Saturday, February 7, 2026 felt like a true club day at Poplar Creek — steady pressure, a few momentum swings, and a lot of teams realizing (again) how powerful best-ball can be when even one partner catches fire. The best-ball handicap format means that players get strokes on various holes based on their handicap, and because this was net, each team took the lower net score on every hole. How the day was won At the top, Scott Rehn / Roger Stanley put together the round everyone chases in this format: net 60 (-10). Scott and Roger didn’t just make birdies — they kept stacking counting scores so the team never gave strokes back. Team-by-team shout-outs Scott Rehn (11) / Roger Stanley (6) — 60 (-10) Scott delivered the team’s counting number outright on 9 holes and was tied-low on 2 more, highlighted by a net eagle on #3 and net birdies on #4, #5, and #13. Roger matched that pace with 7 outright counting holes plus 2 shared, and he had the loudest punch on the card with net eagles on #4 and #10 — exactly the kind of “one swing flips the hole” scoring that wins best-ball. Alfred Bogenhuber (Bogie) (15) / James Abayon (15) — 63 (-7) Bogie was a steady engine all day: he produced the counting score outright 7 times and shared it 6 times, and he mixed in a net eagle on #9 plus net birdies on #1, #4, #7, and #12. James kept the pressure on with 4 net birdies (including #8, #12, #13, #15) and came through with 5 outright counting holes of his own — a great example of two partners constantly handing the baton back and forth. Bret Evans (13) / Michael Shaffer (9) — 63 (-7) Bret was in full best-ball mode: he supplied the counting score outright on 10 holes and shared it on 6, and he notched 7 net birdies — the kind of round that makes every opponent feel like they’re defending on every tee. Michael supported that with calm, “keep it moving” golf: 12 net pars and 8 holes where he was low or tied-low, plus a net birdie of his own — which is exactly how you turn a partner’s heater into a top finish. Bob Whitaker (15) / Jim Toth (13) — 65 (-5) Bob consistently gave the team something usable: 7 outright counting holes, 6 shared, and 4 net birdies (including a strong run that included #5, #8, #11). Jim brought the big swing with a net eagle on #2 and added 3 net birdies — and when your team can make a “two-under net” happen in a qualifier format, you’re going to climb the board. Joshua Baltor (15) / Kirk Hansen (16) — 67 (-3) Joshua had one of the highest birdie counts in the field: 7 net birdies, and he was low or tied-low on 15 holes — a huge driver for this finish. Kirk backed it up with 4 net birdies and 9 holes where he counted outright or tied, giving the team a great “two threats at once” profile where either guy could win a hole. George Kellner (15) / Kelly Ina (17) — 67 (-3) George showed up with scoring: 4 net birdies, 11 holes low or tied-low, and a lot of clean, keep-it-in-play execution. Kelly added her own sparks with 3 net birdies and 9 holes contributing outright or tied, which is exactly how you build a best-ball round that doesn’t rely on just one player. Art Klein (12) / Frank Parcell (17) — 68 (-2) Art put together a very “tournament-ready” card: 3 net birdies, plus 11 holes where he was low or tied-low for the team. Frank didn’t need to chase birdies to be valuable — he gave the team 11 net pars and chipped in with 3 outright counting holes and 5 shared, which in this format is often the difference between drifting and contending. Brian Cresta (2) / Tim Cleary (8) — 68 (-2) Brian’s handicap meant fewer stroke holes, and he leaned into that with consistency: 6 net pars and 9 holes where he was low or tied-low, plus a net birdie on #8. Tim brought the pop: 4 net birdies, including a strong closing stretch, and 10 holes where he counted outright or tied — a great complementary pairing. Greg Carey (10) / Randy Gubert (12) — 69 (-1) Greg produced the “highlight moment” with a net eagle on #13, and he contributed low or tied-low on 9 holes — plenty of counting scores in a tight field. Randy quietly did a lot of heavy lifting: 