Agostini On Golf: Burgess still driving ball to victories

Ric Burgess says he can't match up with the heavyweight hitters off the tee. Playing longball isn't his game.

This just in: He's not helpless with the driver and, by the way, he's lethal inside 100 yards.

We learned about Burgess three decades ago when he joined Mike Bender, Turlock's Ken Webb and Paul Strand to win two NCAA Division III titles for Cal State Stanislaus. A short lifetime later, nothing much has changed about Burgess.

Still short. Still straight. Still good.

The ex-Warrior, the head pro at Colusa Country Club the past 17 years, won the Senior Northern California Open on Tuesday over an elite field of NCPGA pros. Burgess, 53, shot a 68 at Davis' El Macero Country Club on Monday and a 69 Tuesday at nearby Wildhorse, two strokes better than runner-up John Abendroth of Burlingame.

Abendroth, known best as one of the hosts of the Bay Area TV series "Hooked On Golf," wore the crazy pants popularized recently by John Daly. Burgess answered with rock-solid ball-striking.

"I made only one bogey each day," Burgess said. "I was very steady."

From the Burgess file:

• He's won the Senior NCPGA Stroke Play title the last three years.

• He won three events and placed in the top five in 10 of 12 in 2008.

• This year, He's gone top five in four of eight tournaments.

Burgess attributes his success thus: 1. His wife Dolly, who also works at Colusa CC while Ric culls out some practice and travel time for golf and, 2. His days on campus in Turlock.

"There used to be practice greens and even a trap at Stanislaus (where the new soccer stadium is located). Bender and I went out there for hours at a time," Burgess remembered. "I got to be real good with my wedges because of all that practice. That's my game today."

Ric and Dolly raised daughters Amanda, 23, and Sara, 21, while tending to business at the club. The formula worked.

"Dolly and I have had only two vacations together over the years," Ric said. "One of us always has to be at work."

Who says golf isn't a team sport?

• THE SHAG BAG — Mike Cook, head pro at Sonora's Mountain Springs, tied for 12th at the Senior NorCal Open (77-70). ... Creekside is the venue for the Valley Golf Expo Demo Day and Liquidation Tent Sale on Saturday, Oct. 10, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Major club reps will be on hand along with many of the area's club pros with equipment and apparel on sale. We'll pass along more information next week.

• HOLES-IN-ONE — Jim Findarle, Modesto, 165-yard 12th at Diablo Grande (Legends), 6-iron. ... Kyle Azlin (13), Modesto, 136-yard 11th at River Oaks, Ceres, 8-iron. ... Mark Terry, Los Banos, 148-yard fourth at Stevinson Ranch, 7-iron. ... Marv Weekly, Oceanside, fourth at Stevinson Ranch, 7-iron.

Bee staff writer Ron Agostini can be reached at ragostini@modbee.com or 578-2302.