Player Information/Pairings/Results
June 11, 2023
San Francisco resident Daniel Connolly made his NCGA Mid-Amateur Championship debut one to remember.
Connolly, 25, held off a slew of NCGA veterans and defeated Nick Randazzo (Moore) on the first hole of a sudden-death playoff to win the annual NCGA Mid-Amateur Championship at par-71 Poppy Hills. The title marked Connolly's third NCGA crown.
"This is awesome. Any time you can win it's amazing," said Connolly, who works in finance in The City.
As he walked to his second shot on the 18th hole in regulation, Connolly had no idea where he stood, and he didn't want to know. Coming off a bogey on the par-3 17th, he was tied with Randazzo at a total of 7-under 135.
It was then that his father and caddie, Martin, gave him a subtle hint of how things stood. "I finally asked my dad what the leaderboard looked like and he told me, 'It'd be a nice time for a birdie.' I had been thinking a par would be enough."
Connolly did have to settle for par after his birdie putt missed, but he'd get another chance. On the first playoff hole (par-4 1st), Moore got a horrible break when his ball plugged in the fairway bunker. He'd have to punch and nearly holed out his third shot, but had to eventually settle for a bogey. Connolly, meanwhile, missed the green short but managed to get up and down for par and the win.
'I was fortunate to get it done in the playoff," said Connolly, who carded a final round 66.
For Randazzo, it was a lost opportunity to edge a bit closer to NCGA Hall of Famers Casey Boyns and Randy Haag on the all-time NCGA win list. Randazzo is at 11, with both Boyns and Haag at 16.
"I'm pleased with how I played," said the 41-year-old Randazzo, who legally changed his name in honor of his late grandfather. "I've had my share of good breaks and also my share of bad breaks. I'll just look to the positives. I'm happy for Daniel."
Along with getting by Randazzo, Connolly at one time or another was trying to hold off 2020 NCGA Amateur runner-up Was Payne, veteran Jerry Ledzinksi and multiple NCGA champion Bobby Bucey.
"I felt like I did a good job of just staying in the moment," Connolly said. "I knew coming into the day that I would have to go out and win it."
Randazzo made a charge with a tourney-low 65. Payne took third at 138.
Second Round Photo Gallery
June 10, 2023
Monterey resident Chris Marin is back playing amateur golf, and he's making his presence known.
A former standout at CSU-Monterey Bay who went professional and was reinstated as an amateur in 2022, Marin grabbed the lead at this weekend's NCGA Mid-Amateur at Poppy Hills with a solid first-round 4-under 67.
Playing in only his third amateur event since his reinstatement, the 44-year-old Marin's charge included a back-nine 6-under 29 with six birdies.
At two strokes behind Marin is a pack of 5-players at 2-under 69--Jack Barber, Domingo Jojola, Daniel Connolly, Matt Smith and Wes Payne. Connolly, of San Francisco, is a two-time winner of the NCGA Amateur Stroke Play Championship (2017, 2021). Payne was runner-up at the 2020 NCGA Amateur.
At 70, just three shots off the lead, is another group of six players that includes Jerry Ledzinski, Brett Viboch, Bobby Bucey, Nick Randazzo (Moore), Mike Perchak and Daniel Young. Viboch, the 2021 NCGA Player of the Year, and Bucey have paired up to win each of the last two NCGA Mid-Amateur Four-Ball titles. Randazzo has 11 career NCGA titles, just five behind all-time co-leaders Randy Haag and Casey Boyns.
Defending champion Ian Dahl, who now resides in Oregon, is at T-17 after an opening 72.