Today was a good day for Kevin Lucas as he set a new record in the NCGA Stroke Play at -11 after shooting an impressive 65 today to run away with the 2010 title.
The conditions at Poppy Hills were the best I can ever remember with the greens running fast and true. The fairways were fairly good and the NCGA did a great job setting up the course changing the yardage of the par three’s and fives each round. My round had one highlight which was an eagle on the ninth hole to pull even on the front nine. My back nine was disappointing ending with a bogey on the relatively easy birdie hole the par five 18th hole.
Thursday I head to Scotland to prepare for the British Senior Open Qualifier with my good friend Mike Staskus. We arrive in Scotland on Friday afternoon and will play two practice round prior to the Monday qualifier. The tournament is being contested at Carnoustie this year and should provide a serious test. It would be again a thrill to qualify and play in this great event!
I’ll have photos of my qualifying site and results a week from Monday, and next week I’ll have another interview with Terry Rowles. STAY TUNED
7th Annual NCGA Amateur Stroke Play Championship
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On June 25, 2010 at 5:57 pm
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July 9-11, 2010
Poppy Hills GC
July 11, 2010
PEBBLE BEACH – Kevin Lucas blew away the field in the final round of the NCGA Amateur Stroke Play Championship at Poppy Hills, his 7-under 65 propelling him to a new tournament record and a four-shot win.
Lucas, a Folsom native and member of the Collegiate Players’ Club, began the day one back of St. Mary’s Golf Coach Scott Hardy and University of Washington-bound Cory McElyea. But while the leaders had posted a two-round total of 5-under 139, it was the 21-year-old Lucas who had the momentum, carding a four-under 32 on his incoming nine in the second round. The rising junior at the University of Nevada-Reno would then seize the championship via a six under performance through the first 12 holes Sunday. That’s 10-under over 21 holes, a pace that left his competitors gasping for air. “When I birdied 10, I felt pretty good, but you never know,” the champion said. “I knew the eagle on 12 had me four up and that felt pretty good.” He would add a birdie on the final hole after a series of solid pars on Poppy’s back nine to reach seven under for the day, 11-under for the event, breaking Rick Reinsberg’s tournament record set in 2009 by four shots.
“I hit the ball great all week but shot 40 on the front yesterday,” Lucas said. “So my caddie said ‘Lets get something going.’ It was just a matter of making something happen.” Lucas began his collegiate career at Monterey Peninsula College before transferring home to Sierra College in Rocklin where he captured the Northern California Community College individual title in 2009. He also added the Redding City championship and a trip to the U.S. Amateur to his resume last year. A transfer to the division one Nevada-Reno for two years will hopefully precede a professional career for the champion. “I’m looking forward to some college D1 experience,” he said. After displaying a full range of shots, an explosive scoring talent and the ability to play defensively, success at the division one level seems a forgone conclusion.
McElyea, a 2010 graduate of Harbor H.S., was runner-up in the San Francisco City earlier this year and grabbed the same position in the Stroke Play, posting a score that would have won any other year’s Stroke Play, 7-under 209. Hardy was unable to capitalize on his opening 66, posting an even-par final round, fading to third place. The 34-year-old was seeking his second NCGA major title of the year (and sixth overall) after claiming the Public Links back in April. He previously won the Amateur Stroke Play in 2004, the first year of its playing after a hiatus of 38 years. Chad Vivolo’s final-round 69, the second low score of the day, earned the Monterey Peninsula CC member fourth place.
The shot of the tournament came from Mathew Miller, who aced the 220-yard 15th in the second round.
Current and four-time NCGA Player of the Year Randy Haag added another top 10 finish to his list of accomplishments finishing runner-up in a playoff earlier in the week at the NCGA Master Division Championship at Poppy Hills. Haag has taken over the lead in the race for NCGA Player of the Year, and is in position earn an unprecedented fifth award.
