TheMetropolitan
Bogey Hills #18 & #10 tee
US OPEN LOCAL QUALIFYING
udly Presented B Pro y
PAGE 1
NORMANDIE AMATEUR PAGE 6
25 YEARS OF CHAMPIONS KELLY & SCHNURBUSCH PAGE 8
PUBLINKS RESULTS PAGE 14
LOST COURSES: SOUTHMOOR/BAHNFYRE PAGE 16
AMATEUR SERIES #2 PAGE 18
OLD WARSON CUP PAGE 19
4-BALL CHAMPIONSHIPS PAGE 20
SENIOR OPEN QUALIFYING PAGE 21
BECOME A VOLUNTEER PAGE 23
Exclusive Corporate Partner
US OPEN QUALIFYING: SIX PLAYERS MOVE ON TO SECTIONAL PLAY The Norwood Hills (West) course withstood the charge made by 112 hopeful golfers looking to advance to the U.S. Open at Chambers Bay, WA. The morning rain took its toll on the early starters, while the winds and cool weather that followed continued to test those who hit the tee around noon. Still, the conditions of the course; thick rough, firm fairways and good green speed, combined with the weather conditions, got the better of most of the field with nearly a quarter of the players shooting 80 or higher. Among the early finishers, it seemed that a round of even par 71 would be the low score, with those in at 2-over 73 having a good chance to be among the six qualifiers moving on to Sectional Qualifying. However, it was a pair of area professionals who secured their spots with 1-under rounds of 70.
Vol. 2 No. 3
UPCOMING EVENTS USGA EVENTS US JUNIOR QUALIFYING June 22 Lake Forest G&CC US GIRLS QUALIFYING June 24 Bogey Hills CC US AMATEUR QUALIFYING July 20-21 Meadowbrook CC Entry Deadline: June 24
MAGA EVENTS EAST SIDE AMATEUR June 13-14 Spencer T. Olin GC Entry Deadline: June 5 WOMEN’S AMATEUR June 15-16 Fox Run GC OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP July 10-12 CC of St. Albans Entry Deadline: June 24 See pages 11 for full schedule
(Continued on page 4)
Metropolitan Amateur Golf Association • 11777 Clayton Rd. • St. Louis, Missouri 63131 314.567.MAGA • Fax: 314.261.9250 • info@metga.org
The Metropolitan
May 2015
STAFF EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Curt Rohe - curt@metga.org
P.J. BOATWRIGHT INTERNS - 2015 Michael Kegin & Nicholas Wojciechowski boatwrightintern@metga.org
METROPOLITAN CHAMPIONSHIPS Amateur Championship Match Play Championship Open Championship Women’s Amateur Championship Junior Amateur Championship Senior Amateur Championship Metropolitan Cup Matches Four-Ball Championship Mid-America Junior Cup
USGA QUALIFYING ROUNDS US Open Qualifying (Local and Sectional) US Senior Open Qualifying US Amateur Qualifying US Mid-Amateur Qualifying US Women’s Mid-Amateur US Junior Amateur Qualifying US Amateur Public Links Qualifying US Senior Amateur Qualifying US Women’s Open Qualifying US Amateur Four-Ball US Women’s Amateur Four-Ball
EXECUTIVE BOARD Stanford S. Grossman – President Emeritus Thomas J. O’Toole Jr. – Vice-President Thomas O. Sobbe Jr. – Vice-President M. Ray McCraine – Secretary G. Scott Engelbrecht – Treasurer G.F. (Rick) Meyer Jr. – At-Large Member H. Mick Wellington – At-Large Member
CURT’S COMMENTS It is getting to be an exciting time of the season for MAGA, events are happening weekly, our PJ Boatwright interns have started and while it has been wet the last month the summer weather will be here shortly. It was a busy month of May with US Open and US Senior Open Curt Rohe Executive Director Qualifying and the 29th Normandie Amateur. I would like to welcome our two Boatwright Interns for the summer, Nicholas Wojciechowski and Michael Kegin. You can read more about them later in The Metropolitan, but I am excited to have them on board for the next few months. The US Senior Open Qualifying was May 19th and Bellerive CC Head Pro Mike Tucker secured a spot in field. While I get a lot of satisfaction from my position as Executive Director of MAGA, nothing is more gratifying than presenting the qualifying certificate to a golfer who qualifies for a USGA Championship. When I did that for Mike on May 19, you could tell right away how much this meant to him. Now, I have no idea how many times Mike has attempted to qualify for a USGA Championship, but I would bet is numerous. MAGA gave him that opportunity on May 19 and that is awesome he is getting to fulfill a dream of playing in a Senior major championship. Congratulations Mike, I look forward to seeing you in Sacramento! June is going to be an exceptionally busy month with several events, championships and I have the opportunity to be traveling to both the US Open and the US Senior Open this month. This will be my first US Open and, to make it more special, I get to travel and experience it with Stan!
ADVISORY COMMITTEE Scott Thomas, Chairman Dustin Ashby Tom Barry Skip Berkmeyer Jim Dunn David Rhoads Curt Rohe
Thank you all for taking some time to read this issue of The Metropolitan, there is a lot of information in here this month. This will be the first of our four monthly issues through August. Keep it in the fairway! As always, feel free to reach out to me at curt@metga.org. Curt
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Rule 12-2 goes on to state a very useful procedure that a player MAY (not must) follow in identifying his ball: “If a player believes that a ball at rest might be his, but he cannot identify it, the player may lift the ball for identification, without penalty. The right to lift a ball for identification is in addition to the actions permitted under Rule 12-1.” [R12-1 includes searching for or identifying a ball covered by sand, covered by loose impediments in a hazard, and searching for a ball in water.]
RULES OF GOLF CORNER PAINFUL, YET EASY TO AVOID: WRONG BALL PENALTIES At a recent sectional high school tournament, I was a Rules Official assigned to observe the landing zones for two adjacent holes when a low-handicap player hit his tee shot into the rough near where I was standing. After hearing the ball “thump” on the ground, I turned and saw two balls nestled in the rough. When the player approached, I told him that I could see more than one ball, and I advised him to be sure to identify his ball. The player proceeded to examine one of the balls and declared that this was not his ball in play. He then advanced a few yards to the second ball, pulled out his distance measuring device, took a reading, selected a club, addressed the ball and made his next stroke. After picking up his bag and taking several steps, he looked down at another ball in the rough and immediately realized that, unfortunately, this one was his original ball. The player turned and looked at me as if I should have known that the ball he played was not the ball he struck from the teeing ground.
“Before lifting the ball, the player must announce his intention to his opponent in match play or his marker or a fellow-competitor in stroke play and mark the position of the ball. He may then lift the ball and identify it, provided that he gives his opponent, marker or fellow-competitor an opportunity to observe the lifting and replacement. The ball must not be cleaned beyond the extent necessary for identification when lifted under Rule 12-2.” [A player cleaning a ball in this situation would incur a 1-stroke penalty.] Hopefully, the young player mentioned above learned a valuable lesson regarding the identification of his ball in play before making his next stroke. The good news: Because he corrected his mistake and played out the hole with his original ball, the damage was limited to only 2 strokes for playing a Wrong Ball in stroke play (Rule 153b). If the player had failed to correct his mistake before making a stroke on the next teeing ground (or in the case of the last hole, before leaving the putting green) he would have been disqualified from the competition.
There are several rules that apply to this situation: Rule 6-5. BALL: “The responsibility for playing the proper ball rests with the player. Each player should put an identification mark on his ball.” Rule 12-2 LIFTING BALL FOR IDENTIFICATION: “ The responsibility for playing the proper ball rests with the player. Each player should put an identification mark on his ball.”
