**November 7, 2026 | Poplar Creek Golf Course | NCGA Four-Man Qualifier**
*One golf course. Nine teams with completed scores. Thirty-six competitors. Three individual flights. And one precious opportunity to represent the Poplar Creek Golf Club in Monterey.*
Some golf tournaments are won.
Others are survived.
And then there are the rare occasions when four men must collectively stare into the abyss of competitive golf, summon whatever courage remains in their battered souls, and somehow find a way to deliver one final, decisive stroke.
**Today at Poplar Creek was one of those days.**
When the smoke cleared, the scorecards were signed, and the last excuses had been exhausted, the foursome of **Tim Cleary, Brian Cresta, Paul Karson, and Daniel Murray** stood victorious at a remarkable **13 under par, 127 net**.
But their victory came at the expense of four determined adversaries: **Rob Carballar, John Edmondson, Joe Ghio, and Skip Sanzeri**, who finished at **12 under par, 128 net**.
One stroke.
After 18 holes. After hundreds of swings. After countless opportunities for triumph and disaster.
One solitary, merciless stroke separated a trip to Monterey from a lifetime of wondering what might have been.
And the way that stroke was decided deserves to be remembered.
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## ACT I: THE EARLY ASSAULT
The championship began with Cleary, Cresta, Karson, and Murray making their intentions unmistakably clear.
They had not come to Poplar Creek merely to participate. They had come to conquer.
Leading the charge was Paul Karson, whose opening nine holes bordered on the supernatural.
Karson fired a **33 on the front nine**, two under par, collecting birdies on the first, fifth, and seventh holes. His birdie twos on both the fifth and seventh were the kind of shots that make teammates believe destiny itself has joined their foursome.
Meanwhile, Brian Cresta was conducting what can only be described as a surgical assault on the golf course.
Cresta opened with a birdie on the par-five first, added another on the eighth, and turned in a spectacular 34.
His eventual 71 would be the lowest gross round among all competitors on the team leaderboard.
Tim Cleary supplied vital pars at five, six, eight, and nine. Daniel Murray steadied the operation with pars at eight and nine.
At the turn, their team score stood at an extraordinary **60 net — ten under par**.
But their challengers were not surrendering.
Carballar, Edmondson, Ghio, and Sanzeri assembled a formidable 62 net on the front nine.
Edmondson contributed a birdie at eight. Ghio maintained his trademark steadiness. Carballar supplied a series of essential pars, and Sanzeri found crucial scores on the fourth, fifth, and seventh.
The challengers were only two shots behind.
And their counterattack was coming.
## ACT II: THE GREAT REVERSAL
The back nine began with the leaders still holding their advantage.
But the momentum shifted dramatically.
On the eleventh hole, the Carballar team posted a combined net six against the leaders' eight.
**The two teams were tied.**
Then came the twelfth.
The challengers struck again, posting net five against net six.
For the first time in the running hole-by-hole totals, Carballar, Edmondson, Ghio, and Sanzeri had seized the lead.
One stroke.
On the thirteenth, they widened it to two.
By the fifteenth, their advantage had grown to **three strokes**.
The championship appeared to be slipping away from Cleary's team.
The challengers had erased an early deficit, seized control of the contest, and were only three holes from delivering one of the great qualifier victories in recent Poplar Creek memory.
John Edmondson was proving particularly dangerous. His birdie two on the fifteenth was an emphatic reminder that the underdogs were not simply hanging on.
But golf has a cruel sense of timing.
And the sixteenth hole was waiting.
## ACT III: THE SIXTEENTH-HOLE CATASTROPHE
Three strokes ahead.
Three holes remaining.
The Carballar team was within touching distance of Monterey.
Then came the sixteenth.
What happened next will undoubtedly be analyzed over drinks, dinners, driving ranges, and possibly therapy sessions for months to come.
Cleary, Cresta, Karson, and Murray delivered a combined **net eight**.
Cresta made birdie four.
Karson also made birdie four.
Two birdies. One hole. Exactly when their team needed them most.
The challengers, meanwhile, recorded a combined net eleven.
Three strokes vanished.
**Just like that, the championship was tied.**
The three-shot advantage had evaporated in the space of a single hole.
At the seventeenth, both teams posted net six.
Still tied.
After 17 holes, the running totals stood at:
**Cleary's team: 121.**
**Carballar's team: 121.**
Everything would be decided on the eighteenth.
## ACT IV: ONE HOLE. ONE STROKE. ONE TICKET TO MONTEREY.
Eighteen holes of golf had been reduced to a final confrontation.