Runner-up Cory McElyea, champion Kevin Lucas and third-place finisher Scott Hardy7th Annual NCGA Amateur Stroke Play Championship Updated: 7/11/2010 2:52 pm PDT
| Position | Player | Club | Today | Hole | Total | Rounds | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | ||||||||||
| 1 | Kevin Lucas | Collegiate Players Club | -7 | F | -11 | 68 | 72 | 65 | 205 | |||
| 2 | Cory McElyea | De Laveaga GC | -2 | F | -7 | 71 | 68 | 70 | 209 | |||
| 3 | Scott Hardy | amateurgolf.Com | Even | F | -5 | 66 | 73 | 72 | 211 | |||
| 4 | Chad Vivolo | Monterey Peninsula CC | -3 | F | -1 | 74 | 72 | 69 | 215 | |||
| 5 | Cameron Rappleye | Valley Hi CC | Even | F | Even | 70 | 74 | 72 | 216 | |||
| 6 | Matt Montez | Valley Hi CC | +1 | F | Even | 71 | 72 | 73 | 216 | |||
| 7 | Russell Humphrey | Woodbridge GCC | +2 | F | +1 | 70 | 73 | 74 | 217 | |||
| 8 | Ricky Stockton | Salinas Fairways GC | -2 | F | +2 | 72 | 76 | 70 | 218 | |||
| 9 | Chris Jensen | Sharon Heights GCC | -1 | F | +2 | 75 | 72 | 71 | 218 | |||
| 10 | Randy Haag | Olympic Club | +2 | F | +2 | 71 | 73 | 74 | 218 | |||
| 11 | Ben Geyer | Arbuckle GC | Even | F | +3 | 73 | 74 | 72 | 219 | |||
| 12 | Christopher Ellis | San Jose Muni Egolf Clubhouse | Even | F | +3 | 69 | 78 | 72 | 219 | |||
| 13 | Jack Hoenes | Spring Hills GC | +1 | F | +5 | 75 | 73 | 73 | 221 | |||
| 14 | Joshua Stone | Swenson Park GC | +2 | F | +5 | 75 | 72 | 74 | 221 | |||
| 15 | Justin Marchiando | Poppy Hills GC | +2 | F | +5 | 72 | 75 | 74 | 221 | |||
| 16 | Kaz Hoffman | Mill Valley GC | +3 | F | +5 | 71 | 75 | 75 | 221 | |||
| 17 | Casey Boyns | Monterey Bay GC | -3 | F | +6 | 75 | 78 | 69 | 222 | |||
| 18 | Roberto Galletti Jr. | Oakhurst CC | +4 | F | +6 | 73 | 73 | 76 | 222 | |||
| 19 | Andrew Bonner | Spring Creek GCC | +4 | F | +6 | 69 | 77 | 76 | 222 | |||
| 20 | Jeffrey Cornez | Collegiate Players Club | Even | F | +7 | 75 | 76 | 72 | 223 | |||
| 21 | Jamie Core | Collegiate Players Club | +4 | F | +7 | 74 | 73 | 76 | 223 | |||
| 22 | Matt Lewis | Darkhorse GC | Even | F | +8 | 75 | 77 | 72 | 224 | |||
| 23 | Mark Wyllie | The Club GC | +3 | F | +8 | 75 | 74 | 75 | 224 | |||
| 24 | Michael Weaver | Fort Washington GCC | +8 | F | +8 | 74 | 70 | 80 | 224 | |||
| 25 | Bryan Moquin | California GC | +3 | F | +9 | 76 | 74 | 75 | 225 | |||
| 26 | Christopher Herzog | Tuscan Ridge GC | +3 | F | +9 | 75 | 75 | 75 | 225 | |||
| 27 | Joel Slak | eClub Sacramento | +4 | F | +9 | 71 | 78 | 76 | 225 | |||
| 28 | Kevin Alexander | Napa GC | +7 | F | +9 | 71 | 75 | 79 | 225 | |||
| 29 | Steve Woods | San Jose Muni Egolf Clubhouse | +1 | F | +10 | 73 | 80 | 73 | 226 | |||
| 30 | Wes Leith | Wildhorse GC | +2 | F | +10 | 72 | 80 | 74 | 226 | |||
| 31 | Dino Giacomazzi | Bayonet/Black Horse GC | +5 | F | +10 | 74 | 75 | 77 | 226 | |||
| 32 | Anthony Machi | Castlewood CC | +3 | F | +11 | 77 | 75 | 75 | 227 | |||
| 33 | Kei Kita | eClub San Francisco | +5 | F | +11 | 75 | 75 | 77 | 227 | |||
| 34 | Jay Myers | San Jose CC | +3 | F | +12 | 77 | 76 | 75 | 228 | |||
| 35 | Cody Thompson | Butte Creek CC | +5 | F | +12 | 74 | 77 | 77 | 228 | |||
| 36 | Matt Anderson | eClub East Bay | +7 | F | +14 | 72 | 79 | 79 | 230 | |||
| 37 | Kevin Nabbefeld | eClub South Bay | +7 | F | +14 | 72 | 79 | 79 | 230 | |||
| 38 | Dalan Refioglu | CordeValle Golf Club | +6 | F | +15 | 76 | 77 | 78 | 231 | |||
| 39 | Brian Swenson | Bridges GC | +6 | F | +15 | 75 | 78 | 78 | 231 | |||
| 40 | Jordan Weir | Serrano CC | +8 | F | +15 | 75 | 76 | 80 | 231 | |||
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