In match play, the general penalty for playing a Wrong Ball is loss of hole (Rule 15-3a). Wrong Ball penalties are indeed painful, but they are easy to avoid with sensible precautions. For more information, see the definition of Wrong Ball and Rule 15: Substituted Ball; Wrong Ball. You can Google “golf rules and decisions” for easy online access to the USGA database.
Yes, the text for these two rules is exactly the same. It is such a fundamental concept that the USGA and R&A have repeated it. Also, note that both rules use the word “should.” Some officials think that it would be useful if players were required to put an ID mark on their balls, but, as the rules state, this is a “responsibility” of the player.
Article submitted by Alvan Sage, Metropolitan Amateur Golf Association Rules Official.
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US OPEN LOCAL QUALIFYING
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Oak Brook GC’s Mike Suhre and Web.com player Chris Naegel (Marquette HS - Missouri Baptist University) both began their rounds at the 10th hole, a demanding 187 yard par 3, in search of their quest. In the end, making a few more birdies than bogey’s (with an eagle by Naegel thrown in), hitting key shots when needed, and a bit of luck, helped each of them secure a trip to the sectionals and a chance to play in the U.S. Open. Others advancing to the next stage are Griffen Locke from Joplin, two-time MAGA Amateur champion and Kansas State player Kyle Weldon and Colin Neeman from Waterloo, Ill. Each of them posted even par rounds of 71. The final spot went into a shootout as four players tied with rounds of 72. In the playoff, Matt Echelmeier of Columbia, Mo., edged Mitchell Gregson, Skip Berkmeyer and John Kelly for the sixth position. This was certainly a day that tested a player’s game against very trying conditions. Yet, when it comes to qualifying for the U.S. Open, that seems to be the purpose of the qualifying rounds! As stated a few years back by former USGA President Sandy Tatum at Winged Foot in 1974, when asked if the USGA was trying to embarrass the best players, he replied, “No we’re trying to identify them.”
FINAL RESULTS T26 T33 T33 T33 T33 T33 T38 T38 T38 T38 T38 T38 T44 T44 T44 T44 T44 T44 T44 T44 T44 T44 T44 T44 T44 T44 T58 T58 T58 T58 T58 T58
T1 Chris Naegel Chesterfield, Mo. 70 T1 Michael Suhre Edwardsville, Ill. 70 T3 Griffen Locke (a) Joplin, Mo. 71 T3 Collin Neeman Waterloo, Ill. 71 T3 Kyle Weldon (a) St. Louis, Mo. 71 T6 Matt Echelmeier (a) Columbia, Mo. 72 ---------------------------------------------------------------T6 Mitchell Gregson Waterloo, Ill. 72 T6 Richard Berkmeyer (a) Wildwood, Mo. 72 T6 John Kelly St. Louis, Mo. 72 T10 James Siegfried (a) Town & Country, Mo 73 T10 Buddy Allen (a) Pevely, Mo. 73 T10 Joey Johnson (a) Ozark, Mo. 73 T10 Chris Brant Edwardsville, Ill. 73 T10 Robert Gaus St. Louis, Mo. 73 T10 Sam Migdal (a) Ballwin, Mo. 73 T16 Justin Bryant St. Louis, Mo. 74 T16 Brian Fogt Wildwood, Mo. 74 T16 Mark Gardiner (a) Mascoutah, Ill. 74 T16 Pete Noble (a) Jerseyville, Ill. 74 T16 Van Pierce (a) Saint Louis, Mo. 74 T21 Tim Laufer (a) Ellisville, Mo. 75 T21 Daniel Venker (a) Saint Louis, Mo. 75 T21 Colby Yates (a) Tonganoxie, Kan. 75 T21 Steven Souchek (a) Columbia, Ill. 75 T21 Mitchell Rutledge (a) Fort Wayne, Ind. 75 T26 Shane Blankenship Sullivan, Mo. 76 T26 Ted Moloney (a) Ballwin, Mo. 76 T26 Greg Beale (a) Paducah, Ky. 76 T26 Phil Caravia (a) Saint Louis, Mo. 76 T26 Nick Arman (a) Ellisville, Mo. 76 T26 Aaron Murphy Holts Summit, Mo. 76
The Metropolitan
John Freund (a) Jeff Escott Brian Coe Adam Betz Justin Bardgett Wesley Hunter (a) Joseph Williams (a) Alex Cusumano (a) Parker Lawrence (a) Justin Mueller (a) Zachary Gollwitzer (a) Chris Ferris (a) Ty Zimmerman John Anderson (a) Jordan Lewis (a) Dustin Hoehn Robert Dunn (a) Jason Hyatt Michael McKillips (a) Bobby Ray (a) Mike Troyer Matt Barry (a) Brad Neher JC Anderson Teddy Jones (a) Michael Crowley Mark Faulkner Austin Carmack (a) Gus Maloney (a) Justin Wrozier (a) Jared Jordan Joe Molitor (a)
St. Louis, Mo. Webster Groves, Mo. Ballwin, Mo. Clayton, Mo. Chesterfield, Mo. Mobile, Ala. St. Louis, Mo. St. Louis, Mo. Breese, Ill. Belleville, Ill. Ballwin, Mo. St. Louis, Mo. St. Charles, Mo. St. Louis, Mo. Murphysboro, Ill. St. Louis, Mo. St Louis, Mo. Fenton, Mo. Brentwood, Mo. St. Louis, Mo. Lake Saint Louis, Mo. Parkville, Mo. Englewood, Colo. O'Fallon, Mo. Wildwood, Mo. Milwaukee, Wis. Marion, Ill. Newburgh, Ind. St Charles, Mo. St. Peters, Mo. Rolla, Mo. Saint Louis, Mo.
76 77 77 77 77 77 78 78 78 78 78 78 79 79 79 79 79 79 79 79 79 79 79 79 79 79 80 80 80 80 80 80
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US OPEN QUALIFYING SCORES T64 T64 T64 T64 T64 T64 T64 T64 T64 T64 T74 T74 T74 T74 T74 T74 T74 T81 T81 T81 T81 T81
Mark Burlison Landon Vaughan (a) Kevin Jeske (a) Ryan Higgins (a) Travis Simmons (a) Samuel Waters Zach Cutler (a) Dan Emrick (a) Wesley Hillen (a) Ryan Buerk Ben Charles (a) Davis Palen (a) Scott McGrath (a) David Johnson (a) Richard Weber III Jamie Harrell (a) David Mueller (a) Kyle Perry John Fuchs (a) Julien De Poyen (a) Alex Ciaramitaro (a) Paul Neeman (a)
Columbia, Mo. McLeansboro, Ill. Kirkwood, Mo. Wildwood, Mo. Jackson, Mo. Valier, Ill. O Fallon, Mo. St. Peters, Mo. Decatur, Ill. St Louis, Mo. West Plains, Mo. Rogersville, Mo. St. Louis, Mo. Kirkwood, Mo. Weldon Spring, Mo. Glendale, Mo. St. Louis, Mo. Bloomington, Ind. Springfield, Mo. Saint Louis, Mo. St. Peters, Mo. St Louis, Mo.
