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Modesto's Jeff Burda cruises to victory and defends CGA Senior title
The Modesto resident began the day just one stroke ahead of a field stacked with the state’s best senior amateur players and captured a wire-to-wire victory at the California Senior Amateur Championship with a final-round 4-under-par 68. In the process, Burda became only the second player in the event’s history to win back-to-back victories (Jim McMurtrey won in ‘94 and ‘95) and equaled the tournament scoring record of 5-under-par 211, set by Ted Lyford in 2002. The 56-year-old carded a first-round 66 which gave him a six-stroke lead, but struggled the second day when the wind kicked up and posted a five-over-par 77. “I knew a lot of good players were close by,” said the Del Rio CC member. However, being chased proved to be a motivator for Burda, who notched three birdies on the front nine with tricky hole locations. He rolled in a birdie on No. 2, then two-putted for another on the par-5 fourth hole and secured a third birdie at the par-3 sixth. “When I found out I had a seven-stroke lead at the turn I was a little surprised.” The 2008 NCGA Senior Player of the Year only missed one green in the final round and backed it up with solid putting all week for an eight-stroke victory. Burda had been playing well leading up to the championship -- he recently made it to the Round of 16 at the 2009 U.S. Senior Amateur, pocketed a win at the NCGA Senior Match Play Championship and made a strong appearance at the Crump Cup at Pine Valley. One of the unlikeliest stories of the week emerged from Antioch’s Mark Miller. The Roddy Ranch GC member fired a final-round one-under-par 71 to nab second place at three-over-par 219. Miller’s finish earned him just enough points to capture the 2009 Senior Player-of-the-Year honor, edging out the decorated Gary Vanier, who was unable to compete due to an injury. Boyd Martin of Corona del Mar, the 2008 SCGA Senior Match Play champion, played consistent all week with rounds of 73-73-74--220 and took third place after a five-foot putt narrowly missed on the final hole to force a playoff with Miller. For complete, hole-by-hole scores, click HERE. For a photo gallery of the final round, click HERE. Jim Knoll closes gap to one shot entering final round of the CGA Senior Amateur
PEBBLE BEACH, Sept. 29 – Jim Knoll is in hot pursuit heading into final round of the CGA State Senior Championship. As everyone kept their eye on Modesto's Jeff Burda after his blistering first-round 66 at Poppy Hills, a quiet Jim Knoll crept his way into the spotlight, carding the low round of the day – a three-under-par 69 – to edge just one stroke shy of the leader. Knoll began the day at 3-over-par and nine strokes behind friend and NCGA teammate Burda. But an eight-stroke swing emerged as blustery and cold conditions swept through the Del Monte Forest and the 2008 NCGA Senior Player of the Year carded a 5-over-par 77. “I just wanted to play with Burda in the final group,” said Knoll. “I never thought I would be one stroke off the lead heading into tomorrow, I just wanted to shoot around even-par today.” The printing salesman made four birdies and chipped-in twice to finish at even-par 144 and will indeed be paired in the final group tomorrow. One might suggest that Knoll is looking for some redemption after last year’s championship. The Sunnyvale resident led the tournament for the first two days after firing an opening-round 64, but then lost on the final day when Burda came into the clubhouse with a 65. The 56-year-old has proven he can go low on any given day. Last year he captured the NCGA Senior Valley Amateur at Winchester with a seven-under-par 65 in the final round. He also made the cut at the U.S. Senior Open at Whistling Straits in 2007. Boyd Martin of Corona del Mar, the 2008 SCGA Senior Match Play champion, is in third place at 2-over-par 143 with a pair of 73s. He is closely followed by two other Southern Californians, Steve Yavorsky of San Clemente and Chris Veitch of Newport Beach at 3-over-par 147. In the North-South Team Competition, the NCGA defended its title and claimed the trophy. The team of Gary Vanier, Mark Miller, Herb Jensen and Burda won by seven strokes at 8-over-par 440, counting the best three of four individual scores on each of the first two days. The South team of Kemp Richardson, Howie Knodt, Martin and Clark Heath finished at 15-over-par 447. After succeeding this year, the North leads 10-5 over the South. Current No. 1 ranked NCGA senior Gary Vanier withdrew before the second round with an ankle injury. Vanier is the only player in history to have won both the State Amateur and State Senior Amateur championships in the same year (he was State Senior champion in 2007). The cut at 12-over-par 144 means that 35 players (17 SCGA players and 18 NCGA players) advance to tomorrow’s final round at Poppy Hills. Tee times begin at 7:30 a.m. For complete, hole-by-hole scores, click HERE. For a photo gallery, click HERE. Defending champion Jeff Burda takes early lead after first round of the CGA Senior Amateur PEBBLE BEACH, Sept. 28 – Jeff Burda of Modesto came out with guns blazing in the first round of the 18th Annual CGA Senior Championship at Poppy Hills, shooting a 6-under-par 66 for a six-shot lead going into tomorrow's second round.
