44th Amateur Stroke Play Championship

July 18, 2021
When you've done something to follow in the footsteps of Johnny Miller, you know you've done something special.

Nathan Wang, freshman-to-be at Cal-Berkeley, did just that by winning the annual NCGA Amateur Stroke Play Championship on Sunday at Poppy Hills by a stroke over runner-up Garett Wagner. Wang, a former standout at Archbishop Mitty High, is still only 17 years old. Miller was 17 when he won the title in 1964. The two are believed to be the youngest champions in the  42-year history of the event.

"It feels pretty good," said Wang, who had his dad, Wilson, on the bag as caddie each day. "The course setup was insanely hard."

Wang would be the only player to shoot par or better each of the three rounds, going 71-70-71 for a total of 1-under 212. A shot off the lead for much of the final round, his big breakthroughs came on the par-4 16th and par-3 17th.

Tied for the lead with Wagner, Wang on 16 hit his second shot--a gap wedge from 135 yards out--to within 4 feet of the flagstick for a birdie. A hole later, on the 17, he drained a 35-foot birdie putt to take a one-shot lead. He'd seal the victory with a par on the closing par-5 18th.

Just last week, Wang qualified for the U.S. Amateur after carding a medalist-earning score of 10-under 134 at a 36-hole qualifer at Almaden CC. 

"I've been playing well. I came here wanting to keep that mojo," Wang said. "It all comes down to how you handle shot-by-shot."

Wagner made a charge with a low round of the day 70 that featured three birdies and two bogeys. A final birdie on 18 made him the clubhouse leader at a total of even-par 213, But Wang came through with his magic putt on the 17th.

"I knew it was going to play hard. I just came out trying to make pars," Wagner said. "He just beat me."

Third place went to Domingo Jojola at 216 after a final round 71. 

 Wang, who didn't peek at the leaderboard until he was walking up the 18th, also got to share the win with his mom, Sherry, who spectated.

"It was awesome to have them here," Wang said. "It's been a while since I've had my dad on the bag as caddie. It was nice to have a father-son duo again." 

July 16, 2022
Sacramento State senior Casey Leebrick got it going on another tough day, and will be the one to chase entering Sunday's final round of this weekend's annual NCGA Amateur Stroke Play Championship.

Leebrick, who hails from San Luis Obispo, posted a solid 4-under 67 in the cold and fog at Poppy Hills to get to a two-day total of 2-under 140. On a day where only five players broke par, Leebrick managed to card seven birdies to go against three bogeys.

Alone in second place at 141 is Cal-Berkeley freshman-to-be Nathan Wang. Wang, who was the first freshman to ever win the West Catholic Athletic League (WCAL) MVP award (2019) while at Archbishop Mitty, had a second round 70 with three birdies and two bogeys. On his back-nine, Wang was steady, carding eight pars and just one bogey.

First round leader Luke Dugger, who'd opened with a 69, slipped to a 74 to fall back into a pack of four players at 143. The 143 quartet also features 2018 California Amateur champion Bobby Bucey (72), Garett Wagner (72) and Cal alum Ian Dahl (69). Dahl won the NCGA Mid-Amateur in June at Poppy Hills.

Defending champion Daniel Connolly of San Francisco is alone in seventh place at 144, just four off the lead, after a second round 72. 

Leebrick and Dahl were two of the biggest movers on the day, charging 14 and 16 spots up the leaderboard, respectively. The biggest move came from Ryan Hartanto, who leaped 24 spaces up the leaderboard, going from an opening 76 to 69.

The cut to make it to the final round came at 9-over 151. 

The course for the second round 6,799 yards, with a scoring average of 76.62. 

July 15, 2022
Getting into red figures wasn't easy during Friday's first round of this week's annual NCGA Amateur Stroke Play Championship.

Overall, only two players managed the feat. As for how tough a day it was, the average score for the par-71 Poppy Hills course was 77.30.

Taking the early lead was Holy Names University freshman Luke Dugger. Dugger, who hails from Davis, carded a 2-under 69 that featured two eagles, two birdies, two bogeys and a double-bogey (par-4 13th). It was on Poppy's four par- 5's that Dugger was able to feast. He'd go 6-under on the par-5s thanks  to eagles on the 4th and 9th holes and birdies on Nos. 10 and 18.