T81 T81 T81 T81 T90 T90 T90 T93 T93 T93 T93 97 98 T99 T99 T99 102 103 104 T105 T105
81 81 81 81 81 81 81 81 81 81 82 82 82 82 82 82 82 83 83 83 83 83
Barrett Martens Mike Lawton (a) Crimson Callahan (a) Chris Martin (a) Scott Schaeffer (a) Dustin Hoffmeier (a) Kortland Ware Jack Klingel (a) Thomas Brennan (a) Sam Goulden Tyler Kniepkamp Alex Knoll (a) Brian McDonough (a) Nick Chrisco Josh Venz Daryl Hartig David Kirkman (a) Adam Bode (a) Sean Brennan Will Schatz Joshua Bushman (a)
St. Louis, Mo. Wentzville, Mo. Chesterfield, Mo. Rolla, Mo. St. Charles, Mo. Greenville, Ill. Florissant, Mo. Ellisville, Mo. Hannibal, Mo. Washington, Mo. Belleville, Ill. Jefferson City, Mo. Red Bud, Ill. High Ridge, Mo. Festus, Mo. St Louis, Mo. St. Louis, Mo. Wentzville, Mo. Creve Coeur, Mo. St. Louis, Mo. O Fallon, Mo.
83 83 83 83 84 84 84 85 85 85 85 86 87 88 88 88 89 90 91 93 93
See page 15 for pictures from US Open Qualifying at Norwood Hills
Recent studies show that players shooting in the high 80s, will normally three putt 50% of the time on a putt 50’ or longer. STRAIGHT-FORWARD ADVICE Fred Clarkson was the golf professional at Glen Echo Country Club from 1922 to 1953, when he was succeeded by his son Don, who would later go on to become head pro at Old Warson CC during the 1971 Ryder Cup. Fred was a “Carnoustie-man” meaning that his swing favored a low draw, as opposed to those Scots who came to America from St. Andrews. Fred taught many district champion players, both men and women, during his time at the club. He was known for having players hit shots from beautiful lies to see their swing. He would then step on the ball, burying it in the deep rough and then tell them, “Alright, now let’s see ye hit this one!” On one occasion he found a player in one of the greenside bunkers on the 18th green. He walked over to him and, in his thick Scottish brogue queried, “What’ca doin’ laddie?” To which the player replied that frequently on his approach to the green he found his ball in this bunker and he wanted to practice hitting bunker shots to be able to get up and down. Fred listened intently and then commented, “Laddie, shouldn’t ye be practicing the shot that got ye there?” The Metropolitan
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NORMANDIE AMATEUR
Phil Caravia
1 2 3 T4 T4 T4 T4 T4 T9 T9 T9 T9 T13 T13 T15 T15 T15 T15 T19 T19
On a day when Rory McIlroy was setting records at Quail Hollow, Phil Caravia, the MAGA’s 2014 Old Warson Cup champion, was setting his own type of record at Normandie during the 29th playing of the tournament. The winner in 2005, Caravia posted a 68 on Saturday to take a narrow lead into the final round on Sunday. With ten players within five strokes of the lead, including former winners Skip Berkmeyer and Ted Moloney, Caravia was well aware that an average round might not be enough to claim the title. He did not disappoint. His final round of 70 put him at 4-under par - and the only player do do so for the weekend - as the wind played havoc with the leaders during their afternoon round. Once again, the Normandie layout lived up to its long-time billing as a “players’ course” as it took superb shotmaking to be crowned champion. Runner-up position went to Patrick Riordan at 142, while six-time winner Berkmeyer settled for third at 144.
Phil Caravia Norwood Hills Country Club Patrick Riordan Normandie Golf Club Skip Berkmeyer The Legends Country Club Joe Molitor Metropolitan Golf Club Corey Choate Wolf Hollow Golf Club Jeremy Franklin Gateway National Golf Links Tony Gumper Normandie Golf Club Mitchell Rutledge Metropolitan Golf Club EJ Brumm Jr Normandie Golf Club Buddy Allen Joachim Golf Club Mark Gardiner Cardinal Creek Golf Course Jamie Harrell Algonquin Golf Club Tony Nolfo Metropolitan Golf Club Steven Souchek Gateway National Golf Links Zachary Gollwitzer Aberdeen Golf Course Joe Migdal Aberdeen Golf Course Thomas Wuennenberg Metropolitan Golf Club Ted Moloney Greenbriar Hills Country Club Greg Ladd Ste. Genevieve Golf Club Tom Barry Normandie Golf Club
T19 68 70 138 T19 70 73 143 T23 72 72 144 T23 73 72 145 T23 73 72 145 T23 70 75 145 T23 69 76 145 T23 69 76 145 T23 74 72 146 T30 74 72 146 T30 73 73 146 32 72 74 146 T33 72 76 148 T33 72 76 148 T33 75 75 150 T33 75 75 150 T37 71 79 150 T37 70 80 150 T37 76 77 153 T37 76 77 153 6
Jack Eisenbeis St Louis Country Club Brian Lovett Bellerive Country Club Ed Rhomberg Metropolitan Golf Club Dustin LaGrand Ruth Park Golf Club Brandon Straeb Missouri Bluffs Golf Club Robert Meeh Persimmon Woods Golf Club Jason Cahill Metropolitan Golf Club Dan Mallon Normandie Golf Club John Hughes Persimmon Woods Golf Club Ryan Berra Gateway National Golf Links Justin Haupt Gateway National Golf Links Scott Schaeffer The Falls Golf Club David Hughes Metropolitan Golf Club Thomas Lantzy Metropolitan Golf Club Craig Hardcastle Sr. Normandie Golf Club Ryan Higgins Aberdeen Golf Course Kyle Szyhowski Whitmoor Country Club Kevin Jaeger Metropolitan Golf Club Greg Sanborn Metropolitan Golf Club Robert Dunn MAC Golf Club
76 77 153 75 78 153 81 73 154 78 76 154 78 76 154 77 77 154 77 77 154 76 78 154 75 79 154 76 79 155 74 81 155 75 81 156 80 77 157 79 78 157 78 79 157 74 83 157 78 80 158 78 80 158 77 81 158 76 82 158
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The Metropolitan
NORMANDIE AMATEUR T37 T42 T42 T42 T42 T42 T47 T47 T47 T47 T47 T47 T53 T53 T53 T56 T56 58 T59 T59 T59 62 T63 T63 T63 T63
Brian Hall Persimmon Woods Golf Club Zach Decker Joachim Golf Club Andy Frost Bellerive Country Club Terry Ramsey Normandie Golf Club Torrey Welsch Metropolitan Golf Club Joseph Christian Metropolitan Golf Club Casey Spiess Metropolitan Golf Club Keith Ritter Glen Echo Country Club Dewey Jones Normandie Golf Club Dan Schaller Metropolitan Golf Club Crimson Callahan Missouri Bluffs Golf Club Zach Kratofil Highlands Golf & TC Garret Green Clinton Hill Golf Course Gavin Freeman Pevely Farms Golf Club Conrad Maloney Persimmon Woods Golf Robert Minemier Metropolitan Golf Club Gerald Mozur Gateway National Golf Links John Wuennenberg Metropolitan Golf Club Paul Dillon Metropolitan Golf Club Ben Mess Aberdeen Golf Course Quinn Lin Highlands Golf & TC Russell Brightman St Louis Country Club Tyler Travelstead Metropolitan Golf Club Brian Buechler Persimmon Woods Golf Club Lewis Weingart The Quarry at Crystal Springs Mike Clayman Normandie Golf Club
67 75 83 158 68 80 79 159 T69 79 80 159 T69 77 82 159 T71 75 84 159 T71 75 84 159 T73 82 78 160 T73 81 79 160 T73 81 79 160 T73 80 80 160 77 79 81 160 T78 78 82 160 T78 84 77 161 80 82 79 161 81 78 83 161 82 85 77 162 83 78 84 162
Aleks Stojanovic The Legends Country Club Nathan Hampton Metropolitan Golf Club Nathan Holt Westborough Country Club Wheeler Frost Bellerive Country Club Dustin Sweet Pevely Farms Golf Club James Gregory Metropolitan Golf Club Patrick Reid Metropolitan Golf Club Mel Rector Lake Forest Golf & CC Chris Stinnett Ruth Park Golf Club Donald Droege Normandie Golf Club Adam Twellman Crescent Farms Golf Club Toppie Hogan Old Warson Country Club Cory Cowsert Wolf Hollow Golf Club Brian Travelstead Metropolitan Golf Club Kevin Forbes Quail Creek Golf Club Tyrone Brett Cobb Normandie Golf Club Shao Wei Chiang WGM Golf Club
83 85 168 84 85 169 84 86 170 83 87 170 86 85 171 84 87 171 88 84 172 88 84 172 86 86 172 85 87 172 82 92 174 94 82 176 87 89 176 92 88 180 87 104 191 94 101 195 100 100 200
86 77 163 86 78 164
NORMANDIE NOTES From 1986-89, the Normandie Amateur was a 54hole event. Following a 27-hole, rain-shortened tournament in 1990, it has been a 36-hole event since 1991. The low 36-hole record was set in 2012 by Bellerive’s Andy Frost with a 135 total. Patrick Riordan, 2015 runner-up, also finished second in 2011 to Skip Berkmeyer. By the way, though Berkmeyer has six victories, he finished second another eight times. Normandie’s Tom Barry won the first two events in 1996 & 1987. He also came back to take the 2000 title.
