Overall winners: Ross Horton (left) and Hobie Richards (right) with Tom Graham (photo by Alan Ness)
Tom Graham
May 17 and 18 provided near perfect conditions with bright sun, fast true greens, moderate temperatures, a few buzzing bees, and fairways anxious for our 108 competitors to tee it up. The Member/Member, a two-man flighted team competition with an overall winner consisted of four distinct 9-hole formats. Day one front nine was a 1 best ball net and back nine Chapman. Chapman requires each member of the team to hit their tee shot and then to hit their playing partner’s ball after which one ball is chosen for alternate shot thru hole completion. Day two front nine was a scramble and the back nine a both balls net total. It required both strategy and skill.
Congratulations to Hobie Richards and Ross Horton, our overall Tournament and Rahm Flight winners. Not only did they lead their flight on day one, but they maintained the pace on day two for a wire-to-wire victory. The only team to go wire to wire with an overall two-day total of 166.
Other flight winners included the teams of Mike Chonle and Frank Sherfy in the Koepka Flight building a lead on day one and holding on to win with a total score of 171; Dennis Johnson and Bill Teasdale tied with Jim Cook and Tony Salerno at 169 in the Garcia Flight both coming from behind on day one to capture the win; and Larry Bickelhaupt and Bud Bonvouloir at 167 in the Scheffler Flight also coming from behind on day one to capture the win. For many, day two was the moving day for the tournament.
Special performances included closest-to-the-pin winners. Phil Bartko took honors on hole number 5 and Bill Moore on hole number 12. Rand Hill scored a rare double with closest to the pins on both hole number 2 and hole number 14. Congratulations to everyone. Of special note is the come from behind win in the Scheffler Flight fueled in part by Bud Bonvouloir’s outstanding even par gross on the back nine. Perhaps his best nine holes ever. Great contribution to the team and tournament, Bud.
The top three places by team in each flight included: Rahm Flight—2nd place Bruce Haney and Patrick Fancher and in 3rd Jim Hayek and Tom Grawe. Koepka Flight—2nd place Mick Borm and Joe Valancius and in 3rd Phil Bartko and Tim Baker. Garcia Flight—3rd place Ed Cheszek and Dave Gruca. Scheffler Flight—2nd place Troy Peterson and Vince Fung and in 3rd Dick Paine and Carl Pfeiffer.
The competition was fierce. Not only were there come-from-behind victories, but hotly contested overall winners separated by a single stroke with all flight winners separated by only five strokes. The tightest flights include the Garcia Flight where just two strokes separated first to third; and the Koepka Flight where three strokes separated first to third. MGA members continue to set the standard with each competition. Many thanks to the combined efforts of Paul Berry and Mick Borm setting the stage for a great competition.