eClub North Bay

November 6, 2011

 

Rancho Murieta, CA – Fifty-eight players braved cold weather and imminent wet weather to compete in the Inaugural eClub Stroke Play Championship at Rancho Murieta Country Club this past weekend. The championship consisted of players from all eight NCGA eClubs across Northern California and handicaps ranged from scratch to over 30. The event was broken into three flights determined by November Handicap Indexes, all of which competed for both gross and net prizes. The low gross from the Championship Flight was awarded the 2011 Championship trophy.

               The first round was played on Rancho Murieta’s North Course, a narrow and difficult test that won the competition between player and golf course, assisted by cold weather and first round jitters. Albert Lee was the only player to break 80 with a  natural 78 in the first round and held the overnight lead for the Championship. Scott Daniels scored a net 72 to lead the First Flight and the tournament with the low net score for the day. 

               Rain followed immediately after the close of scoring for the first round and the poor weather continued through the night. It stopped about two hours prior to the start of the second round and paved the way for lower scores on the friendlier South Course. In the Second Flight, Mark Coffey shot the low round of the tournament with a net 66 and claimed both low net and gross honors for his flight. Scott Daniels followed his opening round 72 with a net 76 to claim the First Flight despite a charge from First Fight runner-up Manuel Quiogue who carded a final round net 70. First Flight gross honors, however, went to Dan Gielda who shot 173 for the two rounds.

               In the Championship Flight, Thomas Burton followed up his first round 76 with a net 71 to claim the low net honors. Joe Benevenuti shot a natural 79, one of the two sub-80 rounds of the tournament to overcome Albert Lee’s six stroke lead and claim the 2011 eClub Stroke Play Championship trophy. Joe’s consistent rounds of 84-79 were enough not just for the Championship but he also claimed third place honors in the net division of his flight.

               A round of applause goes to the Rancho Murieta staff, lead by Director of Golf Don Thames, and the four stellar tournament officials who assisted with the event: John Nakamura, Frank Mann, David Witt and Phil Sexton. The Second Annual eClub Stroke Play Championship will tentatively be held in the East Bay region, where Benevenuti and the three net Flight Champions will have the opportunity to defend their titles.

 

-Ryan Farb

Assistant Director NCGA Championships and Events