83 81 164 77 87 164 82 83 165 85 82 167 81 86 167 81 86 167 81 86 167
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AMATEUR CHAMPIONS 25 YEARS OF CHAMPIONSHIP GOLF - KELLY & SCHNURBUSCH In 2004, John Kelly was, for all intent, a relative unknown. He had been a nice player for CBC High School, moving on to the University of Missouri for his collegiate play, where he had a solid career. During the final round of the 2004 Men’s Metropolitan Amateur at Glen Echo, the Norwood Hills player finished atop the leaderboard at 207, with Darren Lundgren gaining the runner-up spot. His total matched the record set in 2001 by Scott Fann at Gateway National, and remains the low 54 hole score for the event. Two years later, John went on to even loftier sites as he reached the finals of the U.S. Amateur at Hazeltine GC in Minnesota. Playing Scotsman Richie Ramsey in John Kelly the finals, John was never able to get his game to peak as he went down 4 and 2 in the match. Nevertheless, it gained him entry into the 2007 U.S. Open and the 2007 Masters. Following this experience, John turned professional and played a number of events on the Web.com and other tours for the next several years, including Latin America and in Canada. After failing to win a spot on the OneAsia Tour at their Q school in Los Angeles, in March 2015, John was competing on the Adams Tour, playing in an event in Louisiana, where he finished 9-under par and a 13th place finish. In May 2015, John competed for a spot on the Canadian PGA Tour at the Canada Q school at Crown Isle Resort and GC in Courtenay, British Columbia, however, he finished out of the top-40. His motto - Process, Patience and Attitude - continues to drive John as he continues to move through the pro ranks toward his goal of playing the PGA Tour. Farmington, Missouri native Craig Schnurbusch is one player you did not want to meet when competing for a title. From the early-1980s through the 1990s, he was as tough a competitor as you could find. Though most of his play was in MGA events, winning a number of individual and team titles along the way, he also played in dozens of two-day events across southern Missouri and Illinois, where his play became legendary. When he did venture into the St. Louis area to tee it up with local players, he did so with much success. In 1995, the former Texas A&M player arrived at Spencer T. Olin for the MAGA Amateur. This was the era of some of the area’s top players still at the top of their game; Jim Holtgrieve, David Estes, Terry Tessary, David Lucks, Scott Thomas, Don Bliss, Tom Barry and Jim Mason. Spencer T. was set up for championship play and the scores reflected it. The hot Craig Schnurbusch August days would make for some challenging play as the temperature hovered around 100 for the final two rounds. Trailing a group of players at 3-under beginning the final round, the talented Schnurbusch, with his home-made swing and powerful fade, lapped the field in the final round, posting a 5-under 67 to finish at 211. Those who knew him were not surprised as his strong short game and good putting more than made up for any other weaknesses. Craig fell ill with cancer in the late 1990s and despite all efforts, passed away in October 2000 at age 45, much too young. For the past 15 years, a Memorial Golf Tournament has been held at Crown Pointe to raise funds for the education of his three children, John, Ben and Julie. His good friends, Don Bliss and Roger Null, remember Craig with great fondness. His good nature and easy manner made him a likeable friend. He is long remembered by those who knew him best.
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MAGA INTERNS FOR 2015 The Metropolitan would not be able to run our events as smoothly as we do without the assistance of of volunteers and our interns. When you see them during an event, please be sure to tell them how much you appreciate their support for golf across the area. Michael Kegin
Nicholas Wojciechowski
A recent graduate from the University of Missouri Columbia, with a Bachelor of Science in Parks, Recreation and Tourism, and an emphasis in Sport Management and a minor in Spanish. I was born in Columbia, Missouri but I consider Kansas City my home, as I lived there from 3rd grade until graduating high school to pursue my degree at Mizzou. I was fortunate to hear about the PJ Boatwright Internship through my cousin, Michael Kendrick, who was a Boatwright himself. I have always had a passion for the game of golf and I look forward to working with the Metropolitan Amateur Golf Association as well as our member clubs and partners in the St. Louis area.
Sophomore at the University of Missouri. He is an Evans Scholar from Westwood Country Club, where he caddied. Nick is currently Majoring in Parks, Recreation and Tourism with an emphasis on Sports Management Quote on Internship: “An honor to work with the Metropolitan Golf Association. I see this internship is a huge first step in my future career as I would like to go into the golf business when I graduate. I cannot wait to work with everybody”
STATE OF THE GOLF INDUSTRY The National Golf Foundation (NGF), the leading authority on the state of the golf industry, reported that player participation in 2014 remained level with the previous two years. This meant that 25 million golfers played at least one round during the year. In addition, the average rounds played per golfer increased slightly to 18 rounds, which is about one round per golfer higher than 2005, when golf participation was at its peak. Players considered as “committed” played approximately two rounds more than they did in 2005. The NGF also found interest in golf very high with half of the 4 million who entered the game in 2014 called themselved “beginners.” This is the highest level since 2005 in this category. Furthermore, the Millennials - 18 to 34 year olds - account for 25% of the golfing participation. The Baby Boomer group - 50 to 64 - also account for a quarter of all golfers and nearly a third of all rounds played. History supports the notion that as this group enters retirement, they will begin to play about twice as much. In addition, there are over 32 million in a group termed as “latent golfers.” These are non-golfers or former golfers who expressed interest in playing the game. This is a growth of over 5 million in this category since 2011. Another interesting aspect of this is that nearly 13 million latent golfers fall into the Millenial age group. If this latent group actually begins to take up the game, it will benefit the entire industry at all levels. Among junior golfers - ages 6 to 17 - there are more than 3 million playing golf, due mainly to the increase in young stars on the various professional tours. In 2015, there are an estimated 15,372 courses in the U.S. (down from a high of 16,052) with the total rounds played exceeding 455 million!
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ST. LOUIS GOLF HISTORY THE 1938 WESTERN OPEN
Ralph Guldahl
In a bit of golf trivia, Dallas native Guldahl was the last player to win the U.S. Open while wearing a necktie during play.
