The 62-year-old Castlewood and MPCC member is no stranger to success in senior events, having won the Salinas City in 2006, and the Santa Clara County and Monterey City in 2005. After a one-over-par 73 in the first round, the champion caught fire on the front nine, going out with three birdies. After burying a 45-foot putt on the 14th hole, Rowland knew he had the championship in sight: “My adrenalin really got going.” Another birdie on 16 against no bogeys for the round left Rowland with the championship. “This is pretty big,” the champion said. “My game has gotten a lot better since I retired two years ago, and it’s great to win.” Rowland retired from a career as a TWA/American Airlines pilot.
Playing along side of Rowland was runner-up Gary Vanier. The Olympic Club member was making his senior debut in NCGA competition, and his strong 68 placed him one shot back. The 55-year-old has been very successful as a regular amateur, placing into the semifinals of the NCGA Amateur Match Play as late as 2005. “I’m going to play with the kids in the big tournaments,” Vanier said, “but also mix in some senior events.” One of those senior events will be the CGA State Senior Amateur in June at Poppy Hills.
First-round leader John Arnold, after a tournament-low 66 in the opening round, faded to 6th place at 145. Third place went to Castlewood’s Tom Lyons at 143.
The super-senior division, for players over 65, was claimed by Michael Davis
of Serrano with a 144, a score good enough for fourth overall.
* * * *
Final results from the NCGA Senior Championship, played at Ruby Hill Golf Club:
| Player | Club | Scores |
| Bob Rowland | Castlewood | 73-67--140 |
| Gary Vanier | Olympic Club | 73-68--141 |
| Tom Lyons | Castlewood | 71-72--143 |
| Michael Davis* | Serrano | 72-72--144 |
| Bruce Swanson | Roddy Ranch | 70-74--144 |
| John Arnold | Creekside | 66-79--145 |
| Stephen Smith | Monterey Peninsula | 70-75--145 |
| Robert Callan* | Olympic Club | 73-73--146 |
| Mark Miller | Lone Tree | 71-75--146 |
| Carl Selkirk | Butte Creek | 78-69--147 |
| J. David Carroll | Silverado & Resort GC | 72-75--147 |
| Charles Richesin | Woodbridge | 72-75--147 |
| Jim McMurtrey* | North Ridge | 75-73--148 |
| Charles Gillespie | San Francisco | 74-74--148 |
| Earl Stewart | Meadow Club | 75-73--148 |
| Lou Alvarez | Black Oak | 74-74--148 |
| Bob Berg | Riverview | 71-77--148 |
| Gene Ackerman | Valley Hi | 72-76--148 |
| Dick Lahey | Meadow Club | 76-73--149 |
| David Ellis | Granite Bay | 76-73--149 |
| Herb Jensen | Del Paso | 76-73--149 |
| David Hemrick | Spring Hills | 75-74--149 |
| Jim Whisman | Plumas Lake | 75-74--149 |
| Rob Thompson | Merced | 75-74--149 |
| John Enright | Olympic Club | 74-75--149 |
| Lee Jeberjahn | San Luis Obispo | 73-76--149 |
| Frank Abbott | Silverado & Resort GC | 74-75--149 |
| R. F. Martin | Plumas Lake | 73-76--149 |
| Doug Dusenbury | Monterey Peninsula | 73-76--149 |
| Bill Bowen | Lincoln Hills Club | 77-73--150 |
| Frank Pieper | Monterey Peninsula | 77-73--150 |
| Tony Wilmer | Castlewood | 79-71--150 |
| Dennis Younglove | El Macero | 75-75--150 |
| Andy Smith | Oakdale | 73-77--150 |
| Eb Luckel | Richmond | 77-74--151 |
| Patrick Cowell | San Francisco | 78-73--151 |
| Dallan Ragland* | Kings River | 74-77--151 |
| Bobby Fries* | Fort Washington | 74-77--151 |
| Shellton Washburn | Meadow Club | 73-78--151 |
| Bob Fleming | Haggin Oaks | 72-79--151 |
| Robert Alves | Teal Bend | 77-75--152 |
| Ronald Johnson | Diablo | 77-75--152 |
| Garry Theroux* | San Ramon | 76-76--152 |
| Dave Parsons | Chardonnay | 75-77--152 |
| Thomas Ogrady | Los Altos | 77-76--153 |
| John Cahoon | Sharon Heights | 77-76--153 |
| Greg Tachiera | Round Hill | 77-76--153 |
| Bud Christians | Catta Verdera | 78-75--153 |
| Jim Ono* | Cypress | 76-77--153 |
| Michael Reidy | Castlewood | 80-73--153 |
| Dick Dallagiacomo* | Tierra Oaks | 73-80--153 |
| Steve Isaacs* | Meadow Club | 77-77--154 |
| Bob Olds* | Roddy Ranch | 73-81--154 |
| Michael Reuther | Auburn | 77-78--155 |
| Ray Diaz | Santa Clara Co Firefighters | 77-78--155 |
| Lew Garbutt | Tierra Oaks | 77-78--155 |
| James Dalton | Saratoga | 76-79--155 |
| Vic E. Shellenberg | Bennett Valley | 77-79--156 |
| Edward Hashim | Fort Washington | 77-79--156 |
| Ray Rockwell | Contra Costa | 79-77--156 |
| Marshall Raymer | Castlewood | 80-76--156 |
| Clifford Pearson | Marin | 78-79--157 |
| Neal Pearson | Orinda | 79-78--157 |
| Larry Wagner* | Blackhawk | 80-77--157 |
| Bob Green | Pasatiempo | 80-77--157 |
| Byron Erkenbrecher | Copper River | 77-81--158 |
| Tom Lewandowski | Rancho Murieta | 75-83--158 |
| Spiro Pettas | Russo-Cardinale | 75-83--158 |
| Ed Anderson* | Butte Creek | 80-78--158 |
| Larry Riis | Petaluma | 80-78--158 |
| Gary Conti | De Laveaga | 81-77--158 |
| Michael Armstrong | Quail Lodge | 81-77--158 |
| Bruce Black | Pasatiempo | 83-75--158 |
| James Sullivan* | Pasatiempo | 76-83--159 |
| Alan Schneider | Harding Park | 76-83--159 |
| Kenneth Hopper* | San Joaquin | 79-81--160 |
| Joe Dudley | Coyote Creek | 79-81--160 |
| Dr Gregory Saiki | Sunnyside | 82-78--160 |
| Mike Spellman | Roddy Ranch | 77-84--161 |
| Walter Sasser* | Boundary Oak | 82-80--162 |
| Dale Howell | Sunnyvale | 83-79--162 |
| James Cottrell | Shoreline Golf Links | 77-86--163 |
| Frank Luna | Sierra View | 80-83--163 |
| Henry Guerin | Chuck Corica | 82-81--163 |
| Robert Blakeslee* | Yolo Fliers Club | 82-82--164 |
| Don Mancebo | Merced | 84-80--164 |
| Tony Reboton | Nor Calif Left Hander's | 82-83--165 |
| Jerry Chirpich* | San Luis Obispo | 84-81--165 |
| Mark Harrison | Stanford University | 85-80--165 |
| Cecil Warren | De Laveaga | 88-77--165 |
| Lee Benson | Green Valley | 82-84--166 |
| Robert Frey* | De Laveaga | 91-75--166 |
| Richard Harris | Gleneagles International | 80-87--167 |
| John Spitler* | Green Valley | 83-84--167 |
| Craig Allen* | Palo Alto | 86-82--168 |
| Francis Spadola | Silverado | 84-85--169 |
| Clifford Davis | Green Valley | 90-81--171 |