Golf Academy Wins 3rd Straight NCCGA

The Golf Academy of America (Phoenix) Club Golf Team overcame windy and rainy conditions Sunday at Oakcreek Country Club in Sedona to win its 3rd consecutive National Collegiate Club Golf Association (NCCGA) Desert Regional Tournament. The only difference this time around? Unlike previous showings, the GAA led this two-day weekend tournament wire-to-wire.

Dan Bubany set the pace after posting a round of 74 (+2) Saturday, one shot better than Craig Miller (75). Bubany and Miller were the only Golf Academy team members to post rounds in the 70s in Round 1, with a majority of the team just seeing the golf course for the first time.

On Sunday, those same players exacted their revenge. Miller shot the low round of the day, an even Par round of 72 thanks to three early birdies (two-under 34 on the front) with Bubany finishing one shot behind after getting hot late (three birdies in a four-hole stretch for a closing one-under 35).

Billy Stegall (73), Adam Breitenbucher (78), and Craig DeGroff (78) all came home in a driving rainstorm to post rounds in the 70s. The top five scores from each eight-man team count towards the team total score, and their performance all but secured the Academy’s 17-shot victory (8 strokes after Round 1, 9 after Round 2). Bubany, Miller, and Stegall all made the All-Tournament Team by finishing in the Top 7. In its first appearance at an NCCGA Tournament here last year, the Academy finished 2nd.

In it’s two previous NCCGA Tournament appearances, the Golf Academy has had to overcome deficits of three shots and two shots respectively. The Club Golf Team also won the NCCGA Desert Regionals at El Conquistador in Tucson in February and at Palm Valley Golf Club in Goodyear in September.

Oakcreek Country Club/Black Tees/6,824 Yards/Par 72
T2 Dan Bubany (4th Semester) 74-73-147
T2 Craig Miller (4th Semester) 75-72-147
7th Billy Stegall (3rd Semester) 84-73-157
T9 Adam Breitenbucher (3rd Semester) 82-78-160
12th Craig DeGroff (2nd Semester) 83-78-161
T17 Greg Sund (4th Semester) 80-84-164
T19 Andrew Tyrholm (4th Semester) 81-84-165
24th Andy Osburn (2nd Semester) 84-84-168

All Tournament Team (Medal Play)
T2 – Dan Bubany 74-73-147 (+3)
T2 – Craig Miller 75-72-147 (+3)
7th Billy Stegall 84-73-157 (+13)

NCCGA Desert Regional Tournament Results (Team Totals)
1st – Golf Academy of America 392-374-766 (+46)
2nd – Arizona State University (A) 400-383-783 (+63)
3rd – Grand Canyon University (A) 413-394-807 (+87)
4th – Arizona State University (B) 417-396-813 (+93)
5th – Grand Canyon University (B) 502-472-974 (+254)

The NCCGA is a place for those who don’t or didn’t play varsity golf in college but who desire to continue competing. The program is run by NextGenGolf and sponsored by Srixon. More than 300 teams can be found at colleges and universities nationwide, with 1,500 club players active in the program in 27 different regions.