It’s was widely reported that in 1939, after he had written a book about the golf swing, this analysis caused him to lose the ability to score, something both his son and wife are known to have commented on. However, Guldahl himself, in a 1979 article, refuted those notions. Instead, he cited the travel, time away from family, and the time lost during the War as the factors why he retired. Whatever the case, from 1936 to 1939, Ralph Guldahl was easily the best golfer in the country. He passed away in June 1987 at age 75 in California.
The area’s first professional event was the 1908 Western Open, held at Normandie GC. The nation’s best players were present: Willie Anderson, Fred McLeod, Gil Nichols, Laurie Auchterlonie among many area professionals and amateurs. Anderson, as most golfers know, is the only man to win three consecutive U.S. Open titles and four overall. He would later spend a year as head professional at St. Louis CC before dying in 1910 at the age of 31. The Western Open made its return engagement in 1938 at Westwood CC. During these latter stages of The Great Depression, golf tournaments were scarce, with purses, even small ones, contested for vigorously. The field at Westwood was filled with champions: Sam Snead, Tony Penna, Paul Runyan, Horton Smith, Ray Mangrum, Tommy Armour, Harry Cooper, Johnny Bulla, Lawson Little and defending champion Ralph Guldahl. Guldahl was very familiar with St. Louis golf. He had been head pro at St. Louis CC in 1932 at age 20, serving for two years. He finished second in the U.S. Open in 1933 to Johnny Goodman, the last amateur to win the Open, when he missed a putt for par that would have put them in a playoff. He had given up golf for a time in the mid-1930s, becoming a car salesman at one point. Westwood’s small, undulating greens, elevation changes and demanding shotmaking made for some high scores during round one as Guldahl was the only player to shoot under par. However, Snead, Penna, Runyan and Mangrum were only a shot back at 72. Day two saw Mangrum jump into a tie with Guldahl, while Snead and Runyan remained just a shot off the pace. When Snead posted a 69 in the third round, he moved into a tie with Guldahl at 214, while Runyan’s 74 left him well behind at 219; yet he was the closest competitor. It appeared to be a two-man race for the title. Almost! Guldahl’s fourth round put the matter to rest. His 65 left everyone else in his wake. Snead, shooting even par 72, finished seven shots behind. Tony Penna finished third, 10 shots back. It was a runaway! For his efforts, Guldahl collected a first prize check of $750. Snead received $450 for his play. The low area local professional was Bellerive’s Benny Richter who cashed a $50 payday. Low amateur was Meadow Brook’s Tom Draper who came in at 301, 22 shots behind Guldahl. Guldahl would win the 1937 and 1938 U.S. Open and the 1939 Masters, after finishing second in 1937 and 1938. He was on the 1937 Ryder Cup Team, the last one until the end of World War II.
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2015 COMPETITION SCHEDULE MAGA COMPETITIONS CHAMPIONSHIP
ENTRY DEADLINE
DATE(S)
VENUE
Normandie Amateur
May 16-17
May 8
Old Warson Cup
May 30-31
Invitational
East Side Amateur
June 13-14
June 5
Spencer T. Olin GC
Women's Amateur Championship
June 15-16
June 3
Fox Run Golf Club
Open Championship
July 10-12
June 24
Junior Amateur Championship
July 13-14
July 1
July 30 - August 1
June 24
Boone Valley Golf Club
Senior Amateur Championship
August 13-14
July 22
Whitmoor Country Club (South)
MAGA Four-Ball Championship
September 24
September 9
Amateur Championship
Normandie Golf Club Old Warson Country Club
Country Club of St. Albans The Bogey Club
The Legends CC
USGA QUALIFYING ROUNDS CHAMPIONSHIP
ENTRY DEADLINE
DATE(S)
VENUE
US Open Local Qualifying
May 14
April 29
US Senior Open Qualifying
May 19
May 6
Persimmon Woods GC
June 2
May 6
St. Clair CC
US Junior Amateur Q (36-holes)
June 22
June 3
Lake Forest G&CC
US Girls’ Junior Amateur Qualifying
June 24
June 3
Bogey Hills CC
US Amateur Qualifying (36-holes)
July 20-21
June 24
US Senior Women’s Amateur Qualifying
August 27
August 12
Bellerive CC
US Senior Amateur Qualifying
September 2
August 12
Sunset CC
US Mid-Amateur Qualifying
September 8
August 19
Aberdeen GC
September 28
August 5
Quincy CC.
US Women’s Open Q (36-holes)
US Amateur Four-Ball Qualifying
Norwood Hills CC
Meadowbrook CC
2015 MAGA AMATEUR SERIES SCHEDULE NAME
DATE
Event #1 Event #2 Event #3 Event #4 Event #5 Event #6 Championship
April 20 May 4 June 12 July 17 August 6 September 15 October 10-11
VENUE WingHaven CC Sunset Hills CC The Falls GC Annbriar GC Glen Echo Tapawingo National GC Aberdeen GC
Online applications for ALL MAGA events are available on the MAGA website. Events in grey have been completed. 11
May 2015
The Metropolitan
JUNE 2015 MAY 31
JUNE 1
7
2 US Women’s Open Qual St. Clair CC
Old Warson Cup
8
3
4
Women’s Championship Entry Deadline
9
10
5
6
East Side Entry Deadline
11
12
13
Amateur Series #3 East Side Amateur
14
15
East Side Amateur Women’s Championship
21
16
22
23
US Junior Qual. Lake Forest
28
17
18
19
20
24
25
26
27
2
3
4
THUR 2
FRI 3
Women’s Championship
Open & Amateur Entry Deadline US Junior Girls Qual.-Bogey Hills
29
30
JULY 1 Junior Championship Entry Deadline
MAGA Events in RED | USGA Events in BLUE
JULY 2015 SUN June 28
MON 29
TUES 30
WED July 1
SAT 4
Junior Championship Entry Deadline
5
6
7
8
9
10 Open Championship
12
13
14
15
16
Open Championship
19
17
11 Open Championship
18
Amateur Series #4
20
21
22
23
24
25
Junior Amateur Junior Amateur Championship Championship US Amateur Qual. US Amateur Qual.
