53rd NCGA Public Links Championship | Poppy Hills GC | April 23-April 24, 2018
2018 champion Ben Peters
The NCGA Public Links Championship began in 1966 at Spyglass Hill and is the premier event for the public-course player. The 36-hole stroke-play tournament originally was played at Spyglass Hill every year, with the exception of 1992, 1996 and 1997.
The tournament has always included a championship flight for players with handicap indexes of 5.4 or less and two handicap divisions for players with an index of 5.5 to 36.4. Historically, 40 players made up the championship field, while 80 players made up of two 40 player net fields. Contestants must be bona fide public course players who do not hold playing privileges in any course from which the general public is excluded.
Ryan King holds the scoring record set in 1999 of six-under-par 138. Only three players have managed back-to-back victories, Mike Powers in 1972 and 1973, Mitch Thomas in 1978 and 1979, and Scott Hardy in 2010 and 2011. Four-time NCGA Player of the Year Casey Boyns still reigns with the most NCGA Public Links wins, having claimed the trophy four times.
Qualifying Information
ENTRIES CLOSE: March 6, 2018
Entry Fee: $135 per player. Exempt players pay an additional $30 per player.
Qualifying for the 2018 Public Links Championship takes place March 22 at the following courses:
Castle Oaks GC| Coyote Creek GC| Dragonfly GC| Metropoliatn GL | Pajaro Valley GC| Paradise Valley GC | Poppy Ridge GC| Reserve at Spanos Park
Format: 18 holes qualifying. 32 players, including exempts, will will advance to the championship proper. The Championship proper will be 36 holes of stroke play (18 holes per day). Non-exempt players will be required to go to sectional qualifying.
All players must qualify except the following: . Public Links Exemptions
About Poppy Hills
Poppy Hills, which is owned by the NCGA, underwent an extensive renovation beginning in March of 2013 centered around water conservation, primarily by improving irrigation and drainage. Architect Robert Trent Jones II returned with his design firm, this time creating a firm, fast and fun course that unfolds seamlessly through the stunning Del Monte Forest.
No. 11 Poppy Hills
Jones reinvented the course architecturally, restoring each hole to its natural elevation along the forest floor, softening doglegs and contours, rebuilding all 18 greens with bentgrass, eliminating rough and introducing native waste areas that reduce irrigated turf by nearly 25%.
Course Tour | Get driving directions
Tournament Recaps
Ben Peters had already proven that he was one of Northern California’s elite amateurs. On more than one occasion, he’s helped represent the NCGA in the annual Hanna-Wehrman Cup Matches against the Northern California PGA. But the 33-year-old’s resume had lacked an NCGA championship. At least, until now. Read Full 2018 Recap | View 2018 Photo Gallery
Nick Moore has established himself as a guy who can close things out. The 34-year-old Monterey resident is also now one of the top NCGA men’s players of all-time.A day after taking the lead at Poppy Hills Golf Course 
with a 1-over 72, Moore shot a 3-over 75 at Bayonet Golf Course and defeated three other players in a tight sudden-death playoff to capture his third NCGA Public Links Championship title. Read Full 2017 Recap | View 2017 Photo Gallery
After a few years of watching cohorts Bobby Bucey, Robby Salomon and pal Nick Moore win, San Francisco resident Matt Cohn kept wondering when his turn would come. “It wasn’t on the back of my mind. It was on the front of my mind,” Cohn said. “I consider those guys my peers.” For the 35-year-old Cohn, the wait is over. Read Full Story | View 2016 Photo Gallery