Also managing to break par was Mason Benbrook. The Carmichael resident shot 70, getting through a rollercoaster round that included four bogeys, a double-bogey, five birdies and an eagle.

Eight players are just two shots off the lead after matching opening rounds of 71. The group includes 2014 Stroke Play champ Bobby Bucey, former Mid-Am winner Zachary Solomon and Garett Wagner.  Solomon was helped along by an ace on the 15th (see below).

Defending champion Daniel Connolly, a two-time winner of the event, is T-11 at 72.

Poppy Hills was playing to a length of 6,861 yards. The most difficult hole was the par-4 1st, which played to a stroke average of 4.88. 

Following Saturday's second round, a cut will be made with the low 30 and ties moving on to Sunday's finale. 

Zachary Solomon, winner of the 2016 NCGA Mid-Amateur, had the shot of the day, acing the par-3 15th using a 4-iron.

First played in 1944, the NCGA Stroke Play Championship has a special history, as the tournament has been won by the likes of Ken Venturi and Johnny Miller.  But the event was canceled in 1966 when the NCGA decided to add the now-popular Four-Ball Championship.

The original championship was played over 72 holes, while the renewed format which began in 2004, is a 54-hole event staged at Poppy Hills every year. During the Poppy Hills renovation in 2013, the championship was held at Bayonet/Black Horse GC in neighboring Seaside.

Daniel Connolly set the record for 54-hole total score (204) in winning in 2021. Talbert Smith has won the championship more than any other player, four times, in 1946, ’48, ’56 and ’57. Other multiple winners include Ken Venturi (’51 and ’52), Verne Callison (’58 and ’59), Scott Hardy (’04, ’11), Ben Geyer (’12 and ’13), Robby Salomon (’15 and ’16), Daniel Connolly ('17 and 2021) and Nick Moore ('18 and 2020).

Kevin Lucas and Jonathan De Los Reyes share the record for low round since the tournament was re-established in 2004 with 65’s. De Los Reyes’ 65, shot in 2015, set a course record at the time at Poppy Hills.

July 18, 2021
Daniel Connolly returned to the last place where he tasted victory and got to experience it all over again.

Connolly, a 24-year-old resident of San Francisco, shot a final-round 4-under 67 Sunday at Poppy Hills to come in at 9-under 204 and win the NCGA Amateur Stroke Play Championship by four shots over runner-up Kevin Huff. For Connolly, the win is his first since the Southern Methodist University standout has won the 2017 Amateur Stroke Play Championship.

“It feels really good to get another win. It’s been a while,” said Connolly, who won his hometown event, the San Francisco City, in 2016. “I felt the competitive juices going again over the last few holes.”

Having entered the final round tied with mid-amateur Marc Engellenner, Connolly for the third straight day was solid. He’d post a back-nine 32 to break away from both Huff and Engellenner. Huff finished at 208 after a final round 69, while Engellenner had a 72 to come in at 209.

On the par-5 holes Nos. 4, 9 and 18, Connolly would go 9-under over his three rounds. The par-5 10th was the holdout. There, he’d go two-over thanks to a first-round double-bogey. He also bogeyed No.11 in the first round, making him 3-over through two to start the 54-hole event.

“Other than that two-hole start, I played really solid each day,” said Connolly, who at least for now plans to keep his amateur status. “On my approach shots, I was really dialed in. Overall, I just played some really good golf through and through.”

As was the case in 2017, Connolly also had some good company with him. His father, Martin, who owns and runs Johnny Foley’s Irish House pub in The City, was again on the bag as caddie.

“It’s so awesome having him with me,” the younger Connolly said. “It’s just special. We have so many great memories over the years. Having him on the bag just makes it that much more extra special.”

July 17, 2021
Former champion Daniel Connolly and Marc Engellenner are in prime position, but there’s still another day left at Poppy Hills.

On Saturday, Connolly, who won in 2017, and Engellenner, the winner of this year’s Sacramento City, got to a total of 5-under 137 at this weekend’s NCGA Amateur Stroke Play Championship after posting rounds of 69 and 68, respectively. Connolly, a former San Francisco City champion, could’ve gone lower. He’d open with a front-nine 33 thanks to a flurry of birdies on holes Nos. 4, 6, 7 and 9 but slowed down a bit with a back-nine 36. Engellenner also posted a 33 on the front-nin before settling for a 35 on the back.