26
27
28
29
30 Amateur Championship
12
31 Amateur Championship
August 1 Amateur Championship
May 2015
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Resources
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May 2015
THE ST. LOUIS PUBLINX RESULTS Just as it looked like an amateur, Ryan Haxel, might take the 56th Publinx crown, Chris Brant, winner of the 2014 Metropolitan Open at St. Albans, came in with a 64 over the Forest Park (Dogwood-Redbud) course. In the process, Brant claimed the $1,200 first prize and his second professional victory. Haxel wasn’t left empty-handed though, he received a $600 gift certificate for his fine play. In the Senior division, Bob Trittler shot a 31 on the Dogwood nine, then cruised home with a 37 on Redbud to take a 3-stroke edge over Bill Behr and Dave Schweitzer. The top finishers in each division are noted below:
2015 RESULTS Amateur: Ryan Haxel (65) Phil Caravia (69) Tom Renken (69) Patrick Britt (70) Dustin LaGrand (70) Ryan Eckelkamp (71)
Professional: Chris Brant (64) Bob Gaus (66) Mike Suhre (66) Grant Masson (69) Nash Haxel (70) Doug Plowman (70) Sam Goulden (71) Mark Marcuzzo (71) Matt Rau (71)
Senior: Bob Trittler (68) Bill Behr (71) Dave Schweitzer (71) Tom Barry (72) Lou Brock Jr. (72) Jack Eisenbeis (72) Bernie McGuire (72) Joe Richardson (72) Terry Tessary (72) Michael Whitaker (72)
THE BIRTH OF THE AREA’S PUBLIC GOLF COURSES Much to the chagrin of many, the area’s first public golf course was not Forest Park but in Alton, Ill at Rock Spring Park. It was there, in early 1912, that Tom Bendelow laid out the area’s first course open for public play. However, if a group of early women golfers had had their way, it would have occurred much earlier, in 1898. It was at that time that a group of women from St. Louis Country Club, tired of not being able to play their 9-hole course as much as they wished, hired one of their clubmakers, George Norman, to layout a course for them in Tower Grove Park. They organized a club - the Carondelet Park Golf Club - and made the membership a “women-only” club; no men permitted except when invited. When news of this reached the Mayor of St. Louis, he immediately took notice. Like any good politician, he saw an opportunity. “If the people want golf in the city’s Parks, let’s give it to them” was the quote attributed to him. Plans were made to build 9-hole courses in each of the city’s Parks. However, within the year the Spanish-American War began and thoughts of building golf courses soon gave way. It would stay that way for another 14 years. The Forest Park courses had a much more difficult beginning. Dwight Davis, of tennis fame, was Park Commissioner in 1912. He had little trouble convincing area leaders to install tennis courts in all of the city’s Parks, but golf was a different matter. However, he persisted and with the support of a group of members from St. Louis CC, the city’s leadership consented to build a course in Forest Park. However, the commission formed to oversee the course design went against Davis’ wishes. He wanted to hire Robert Foulis (designer of Glen Echo, Normandie and Bellerive) to do the design, but the commitee decided that they would undertake the project themselves. They went on a series of trips to public courses in the eastern U.S. Upon their return they felt confident that they now knew how to design a course. It would be by committee. Upon hearing this Davis was aghast! He knew something of design and allowing the committee to lead the project would, in his estimation, be a disaster. However, rather than fight the committee, he convinced them to hire Foulis to build the course, working with their design. Davis knew that Foulis was good enough to correct any significant design errors during construction and the final result would be a solid, playable layout. Over the next year, Foulis built the courses, nine holes at a time, before completing the 27 holes in 1913. The result was a design that withstood the test of time for over 90 years, before the Hale Irwin-Stan Gentry redesign in 2004. With the update, apart from the changes along Art Hill, a majority of the routing remained essentially intact.
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US OPEN QUALIFYING - MAY 14 - NORWOOD HILLS (WEST)
Putting on the finishing touches
2-time MAGA Amateur Champion Kyle Weldon
Glen Echo head professional Barrett Martens
Teeing off on the third hole
2014 MAGA Open Champ Chris Brant chipping on #12
Wes Hillen chips on as Bob Gaus and Mark Faulkner watch
Bellerive pro Bryan Fogt and his caddie, Brett Darland.
Buddy Allen hitting his approach to the 9th, his final hole.
Norwood’s superintendent Mike Null is all smiles.
UMSL golfer Matt Barry with is approach to the 9th.
Mike Suhre’s approach to the par-4 thirteenth
J.C. Anderson’s picture-perfect technique.
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May 2015 15
The Metropolitan
May 2015
WHERE HAVE THEY GONE...THE AREA’S LOST COURSES SOUTHMOOR / BAHNFYRE - 1952-1987 If there was ever an area course with significant transitions, it would have to be the course on south Tesson Ferry Road. Founded as Southmoor in 1952 by William S. Bahn Sr., later joined by his son Bill Jr., it was, for many players, their home-away-from-home. The Terry More/Marvin Ferguson design had the holes playing up and down the rolling hills, challenging players‘ shotmaking at every turn. When 9holes were sold off for housing, it remained that way until new land was secured and a new 18-holes, now named Bahnfyre, grew out of the landscape in 1981. Some of the area’s top players at the time, Jim Knoesel, Todd Tumminia, Bill Bahn and even Ellen Port, began their playing days here. At just over 6,000 yards, the par 70 course became an area favorite. Many may recall golf professional, Charlie Rotter, as he greeted arriving players, shuffling them off to the first tee. Sadly, the course fell victim to rising land values, with the land finally sold once again in 1987. However, this time, there would be no Phoenix rising as a new Bahnfyre would not reappear. Within the year, practically just across the road on Wells Avenue, Quail Creek would be developed, giving golfers in that south county area a nearby course once again. The photo at right shows Southmoor in 1971 with 18 holes. Earlier photo from 1958 (below) depicts the course with only 9 holes, as the land bordering Tesson Ferry (white road down right edge of photo) was farmland. The clubhouse is at the lower center.
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ON-COURSE SCENES
Chris Naegel (l) and Mike Suhre display their medal for sharing low honors at the local U.S. Open Qualifying
Bellerive Head Professional Mike Tucker proudly displays his Medal as lone qualifier at the U.S. Senior Open Qualifying
Mark Gardiner displays his 2015 Low Amateur medal at the U.S. Senior Open Qualifying
Former Tour player JC Anderson battled Tucker in a 4-hole playoff during the U.S. Senior Open Qualifying
Norwood’s Phil Caravia accepts congratulations from Normandie Amateur tournament director David Smith
The Metropolitan
May 2015 17
AMATEUR SERIES RESULTS - EVENT #2 - SUNSET HILLS CC GROSS RESULTS SCRATCH OPEN 1 T2 T2 4 T5 T5 T5 8 9 10
Tony Nolfo Wheeler Frost Lewis Weingart Greg Mazdra Robert Barrett III Bret Sinak Wes Richardet Aleks Stojanovic Jason Wright Weston Horberg Kyle Thomure
SENIOR SCRATCH
Metropolitan +10 Bellerive +10 The Quarry +10 Metropolitan +12 Metropolitan +13 Persimmon Wds +13 Sunset +13 The Legends +15 Missouri Bluffs +23 Metropolitan +27 Metropolitan WD
82 82 82 84 85 85 85 87 95 99
1 T2 T2 T4 T4 T4 7 8 9 10 11
Pat Ross Ollie Crow Gordon Smith Michael Beckman Schooner Fitzgerald Randall Robbins Cal Neeman Jr Tim Leonberger Brad Garrett Timothy Barker J Oden Thompson
The Orchards Metropolitan Metropolitan Metropolitan Metropolitan Metropolitan Annbriar Stonewolf Metropolitan Glen Echo Metropolitan
+2 +6 +6 +9 +9 +9 +11 +14 +20 +23 +26
74 78 78 81 81 81 83 86 92 95 98
NEXT EVENT: JUNE 12 AT THE FALLS GC NET RESULTS NET OPEN 1 2 3 4 T5 T5 7 8 9 10
Dwayne Leslie Joe Rammelsberg Cory Mahoney Joseph Buterbaugh Paul Smith Brian Snyder Curtis Miller John Davis Matthew McCormick Wil Roestel
Metropolitan Whitmoor Metropolitan Metropolitan Paradise Valley Cardinal Creek Metropolitan The Falls Metropolitan Metropolitan
SENIOR NET -2 +1 +2 +6 +7 +7 +9 +12 +16 +17
70 73 74 78 79 79 81 84 88 89
1 2 3 4 T5 T5 T7 T7 T7 T7 T11 T11 13 14 T15 T15 17 18
The Metropolitan
King Edmonston Michael Scoles Robert Barrett Gareth Kajander Don Humphrey Larry Laramie Jeff Myers Jim Garrett Richard Constance Michael Pittroff Bill Slantz John Epps Larry Banks John Zielinski Leo Hefner David Gilliland John Orr Ray Kerr Robert Huntze Russell Hollenbeck
Franklin County -5 67 Metropolitan -3 69 Missouri Bluffs -1 71 Winghaven +1 73 Ruth Park +4 76 Metropolitan +4 76 Meadowbrook +6 78 Metropolitan +6 78 Gateway +6 78 Metropolitan +6 78 Metropolitan +8 80 Metropolitan +8 80 Aberdeen +9 81 Acorns +14 86 Mystic Oak +15 87 Metropolitan +15 87 Stonewolf +24 96 Ruth Park +32 104 Metropolitan NS Metropolitan WD
May 2015 18
OLD WARSON CUP PAIRINGS OLD WARSON COUNTRY CLUB SATURDAY, MAY 30, 2015 ROUND OF 16 Match Match #1
Time 7:00 am
Match #2
7:10 am
Match #3
7:20 am
Match #4
7:30 am
Match #5
7:40 am
Match #6
7:50 am
Match #7
8:00 am
Match #8
8:10 am
Match #9 Match #10 Match #11 Match #12
Match #13 Match #14
Match #15
Player Phil Caravia Cy Moritz Alex Cusumano John Anderson
Club Name Norwood Hills Country Club Sullivan Country Club Norwood Hills Country Club Norwood Hills Country Club
Joe Migdal Andy Frost Teddy Jones Sam Migdal Kyle Weldon Van Pierce Seth Smith Steven Souchek Skip Berkmeyer Buddy Allen Ted Moloney Patrick Riordan
Aberdeen Golf Course Bellerive Country Club Aberdeen Golf Course Aberdeen Golf Course Metropolitan Golf Club Country Club of St Albans Missouri Bluffs Golf Club Gateway National Golf Links The Legends Country Club Joachim Golf Club Greenbriar Hills Country Club Normandie Golf Club
12:00 pm 12:10 pm 12:20 pm 12:30 pm
QUARTERFINAL SATURDAY, MAY 30, 2015 Winner Match 1 vs. Winner Match 3 vs. Winner Match 5 vs. Winner Match 7 vs.
