Herb Jensen, winner of the 5th NCGA Super Senior

Jensen, who turned 65 in June, shot a day-low 2-under 70 on Tuesday, coming from seven shots back to capture the 5th annual NCGA Super Senior Championship in perfect conditions at par-72 Valley Hi Country Club in Elk Grove. Jensen finished the two-day event at even-par 144, defeating runner-up Dennis Younglove by a stroke.

While the NCGA squad lost last week’s Staedler-Jetter Cup held at the new Poppy Hills to the Northern California PGA, Jensen went 3-0 in the event. He won in Four-ball and Foursome play and also won his Singles match, blitzing NCPGA Super Senior Player of the Year Larry Babica, 7 and 6. In his match versus Babica, Jensen went 4-under through his 12 holes on the recently renovated layout.

In Tuesday’s final round of the NCGA Super Senior, Jensen regained his magic touch. He’d hit 18 greens in regulation, and was the only player in the field to shoot lower than 73.While he’d card a front-nine 1-under 35 thanks to a birdie on No.2, it was on the back-nine that Jensen earned his first individual NCGA title since winning the 2009 Senior Valley Amateur.

The Del Paso Country Club member made his first move on the back with a birdie to remember on the par-5 13th. From 215 yards out, Jensen pulled his approach shot too far left, leaving him looking at a possible bogey. Instead, Jensen got on the green and drained a 60-foot bomb for birdie.

He’d give the stroke back with a bogey on the 15th after he three-putted from 20 feet, but just a hole later his putter again came through when he sank a 20-footer for birdie.

“The putt on No.16 proved to be the winning shot,” said Jensen, who also won this year’s Vintage Super Senior Championship. “I just really hit it well today.”

Things didn’t go as well for Younglove, who had begun the day holding a two-stroke edge over Gil Wymond.

The El Macero CC member, who played in the 2012 U.S. Senior Amateur Championship, went from a championship record 5-under 67 to a 6-over 78. A day after carding six birdies, Younglove had 14 pars, two bogeys and two critical double-bogeys (holes No.4 and No.11). On No.4 he got stuck behind a cluster of trees, while on No.11 he’d three-putt from 12 feet.A bogey on the 12th set him back to 1-over for the event, and he’d par his final six holes.

“I played well in the Cup matches, so I felt like could play this golf course,” said Jensen, a non-practicing dentist who now acts as a consultant. “It feels really good to win.”

“I was in the fairways yesterday and wasn’t today. That and I didn’t make all the putts,” Younglove said. “That’s golf.”

Wymond, who finsihed T-10 in last year’s championship, went from a 69 to 77 to finish alone in third at 146. He’d have a similar fate to Younglove, posting two double-bogeys a day after penciling in five birdies.

Finishing in fourth place at 149 was Bennett Valley GC Vic Shellenberg after a 76. Four players–Terry Coffee, Robert Olds, Tom Phillips and Craig Armstrong–all finished T-5 at 150.

Defending champion Ron Johnson had the second lowest round of the day, a 73, to come in at 151 (T-9). Prior to the final groups coming in, Johnson was the leader in the clubhouse for about an hour.

A number of the players in the field, including Jensen, will next be at Poppy Hills for the CGA Senior Amateur Championship, slated to be held Nov. 10-12.

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