The leaders who had once commanded the front nine had fought their way back from a three-shot deficit.
The challengers who had stormed ahead were now fighting to preserve their dream.
Every stroke suddenly carried the weight of the entire tournament.
Cresta finished with a par four.
Murray finished with a par four.
Cleary also recorded a par four.
The winning team combined for **net six** on the final hole.
Across the battlefield, the Carballar team finished with net seven.
And there it was.
The smallest possible winning margin.
The final accounting read:
**127 to 128.**
**Thirteen under to twelve under.**
The championship belonged to Cleary, Cresta, Karson, and Murray.
Their reward: the honor of representing Poplar Creek Golf Club in the NCGA competition in Monterey.
For Carballar, Edmondson, Ghio, and Sanzeri, the consolation was knowing they had played well enough to win almost any ordinary Saturday.
Unfortunately, this was no ordinary Saturday.
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## THE FINAL TEAM BATTLEFIELD
The complete team standings demonstrated just how fiercely contested the qualifier had become.
| Finish | Team | Net | To par |
| ------------------ | ---------------------------------------- | ------: | ------: |
| **1 — Champions** | Cleary / Cresta / Karson / Murray | **127** | **−13** |
| **2 — Runners-up** | Carballar / Edmondson / Ghio / Sanzeri | **128** | **−12** |
| 3 | Baltor / Collins / Hansen / Trapani | 130 | −10 |
| 4 | Butzman / Cioni / Kishore / White | 132 | −8 |
| T5 | Delbon / Ferguson / Spielman / Stratfull | 135 | −5 |
| T6 | Capote / Hildebrand / Martino / Parcell | 136 | −4 |
| T6 | Cole / Hill / Koons / Salzer | 136 | −4 |
| 8 | Evans / Jacky / Rodriguez / Toth | 137 | −3 |
| 9 | Gerson / Ina / Kellner / Makishima | 139 | −1 |
*The Casillas / Kmak / Rehn / Stanley team was also listed, but no completed score was recorded.*
## HONORING THE WARRIORS: THREE BRIGHT SPOTS FOR EVERY PLAYER
Every golfer who completed today's competition contributed to the spectacle. Some delivered brilliant birdies. Others produced crucial pars, back-nine recoveries, or moments of individual resilience.
Here are three scorecard highlights for every competitor.
### THE CHAMPIONS — 127 NET
**Tim Cleary — The Steady Hand**
1. Recorded four valuable front-nine pars on holes 5, 6, 8, and 9.
2. Delivered a par three on the fifteenth as the pressure intensified.
3. Closed with a par four on eighteen, helping secure the championship by one stroke.
**Brian Cresta — The Assassin**
1. Shot a magnificent gross 71, the lowest gross round in the team competition.
2. Birdied holes 1, 8, and 16, demonstrating that he could attack from beginning to end.
3. Delivered the critically important birdie four at sixteen and finished with pars on seventeen and eighteen.
**Paul Karson — The Front-Nine Destroyer**
1. Produced an explosive front-nine 33, including three birdies.
2. Made birdie twos on both the fifth and seventh holes, an exceptional display of par-three scoring.
3. Added a fourth birdie at sixteen, helping erase the three-shot deficit.
**Daniel Murray — The Closer**
1. Played the back nine in 41, four strokes better than his opening nine.
2. Made consecutive pars on eleven and twelve, helping stabilize the team during the challengers' surge.
3. Finished with three consecutive pars on sixteen, seventeen, and eighteen when his team needed composure most.
### THE RUNNERS-UP — 128 NET
**Rob Carballar — The Relentless Competitor**
1. Made important pars on holes 1, 6, 8, and 9.
2. Improved from 44 on the front nine to 43 on the back, recording a net 75.
3. Produced pars at both sixteen and seventeen while the championship hung in the balance.
**John Edmondson — The Counterattacking General**
1. Played exceptionally consistent golf, shooting identical 40s on both nines.
2. Birdied the eighth and fifteenth holes, providing two major offensive moments.
3. Fired a superb birdie two on fifteen as his team built a three-stroke lead.
**Joe Ghio — The Rock**
1. Recorded eight pars, including strong work on holes 1, 2, 6, and 9.
2. Shot perfectly balanced nines of 41 and 41.
3. Finished with consecutive pars on seventeen and eighteen under intense competitive pressure.
**Samuel Sanzeri — The Front-Line Fighter**
1. Recorded consecutive pars on holes four and five.
2. Added another par on the seventh and completed his opening nine in 42.
3. Delivered pars on nine and eleven, contributing useful scores to the team's championship challenge.
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## THE BRONZE MEDAL CONTENDERS — BALTOR, COLLINS, HANSEN & TRAPANI
\<text color="secondary">130 net | Ten under par | Third place\</text>
Only three strokes separated this dangerous foursome from the championship.
