Nick Moore of Seaside captured the 38th Northern California Amateur Stroke Play Championship, beating his friend Matt Cohn of San Francisco in a playoff at Poppy Hills Golf Course in Pebble Beach.
Moore, a 36-year-old caddie at Cypress Point Club, made a bogey on the first extra hole, but it was enough to turn back Cohn, who pulled his drive, hit his second shot into a hazard and then found a greenside bunker en route to a double-bogey 6.
“It’s a nice win,” said Moore, who claimed his seventh NCGA title. “Ultimately, I want to see us both play well. If I’m not going to win, I want Matt to win. If Matt isn’t going to win, I want to win.
“The first time I played in the Stroke Play was 2012, and I finished solo in second. Since then, I hadn’t medaled. This is one of the tournaments that I had wanted to win.”
Moore, a three-time Northern California Valley champion who also has won three NCGA a Public Links Championships and the 2015 California Medal Play title, posted a score of 69-71-74—214, 1-over-par, while Cohn finished at 67-74-73—214.
Cohn, who often plays alongside Moore in NCGA team events, won the NCGA Mid-Amateur title earlier this season and also teamed with Moore to claim the Billy Bell Cup.
Michael Slesinski, a sophomore at St. Mary’s from Fremont, was third at 67-70-78—215, followed by Derek Ackerman of Half Moon Bay at 69-71-77—217, while Domingo Jojola of San Francisco shot 70-75-74—219 to tie for fifth with Chris Oetinger of Clayton at 72-73-74—219, and Anthony Gutierrez of South San Francisco at 75-66-78—219.
Ben Peters of San Francisco totaled 75-72-73—220 to tie for eighth with Matt Lloyd of Saratoga, who finished at 72-74-74—220, and Alex Chin of Pleasanton was 10th at 76-74-71—221.
The tournament was first played in 1944, but discontinued in 1967 in favor of the NCGA Four-Ball Championship. The NCGA Stroke Play Championship was revived in 2004.
Winners in the early years included Johnny Miller, Ken Venturi, George Archer, E. Harvie Ward, John Lotz and Jim Wiechers.
For complete results, visit https://www.golfgenius.com/pages/1289379.
