Randy Haag

Golfers played 27 holes on Saturday and 18 on Sunday, making for a 45-hole tournament 

Connolly shot rounds of 36-71-66 to shoot 7-under and win the championship division by one shot over Jayden Lizama. Connolly's final round 6-under 66 saw him open 4-under through the first three holes. 

Jacob Goode and A.J. Collishaw finished T3 at 5-under. AJ Fitzgerald held the first-round lead after an opening 36 and second-round 4-under 68. However, a third-round 2-over 74 saw him fall back to T5 at 3-under. Matthew Thornton and Alex Sylvan joined Fitzgerald at T5 and 3-under.

Connolly has put together a solid year, winning the 2023 NCGA Mid-Amateur, making the final 16 in the 2023 San Francisco City Championship, and winning medalist honors at the 2024 San Francisco City. 

In the Senior Division, NCGA Hall-of-Famer and four-time player of the year Randy Haag won for the second straight season and is currently ranked No. 10 in the AmateurGolf.com Senior Rankings. 

Frank Pieper won the Super Senior Division, and Nicola Kaminski won the Women's Division.

HISTORY

The name Alameda Commuters' was conceived by a group of Alameda residents who loved the game of golf and worked in San Francisco. At 7:30 am every weekday, the ferry boat "SS Santa Clara" left the Island City for San Francisco.

The first Alameda Commuters was played on July 15, 1928, with 19 entrants. The format was medal play with handicaps assigned by arbitration. Those who could yell the loudest were rewarded with the highest handicaps. Oh, what progress we've made!

The next order of business was prizes. Every contestant was requested to donate a "white elephant" prize. The winner's prize was a keg of nails, and last place was a sack of manure. Everyone won a prize, thus the motto "You win if you lose" at the Commuters'. Bill Saylor, owner of the famous candy company, donated confections to the losers, a tradition that will never melt.

The popularity of the Commuters brought changes in the tournament's format. From one initial flight of 19, the Commuters grew in 1936 to a field of 21 handicap flights with 16 contestants each and a Championship with 16 contestants. With 352 entries, the committee worked from dawn to dusk.

By 1937, qualifying for the Championship flight was necessary to determine the low 32, who advanced into match play. That format lasted for 22 years, when, in 1959, the Championship became a 72-hole medal affair, as it remains today.

Staying Power

While the above brings you up to date with the Commuters' conception and major changes, it fails to emphasize the staying power of such a golf tournament to survive part of a depression, prohibition, World War II, etc. Someone was responsible. Credit must be laid at the feet of our many sponsors. Their continued support has provided genuine longevity and prestige to this tournament.

The entrants and the Northern California Golf Association are equally crucial for longevity and prestige. Year after year, top amateurs in Northern California enter this event in quest of the Commuters' title or even a merit-type finish position, knowing the tournament will be conducted in the highest spirit of true amateur golf.

While many of the contenders over the years have gone forward into the professional ranks, some as tour players, others as teaching or club professionals, many also return as sponsors. Still, others return in search of the Simon-pure amateur title. The NCGA has assigned player points second to none for a locally sponsored medal play tournament. In appreciation of this we pledge to continue our efforts on behalf of amateur golf, maintaining the high standard worthy of it and to make each successive Alameda Commuters' golf tournament a pleasant memory for all.