Following a self-described disappointing year where he went winless, Seaside resident Nick Moore has been eagerly waiting for the 2015 season to really kick in. “I didn’t feel like I was playing to my potential last year, and taking time off doesn’t help,” Moore said. “I’m 
really focused this year.” On Monday at par-72 Spyglass Hill, a re-energized Moore showed that he’s back, shooting a 1-under 71 to win the 50th NCGA Public Links Championship by two strokes over co-runner-ups Scott Hardy and Wes Sandroni. Read Full 2015 Recap | View 2015 Photo Gallery
Monterey resident Austin Roberts was clutch when it mattered the most. Roberts stuck his 65-yard approach shot on the par-5 18th hole at par-72 Bayonet Golf Course to within three feet of the flagstick and sank the putt for birdie for a final round 73, leading to a one 
stroke victory over Hayden Shieh in the 49th annual NCGA Public Links Championship.“This is a big win for me,” said Roberts, who finished the weather battered event with a two-day total of 2-over 146 (73-73). “I feel like all the hard work I’ve done the last few weeks has paid off.” Read Full 2014 Recap | View 2014 Photo Gallery | Net Recap
Par proved to be paramount at the 48th Annual Public Links Championship, just ask winner Nick Moore. The 30-year-old Monterey resident feasted on pars over the 36-hole competition, converting 30 total pars, 15 each day. “[Pars] were the key, just 
keeping the ball in play and getting the ball on the green giving myself a chance for birdie,” he said. Moore, who had two bogeys and one birdie in his first round at Bayonet GC yesterday, did the opposite today at Spyglass making two birdies and one bogey. Read Full 2013 Recap | View 2013 Photo Gallery | Net Recap
Past Champions
(All played at Spyglass Hill GC, unless otherwise noted)
| 1966 | Robert Heaton | N/A |
| 1967 | Ross Randall | 151 |
| 1968 | Jim McMurtrey | 76-73-149 |
| 1969 | Forrest Fezler | 75-74-149 |
| 1970 | Larry Cram | 74-77-151 |
| 1971 | Dick Dallagiacomo | 73-78-151 |
| 1972 | Mike Powers | 77-74-151 |
| 1973 | Mike Powers | 76-74-150 |
| 1974 | Jeff Burda | 71-74-145 |
| 1975 | Kim Flint | 73-76-149 |
| 1976 | Mike Pouey | 76-76-152 |
| 1977 | Terry Foreman | 78-76-154 |
| 1978 | Mitch Thomas | 73-73-146 |
| 1979 | Mitch Thomas | 78-74-152 |
| 1980 | John Munro | 80-72-152 |
| 1981 | Casey Boyns | 76-74-150 |
| 1982 | Jim Knoll | 79-72-151 |
| 1983 | Casey Boyns | 74-75-149 |
| 1984 | Bill Malley | 76-74-150 |
| 1985 | Aly Trompas | 77-73-150 |
| 1986 | Terrence Miskell | 77-72-149 |
| 1987 | Casey Boyns | 76-72-148 |
| 1988 | Randy Bridge | 72-73-145 |
| 1989 | Jeffrey Thomas | 78-74-152 |
| 1990 | Bob Eberle | 73-73-146 |
| 1991 | Bill Sendell | 79-70-149 |
| 1992 | Lou Alvarez at Poppy Hills | 74-74-148 |
| 1993 | Tyler Williamson | 76-75-151 |
| 1994 | Yasu Amaya | 70-76-146 |
| 1995 | Arron Oberholser | 72-74-146 |
| 1996 | Casey Boyns at Poppy Hills | 72-69-141 |
| 1997 | Dennis Mitchell at Poppy Hills and Spanish Bay | 75-68-143 |
| 1998 | Matt Christensen | 73-74-147 |
| 1999 | Ryan King | 70-68-138 |
| 2000 | J.J. Jakovac | 75-73-148 |
| 2001 | William Moore | 70-73-143 |
| 2002 | Logan Goettsch | 71-69-140 |
| 2003 | James Hay | 72-73-145 |
| 2004 | Gary Young | 72-71-143 |
| 2005 | Michael Ostrich | 71-70-141 |
| 2006 | Arvo Voip | 73-73-146 |
| 2007 | Scott Hardy | 71-69-140 |
| 2008 | Kyle Prolo | 69-71-140 |
| 2009 | William Moore | 72-72-144 |
| 2010 | Scott Hardy | 74-73-147 |
| 2011 | Scott Hardy | 73-71-144 |
| 2012 | Trent Tessler | 76-73-149 |
| 2013 | Nick Moore at Bayonet and Spyglass Hill | 73-71-144 |
| 2014 | Austin Roberts at Spyglass Hill and Bayonet | 73-73-146 |
| 2015 | Nick Moore at Poppy Hills and Spyglass Hill | 71-71-142 |
| 2016 | Matt Cohn at Bayonet and Poppy Hills | 73-74-147 |
| 2017 | Nick Moore at Poppy Hills and Bayonet | 72-75-147 |
| 2018 | Ben Peters at Poppy Hills | 70-69-139 |