The 53-year-old defending champion and 2008 NCGA Senior Player of the Year racked up four birdies on the first nine holes (starting on No. 10), an eagle finish on the par-5 ninth, and no bogeys in the effort. NCGA Senior Four-Ball champion Doug Johnson of Fresno is tied for second at even-par 72, while NCGA Valley Amateur champion Herb Jensen of Carmichael, Chris Vetich of Newport Beach and 2008 SCGA Senior Match Play champion Boyd Martin of Corona del Mar follow at 1-over-par 73. Hampered with a back injury earlier in the year, Burda found his past form when he made it to the round of 16 at the 2009 U.S. Senior Amateur earlier this month, and pocketed a win at the NCGA Senior Match Play Championship to boot. He had an impressive 2008 season when he collected eight titles, including the NCGA Senior, State Fair and the Modesto, Madera, Manteca and Sacramento City championships, Sacramento County and the State Senior. He was only the second player to win both the NCGA Senior and State Senior in the same year. If Burda wins, he will be the only player since Fair Oaks’ Jim McMurtrey in 1995 to win consecutive CGA Senior titles (McMurtrey went on to win a total of three titles). The NCGA team leads the SCGA team by nine strokes in the North-South Team Competition, held concurrently with the first two rounds of the tournament. The South team of Laguna Niguel's Kemp Richardson, Chula Vista's Howie Knodt, Martin and Coto de Caza's Clark Heath carded a 223 team total, while the North team of 2007 CGA Senior Amateur champion Gary Vanier, Mark Miller, Jensen and Burda are at 214. The best three of four individual scores count each day; the defending-champion North leads 9-5 over the South since the competition began. In other stories of note, shortly after Pleasanton's Tom Lyons hit a crisp 5-iron on the par-3 11th hole, he heard cheers echo from the group on the next tee box. “Nobody could see because of the fog,” the Castlewood CC member said, but when they got up to the green they discovered his ball had bounced and rolled into the cup for an ace, the sixth that Lyons has collected. Tee times begin at 7:30 a.m. on Tuesday and the field will be cut to the low 33 and ties after tomorrow’s second round. For complete, hole-by-hole scores, click HERE. Defending champion Jeff Burda will look for his second State Senior title at the 18th CGA Senior Championship Sept. 28-30 STUDIO CITY, Sept. 21 -- Jeff Burda of Modesto will look to defend his title and joins several of the state’s best senior golfers at the 18th California Golf Association (CGA) Senior Amateur Championship, Sept. 28-30 at Poppy Hills GC in Pebble Beach. Burda, 56, overcame a five-shot deficit in last year’s event to take the crown, the first time he’d won the event. He’s hardly a stranger to victories, though: In 2008 alone he collected the NCGA Senior, State Fair, Modesto, Madera, Manteca and Sacramento City and Sacramento County championships, as well as advanced to the Round of 16 in that year’s California State Amateur Championship at Lakeside GC. He subsequently took NCGA Senior Player of the Year honors, and added 2009 NCGA Senior Match Play champion to his resume. Northern California players have taken four of the last five State Senior titles, with Placentia’s Steve Bogan breaking the mold in 2006, the same year he also won the SCGA Senior Amateur championship (Bogan also took the SCGA Senior title in 2004). Bogan, 61, will be back in the field this year as well, after advancing to the Round of 32 in [this week’s] U.S. Senior Amateur Championship. Other past champions in the field include Tom Eastlack of Prescott, Ariz. (1999), Ted Lyford of Redlands (2002 and the 2000 SCGA Amateur champion), Bob Olds of Brentwood (2005), Rob Thompson of Merced (2004, as well as the 2005 NCGA Senior Amateur and 2007-08 NCGA Senior Match Play champion), and Gary Vanier of Nevada City, the only player to have won the California State Amateur (1982) and CGA Senior Amateur championship when he did so in 2007. Vanier is also the 1997 NCGA Amateur and 2009 NCGA Senior Amateur champion. Other notable players in the field include Bill Bowen of Lincoln, the 2007 NCGA Senior Amateur champion; Clark Heath of Coto de Caza, the 2008 SCGA Senior Amateur champion; Howie Knodt of Chula Vista, 2009 SCGA Senior Amateur and Senior Match Play champion, and 2008 SCGA Senior Player of the Year; Boyd Martin of Corona del Mar, 2008 SCGA Senior Match Play champion; Frank Merhar of La Jolla, 1998 SCGA Senior Amateur champion; Kemp Richardson of Laguna Niguel, 2001 and 2003 U.S. Senior Amateur and 2001 and 2004 British Senior Amateur champion; Bob Rowland of Danville, 2006 NCGA Senior Amateur champion; and Rich Tolly of Laguna Hills, 2007 SCGA Senior Amateur champion. Within the event is the team play component that runs concurrently through the first two rounds, and each association's four-man team will take the low three of four scores toward the team total. The SCGA's team of Kemp Richardson, Howie Knodt, Boyd Martin and Clark Heath will take on the NCGA's team of Gary Vanier, Jeff Burda, Mark Miller and Herb Jensen. Northern California is the defending champion. Of the 112 players in the field, 64 are from Southern California and 47 hail from the North; players qualified at one of five sites throughout the state. |
PEBBLE BEACH, Sept. 30 – Jeff Burda showed who’s boss.
