October 1, 2024
Eat your hearts out, kids.
Chris Cuttone and Ron Ewing, a pair of 54 and 56 year-olds, respectively, caught fire at Poppy Hills on Tuesday, posting a final round 11-under 60 to come from behind and win the annual NCGA Mid-Amateur Four-Ball Championship.
The two edged the tandem of Richard Yai and Albert Conceicao by a stroke and the team of former champs Matt Cohn and Nick Randazzo by two.
"I think we just got hot early and got a dunk out there which is really rare. We didn't expect to win. It just sort of all fell into place," said Ewing of the pair's day, which ended with the two coming in at 14-under 128.
As per the dunk, that came from Ewing, who holed out on the par-4 12th from 131 yards using a pitching wedge. It was on the back nine that the two did their best cooking. They'd card a 27 with six birdies and the eagle on 12.
"It was amazing to see a great player get hot and stay hot and finish a round. It was a great ride," Cuttone said.
Ewing and Cuttone started the day three off the lead. They'd end up moving 11 spots up the leaderboard. The two estimated that they've played together over 50 times in team best-ball events. It was the first NCGA victory for them both.
"We've been chasing this a long time. It's great to finally catch it," Ewing said.
Cohn and Randazzo, who won in 2020, came to the 18th tee needing an eagle to tie for the lead. They'd both pull their drives left into the trees, leading to a final round 65 and two-day total of 130.
Yai and Conceicao also came to the 18th with a chance to tie the leaders with an eagle. Yai had a 55-footer for eagle, but his putt just skimmed past the edge of the cup for a 64 and total of 129.
September 30, 2024
The scoreboard at this week's NCGA Mid-Amateur Four-Ball Championship is as hot as the weather.
By the time everyone finished Monday's first round at a pristine Poppy Hills, there were four teams tied at the top at 6-under 65: Brett Viboch and Bobby Bucey, Richard Yai and Albret Conceicao, Jason Herrera and Johnathan Byers and Matt Cohn and Nick Randazzo.
Bucey and Viboch are no strangers to the event, having won back-to-back titles in 2021-22. The two also hold the championship (and NCGA) record for lowest 18 score, a mind-boggling 59 in 2022. Coincidentally, that came during the 2022 event's final round.
Yai and Conceicao had a sizzling front nine, carding a 32 that included a bogey on the par-4 8th. Herrera and Byers also got going on front, posting a 33 that included a bogey on the tough par-4 1st.
As per Cohn and Randazzo, they too have plenty of Four-Ball experience. The two won the championship in 2020 and the NCGA Four-Ball Championship in 2023 at Spyglass Hill. Randazzo, who recently won the Public Links Championship, is aiming for his 12th NCGA career title.
To make things even more interesting, two teams, the tandems of Marc Engellenner and Domingo Jojola and John Burke and Jahaan Nargussi, are just a shot back at 66.
Kevin Kobalter and Jarod Makimoto each had aces in the first round, Kobalter getting his on No.11 and Makimoo his on No.2