**Joshua Baltor**
1. Opened with a solid par five on the first.
2. Made a par three on the difficult third.
3. Added a par four on eight while completing his opening nine in 43.
**Tom Collins**
1. Made par three on the third.
2. Followed with pars on four and six, three front-nine pars in total.
3. Added a par three on fifteen and contributed to the team's third-place finish.
**Kirk Hansen**
1. Made a brilliant birdie two on the seventh.
2. Added another birdie on the par-five ninth.
3. Recorded a net 75, the best individual net score on his team.
**Marc Trapani**
1. Birdied the par-five sixteenth.
2. Played two remarkably consistent nines of 45 and 45.
3. Contributed pars on the first, eighth, and eleventh holes.
## FOURTH PLACE — BUTZMAN, CIONI, KISHORE & WHITE
\<text color="secondary">132 net | Eight under par\</text>
**David Butzman**
1. Birdied the sixth hole.
2. Added another birdie at sixteen.
3. Shot 39 on the front nine and finished with a strong net 72.
**Joe Cioni**
1. Recorded a par four on the eighth.
2. Made four on the seventh, giving himself a productive two-hole stretch.
3. Finished with a five on the eighteenth, contributing to his team's eight-under total.
**Andy Kishore**
1. Produced a spectacular birdie two on seventeen.
2. Improved by four shots on the back nine, 48 to 44.
3. Finished with a par four on eighteen after his late birdie.
**Arthur White**
1. Shot a strong gross 80 and net 69, tied for second in Flight 1.
2. Played both nines in exactly 40 strokes.
3. Recorded ten pars, including six consecutive pars from four through nine.
## FIFTH PLACE — DELBON, FERGUSON, SPIELMAN & STRATFULL
\<text color="secondary">135 net | Five under par\</text>
**David Delbon**
1. Opened with a par five.
2. Added pars on six and eleven.
3. Made par three at seventeen and completed two perfectly balanced nines of 48.
**Ed Ferguson**
1. Strung together five consecutive pars on holes four through eight.
2. Added pars on twelve and thirteen.
3. Finished with a net 74, the best net score on his team.
**Joel Spielman**
1. Recorded a par three at seventeen.
2. Shot 49 on his opening nine.
3. Finished his round with a five on eighteen, helping his team complete its five-under performance.
**Rich Stratfull**
1. Recorded three consecutive pars from three through five.
2. Added a par five on the ninth.
3. Produced three more pars on fifteen, seventeen, and eighteen.
## SIXTH PLACE TIE — CAPOTE, HILDEBRAND, MARTINO & PARCELL
\<text color="secondary">136 net | Four under par\</text>
**Bill Capote**
1. Birdied the sixth hole.
2. Added another birdie at thirteen.
3. Improved from 44 to 42 on the back nine and finished with a net 73, winning Flight 2.
**Stephen Hildebrand**
1. Recorded a par four on the sixth.
2. Followed with a par three on the seventh.
3. Made four on the eighth, completing a relatively productive sixth-through-eighth stretch.
**Steve Martino**
1. Started with a par on the first.
2. Recorded six pars throughout his round.
3. Played exceptionally even golf with matching nines of 43, finishing net 76.
**Frank Parcell**
1. Recorded pars on four and eight.
2. Added two more pars on thirteen and sixteen.
3. Improved from 48 to 46 on the back nine.
## SIXTH PLACE TIE — COLE, HILL, KOONS & SALZER
\<text color="secondary">136 net | Four under par\</text>
**Tim Cole**
1. Made par four at the eighth.
2. Added another par on eleven.
3. Finished his round with a memorable birdie two on seventeen and improved from 51 to 47 on the back nine.
**EJ Hill**
1. Opened with a par five.
2. Made pars on five and six.
3. Added pars on nine and thirteen, finishing net 79.
**Dave Koons**
1. Started the day with a par five.
2. Made another par on the fifth.
3. Played steady nines of 46 and 47, completing his round at net 78.
**Rick Salzer**
1. Birdied the sixth hole.
2. Made pars on eight and eleven.
3. Added a par three on fifteen to complete his three-par performance.
## EIGHTH PLACE — EVANS, JACKY, RODRIGUEZ & TOTH
\<text color="secondary">137 net | Three under par\</text>
**Bret Evans**
1. Shot a strong 41 on the front nine.
2. Recorded seven pars during his round.
3. Finished with four consecutive pars on holes fifteen through eighteen and a net 74.
**Jerome Jacky**
1. Opened with a par five.
