck first hitting his approach short and right of the green. Shur then caught a flier from the left rough and watched his ball carry over the green and kick down the hill into the long rough. Mcleod then had a green light opportunity but his approach shot from the fairway came up thirty feet short of the hole.

After surveying his lie, Shur was able to punch his shot out from the long rough under a tree and onto the green twenty feet away. Moore then took dead aim with his chip shot, his ball tracking towards the hole eventually coming up 2-1/2 feet short. Mcleod then lagged his thirty footer to a foot, and tapped in for par. Shur then hit the put of the day knocking it in for the most improbable par of the day. After Moore tapped in, it was off to the second hole.

The tee shot on the second proved to be a difficult one with all three players missing right. Mcleod came to rest in the trees where he could only pitch out to the fairway while Shur’s ending up on the edge of the cart path and required a drop. Moore’s luck had run out however as his ball could not be found and he had to return to the tee hitting three eventually leading to a double bogey six.

Shur, after his drop, played another miraculous recovery. His ball finding the green after a low punch shot. Mcleod’s third shot came up eighteen feet short of the hole giving him a look at par. Shur’s approach from forty five feet didn’t threaten the hole but came to rest four feet away for par. Mcleod then hit an excellent putt that just stayed on the high side and led to a bogey five. Shur then calmly rolled in his putt for the win continuing the good momentum from his even par seventy two earlier in the day.

SENIOR DIVISION - ANOTHER PLAYOFF

Rob Schneider of Nevada City won a playoff over Tom McKee of Carlsbad for the title after both players posted 36 hole totals of 162.

NET DIVISION RECAP

Co-Champions were declared after Scott Vonderohe of Mountain View and Matt Romig of Los Gatos both posted net totals of 2-over 146 for the weekend.

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