Pairings | Results
June 30, 2026
Wes Payne will have another NCGA Valley Amateur Title in the trophy case.
Payne, a native of Berkeley, finished his masterpiece as he won his second straight Valley Amateur title at Old Greenwood in Truckee.
Payne shot an even par 72 to finish at 11-under par for the championship which was nine shots clear of two-time Valley Am Champion Jason Anthony who finished at 2-under par.
After tying the NCGA record for the lowest 18-hole round in a scratch event on Monday, the two-time reinstated amateur simply played par golf on Tuesday.
The Claremont CC member had 16 pars for his final round. He made his only two bogeys of the week on the par-4 4th and par-4 5th holes. He would make up for it with birdies on the par-5 10th hole and par-5 12th hole.
Payne becomes the fifth player to go back-to-back at the Valley Am. This is his third career NCGA title which has come in 12 months.
Third place was a tie between Chris Marin and Jeremy Gearhart at 143 after final rounds of 72 and 75, respectively. Marin was awarded third place in a card-off (lower round of the day).
Senior Championship
Bob Niger will have another year of being called 'Mr. Senior Valley Am.'
The Sacramento native kept his foot on the gas pedal shooting a 5-under 67 to pull away from the field and win his second straight Senior Valley Am crown in Truckee.
He joins Mark Morgan as the only two players to successfully defend the Senior Valley Amateur title.
Niger, who is the reigning Super Senior Player of the Year was the lone man to finish under par at 10-under 134, which set a tournament record in the senior division. He broke the previous record which was set at 138 by Jeff Wilson in 2020, Jeff Burda in 2021 and Casey Boyns in 2023.
Mark Sanchez of Kentfield finished runner-up at 1-over par 145.
Niger had a bogey-free final round. He made five birdies on his round to complete another stellar two days in Nevada County. This is his fourth career NCGA senior major title in a calendar year.
He won the 2025 California Senior Amateur Championship along with his two Valley Am titles and 2025 NCGA Super Senior Title.
This is Niger's ninth win in the 2025-26 season.
June 29, 2026
Berkeley resident Wes Payne took a huge step in becoming the latest repeat champion at the annual NCGA Valley Amateur, doing so in record-tying fashion.
Payne, the Valley Am defending champion, opened this year's event at Old Greenwood in Truckee with a record-tying 11-under par 61. The 61 tied the NCGA record for lowest 18-hole score in any scratch event, set originally by Mike Perchak at the 2023 Valley Amateur at Dragonfly GC in Fresno.
Should Payne hold on to win, he would earn his third NCGA title. Along with capturing last year's Valley Am, he also won the 2025 Mid-Amateur by eight shots in 2025. In 2023-24, Perchak repeated as champion of the Valley Amateur. In 2020-21, Jason Anthony repeated as back-to-back Valley Am champion.
A twice-reinstated amateur, Payne will head into Tuesday's second round holding a comfy seven-shot lead. On his front-nine, Payne put on a clinic, carding a 28 that included four birdies and a pair of eagles on the par-5 6th and par-4 8th.
In second place at 68 is 2023 NCGA Public Links champ Jeremy Gearhart. Gearhart recently was in the running for the title at the Mid-Amateur before losing to eventual champion Matt Cohn. Cohn opened the Valley Am with a score of 69 and currently sits in a tie for third with Anthony.
Senior Championship
Bob Niger is also looking like a good bet to go back-to-back.
Niger, the NCGA's defending Super Senior Player of the Year and 2025 Senior Valley Am winner, opened play Monday with a first-round leading score of 5-under 67.
Tied for second at 71 are Jud Spencer and Mark Sanchez.
A win for Niger would mark his fourth NCGA Senior major (2025 Senior Valley Am, 2025 Cal Senior and 2025 NCGA Super Senior.