Sitting two shots off the lead at 3-under is the tandem of Zachary Solomon and Kevin Huff. Both Solomon, who won the 2016 NCGA Mid-Amateur at Poppy Hills, and Huff carded second round scores of 70.

In fifth place at 140 is Michael Slesinksi of St. Mary’s following a second round 72. AJ Fitzgerald, the only other player under par, is alone in sixth place at 141 after a 71.

The cutline came at 7-over 149.

July 16, 2021
It’s a packed leaderboard after opening day of this weekend’s NCGA Stroke Play Championship at Poppy Hills. Four players—Michael Slesinski, Brett Viboch, Nikolai Friedman and Daniel Connolly—are tied at the top after matching rounds of 3-under 68.

Slesinksi, a grad student at St. Mary’s, made his big move in part due to an eagle on the par-5 18th. Viboch, a former winner of the NCGA Four-Ball Championship, posted five birdies to go against two bogeys. Connolly, who won the event in 2017, had a wild day, carding five birdies and an eagle on 18 to go against a pair of bogeys and a double-bogey. Friedman, who played last season at Sonoma State, penciled in five birdies and two bogeys.

Another trio—2016 NCGA Mid-Amateur champion Zachary Solomon, Marc Engellenner and Kevin Huff–are only a stroke behind after opening rounds of 69.

Bobby Bucey, who won the event in 2014, is just two behind at 70. Defending champion Nick Moore, and 2019 winner Ian Dahl, are still in the hunt after opening rounds of 73.

Following Saturday’s second round, a cut will be made with the low 30 players and advancing to the final round.

First played in 1944, the NCGA Stroke Play Championship has a special history, as the tournament has been won by the likes of Ken Venturi and Johnny Miller.  But the event was canceled in 1966 when the NCGA decided to add the now-popular Four-Ball Championship.

The original championship was played over 72 holes, while the renewed format which began in 2004, is a 54-hole event staged at Poppy Hills every year. During the Poppy Hills renovation in 2013, the championship was held at Bayonet/Black Horse GC in neighboring Seaside.

Kevin Lucas, Nick Moore and Ben Geyer share the 54-hole tournament record with total scores of 205. Lucas posted his 54-hole winning score in 2010 at Poppy Hills GC, while Geyer fired his 205 total in 2013 at Bayonet GC. The two were 11-under par. Moore shot 8-under 205 at Poppy Hills in 2020. Talbert Smith has won the championship more than any other player, four times, in 1946, ’48, ’56 and ’57. Other multiple winners include Ken Venturi (’51 and ’52), Verne Callison (’58 and ’59), Scott Hardy (’04, ’11), Ben Geyer (’12 and ’13) and Robby Salomon (’15 and ’16).

Kevin Lucas and Jonathan De Los Reyes share the record for low round since the tournament was re-established in 2004 with 65’s. De Los Reyes’ 65, shot in 2015, set a course record at the time at Poppy Hills.

The sterling silver perpetual trophy was donated by the San Francisco Examiner in 1944.

While 2020 has had its challenges, 2019 wasn’t that great of a year for Monterey resident Nick Moore. Among the things the 38-year-old Moore had to come to terms with was the loss of his grandmother. “My grandmother and grandfather are like my parents,” Moore said. 

As part of his duties as the NCGA’s Marketing, Membership and Communications Coordinator, Ian Dahl has spent much of the summer working on updating the Association’s trophy case. He’s now earned the right to have his own name engraved on one of the trophies.

When former CSU Monterey Bay standout Robby Salomon won the NCGA Amateur Stroke Play Championship in 2015, he had good friend Nick Moore on the bag as caddie. This time, the roles were reversed, as Moore knocked off yet another good friend, Matt Cohn, to win his first Amateur Stroke Play crown.

Albeit he had a comfy five-shot lead entering the final round, San Francisco resident Daniel Connolly told himself otherwise.“I convinced myself that I was two back,” Connolly said. “The most important thing was not to play defense, and to not second guess myself.”

Coming off consecutive poor showings at the recent North and South Amateur and California Amateur Championships, Robby Salomon wasn’t exactly sure which direction his game was headed.
“I kind of let go of a lot of work instructors had me doing,” Salomon said. “I almost re-started golf. I was maybe focusing too much. I told myself to just go out and play.”