PEBBLE BEACH – Matt Marshall and Jeff Burda earned 2008 Northern California Golf Association Player of the Year and Senior Player of the Year honors respectively.
Marshall had lurked on NCGA leaderboards for years, but the 23-year-old catapulted to the top of the NCGA points list that determines the annual award with a huge win at the NCGA Amateur in August. Earning the 12th seed, the Rinconada member was never pushed beyond the 16th hole in any match and displayed a deft putting touch in defeating Player of the Year runner up Chris Marin of Monterey.
Powered by a win at the Santa Clara County, a round of 16 finish at the State Amateur and a third-place showings at the NCGA Valley Amateur and Stroke Play, the Saratoga resident totaled 1,263 points in one of the closest races in years
The former UCLA and UC Davis player now turns his attention to PGA Tour Qualifying School where he sailed through pre-qualifying at Morgan Creek with ease, blowing away the field by 12 strokes.
Modesto’s Jeff Burda captured Senior Player of the Year honors on the strength of eight championships. Accumulating 2,459 points, the 55-year-old more than lived up to the new moniker, Tiger Burda, given to him by his fellow senior competitors.
The Del Rio member grabbed titles at the NCGA Senior, State Fair, Modesto, Madera, Manteca and Sacramento City championships and the Sacramento County capping a stellar first year of senior competition with a come-from-behind win at the State Senior in September which allowed him to overtake runner-up Jim Knoll. Burda can still play with the younger generation, too, as evidenced by his round of 16 finish at the California State Amateur. He also became the first to play on two winning state teams in the same year, as the NCGA swept both regular and senior trophies for the first time since 2004.
Marshall and Burda were recognized at the annual Hanna-Wehrman and Staedler-Jetter Cup Matches, which pits the best amateurs in the region versus the best club professionals. The event was held at The Castlewood CC in late October
Contact:
Scott Seward at 831/622-8232
