Player Information/Pairings/Results
June 8, 2025
Sixty-three was the magic number again at the annual NCGA Mid-Amateur Championship at Poppy Hills.
A year after Jack Barber rode a 63 on his way to victory, 35-year-old San Francisco resident Wes Payne shot a first round 63 and followed that up with rounds of 70 and 68, respectively, to cruise to an eight-shot win over runner-up Scotland Schmidt of San Diego.
It marked the first NCGA title for Payne, a two-time former professional who has twice been reinstated as an amateur, the latest being in 2023. It also ended a streak of being somewhat the Heartbreak Kid. In 2020, Payne was the runner-up at the NCGA Amateur. He later also had runner-up finishes at the California Amateur and San Francisco City Championship.
The win was his first since the 2023 AmateurGolf.com Silicon Valley Amateur.
"I hadn't been super confident in my game coming into this event," said Payne, who finished with a three-day total of 12-under 201. "It felt like it all came together a bit. It's rewarding to get it done."
It most certainly came together in the first round when he posted the 63. The score matched Barber for the lowest competitive round ever in an NCGA championship at Poppy Hills.
"I just got hot in the middle of the round. I was swinging it great and made some putts," Payne said.
In the final round, Payne early on would find himself trying to shake off Schmidt. The winner of the 2023 San Diego Amateur, Schmidt used a front-nine 34 to forge a tie with Payne for the lead.
On the back-nine, however, Payne again caught fire, going 4-under thanks in part to an eagle on the par-5 10th. Schmidt, on the other hand, went 4-over with four bogeys on his way to a 73 and total of 209..
Over the three rounds, Payne played the par-5 9th and 18th holes at 6-under par.
"On the back-nine, I was just trying to hang in there," Payne said. "It's cliche' but also true--just focus on one shot at a time."
Jeremy Gearheart, the winner of the 2023 NCGA Public Links Championship, carded a final round 69 to place third at 210.
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June 7, 2025
A first round for the record books helped put San Francisco resident Wes Payne in a position to collect his first NCGA title.
Payne, a former professional who had his amateur status reinstated, carded a brilliant first round 8-under 63 and followed that up with a second round 70 on a long Saturday at Poppy Hills to grab a three-shot lead at this weekend's annual NCGA Mid-Amateur Championship. The 63 tied 2024 Mid-Am winner Jack Barber for the lowest competitive round at Poppy Hills in an NCGA competition.
The annual event is playing as a 54-hole tournament this year to help players gain World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR) points.
The runner-up at the 2021 California Amateur at The Preserve Golf Club, Payne played his first six holes at even-par before going on a tear. From holes Nos. 7 through 14, he went 7-under thanks to five birdies and an eagle on the par-5 9th. He'd wrap up his first round with yet another birdie on the 18th for a back-nine 30.
Later in the afternoon second round, Payne came back to Earth, going 2-over through his first eight holes after starting on the back-nine. He'd birdie No.18 to recover, and later closed with back-to-back birdies on holes Nos. 8 and 9 to post a 70.
With Payne cooling off, that opened the door for Scotland Schmidt. Schmidt, who opened with a 71, finished the day three back of Payne after a second round 65 that featured seven birdies and just one bogey. In 2023, Schmidt won the San Diego Amateur.
In third place, six shots back after rounds of 70-69 is Barber. In winning last year, Barber set the 36-hole championship record of 10-under 132.
There was no cut. The final round will again be held at Poppy Hills on Sunday.