Winner Match 2 Winner Match 4 Winner Match 6 Winner Match 8
7:00 am 7:10 am
SEMIFINAL SUNDAY, MAY 31, 2015 Winner Match 9 vs. Winner Match 10 Winner Match 11 vs.Winner Match 12
11:00 am
FINAL SUNDAY, MAY 31, 2015 Winner Match 13 vs.Winner Match 14
2014 Result: Phil Caravia defeated Alex Cusumano, 19 holes
The Metropolitan
May 2015 19
US MEN’S FOUR-BALL CHAMPIONSHIP The Olympic Club in San Francisco hosted the USGA’s inaugural Men’s Four-Ball Championship May 2-6. Three teams qualified from the local qualifying last October at Bellerive CC. Most golfers are aware that the Men’s and Women’s Four-Ball Championship replaced the Men’s and Women’s Public Links Championship on the USGA Championship Schedule this year. Scott Harvey and Todd Mitchell (64), Skip Berkmeyer and Brad Nurski (66), and Michael Affeldt and Erik Ciotti (67). Harvey is the reigning U.S. Mid-Amateur champion. At the Championship during stroke play qualifying, each team posted excellent scores to advance to match play. Harvey/Mitchell posted a 135 total (67-68), good for a tie for 14th, Nurski/Berkmeyer went 69-68 for a 137 total, while Ciotti/Affeldt came in at 139 (72-67) to tie with three other teams for the final qualifying spot. Unfortunately, Ciotti/Affeldt fell 6 and 4 to the medalist team of Maverick McNealy and Viraat Badhwar. Harvey/Mitchell took their match in 19 holes, while Nurski/Berkmeyer fell 5 and 4 in their match. Harvey/Mitchell continued their run with a 3 and 2 win in the round of 16 and then moved into the semifinals with a 3 and 2 win in the quarterfinals. However, the lost a tough match on the 19th hole to the eventual runner-up team of Sherrill Britt and Greg Earnhardt. They would fall 7 and 5 to Todd White and Nathan Smith in the finals. Both White and Smith were on the 2013 Walker Cup team, captained by Jim Holtgrieve.
US WOMEN’S FOUR-BALL CHAMPIONSHIP Two sisters from St. Louis - Catherine Dolan, 25, and Kelly Hutchison, 33, were among the participants for the USGA’s first-ever U.S. Women’s Four-Ball Championship. Dolan, the 2013 MAGA Women’s Champion, and her sister qualified for the championship last September at St. Clair CC, shooting a round of 4-under 67. This event marked Dolan’s sixth USGA competition, having played in the 2009 U.S. Women’s Amateur and the U.S. Women’s Public Links from 2011-2014. Hutchison, a former golf professional at several courses in Missouri and Illinois, left the golf business behind to pursue a career in the financial industry. They were one of three sister teams competing in the event. Day one of stroke play saw them post a best ball of 81 on the 6,005 par-72 Pacific Dunes course, part of the Bandon Dunes Golf Resort in Bandon, Oregon. They played better in their second round, posting a 77, but their 158 total was 12 strokes beyond the 146 qualifying number. Nevertheless, they represented the area and themselves well as part of this inaugural USGA event.
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
PLAY 9 SERIES The first two Play 9 Series events have been postponed due to a very small number of entries. MAGA is still very high on this new initiative and have received a lot of positive feedback. We hope to get the season kicked at one of the upcoming dates and reschedule the early contests. Thank you to those who registered the Play 9 series thus far.
The Metropolitan
DATE
VENUE
April 25 May 9 June 27 July 25 August 22 September 19 October 3
Ballwin GC Postponed Joachim GC Postponed Creve Coeur GC Highlands at Forest Park Berry Hill GC Ruth Park GC Four Seasons CC
May 2015 20
US SENIOR OPEN QUALIFYING TUCKER EDGES ANDERSON IN PLAYOFF FOR SENIOR OPEN SPOT The cool morning temperatures, hovering around the mid-50s, gave players fits as they began their rounds. At 404 yards, the first hole at Persimmon Woods is generally not a particularly difficult hole; however, on this day over half the field of 28 walked off the green with bogey, or worse. Persimmon Woods was set up for a solid test of golf. At 6,734 yards par-71, only the short par-4 thirteenth, which was drivable at 292 yards, played under par for the day. Eleven holes played a half-stroke over par or more. It was a very tough day to score. At the end of 18 holes, Mike Tucker and JC Anderson each posted rounds of 69, 2-under par, tied for the top spot. However, only one spot was allocated to this qualifying location. It would take an extra 4 holes before the day would draw to a close with Tucker out-dueling Anderson for a trip to Del Paso Country Club, Sacramento, California for the U.S. Senior Open. This will be Tucker’s first trip to the U.S. Senior Open. The 2014 area qualifier, amateur Mark Gardiner, nearly made it two-for-two. His round of 72 placed him in third position. Jeff Whitfield, who qualified for the Senior Open in 2010 and 2013 tied for fourth with Rob Sedorcek of the CC at St. Albans.
