Del Rio home to Burda

Del Rio Country Club's tree-lined fairways and old-school charm lead us to another truth next week.

It's Jeff Burda's turf.

Burda, a Del Rio member and one of Northern California's top amateurs for many years, is the unofficial host for the 21st California Senior Amateur to be contested Monday through Wednesday.

And another thing: He won the Senior Amateur in 2008, 2009 and 2010 with a fourth last year.

"I haven't played quite as well this year," Burda said. "I'd give it, like, a B.I am looking forward to next week."

Burda grades on a steep curve. The two-time Northern California Golf Association Senior champion owns two senior victories this year — the Alameda Commuters last April (75-67) in a playoff over Walnut Creek's Scott Anderson, and the Valley Amateur earlier this fall at Riverbend near Madera (73-70).

The Senior Amateur is the state's top tournament for players 55 and older who own a handicap index of 7.4 or below.

A field of 104 will test Del Rio's Oak and Bluff nines, the club's original 18 holes, Monday and Tuesday. The low 33 and ties advance to the final round on Wednesday.

"The club will be a great venue for this tournament," Burda said. "Many of the guys remember Del Rio during their juniors years playing the Bumgardner."

Also featured in the field is Dan Bohannon of Modesto and Stevinson Ranch owner George Kelley.

SUPER SENIOR — Rob Thompson's seventh Northern California Golf Association senior major victory may have been the most dramatic.

The Merced golfer holed a 40-foot birdie putt on the final green to edge defending champion James Myers of Oceanside by a stroke to win the third annual NCGA Super Senior Championship at Valley Hi CC.

Thompson (74-70—144), with Myers waiting to hole his 3-foot par putt, drained the title-winner.

"I thought I left it short, right in the heart, but then the ball kept trickling and trickling, and boom, (it went in)," Thompson, the 2011 runner-up, told the NCGA. "It was a great way to win the tournament."

Thompson caught a break on the 10th green when Myers called a one-stroke penalty on himself. Myers' ball slightly moved after he addressed it.

"The integrity of the game is unbelievable," Thompson said. "His ball couldn't have moved more than a fraction."

SILVA MEMORIAL — Shea Rollins and Jeff Steeley topped a field of 108 players with a nifty scrambles score of 59 at Diablo Grande's Ranch course during last weekend's 20th annual Andy Silva Memorial Tournament. Flight winners included Jeff Hansen and Carl Northcutt (62-2—60) and Pradip and Gabby Singh (65-6—59).

Andrew Bonner of Ripon and Mabel Wong of Oakdale received their respective Junior Player of the Year awards, and Save Mart CEO Bob Piccinini was recognized for his 20 years of tournament sponsorship.

The scholarship honorees were Arial Walsh of Modesto, Hannah Gong of Turlock and Joel Mendoza of Hughson.

HOLES-IN-ONE — George Baca, Modesto, 71-yard third at Escalon, 9-iron. ... Ken Taylor, Ripon, 185-yard eighth at Del Rio CC (Oak), 4-iron.

Bee staff writer Ron Agostini can be reached at ragostini@modbee.com or (209) 578-2302.