July 13-14 | Lake Merced GC
July 14, 2020
Girls’ Championship
Sometimes, just making par can make all the difference.
Madelyn Gamble, who plays out of Richmond Country Club, shot a final round 1-over par 73 Tuesday at Lake Merced Golf Club to claim the NCGA Girls’ Junior title by two shots over runner-up Selena Tang.
“It feels really good to win the NCGA Junior at Lake Merced,” said Gamble, who finished with a 54-hole total of 7-over 223. “It’s a great event and a lot of great players have won it. It felt goood to get it done.”
Propelling Gamble, 17, was a solid back-nine 37 that featured eight pars and just one bogey. On the front-nine, Gamble, a Carondelet HIgh senior who’s already verbally committed to Washington State University, posted a 36 featuring two birdies (hole Nos. 6 and 7).
“My mindset coming down the stretch was to just take it one shot a time. Don’t overthink everything,” Gamble said. “I was thinking about how nice it was to be playing in a golf event at Lake Merced, with everything going on.”
Tang, a member at Castlewood CC, had chances to catch Gamble but finished with seven straight pars on her way to a 73 and 225 total. Tang had started the final-round by going 2-under through her first three holes. She’d later bogey the 7th and double-bogey the 8th to give the strokes back.
Sophie Thai, who held the lead after the first 36 holes, fell back to a 78 to place third at 227.
Gamble joins a list of champions including Jamille Jose (1989), Dorothy Delasin (1998) and Yealimi Noh (2017).
Boys’ Championship
Olympic Club member Cameron Keith hopped over to next door neighbor Lake Merced Golf Club and picked up the NCGA’s biggest junior prize.
Keith, 17, posted a championship-low 4-under par 68 Tuesday, coming behind from eight shots to win the NCGA Junior Championship by a stroke over co-runners-up Ian Gilligan and Joey Hayden. With the victory, Keith joins the likes of Ken Venturi (1949), Johnny Miller (1963) and Bobby Clampett (1976) as winners of the prestigious event.
“I’m honored,” said Keith, who finished with a 54-hole total of 1-over 217. “To be able to just have the opportunity. I’m grateful and thankful to the NCGA, Lake Merced and my parents. It was unforgettable.”
Keith, who plays at De La Salle High and was making his championship debut, came up clutch when it counted the most. In the final-round, he’d card seven birdies to go against three bogeys. Chasing Gilligan much of the day, Keith would make a late charge with a back-nine 33 featuring three huge birdie including a chip-in birdie on the 16th. Earlier on No.10, he sank a 10-foot birdie putt.
“Honestly, I didn’t check the leaderboard one time,” Keith said. “I just wanted to focus on my gameplan, which was to take it all shot-by-shot.”
Gilligan, a cancer survivor who at one point was up 3 strokes, still had a chance but closed with a tough double-bogey on the 17th and a bogey on the 18th en route to a final-round 74 and 218 total. Hayden, who entered the day holding a two-shot advantage, never got going, posting a 77 to also come in at 218.
Fourth place went to Angelo Marcon at 220 after a closing 72.
July 13, 2020
Girls’ Championship
Sophie Thai grabbed the lead in the annual NCGA Girls’ Junior Championship, posting a 36-hole score of 5-over 149 Monday at par-72 Lake Merced Golf Club.
Thai only managed one birdie in shooting a first-round 75. Later in the afternoon though she’d get going, posting a 74 that featured four birdies.
Three players—Cynthia Zhang, Kaylyn Noh and Madelyn Gamble–are tied for second at 150. All three players would card rounds if 74-76. Noh had the lead to herself much of the afternoon round but played her final four holes at 3-over.
Andrea Gomez is alone in fifth place at 151 (78-73).
Past winners of the Girls’ title include Jamille Jose (1989), Dorothy Delasin (1998) and Yealimi Noh (2017).
Boys Championship
Joey Hayden emerged as the leader after day one of the annual NCGA Junior Championship, but there’s still another round to go.
Hayden, who plays at De La Salle High, took the lead Monday in this year’s event at par-72 Lake Merced Golf Club, carding a 36-hole score of 3-under 141.
In the morning round, Hayden was steady, posting an even-par 72 that included four birdies and four bogeys. In the afternoon, he’d card a 69 thanks in part to a front-nine 32 that featured three birdies and an eagle on the par-5 6th.
Alone in second place at 143 is Jackson Koivun. Koivun was just as steady as Hayden. He’d open with a 73 and follow that up with 70 that included a stellar back-nine 32 featuring four birdies.
Ian Gilligan is in third place at 144. A cancer survivor, Gilligan shot 71-73 with an eagle on the par-5 18h in his first round.
Paramdeep Sodhi and Baron Szeto are tied for fourth at 146.
Past winners of the Junior include Ken Venturi (1949), Johnny Miller (1963) and Bobby Clampett (1976).
July 12, 2020
The NCGA Junior Championship began in 1930 and carries with it a rich history of young champions including eventual PGA Tour players. Notable winners include Ken Venturi in 1949, Bobby Clampett in 1976 and Joel Kribel in 1993. Johnny Miller triumphed at The Olympic Club in 1963 and when Todd Miller claimed the title at Orinda in 1996 they became the only father-son champions. Eddie Fry holds the most wins, after claiming victories in 1941, 1942 and 1943. In 1983 the championship changed from match play to 54-holes stroke play. Since the format changed, the only player to win back-to-back championships is 1998 and 1999 winner Tom Johnson. Patrick Nagle holds the scoring record of 13-under-par 203 set in 2002 at Brookside CC. The only players to win back-to-back tournaments since the girls’ division began in 1982 are Jamille Jose (1988-1989) and Sabrina Iqbal (2015-2016). Haley Andreas holds the girls’ championship record with three-under-par 143 at Spyglass Hill in 2009. With his Boys’ win in 2016, Thomas Hutchison joined sister Samantha (2013) as a champion. The two are the only siblings to have won.