Randy Haag (Northern California Golf Association Photo)
NCGA Hall of Famer Randy Haag already shares the record for most NCGA titles with fellow Hall of Famer Casey Boyns at 16.
Now 64, Haag is starting to make a dent into the NCGA Senior history books as well.
On Thursday, the Olympic Club member and No.1 seed won his third Senior Amateur Match Play Championship title, defeating runner-up Rob Campbell, 3 and 2 at Spyglass Hill.
For Haag, it marks his eighth Senior title, leaving him just four behind all-time leader Jeff Burda, who's won 12.
The last time Haag had won the Senior Amateur Match Play was back in 2017, when he repeated as champion. He becomes the first player to win the event three times.
"I think winning now is more special than back then," Haag said. "I watched my dad lose his vision. So I just appreciate getting to be able to come out and play in these surroundings. You never know how long you'll be able to play."
Campbell, a 60-year-old member of both the NCGA and SCGA, was in search of his first title in either association.
"I'm proud of how I played. I just got beat, that was all there was to it," Campbell said.
As he did all week, Haag turned it up a notch. Through the final five holes of the match, Haag went 3-under par. In the quarterfinals, Haag knocked out defending champion Scott Anderson thanks to a run where he went 4-under through eight holes.
A change for Haag this time around was a switch in putting styles. Know for years for his side-saddle putting, he instead putted broomstick-style, a la Lucas Glover. He also three months ago began doing Yoga to help stretch himself out.
"I had really been struggling with the side-saddle. The broomstick is just more of a back-and-thru motion," he said. "As for the Yoga, it's been very helpful."
Wih the win, Haag also moved closer to locking up his second straight NCGA Senior Player of the Year crown. Earlier wins this year include the San Francisco City Senior, Alameda Commuters Senior and Monterey City Senior.
"It's really been one of my best years," he said.
SUPER SENIOR DIVISION
NCGA Hall of Famer Casey Boyns has literally won just about every NCGA tournament there is.
One thing that had been missing, however, was a Super Senior title. The longtime Pebble Beach caddie can now scratch that off as well.
Boyns had yet another great showing, carding a front-nine 32 on his way to defeating Herb Jensen, 6 and 4, in the 18-hole final at Spyglass Hill.
The victory marked Boyns' 10th Senior crown, moving him into a tie for third on the all-time Senior win list (10) with fellow Hall of Famer Gary Vanier. Overall, Boyns now has a record total of 26 NCGA victories.
'It's always nice to get an NCGA win, and yes, I had thought about the Super Senior," Boyns said. "Getting that now, it's sort of like a bucket list thing."
Just 1-up through the first five holes, Boyns went 4-under through holes Nos. 6 through 8 (birdie-eagle-birdie) to break the match open. Last year, Jensen, 74, had eliminated Boyns in the first round.
"Casey got his revenge," Jensen joked. "I knew I would have to play well. Casey was just hitting the ball great today."
Looking back, in 2012 Boyns, now 67, played in his first Senior Amateur Match Play Championship. That year he lost in a playoff to Vanier.
"I remember at the time, I was thinking, 'Oh no, there's goes my chance to win a Senior event,'" Boyns said. "You never know how things are going to go."
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+).
View Complete Tournament Information