15th NCGA Senior Match Play Championship | Poppy Hills GC & Spyglass Hill GC | August 9-13, 2021
2020 champion Rich Petit
The NCGA Senior Match Play Championship was historically an invite-only event in which the top 16 players on the NCGA Senior points list were invited to participate in the Senior Match Play Championship, held concurrently with the NCGA Amateur Match Play at Spyglass Hill, over a three-day period. However, beginning in 2012 the event was modified to a 32-player match play field, still allotting 16 spots to the top 16 of the NCGA Senior points list, while allowing the other half of the field to qualify.
This change made the championship into a week-long event with the 18-hole stroke-play qualifying and the opening round of 32 taking place at a designated Monterey-area course Monday and Tuesday. Wednesday the tournament moves over to its traditional spot at Spyglass Hill with rounds of 16 and quarterfinals taking place that day. The semifinal round takes place Thursday morning with the 18-hole final concluding the event on Friday.
In 2016, a Super Senior division was added to the championship.
ENTRIES CLOSE: July 18, 2021
ENTRY FEE: $180 per player.
ELIGIBILITY: Players must have reached their 55th birthday on or before August 9, 2021 and have a numeric handicap index listed on their club’s master report of 7.4 or less on the date of registration.
FORMAT: 18 holes stroke-play qualifying cut to 32 players (including exempts) for single-elimination match play.
EXEMPTIONS: The low 16 players on the Senior Player of the Year points list as of July 18th are exempt into the match play bracket and will be seeded according to their position on the points list relative to other exempt entrants. All other players must qualify. All players are required to submit an entry prior to the closing date.
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Tournament Recaps
Rich Petit is an NCGA champion. The No.24 seeded Petit, a 61-year-old member at Sharon Heights GC, won the NCGA Senior Amateur at Spyglass Hill in his championship debut, defeating Thomas Ansbro on the 20th
hole. On the hole (par-4 2nd), Petit’s second shot embedded in the front greenside bunker. He’d get relief, drop in the fringe, and make par. Read Full 2020 Recap | 2020 Bracket
Casey Boyns has accomplished something never done before—he has become a three-time winner of the NCGA Senior Match Play Championship. Facing off against Scott Anderson in the 18-hole final, Boyns was able to find his swing that had been off and on in his previous matches. Read Full 2019 Recap | 2019 Bracket
Tony Padilla is comfortable staying calm in high pressure situations, he does it everyday in his job as a college basketball referee. So when it came time to tee it up in the final match of the NCGA Senior Match Play 
Championship against two-time defending champ Randy Haag, Padilla was ready for the challenge. “Randy is one of the most accomplished players in the country, so you gotta make sure you don’t make mistakes, or he’ll take advantage of them,” said Padilla of his final opponent. Read Full 2018 Recap | 2018 Bracket
The final two remained on Friday morning, defending champion Randy Haag and Monday qualifier David Games. The path for both players was lined with stiff competition, Games had to make it past Rooster Run’s Jim 
Knoll, and Haag defeated his good friend and longtime NCGA competitor Casey Boyns in their Semifinal matches. The 18-hole final started out well for Games as he hopped to a quick 2-up lead after four holes, but the bank nine belonged to Haag. The Olympic Club representative never dropped a hole on the back, playing steady golf all the way in, and tapping in a 5 to win 1-up on No. 18. Read Full 2017 Recap | 2017 Bracket
It took a while for record six-time NCGA Player of the Year Randy Haag to finally fully join the senior ranks. The 
57 year-old isn’t just getting more used to it, he’s quickly becoming a force. On Friday, Haag claimed his third big senior title of the year, defeating Orinda CC member Jim Williams, 4 and 3, in the 18-hole final of the 10th annual NCGA Senior Amateur Match Play Championship at Spyglass Hill. Read Full 2016 Recap | 2016 Bracket
Jim Knoll stood over his ball on the 18th hole at Spyglass Hill, arms crossed, examining his lie that was precariously close to the lip of the fairway bunker. “I actually thought I had it when he was in the lip of the bunker,” admitted Knoll’s opponent Casey Boyns. With the final match of the NCGA Senior Match Play at all square, and Boyns sitting pretty 30 yards ahead, Knoll went for an all-or-nothing shot and took a rip at the green. Read Full 2015 Recap | 2015 bracket
Dormie-2 shrunk to dormie-1, and Dan Bieber was trying to figure out how to fend off match-play grinder Terry Foreman.But when he needed it most, Bieber dug deep and piped a drive down the middle, placed his iron ideally underneath the hole, and lagged his 15-footer for a gimme par to clinch a 1-up victory in the finals of the NCGA Senior Match Play Championship at Spyglass Hill. Bieber now has two Senior Match Play titles, tying him with Casey Boyns and Rob Thompson for the most in the eight-year-history of the championship. Read Full 2014 Recap | 2014 bracket
If Casey Boyns hadn’t played and caddied at Spyglass Hill GC hundreds of times prior to this week, he would have been left wondering what No. 18 looks like. Boyns found a way to make a long week short at the 7th Annual NCGA Senior Amateur Match Play Championship. He entered into the event bypassing the qualifier earning the No. 2 exempt seed. In his first match, the round of 32 at Spanish Bay, the Pebble Beach GL caddy won 5 & 4. In the round of 16, he ended the match on No. 13 – winning 6 & 5. Boyns then went on to win his quarterfinal match that same afternoon – again, winning 6 & 5. Read Full 2013 Recap | 2013 Bracket
Since 1977, the 12th hole at Spyglass Hill has been special for Terry Foreman, winner of the 6thAnnual NCGA Senior Match Play Championship. More than three decades ago, the 160-yard par 3 became his mother’s favorite as she made her first visit to Spyglass when Foreman won the NCGA Public Links Championship as a 20-year-old. Last year when Dena passed away, he spread her ashes on the tee. And now in his first year competing as a senior, the 12th is where he took the lead for good in his championship match with Gary Vanier. Read Full 2012 Recap | 2012 Bracket
Past Champions
| Year | Course | Champion | Runner-Up | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Spyglass Hill | Rob Thompson | Carl Selkirk | 19 holes |
| 2008 | Spyglass Hill | Rob Thompson | Jeff Burda | 1-up |
| 2009 | Spyglass Hill | Jeff Burda | Rob Adolph | 6 & 5 |
| 2010 | Spyglass Hill | Dan Bieber | Rob Thompson | 2 & 1 |
| 2011 | Spyglass Hill | Casey Boyns | Jeff Burda | 1-up |
| 2012 | Poppy Hills & Spyglass Hill | Terry Foreman | Gary Vanier | 2 & 1 |
| 2013 | Spanish Bay & Spyglass Hill | Casey Boyns | Terry Foreman | 2 & 1 |
| 2014 | Poppy Hills & Spyglass Hill | Dan Bieber | Terry Foreman | 1-up |
| 2015 | Poppy Hills & Spyglass Hill | Jim Knoll | Casey Boyns | 19th hole |
| 2016 | Poppy Hills & Spyglass Hill | Randy Haag | Jim Williams | 4 & 3 |
| 2017 | Poppy Hills & Spyglass Hill | Randy Haag | David Games | 1-up |
| 2018 | Poppy Hills & Spyglass Hill | Tony Padilla | Randy Haag | 4 & 2 |
| 2019 | Poppy Hills & Spyglass Hill | Casey Boyns | Scott Anderson | 6 & 5 |
| 2020 | Poppy Hills & Spyglass Hill | Rich Petit | Thomas Ansbro | 1-up |