May 11, 2025
The message back home to their moms in Sacramento was loud and clear.
An NCGA title was on its way for Mother's Day.
Mason Benbrook and Luke Dariotis made birdie on the the third hole--the par-3 12th--of a sudden-death playoff to defeat the tandem of Scotty Raber and Patrick Cairns to win the 58th NCGA Senior Four-Ball Championship at Spyglass Hill.
The clinching putt was just short of a 3-footer, sunk by Dariotis after he nearly made an ace. Benbrook and Raber missed their lengthy birdie putts. Cains was off the green and missed his pitch attempt for birdie.
For Dariotis, the putt was sweet redemption. A hole earlier on the par-5 11th, he missed a similar putt for birdie and the win. It also came after what was a long night prior. Following Saturday's second round, Dariotis, a senior at Jesuit High, drove back to Sacramento to attend his Senior Ball. He arrived back on the Monterey Peninsula at 2 a.m. Sunday morning.
The two would win with a final score of 16-under 197 after a final round 66.
"It feels great to win such a big tournament with one of my best friends," Dariotis said. "We just stayed patient and tried to give ourselves looks, where we would give ourselves at least a chance at par."
Prior to the event, the two had never paired up before in a Four-Ball competition. While Dariotis still attends Jesuit High, Benbrook, who's now at Fresno State, is a Jesuit High alum. To make things even more interesting, Cairns is the jayvee coach at Jesuit High.
"Luke and I have played over 100 rounds together. It was great to put it through such a great test," Benbrook said. "Patrick is a great player. Scotty is a great player. They play a lot in Sacramento. It was fun competing against them."
Over what turned out to be 57 holes, Benbrook and Dariotis only carded two bogeys--both coming on the closing par-4 18th. Their second bogey there dropped them into the playoff with Cairns and Raber,who finished at 16-under after a final round of 65.
"Patrick was rolling the rock all week. To come so close, it was fun. Patrick had a great look to win at on No. 10 (the first playoff hole)," said Raber, who was searching for his second Four-Ball crown, having won the event in 2015 with then-partner Ben Corfee.
Said Cairns of Benbrook and Dariotis' play over the three rounds--"I'm really proud of Luke and Mason. I coach at Luke's school and I'm really proud of him. I can't wait to see what they do for the rest of their golfing careers."
Third place went to the team of Nick Randazzo and Matt Cohn at 198 after a final round 68.
Daniel Connolly (and partner Reid Buzby) had the shot of the day, an ace on the par-3 15th hole
May 10, 2025
Prior to finally knocking down the door and winning the NCGA Four-Ball Championship in 2023, longtime friends Nick Moore and Matt Cohn had had finished in the top 3 three times.
Now, the two are a day away from winning the Four-Ball title twice in three years. Randazzo and Cohn took the lead Saturday at Spyglass Hill, posting a second round 5-under 67 to get to a total of 12-under par.
Should they go on to win, they'd become the first team to win two titles in three years since Danny Paniccia and Mike Stieler went back-to-back in 2013-14. They'd also add more to their NCGA resumes. Cohn is a six-time NCGA champ, while Randazzo has 12 victories, second only to all-time leaders Casey Boyns and Randy Haag, who have 16. The two's wins also include the 2020 NCGA Mid-Amateur Four-Ball title.
Three teams, however, are in close pursuit.
The teams of Mason Benbrook and Luke Dariotis, Kyle Dougherty and Davis McDowell and veterans Garett Wagner and Rick Reinsberg all got to a two-day total of 11-under par 131.
Benbrook, a junior at Fresno State, and Dariotis, a senior at Jesuit High of Sacramento, posted a 4-under 67 that featured five birdies and a bogey.
Dougherty and McDowell were the big movers, posting a day-low 7-under 64 featuring seven birdies. Wagner and Reinsberg, meanwhile, had four birdies and a bogey on their way to a 68.
Wagner, who turned 49 on Thursday, was the NCGA Player of the Year in 2022. Reinsberg, now in his mid-50's, was NCGA Player of the Year back in 2003. Reinberg's NCGA championships resume includes victories at the 2003 Sacramento Valley, 2005 NCGA Four-Ball with partner Scott Hardy, the 2009 Amateur Stroke Play Championship and the 2014 Mid-Amateur.
The two have made the cut each of the last three years, finishing 19th (2024), T-21 (2023) and 12th (2022).
Behind them are another two teams just two shots back.
In the steady department, UC San Diego teammates Nathan Tseng and Justin Gill are at 10-under par following their second straight 66. Tseng, a junior, and Gill, a sophomore, had a wild day--their card featuring seven pars, eight birdies and three bogeys. Also at 10-under is the tandem of Scotty Raber and Patrick Cairns.
The shot of the day went to Josh Yeater, who carded an eagle on the tough, uphill par-6th. Yeater made things even more impressive, as he'd hole out from just off the fairway of No.1 using a 56-degree wedge.
May 9, 2025
At least for a day, it was the veterans who ruled over the field.
Three teams--the youngest being both age 32--grabbed a share of the lead at this weekend's annual NCGA Four-Ball Championship after opening play on a brilliant Friday at Poppy Hills with identical scores of 8-under 63.
Patrick Cairns and Scotty Raber, the two "kids" at 32, went 32-31 over Poppy's front and back nines, respectively. They be boosted by an eagle on the par-5 9th and back-to-back birdies on holes Nos. 17 and 18 to close out their day. Raber has won the event, capturing the title in 2015 with Davis childhood friend Ben Corfee.
Also finishing with a share of the lead were the tandems of Garett Wagner-Rick Reinsberg and Nick Randazzo-Matt Cohn.
Reinsberg won the title in 2005 playing with Scott Hardy. Wagner, who celebrated his 49th birthday on Thursday, was the NCGA Men's Player of the Year in 2022. The two, who have partnered together in the event the last few years, shot 32-31. Highlights on the front-nine were two sets of back-to back birdies (holes Nos. 2 and 3, and 8 and 9) and a closing eagle on the par-5 18th.
Randazzo and Cohn, ages 42 and 44 respectively, shot out of the start with three straight birdies from Cohn. Cohn, a San Francisco resident, is coming off a win at the SCGA Mid-Amateur. The two longtime friends later tacked on three more straight birdies on holes Nos. 7-9 to finish their day. Winners of the title in 2023, Cohn and Randazzo are no strangers to hosting NCGA trophies. Cohn is a six-time NCGA champ, while Randazzo has 12 victories, second only to all-time leaders Casey Boyns and Randy Haag, who have 16. The two's wins include the 2020 NCGA Mid-Amateur Four-Ball title.
Three teams--Russell Humphrey and Jack Main, Luke Dariotis and Mason Benbrook and Finn McCall and Luke Brandler--are just a shot off the pace at 64. Humphrey, now age 53, won the title in 2012 playing with James Watt. McCall and Brandler are the event's defending champions, winning the event last year as a pair of 17-year-old high school juniors. It is believed that they were the youngest champions in the 57-year history of the event.
In capturing the title last year, McCall and Brandler went on a tear in Sunday's final round at Spyglass Hill, carding an 8-under 64. During that final round, on the nearly 300-yard par-4 17th, Brandler drove it into the heart of the green for an eventual birdie. McCall's drive meanwhile ended about five yards off the green. He'd pitch up and drain the putt for birdie.
The championship moves to Spyglass Hill starting Saturday, culminating in the final round on Sunday. The last team to go back-to-back was Danny Paniccia and Mike Stieler in 2013-14.
Following Saturday's second round, a cut will be made with the low 40 teams (and ties) advancing to Sunday.