Randy Haag on Thursday at NCGA Senior Match Play
(NCGA Photo)
PEBBLE BEACH, CA (August 18, 2016) -- Back in the spring, Randy Haag defeated Jim Williams in the semifinals en route to winning the San Francisco City Senior Amateur.
The two also met in this year’s NCGA Senior Four-Ball Championship, where Haag and partner Chip Lutz beat Williams and his brother, Doug, in an epic duel that finally ended on the 5th hole of a sudden-death playoff.
They’re going to go at it again.
Haag, the No. 2 seed and Williams, the No. 12 seed, both earned spots in the finals of this year’s NCGA Senior Amateur Match Play Championship after getting semifinals wins Thursday at Spyglass Hill. Haag, a record six-time NCGA Player of the Year, defeated No.19 Rich Gleghorn, 3 and 2. Williams, meanwhile, earned his spot via a 5 and 3 win over No.25 Robert Miller.
Playing his first full season as a senior, Haag has not trailed in a match since the Round of 32. With a win in Friday’s championship finale, the Olympic Club member would notch his 16th career NCGA title, second only to all-time leader Casey Boyns (20). He’d also join Boyns as the only players to record a double-double: that being wins in both the NCGA Amateur Match Play Championship and Senior Championship.
On the flip side, Williams will be looking for her first NCGA crown. In each of the last two NCGA Senior Four-Ball Championships, Williams and his brother, Doug, have finished as runner-ups.
Like Haag, Williams also has had a dominant run through the brackets, having never trailed in any of his four matches.
The 18-hole finale is slated to tee off at 7:15 a.m.
SUPER SENIOR DIVISION
The inaugural championship final will feature Frank Pieper going against Bob Thomason.
Pieper advanced with a 6 and 5 win over over Ron Johnson, while Thomas defeated No. 1 seed Herb Jensen, 3 and 1.
Pieper’s father, Ernie Jr., is an amateur legend in the Golden State, having won among other events the California State Amateur Championship (both in 1941 and 1944). In 2014, Pieper won his first NCGA title, capturing the Senior Four-Ball title with partner Mike Staskus.
Thomason formerly was the head men’s basketball coach at University of Pacific for 25 years.
View results for NCGA Senior Match Play
ABOUT THE
NCGA Senior Match Play
The NCGA Senior Match Play Championship was
historically an invite-only event in which the top
16 players on the NCGA Senior points list were
invited to participate in the Senior Match Play
Championship, held concurrently with the NCGA
Amateur Match Play at Spyglass Hill, over a three-
day period. However, beginning in 2012 the event
was modified to a 32-player match play field,
still allotting 16 spots to the top 16 of the NCGA
Senior points list, while allowing the other half of
the field to qualify.
Senior players (ages 55+) must have a handicap
index of 7.4 or
less. There is no handicap limit for super
seniors (ages 65+).
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