10 net pars, plus 11 holes low or tied-low, and net birdies on #5 and #15 — exactly the kind of steady backbone best-ball teams love. Joe Ghio (5) / Joel Spielman (13) — 69 (-1) Joe brought three birdies (#6, #16, #17) and was low or tied-low on 12 holes, which is a big influence in a net best-ball event. Joel helped keep the round moving with 2 net birdies and 9 holes low or tied-low, giving the team multiple chances to “win” a hole even when one partner didn’t have it. Allen Miyake (15) / Arthur White (7) — 69 (-1) Allen supplied 10 holes of low/tied-low scoring and added net birdies on #5 and #7, keeping the team in red numbers most of the day. Arthur delivered timely scoring with 2 net birdies and 10 holes low or tied-low, including stretches where his net numbers were the ones that kept the team pressing forward. Dave Baltor (17) / Tom Collins (17) — 69 (-1) Dave produced a strong best-ball profile with 12 holes low or tied-low and 3 net birdies (including #1, #9, #14). Tom matched the fight with 3 net birdies and 10 holes low or tied-low — a team that stayed in it hole after hole, which is exactly what you want in a qualifier format. Daniel Murray (7) / Paul Karson (6) — 69 (-1) Daniel had the biggest spike on the card with a net eagle on #13, and he was low or tied-low on 10 holes — plenty of scoring value. Paul contributed 9 holes low or tied-low and mixed in net birdies on #1, #11, and #15, giving the team scoring across both nines. Ej Hill (17) / Tim Cole (16) — 70 (E) Ej had 10 holes low or tied-low and net birdies on #13 and #18, including a finish that kept the round competitive. Tim brought 4 net birdies and contributed low or tied-low on 8 holes, which is a strong scoring footprint — they were a couple of swings from moving several spots up. David Butzman (9) / Joe Cioni (14) — 71 (+1) David gave the team 5 net birdies and 9 holes low or tied-low, including key counting numbers late. Joe supported with 3 net birdies and 12 holes low or tied-low — a great “grind it out” pairing that stayed productive even when holes weren’t yielding easy reds. Dennis Reiser (17) / Ken Gerstle (17) — 71 (+1) Dennis found scoring all day: 4 net birdies, 10 net pars, and 12 holes low or tied-low — a very complete best-ball contribution. Ken added 11 net pars, plus 10 holes low or tied-low, and net birdies on #9 and #12 — steady golf that keeps teams from leaking strokes. Shawn Fox (4) / Walter Koning (12) — 74 (+4) Shawn had the round’s “spark plug” stretch with 3 birdies and 11 holes low or tied-low, and he kept producing counting scores when the team needed them. Walter’s value was steadiness: 12 net pars and 9 holes low or tied-low — in best-ball, that kind of reliability is how you stabilize a round. Steve Rueda (17) / Larry Shaw (17) — 75 (+5) Steve contributed in a big way with 12 holes low or tied-low and net birdies on #12 and #13, keeping the team from giving holes away. Larry added 2 net birdies and 9 holes low or tied-low, and he had stretches of net pars that kept their card from getting noisy. Rob Carballar (11) / Skip Sanzeri (13) — 76 (+6) Rob gave the team scoring on 11 holes low or tied-low, plus net birdies on #5 and #16 — plenty of counting contributions throughout the day. Skip added 2 net birdies and 11 holes low or tied-low, with a bunch of net pars mixed in — a solid team effort that can flip quickly with one more birdie conversion. Andy Maso (17) / Michael Sevillia (16) — 76 (+6) Andy delivered 10 holes low or tied-low and net birdies on #1 and #13, the kind of scoring that keeps you in the fight even when the round is uneven. Michael added 2 net birdies and 11 net pars, plus 9 holes low or tied-low — a lot of steady, usable net golf that’s a strong base for the next one. For anyone looking for a San Mateo golf course or a public golf course in San Mateo County (and generally San Francisco Bay Area golf), this is exactly the kind of competitive-yet-friendly event that makes Poplar Creek special. Poplar Creek’s San Mateo location and tee-time access are part of what makes it such a popular Peninsula option.