March 26, 2025
Longtime friends Steve Sear and Randy Haag capped a historic performance at the NCGA Senior Four-Ball Championship with yet another great round.
Sear and Haag, who first met as fellow competitors over four decades ago, carded a final round 5-under 66 in windy conditions to claim a seven-shot victory over the runner-up tandem of Robert Funk and Jason Bittick. Sear and Haag would finish the event with a tourney-record 54-hole score of 21-under 192. Their biggest move came in the first round thanks to a sizzling 62.
"It's great having a partner like Randy," Sear said. "It frees you up. You're never out of a hole. He always hits it straight. So it takes the pressure off."
For Haag, the win marked his record fifth title in the event. The now 66-year-old Olympic Club member previously had three wins with Chip Lutz (2016, 2017, 2024) and one with Funk (2022). It was Haag's 12th NCGA Senior victory, moving just one behind all-time leader Jeff Burda.
"They are all different. To be able to play with Steve, we go way back. We played some best-balls when he was just a young, strapping buck," Haag said.
This past September, Haag and Sear dueled at the NCGA Senior Championship before Haag eventually won by two strokes. For Sear, who was the NCGA Player of the Year in 1988, it marked his first NCGA Senior crown. Haag had planned on again playing with Lutz, but Lutz could not compete due to recent hand surgery. So he called Sear to pair up.
"When Chip went down I was very fortunate to assume my horse (Sear). It was a fabulous three days," Haag said.
Funk and Bittick made a charge in the second round with a Senior record round of 10-under 61. Still, they entered the final round six strokes behind Haag and Sear. A final round 67 brought them in with a total of 14-under 199.
Third place went to the team of Mike Rowley and Mark Morgan at 205 after a final round 66.
David Ujihara came up clutch, lifting him and teammate Craig Calkins to the win in the Super Senior portion of the championship.
Ujihara sank a 13-foot putt for birdie on the 18th hole, leading to a one-shot win over the tandem of Joey Ferrari and Bob Niger. The two teams had come to the tee at 18 tied for the lead.
"You just try to do your best and get in the position to make a putt to win. And you get lucky and it goes in," Ujihara said.
The putt gave Ujihara and Calkins a final round score of 67 and a Super Senior record 54-hole total of 17-under 196. Ferrari and Niger, who had opened play with a tournament record-tying 10-under par 61, slipped backwards to a 71 and three-day total of 197.
The victory marked the first NCGA titles for both the 70-year-old Ujihara and Calkins, 69.
"We were actually trying to figure where we stand. Were we one back? You just always try to do your best," Calkins said.
Third place went to the team of brothers Jim and Doug Williams at 206 following a final round 73.
March 25, 2025
Teammates Randy Haag and Steve Sear continued their record-breaking pace at this week's annual NCGA Senior Four-Ball Championship.
On a sunny Tuesday at Poppy Hills, Haag and Sear posted a second round 7-under 64 to get to a record 36-hole total of 16-under 126.
The 64 by Haag and Sear came a day after the two carded a tournament record-tying 18-hole total score of 62 (Seniors).
Joey Ferrari and Bob Niger, who are competing in the Super Senior Championship, also are at a 36-hole score of 126. Both team's 36-hole scores are two shots better than the 128 shot by Mark Miller and Gary Vanier at the 2013 championship at Silverado Resort. Ferrari and Niger, who shot a 61 in the first round, are playing from tees that are around 400 yards shorter in length than the Seniors.
This past September, Haag and Sear dueled at the NCGA Senior Championship before Haag eventually won by two strokes. The two have known each other for over 40 years, having met in past NCGA competitions starting in the 1980s. Sear was the NCGA Player of the Year in 1988 after winning that year's NCGA Amateur at Spyglass Hill. Haag is an NCGA Hall of Famer and is looking for a record fifth title. The now 66-year-old has won three times with Chip Lutz (2016, 2017, 2024) and once with Robert Funk (2022).
Funk this time will be chasing Haag. The runner-up at the recent San Francisco City Senior, Funk and partner Jason Bittick are in second place at 132 after a championship record 18-hole score of 10-under 61.
In third place at 134, eight behind the leaders, is the team of Daniel O'Connor and Daniel Young.
Joey Ferrari and partner Bob Niger cooled off a bit, but they'l still head into Wednesday's final round holding a solid three-shot lead.
A day after posting a tourney record-tying 10-under par 61, Ferrari and Niger shot 6-under 66 to get to a two-day total of 16-under 126. The 126 tied Haag and Sear's record for best 36-hole score in tournament history, also bettering the 128 shot by Mark Miller and Gary Vanier at the 2013 championship at Silverado Resort.
Ferrari, the NCGA's Super Senior Player of the Year in 2022-23, won the Super Senior title in 2023 with then-partner Jim Knoll. Niger formerly competed on the PGA Tour Champions before regaining his amateur status.
The team of Craig Calkins and David Ujihara moved into second place at 13-under 129 following a second round 64. The Williams brothers--Doug and Jim--are alone in third place after a 68.
Jim Williams won the Super Senior title in 2022 playing with John Watson.
March 24, 2025
NCGA Hall of Famer Randy Haag has already won the NCGA Senior Four-Ball Championship a record four times. Three titles with Chip Lutz (2016, 2017, 2024) and one with Robert Funk (2022).
Haag, now 66-year-old, may be on his way to yet another.
On Monday, Haag and longtime friend Steve Sear jumped to the top of the leaderboard at this year's NCGA Senior Four-Ball Championship after a sizzling 9-under 62 in warm and sunny conditions at Poppy Hills.
The 62 ties the tournament record for low 18-hole score. Frank Pieper and Mike Staskus shot 62 on the way to winning at Saddle Creek in 2014. In 2018, Mark Hill and James Hay shot 62 at Poppy Hills.
Haag just recently had a bad flu that kept him from competing in the San Francisco City Senior Championship. The longtime Olympic Club member won The City in both 2023 and 2024.
This past September, Haag and Sear dueled at the NCGA Senior Championship before Haag eventually won by two strokes. The two have known each other for over 40 years, having met in past NCGA competitions starting in the 1980s. Sear was the NCGA Player of the Year in 1988 after winning that year's NCGA Amateur at Spyglass Hill.
The early leaders of the day, and now the team in second place, is the tandem of Joseph Schiebold and Mark Quintel, who carded a solid 66.
The team of Daniel O'Connor and Daniel Young, Rob Campbell and Jason Pridmore and Mark Morgan and Mike Rowley are all T-3 at 66. Morgan and Rowley are two-time champions of the event, having won in 2023 and 2021.
Joey Ferrari and Bob Niger went on a record-tying rampage, carding a 10-under 61 to grab a four-shot lead in the first round.
Ferrari and Niger's score of 10-under par matched the Senior Four-Ball record set by 2014 winners Frank Pieper and Mike Staskus, who shot 62 at par-72 Saddle Creek.
In what was a classic ham-and-egg combo, Niger carded a front-nine 33. On the back-nine, Ferrari added some Cholula, posting a 6-under 29 on his own ball. The back-nine 29 is one of the all-time back-nine low scores at Poppy Hills. Jack Barber shot a 29 on the back on his way to winning the NCGA Mid-Amateur.
Ferrari, the NCGA's Super Senior Player of the Year in 2022-23, won the title in 2023 with then-partner Jim Knoll.
The team of brothers Doug and Jim Williams are alone in second place after a solid 65. Jim Williams won the Super Senior title in 2022 playing with John Watson.