Norm Ott
The SunBird Men’s Golf Association main event for the month of January was the annual Match Play Challenge. In match play a golfer plays up to 18 holes, or more if tied, against a single opponent. The player who wins the most holes is declared the winner of the match and goes on to play the following week while the loser is eliminated from the challenge. In match play, the player’s total stroke score for the round does not come into play.
The Men’s Club Match Play Challenge started on January 8 when 86 players who were divided into six flights according to handicaps teed it up. In this format each flight starts the first week with eight brackets. The winners of each bracket then move on to the second week which has four brackets, then to the third week with two brackets and on to the single championship bracket in the fourth week which was on January 29. While the winners each week move on to the next bracket, those eliminated can go on to play in regular weekly events.
The Match Play Challenge winners and runners up, respectively, in each flight were as follows:
Flight 1: Eric Gossling/Dale Stokke; Flight 2: Earl Walker/Bob Johns; Flight 3: George Richardson/Denny Thomas; Flight 4: Jim Croghan/Ken Karge; Flight 5: Frank Robertson/Arnold Teal; Flight 6: John Valentine/Ray Clark
Following the first week of the event, the eliminated players went on and played in the following events – stroke play, Stableford format and the last week a three club tournament where each player could only have three clubs of their choosing in their bag. Each event awarded prizes for both gross and net scores. The first, second and third place finishers respectively were:
1/15. Stroke Play Gross: Lew Lepore, Joe Hyduke and Jim Seaman; Net: Lew Lepore, Ray Fuller and Dick Crayne
1/22. Stableford Gross: Gerry Tomlinson, Joe Hyduke and Jim Seaman; Net: Chuck Warren, Gary Metzger and John Krupnik
1/29. Three Club Gross: Jack Cooper, Lew Lepore and Rick Lantgen; Net: Rick Lantgen, Lew Lepore and Earl Ferguson
Major events in February included the Men’s Open and the 11 and over handicap shootouts and the first round of the Men’s Club Championship. These results will be reported in the April Sunbird News. Looking ahead to the rest of March there will be the second round of the Club Championship, a Home and Home Tournament with Sunland Village and the combined Men’s and Ladies’ Clubs Shamble and annual Awards Patio Party.
The next meeting of the club will be on March 3 at 9:00 a.m. in the Ballroom. Officers for the 2015/2016 season will be elected.
Questions about joining the Men’s Golf Association may be directed to Fred Garmeson at 480-895-9363.