21st Annual NCGA Valley and Senior Valley Amateur Championship

Jason Melvin had admittedly been in a bit of a slump. Any bad mojo from that is now gone. Melvin, who plays out of Bayonet/Black Horse GC, captured his first NCGA title, posting a final round 3-under 69 Tuesday at par-72 Oakdale Golf and Country Club to win the annual Valley Amateur Championship by three shots over a group of four players.

Jason Anthony, the NCGA’s defending Player of the Year, hasn’t played much at all this season. Along with getting married, the 37-year-old Anthony became a dad. And with COVID-19, he’s opted to not play as much to protect his newborn. In what was a rare appearance, Anthony still showed he’s one of the best amateurs in NorCal.

Former NCGA Player of the Year Jason Anthony is making the best of what has become limited opportunities. On Tuesday, Anthony fired a final-round 5-under 67 at Whitehawk Ranch GC that included a clutch eagle on the closing par-5 18th, and later defeated John McCord and Brett Viboch in a sudden-death playoff to capture the annual NCGA Valley Amateur Championship for a record-tying third time.

Ben Hogan once said that the most important shot in golf is the next one. At this year’s NCGA Valley Amateur, the event would come down to the last few shots. In what became a thriller (and heartbreaker for some), Kevin Cook took the title after posting a final round 5-under 67 at The Reserve at Spanos Park to come in with a 36-hole total of 7-under 137.

Mike Perchak shot an NCGA record 18-hole score of 12-under 61 en route to winning his first NCGA title. In the Senior Championship, 67-year-old NCGA Hall of Famer won his 11th Senior title after defeating Steve Schroeder in a playoff.