And with that final stroke on the final hole, Greg Puga rolled in a five-foot par putt for his only birdie of the day to square the back side and earn a half-point against former three-time NCGA Player of the Year Randy Haag. That half-point made the final score 24-24 and, consequently, the SCGA retained the cup it won in the inaugural playing of the Seaver Cup two years ago over the same George Thomas, Jr.-designed layout.

The SCGA trailed by one point heading into the second day's eight singles matches but managed to win 12 1/2 of the available 24 points to produce the deadlock. One point was awarded for the front nine, one for the back nine and one for the total match. Tied segments earned 1/2 point for each side.

The Puga-Haag match was one of four that went to the 18th hole and SCGA players won that hole in three matches and halved the fourth. That ultimately provided the margin of victory.

The NCGA had extended its overnight one-point lead to two after the first match, in which Jeff Wilson, low amateur in this year's U.S. Open, fired a 2-under-par 68 to defeat 1999 California Amateur champion Tim Hogarth, 2-1. Hogarth missed a five-foot putt on the 18th hole which gave Wilson the overall match, 1 up.

Things looked even grimmer for the South as 1999 NCGA Amateur champion Darryl Donovan birdied the sixth, seventh and ninth holes to defeat four-time SCGA Amateur champion Craig Steinberg, 3 up, on the front nine of their match. However, after Donovan birdied the 10th hole, Steinberg staged a stunning rally, winning five of the next eight holes for a 4-up back nine victory and a 1-up win in the overall match.

Steinberg said later that it was his largest comeback margin in his entire golf career.

Then it was the SCGA's turn to seize the momentum as 2000 California Senior Amateur champion Mike Riley played 2-under-par golf to sweep three-time California Senior Amateur champion Jim McMurtrey, 3-0. Riley's 6 1/2 total points was the most by any SCGA player in the competition.

Duncan followed that up with a 3-0 sweep of reigning NCGA Amateur champion James Hay. After the former SCGA Amateur champion won the front side 1-up, he seized control of the match with a birdie on the par-four 15th hole, winning the back side 3 & 1, and the overall match 4 & 2.

Scott McGihon, the 2000 SCGA Amateur champion, kept things going. After John Enright won the front side, 1 up, McGihon responded with three birdies on the back side and rolled in a 5-foot par putt on the 18th hole to win the back nine, 2 up, and the overall match, 1 up.

Back came the NCGA, with a vengeance. After 2000 SCGA Senior Amateur champion Ted Lyford won the front side of his match against NCGA Senior Player of the Year Bob Heaton, 1 up, Heaton rallied to win the back side and the total match for a 2-1 margin.

Then Chico's Jim Wilson, who had posted a 64 in the first-day four-ball competition, swept flu-ridden SCGA Mid-Amateur champion John Pate, 3-0, winning the front nine 4 up, the back side, 4 & 3, and the match, 6 & 5.

That set the stage for the Puga-Haag match and at the outset, it appeared as if it would be no contest. Puga bogied the first two holes and Haag birdied five holes on the front side for a 4-up win. Puga hung tough on the back side but missed a 3-foot birdie putt on No. 17 that would have insured the half-point needed for the overall team tie.

Then, on the 517-yard, par-five 18th, Haag's third shot ended eight feet behind the hole but Puga responded by wedging his approach shot to within five feet. After Haag's tricky downhill, sliding birdie putt eased by the hole, Puga calmly drained his birdie to square the championship.

The biennial event pits eight top amateurs from the Southern California Golf Association against eight from the Northern California GA. The SCGA won the inaugural competition two years ago, 25 1/2 to 22 1/2 at Ojai Valley Inn.

The matches are named for Charley Seaver, one of just two men to hold the SCGA, NCGA and California State Amateur titles at the same time (1933-34). The 89-year-old Seaver was expected to be at the event this year but was injured in a fall at his home the day before it began.

2nd Seaver Cup
at Ojai Valley Inn and Spa; Ojai, Calif.

FINAL SCORE (One point for front nine, one point for back nine, one point for total match in singles, four-ball and foursomes competitions): SCGA, 24, NCGA, 24

TOTAL SINGLES SCORE:
SCGA, 12.5, NCGA, 11.5

SINGLES:

• Jeff Wilson, Suisun, d. Tim Hogarth, Northridge, 2-1. FN: Wilson, 2 up; BN: Hogarth, 1 up. T: Wilson, 1 up.
• Craig Steinberg, Van Nuys, d. Darryl Donovan, Gilroy, 2-1. FN: Donovan, 3 up; BN: Steinberg, 4 up; T: Steinberg, 1 up.
• Mike Riley, San Diego, d. Jim McMurtrey, Danville, 3-0. FN: Riley, 1 up; BN: Riley, 4 & 3; T: Riley, 5 & 4.
• Pat Duncan, Rancho Santa Fe, d. James Hay, Fremont, 3-0. FN: Duncan 1 up; BN: Duncan, 3 & 1; T: Duncan, 4 & 2.
• Bob Heaton, Antioch, d. Ted Lyford, Redlands, 2-1. FN: Lyford, 1 up; BN: Heaton, 3 & 2; T: Heaton, 2 & 1.
• Randy Haag, San Francisco, d. Greg Puga, Los Angeles, 2.5-.5. FN: Haag, 4 & 3; BN: halved; T: Haag, 5 & 4.
• Jim Wilson, Chico, d. John Pate, Santa Barbara, 3-0. FN: Wilson, 4 up; BN: Wilson, 4 & 3; T: Wilson, 6 & 5.

FOUR-BALL:

• Jim Wilson-Jeff Wilson d. Puga-McGihon, 3-0
• Haag-Donovan d. Pate-Hogarth, 2-1
• Hay-Enright d. Steinberg-Duncan, 2 1/2-1/2
• Riley-Lyford halved Heaton-McMurtrey
  

FOURSOME:

• Puga-McGihon d. Wilson-Wilson, 3-0
• Pate-Hogarth d. Haag-Donovan, 3-0
• Hay-Enright d. Duncan-Steinberg, 2 1/2-1/2
• Riley-Lyford d. Heaton-McMurtrey, 2-1