2. Recorded four strokes on the seventh, a useful recovery score on that par three.
3. Made four on the fifteenth and finished the round with a respectable five on eighteen.
**Arturo Rodriguez**
1. Played a much stronger back nine, improving from 53 to 48.
2. Made a par three on fifteen.
3. Followed with consecutive pars on sixteen and seventeen, a three-hole run of pars.
**Jim Toth**
1. Shot 45 on the front nine.
2. Made a par four on eight.
3. Added another par four on eleven and completed the round with a five on eighteen.
## NINTH PLACE — GERSON, INA, KELLNER & MAKISHIMA
\<text color="secondary">139 net | One under par\</text>
One of the day's most fascinating stories came from this team, which finished one under par despite having the Flight 1 champion in its ranks.
**Cameron Gerson**
1. Recorded a par five on the ninth.
2. Played remarkably even nines of 54 and 54.
3. Closed with scores of four and five on the final two holes.
**Kelly Ina**
1. Made consecutive pars on five and six.
2. Added a par three on fifteen.
3. Followed with a par five on sixteen and improved from 58 to 52 on the back nine.
**George Kellner**
1. Produced a substantially stronger back nine, improving from 55 to 47.
2. Made a par five on sixteen.
3. Followed immediately with a par three on seventeen.
**Stephen Makishima — The Individual Sensation**
1. Won Flight 1 outright with a spectacular gross 75, net 66.
2. Recorded three birdies on holes eight, eleven, and sixteen.
3. Played brilliant nines of 37 and 38, delivering the lowest net individual round of the entire tournament.
---
## THREE FLIGHTS. THREE CHAMPIONS. THREE STORIES OF GLORY.
While the four-man teams fought for the Monterey berth, another battle unfolded within the individual flights.
Three golfers emerged victorious.
### FLIGHT 1 — STEPHEN MAKISHIMA
Makishima delivered one of the most impressive individual performances of the day.
With three birdies, seven pars, and extraordinary consistency, he overwhelmed the Flight 1 field.
Artie White and Brian Cresta finished tied for second at net 69, three strokes behind.
Makishima's net 66 was the lowest individual net score in the entire competition.
**Flight 1 podium**
1. Stephen Makishima — 66
2. Artie White — 69 (tie)
3. Brian Cresta — 69 (tie)
### FLIGHT 2 — BILL CAPOTE
Bill Capote claimed Flight 2 with a gritty performance defined by timely birdies and a stronger closing nine.
His birdies on the sixth and thirteenth helped propel him to a net 73.
Ed Ferguson and Bret Evans finished one stroke behind at 74.
**Flight 2 podium**
1. Bill Capote — 73
2. Ed Ferguson — 74 (tie)
3. Bret Evans — 74 (tie)
### FLIGHT 3 — TOM COLLINS
Tom Collins emerged as Flight 3 champion with a net 73.
His pars on three, four, six, and fifteen helped him prevail against Kirk Hansen, who finished at net 75, and Joel Spielman at 76.
**Flight 3 podium**
1. Tom Collins — 73
2. Kirk Hansen — 75
3. Joel Spielman — 76
---
## THE FINAL VERDICT: MONTEREY AWAITS
In the end, the numbers tell only part of the story.
There were birdies that inspired dreams, pars that preserved hope, missed opportunities that will linger in memory, and one sixteenth-hole reversal that changed the championship.
Paul Karson's explosive front nine.
Brian Cresta's 71 and critical sixteenth-hole birdie.
Tim Cleary's clutch closing par.
Daniel Murray's composed finish.
John Edmondson's magnificent birdie at fifteen.
Rob Carballar's determined back nine.
Joe Ghio's unwavering consistency.
Skip Sanzeri's multiple par and net birdie contributions to a team that came within one stroke of victory.
And, beyond the central battle, Stephen Makishima's magnificent net 66, Bill Capote's Flight 2 triumph, and Tom Collins's Flight 3 victory.
These were the performances that made the day.
But the final word belongs to four men.
**CLEARY. CRESTA. KARSON. MURRAY.**
They were ahead.
They fell behind.
They fought back.
And when everything depended on one final hole, they found the stroke that mattered.
They will carry the banner of Poplar Creek Golf Club to Monterey.
Congratulations to the champions, the three flight winners, and everyone who competed.
*The Monterey chapter is about to begin.*
*And somewhere at Poplar Creek, four men are still talking about the sixteenth hole.*
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