September 21, 2016
Bayonet/Black Horse GC member Nick Moore did it again. He still needs to do a bit more, however, to claim NCGA Player of the Year honors.
The 34-year-old Moore shot a final round 1-over 73 Wednesday at Morgan Creek GC in Roseville to come in at 2-under 142, defeating runner-up Juan Gonzalez by four strokes. With the victory, Moore earns 500 points, which moves him to a total of 1,399 in the race for Player of the Year honors.
It’s also Moore’s third career Valley Am title, setting an NCGA record. Along with winning in 2015, Moore also captured a title in 2013. Moore also becomes the first repeat Valley Am winner since Steven Chung in 2008-2009.
Looking for his second straight NCGA Player of the Year crown, Moore is now just 76 points behind leader Shintaro Ban. The 2015-2016 NCGA points season concludes at the end of September.
Unlike last year, when Moore won the Valley Am after surviving a 9-hole playoff in nearly 100 degree heat, the Seaside resident never was really threatened. He took a three shot lead in Tuesday’s first round with a solid round of 69.
Gonzalez, who plays out of Morgan Creek, couldn’t muster a charge, shooting a final round 73 to finish at 146. San Francisco’s Matt Cohn will also make a move in the points standings after finishing third at 147.
Runner-up Juan Pablo Gonzalez, champion Nick Moore and third place finisher Matt Cohn (left to right)
Senior Valley Am
Serrano CC member Mark Morgan went wire-to-wire, shooting a final round 72 to come in at 1-under 143 for a one shot win over Joey Ferrari.
Following a shaky front-nine score of 38, Morgan put things together, carding a back-nine 34 thanks to three birdies.
Ferrari, the NCGA Player of the Year in 1992 and winner of the Senior Valley Am in 2014, closed the gap with a birdie on the 15th but had to settle for three straight pars to close his round.
Steve Wilson finished third at 146 following a final round 74. Dale Bouguennec, who’s been jockeying with Randy Haag for NCGA Senior Player of the Year honors, shot a final round 75 to move up to a tie for fourth.
The NCGA Senior Valley Amateur was worth 300 points.
Runner-up Joey Ferrari, champion Mark Morgan and third place finisher Steve Wilson (left to right)
September 20, 2016
Last year, Bayonet/Black Horse GC member Nick Moore had to win the NCGA Valley Amateur to capture Player of the Year honors. He’d not only do it, but won in a 9-hole playoff in nearly 100 degree heat.
He could be on his way to doing something big again.
On Tuesday, Moore took the first round lead in this year’s NCGA Valley Amateur, posting a solid first round 3-under 69 at Morgan Creek GC in Roseville. Still looking for his first win of the season, Moore entered the 500-point Valley Am in sixth place in the points standings at 899. Shintaro Ban, who won the California Amateur and NCGA Amateur Match Play Championship, leads in the points standings at 1,475. Should Moore win, he’d close to within 76 points of Ban for the Player of the Year crown.
In second place, three shots back of the leader after an opening 72, is Ancil Hoffman GC member Karl Gedris. Juan Pablo Gonzalez, who plays out of Morgan Creek, is in third place at 73.
Also in the mix for Player of the Year honors is San Francisco’s Matt Cohn. Winner of this year’s NCGA Public Links Championship, Cohn is among three players at T-4, five behind Moore. Cohn came into the Valley Am trailing Ban by 439 points.
Senior Valley Am
In the Senior Valley Amateur Championship, Mark Morgan took the early lead, posting a 1-under 71.
Steve Wilson, a member of Roddy Ranch GC, is in second after a 72.
Dale Bouguennec, who came into the Senior Valley Am leading in the race for Senior Player of the Year honors (2,301 points), is T-7 following an opening 76.
The NCGA Senior Valley Amateur is worth 300 points. Olympic Club member Randy Haag, who is second in the Senior Player of the Year points race (2,220), opted to play in this week’s U.S. Senior Amateur. The No.5 seed there, Haag lost in the Round of 32.
