Norm Ott
The SunBird Men’s Golf Association, a/k/a Men’s Club, kicked off the 2015–2016 winter season with the first of three major tournaments that will be held during the season. The SunBird Cup Challenge, a two week combined net score tournament, was held on November 5 and 12. In this tournament, the field is divided into four flights based on handicaps. Net scores are determined by subtracting the player’s handicap from his actual score.
The overall winner and SunBird Cup Champion for 2015 was Glen Ketchum, playing out of Flight 3 with a score of 107. The first, second and third overall runners up were Dan Carroll 118, Cal MacPherson 118 and Larry Verbitsky 119. By flight, the first and second place finishers were, in Flight 1: Jack Cooper 122 and Rick Koshuta 126; Flight 2: Dan Carroll 118 and Cal MacPherson 119; Flight 3: Glen Kechum 107 and Tom Fargo 122; Flight 4: Larry Verbitsky 119 and Earl Ferguson 124. Congratulations to Glen and all of the top finishers.
Other events held during this period were gross/net stroke play on November 5 and on December 4. Following are the first and second place gross and net finishers by flight.
11/05. Flight 1, Gross: Gerry Tomlinson 64, Bob Gerber 67; Net: Gerry Tomlinson 60, Jim Seaman 63; Flight 2, Gross and Net: Dave White 72 and 58 and Ron Morgan 72 and 58; Flight 3, Gross: Neil Donaldson 74, Larry Verbitsky 75; Net: Larry Verbitsky 57, Neil Donaldson 58; Flight 4, Gross: Gary Whistler 79, John Walker 82; Net: Chet Howe 58 and Gary Whistler59
12/03. Flight 1, Gross: Jack Cooper 66, Fred Nixon 70; Net: Gary Hall 61, Jim Seaman 62; Flight 2, Gross: Cal Macpherson 72, Dave Sims 74; Net: Richard Craig 60, Gerald Adams 62; Flight 3, Gross: John Brockish 77, Howard Anderson 80; Net: Garry Stahn 61, John Walker 64; Flight 4, Gross: Ray Fuller 83, Gordon Kenyon 85; Net: Chuck Warren 59, Chet Howe 61
Looking ahead, the Match Play Challenge, the second of the Men’s Club major tournaments will be held in January. This flighted tournament is a head on head competition played in the match play format where half of the field is eliminated each week until the final week, at which point there will be only two players in each flight remaining to play for the flight championships. The eliminated players each week will play in gross/net stroke play, Stableford and a three club tournament respectively.
Membership: The Men’s Club encourages golfers, whether property owners or renters and of all skill levels, to consider joining the club. The club has organized events each Thursday throughout the year which are flighted by handicap so all have a chance to win. Nominal dues allow participation in the Arizona Golf Association handicap system. For more information on membership, you may contact Fred Garmeson at 480-895-9363 or attend a club meeting on the first Tuesday of each month at 9:00 a.m., in the Ballroom.