April 14, 2015
A lead in a Zone Championship is apparently never safe.
Poplar Creek Golf Course shot a final round 10-under 132 Tuesday at par-71 Poppy Hills Golf Course, coming from six shots behind, to claim the title at the annual NCGA San Francisco Bay Zone Championship. Also making a charge up the leaderboard was Peacock Gap Golf Club, which also shot a 132 to storm from seven shots back to finish in second place.
With their finishes, both Poplar Creek and Peacock Gap earned automatic spots into this year’s NCGA Zone Championship, which is slated for August 24-25 at Poppy Hills and Spyglass Hill.
2015 San Francisco Bay Zone champion Poplar Creek GC.
Competing in a format takes the two best net scores per hole of a four-man team, Poplar Creek finished the two-day event with a total of 19-under 263. Peacock finished a stroke back at 264. First round leader Half Moon Bay Golf Links, who had taken a four shot lead after a first round 125 at par-70 Carmel Valley Ranch, fell back to fifth place at 269 after carding a final round 2-over 144.
Poplar Creek, made up of teammates Bryan Ungaretti, Timothy Andersen, Doug Canovas and Keith Gonsalves, made its move by posting seven eagles and two birdies to go with four bogeys and two double-bogeys. The team had opened with a 131 at Carmel Valley Ranch.
Peacock Gap, which also needed to get busy, did just that. The Peacock Cap squad, comprised of teammates Ryan McClelland, Scott Dixon, Bob Bethem and Rich Manoogian, also had seven eagles and two birdies to go with three bogeys and two double-bogeys. One member of the team had thought his team was so behind entering the final round, that he left following play.
Finishing in third place at 266 after a final round 137 was Mill Valley GC. The Mill Valley GC team, featuring Mike Tassone, Chuck Swenberg, Duncan Brown and Jeffrey Kraft, had an eagle and nine birdies but also a bogey and crucial double-bogey.
2015 San Francisco Bay Zone runner-ups Peacock Gap GC.
Lincoln Park GC finished in fourth place at 267 following a final round 137.
The Half Moon Bay squad, which looked to be in charge after day one, couldn’t get anything going. A day after posting six eagles and four birdies at Carmel Valley Ranch, the team would have to settle for two eagles and three birdies.
April 13, 2015
Half Moon Bay Golf Links is the team to chase after day one of the annual NCGA San Francisco Bay Zone Championship.
The Half Moon Bay squad, comprised of teammates Jack King, Albert Connell, Dave Cresson and Peter Miller, vaulted to the top of the leaderboard on Monday by posting a 15-under 125 at par-70 Carmel Valley Ranch. The championship format takes the two best net scores per hole of a four-man team.
In second place at 129 is Mill Valley GC, while both Lincoln Park GC and Los Altos G&CC are tied for third at 130, five strokes behind the leaders.
Half Moon Bay got going early, carding a 58 on the front-nine. They’d finish the day with a total of six eagles, four birdies and just two bogeys, both of which came on the back-nine (holes No.10 and No.17).
The Mill Valley squad, made up of teammates Mike Tassone, Chuck Swenberg, Duncan Brown and Jeffrey Kraft, nearly went bogey-free. They’d card only one, on the par-4 17th, to go with a pair of eagles and seven birdies.
Lincoln Park GC, which is made up of teammates Stanley Miller, Ian Cussen, James Mallon and John Jackson, posted two eagles, six birdies and a bogey. The Los Altos G&CC squad–Peter Lundberg, Bob Ragusa, Lloyd Dyer and Jonathan Holmes–penciled in four eagles and three birdies to go with just one bogey.
The two low teams from the championship will advance to the 49th annual NCGA Zone Championship, slated for August 24-25 at Poppy Hills and Spyglass Hill.
Last year, champion Harding Park GC and runner-up Gleneagles GC advanced to the championship proper. TPC Harding Park opened with a 137, while Gleneagles shot 135.
Play for Tuesday’s final round will shift over to par-71 Poppy Hills Golf Course.
