Teri Bitler
We had 76 players teeing off after a little breakfast snack, tournament instructions, and some special warm up golf exercises. True to tradition, the marshmallows and blindfolds added their usual dose of chaos and laughter.
Tournament Results
1st Place—Front 9: Mary and Gary Johnson, Sharry and Terry Kragt. Apparently, rhyming names are the secret to great golf.
2nd Place—Front 9: Diane and Duane Dub, Larry Schuster and Debbie Perkins.
1st Place—Back 9: Sherri and Don McElhaney, Julie McMaster and Jackie Keefe.
2nd Place—Back 9: Dawn and Doug Muench, Debbie Swanson and Stacy Strate.
KP Winners
* Longest Putt: Robe Cole and Jackie Keefe. The official measurement was reported as “Long,” which seems accurate enough.
* Closest to the Pin: Julie McMaster and Terry Kragt
Special Contest Winner
Stacy Strate was our double winner, correctly guessing the number of tees in the jar—407! Others (whose names may or may not rhyme with Harry) guessed as high as 6,000, proving that optimism is alive and well in SunBird. Stacy took home a beautiful wine and fine food basket generously donated by Carol Delk and Mary Johnson.
A Few More Highlights
After handing out gifts galore, Julie and the Horizon Room crew served a lovely lunch. The Niners also presented a special flower bouquet to emcee Jill Ponce in appreciation for her hard work, humor, and ability to keep us all in line.
Thank You
The Niners extend heartfelt thanks to all the volunteers who helped make this event such a success, and to every golfer who joined in the fun. We’re already looking forward to doing it all again in 2027!