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Visa SF City Championship: Trainer tops Haag
16-year-old becomes youngest-ever champ
16-year-old becomes youngest-ever champ

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. (March 9, 2008)-- In one of the biggest upsets in the recent history of the Visa San Francisco City Championship, 16-year-old Martin Trainer topped Bay Area stalwart and former champion (1999) Randy Haag 2-up to become the youngest title winner in history.

The first day of daylight saving time greeted Harding Park with sunshine and 70 degree weather for the finals, which saw Haag and Trainer trading birdies throughout, with only three holes halved, and ended at the 18th hole all square.

Haag got off to a fast start after the lunch break going birdie, par, birdie to put Trainer 3-down, but Trainer responded by winning the next four holes.

Haag got back to even the match on the 25th hole, but missed the green left on the par three 26th hole. Unable to get up and down, Trainer went 1-up with a two putt par-3. Both players reached the par five 27th hole, Haag just off the back edge and Trainer in the right fringe pin high. Haag's three-putt allowed Trainer to win with a birdie and take a 2-up lead into the final nine.

Haag was by no means finished, winning the next three holes as Trainer failed to par the 28th and 29th and lost the par-five 30th to Haag's birdie-4. The next two holes were halved with pars. Trainer broke the streak and birdied the 33rd from twelve feet to even the match once again. On the short, strategic 310 yard 34th hole, Haag's wedge settled three feet from the hole leaving a straight uphill putt for birdie. Trainer answered with his own wedge to 6 inches for his second straight birdie and the match was still all square.

"I was a little nervous, especially at the end, but I tried to keep it under control," said Trainer. "I knew I was nervous, but I'm not sure if anyone else did, sometimes I play better under pressure."

On the 35th Trainer went one up as Haag again missed the green right and failed to get up and down. On the long par four 36th hole that skirts along Lake Merced both players hit perfect drives to the center of the fairway. Haag, playing first, found the bunker at the front right of the green. Trainer's five iron landed softly on the front edge of the green and settled just on the collar pin high. Haag's bunker shot came up ten feet short and his putt missed mark leaving Trainer two putts from five feet for the victory.

Haag graciously conceded the putt and Trainer was the victor 2-up.

"I have never played with Randy" said Trainer. "But I knew he was a great player. But you just can't know how good he really is until you've played him. I learned a lot. He does more that just make great shots, he manufactures shots when he needs them, he's a great putter, and he finds more ways to get the ball in the hole than anyone I've ever played with."

As for Haag, who has been playing in the event for the past 30 years?

"I'll be back" he said. "I consider the City to be one of the most import and tournaments I play. Martin was a great kid to play with, great demeanor and a tremendous talent. I look forward to watching him develop over the coming years."

At age 16 becomes the youngest Men's Champion, replacing Ken Venturi who won at age 17.


In the women's championship, University of Colorado at Boulder-bound Emily Childs fought tooth and nail with Dorothy Schwartz. At the end of the morning round they were all square with neither player having built up more than a one-hole lead. The afternoon continued with much of the same, the lead exchanged several times. The breakthrough finally came on the 35th hold when Childs drained a 20 foot putt for birdie to go one up. The 36th hole was halved giving Childs the victory

In the senior division, Jim Knoll topped Frank Pieper 2-up.

Bryan Ungaretti won the open division's John Susko bracket while Chris Ingram won the Ken Venturi bracket, and Jon Levine took the Harvie Ward bracket. Ron Goordon won the Sandy Tatum bracket.

Sean Denny was the winner of the Tom Culligan Senior Open bracket..

In the women's open divisions, Linda Brown won the Juli Inkster bracket while Alexandra Wong took the Jan Ferraris bracket.

Thanks to tournament chairman Mike Miller for the story, as well as Kemper Sports and the San Francisco Parks and Recreation Department.

ABOUT THE San Francisco City Championship

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*An NCGA Points Tournament*

**New Entry Procedure for 2024: Registration opens for all players on October 1. There will be 50 spots held for exempt players under the following categories:

* The past 10 years of the San Francisco City Golf Champions
* 2023 San Francisco City Men’s Championship Match Play Qualifiers
* Top 20 men’s 2022-2023 NCGA Points Lists
* 2023 NCGA Champions (Amateur, Mid- Amateur, Junior)
* The top 3 finishers in each of the 6 AmateurGolf.com Winter Tour events (Dec 2023-Feb 2024)

Registration for exempt players, and for non- exempt players with a handicap index of 6.4 or lower as of the date of entry, opens on October 1 and will remain open until the field limit (120 players including spots reserved for exempt players) is reached. When the field limit is reached, all additional registrants will be entered in the pre-qualifier at Presidio Golf Club on Friday, March 8, 2024.

Once entries close, if there are any unfilled spots in the Men's Championship (due to fewer than 50 exempt players registering or withdrawals), they will be filled by Pre- Qualifier registrants in the order in which they registered.

Players entering pre-qualifying will pay an entry fee of $165 for the pre-qualifier, and those advancing from the pre-qualifier will pay the remainder of the entry fee (must be paid prior to playing).

The 36-hole match play qualifier will be held March 9-10, 2024, with 18 holes played at TPC Harding Park and 18 holes at Presidio Golf Course for a combined 36-hole qualifying score.

There will be 156 players in the qualifying round with 64 players advancing to match play. When all qualifying has been completed, the Men’s Championship Flight will consist of 64 contestants. In the event of a playoff to qualify for match play, a player must be present in order to retain his right to participate in the playoff.

Match play will begin on March 16, 2024. All match play for the Championship Flight (Mar 16-17, 23-24) will be held at TPC Harding Park.

A schedule of all dates of play can be found on the tournament website sfgolfchampionship.com.

WITHDRAWALS AND REFUND POLICY
Players needing to withdraw should do so by filling out the form at sfgolfchampionship.com/con tact/. Players withdrawing before the entry deadline of February 19 will receive a refund of their entry fee minus $50. There will be no refunds after the entry deadline.

CART POLICY
The use of carts is prohibited for players and caddies in the Men’s Championship Flight (Appendix I – Local Rule Applies)

SPECIAL OFFER TO SF CITY PLAYERS:

SF City players get 50% off Strackaline Yardage Books! CLICK HERE for details


ABOUT THE SAN FRANCISCO CITY CHAMPIONSHIP
The oldest municipal tournament in the USA. Match play event with scratch men's, senior men’s, women's, senior women’s, and open flight divisions. Past champions include Ken Venturi, Harvie Ward, Juli Inkster, Bob Rosburg, George Archer, and Dorothy Delasin. Some of the “non winners” include Tom Watson and Johnny Miller. Click the “history” tab for more about this wonderful event.

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