Mike Tucker
J.C. Anderson
1 2 3 T4 T4 6 7 T8 T8 T8 T8 12 T13 T13 15 T16 T16 T16 T16 T16 21 22 23 T24 T24 26 27
Mike Tucker JC Anderson Mark Gardiner (a) Robert Sedorcek Jeff Whitfield Robert Gaus Thomas Hammerton (a) Nash Haxel Bob Hanneken (a) Brian Fogt Mark Marcuzzo Neil Vanleeuwen (a) Wayne Fredrick (a) Jack Eisenbeis (a) John Hughes (a) David Schweitzer (a) Donny Ngala (a) Daryl Hartig Scott Bess Didier Villard (a) Stephen Lotz Tom Portner (a) Bret Voisin (a) Rich Pindel (a) Robert Lietz (a) Douglas Plowman Russel Belal (a) Mark Faulkner Bernard McGuire (a) Gerald Mozur (a) Kevin Wood Jerome Brown (a)
The Metropolitan
Chesterfield, Mo. -2 69 O'Fallon, Mo. -2 69 Mascoutah, Ill. +1 72 Ballwin, Mo. +2 73 Weldon Spring, Mo. +2 73 St. Louis, Mo. +4 75 Peoria, Ill. +5 76 St. Louis, Mo. +6 77 Fenton, Mo. +6 77 Wildwood, Mo. +6 77 Granite City, Ill. +6 77 Tarpon Springs, Fla. +8 79 Springfield, Mo. +9 80 Saint Louis, Mo. +9 80 O'Fallon, Mo. +10 81 Chesterfield, Mo. +11 82 Dittmer, Mo. +11 82 St Louis, Mo. +11 82 Columbia, Mo. +11 82 Lake St Louis, Mo. +11 82 St. Louis, Mo. +12 83 Mount Vernon, Ill. +14 85 Orlando, Fla. +15 86 Moore, Okla. +16 87 Weldon Spring, Mo.+16 87 Pacific, Mo. +18 89 Saint Charles, Mo. +34 105 Marion, Ill. DQ Chesterfield, Mo. NS St. Louis, Mo. NS Ballwin, Mo. NS Riverdale, Ga. WD May 2015
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KEEPING FIT: ENJOYING THE GAME MORE - E3 FITNESS Most people tend to stand in a bad pattern. They lean into their right hip and create a compensation with a left oriented rib cage. For example Jim, a right handed golfer, comes in and through our evaluation process, we determine that he is limited in t-spine (mid back) rotation left -35* vs. right-55*; 40*-60* is normal for most people. He is starting 10* to the left. So the first 10* to the right is really just getting back to neutral. When Jim, as a right-handed hitter, takes a swing, he has to rotate to the left through impact. But Jim struggles to get around on the ball and blocks his driver to the right. Sound familiar? If we can help Jim re-create a neutral oriented rib cage, or upper torso, he can get back to his left side easier. Now Jim has the ability to follow through and rotate around his spine to the left. When someone like Jim comes in, in that pattern, we use some specific exercises to get him in a better position. Part of the left-oriented rib cage is a tight life pectoralis. To open on the left pec, we do the following exercise. D2F stretch with ball (2-3x for 5 breaths) Lie on your back and rest your left arm above your head with a 1-2 lb weight While squeezing a ball or towel between your knees, rotate legs to the right Gently push your left foot into the floor to shut off your back Feel your lower ribs move down as you exhale
Another piece of the bad pattern is a right shoulder blade that doesn’t sit properly on the torso. A weak right low trap will allow the right elbow to separate from the body creating the “chicken wing.” Here’s an exercise to alleviate that issue. Supine weighted Triceps Curl (2-3x for 10 breaths) Lie on your back, knees bent, and hold a light dumbbell in your right hand Begin with your right arm vertical and your palm facing your head Slowly bend your elbow bringing your hand down towards your head. You should feel the muscles in the back of your right arm engage Slowly straighten your arm and repeat
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May 2015 22
Volunteers are the lifeblood of State and Regional Golf Associations all around the country. That statement could not be more true than right here in St. Louis with MAGA. MAGA volunteers assist with the conduct of MAGA Championships, USGA Qualifying Rounds and USGA Course & Slope Rating service provided to our member clubs. Do you have any interest in getting involved with the game in our region? Visit the Volunteer page of our website by clicking on the image at the left.
Volunteer A tremendous part of the success of the MAGA Championship Program is our team of volunteers, officially designated as MAGA Rules Committee Members. The MAGA is proud to have a large collection of volunteers who assist with our MAGA Championships, USGA Qualifying Rounds and Amateur Series. While our Committee Members come from very diverse backgrounds, they all share one common trait: their love of the game!
Rules Committee Committee Members serve a variety of functions at our Championships such as Rules Officials, Starters, Scoring Officials, Forecaddies and many other important roles at each event.
Scoring Committee Scoring Committee Members serve a variety of functions at our Championships such as collecting scores on course for Live Scoring to the setup and posting of scores on our scoreboards and more.
Course Rating Committee Course Raters have the responsibility of ensuring the accuracy of course measurements as part of the USGA Course Rating System. Click here if you’re interested in joining the Course Rating Committee. Course Ratings are an essential part of the Handicap System and accurate measurements are a vital part of Course Ratings. The MAGA has the responsibility of implementing the USGA Course Rating System throughout the St. Louis Metropolitan region. Become a MAGA Volunteer today! Here’s how to do it: Complete the MAGA Volunteer Information Form. Once you have completed the Committee Information Form please return the completed form to the MAGA. Observe at a Tournament: Once we receive your Volunteer Information Form, we will help you schedule a day to attend an event and shadow one of our current Committee members. . Join the MAGA as a Volunteer: Once you have completed the above steps, you will receive additional volunteer and training information including your Rules Committee Shirt and Name Badge.
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May 2015 23
THE UPDATED Golfing Before The Arch; 1896-2014
IS NOW AVAILABLE!
Golfin g Befo re The Arch -T h e H istory of St. Louis Golf
The original Golfing Before The Arch, published in 1997, was the definitive history of golf across the St. Louis area from 1896 to 1996! This updated version, covers the years 1997 through 2014 with updated historical information, new photographs and course details. This is definitely the must-have book for serious golfers looking to uncover the great history of area golf!
• • • • •
Golfin g Befo re The the H istory Arch of St. Louis 189 Go 6-2014
544-pages of information on St. Louis golf history Updated details from 1997 - 2014 Updated player and event details New, never-before seen course photographs Complete listing of every significant event held in the area from the 1904 Olympic Matches through the 2014 Curtis Cup Match! • Listing of qualifiers for USGA championships. • Listing of District, MAGA, MGA and Women’s District events, plus Publinks, Bogey Hills Invitational, St. Clair Open, Lou Fusz St. Louis Open, Michelob Open and more. • Course chronology and “lost area courses” James Heale y
lF
A Histo ry & C ompen dium by James
Heale y
Individual print copies of Golfing Before The Arch: 1896-2014, may be purchased at www.lulu.com, an on-demand publishing site, by searching for the book title. Jim Healey has published over a dozen books on area golf history, including Club Histories for Bellerive, Old Warson, Westwood, St. Louis CC, Bogey Hills, Sunset, Glen Echo, Norwood Hills and Algonquin. He did extensive writing for Fairways & Greens Magazine and his work has been published in LINKS Magazine, GolfWeek, Golf World, St. Louis Magazine and a number of websites. He has been a contributor to a various area golf talk shows and has given golf history presentations to dozens of groups across the region. In 2014, he served as media director for the 2014 Curtis Cup, producing the Match program and related material His knowledge of St. Louis golf history is second to none.
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May 2015 24
DRIVE, CHIP AND PUTT
25
TheMetropolitan Metropolitan Amateur Golf Association • 11777 Clayton Rd. • St. Louis, Missouri 63131 314.567.MAGA • Fax: 314.261.9250 • info@metga.org
IMPORTANT INFORMATION USGA website: www.usga.org MAGA website: www.metga.org GHIN website: www.ghin.org
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