The Metropolitan
Amateur Golf Association
Jim Tom Blair a Missouri GOAT
The Metropolitan
May - June 2020
INSIDE
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3. Rules/Numbers 4. Curt’s Corner 5. In Memorium 6. Bogeyman 8. Jim Tom Blair 12. Reardon’s Scoop
14. Amateur Series 16. All’s Fair at the Open 22. Amateur Open Club 24. USGA Exemptions 26. A Hard 9 28. Kikuchi does it again
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By The Numbers
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The number of minutes city officials required Forest Park to stagger groups for the golf facility to re-open during the Covid-19 pandemic. Of course, all it takes is a par 3 or a slower group to fall out of place and compromise that gap out on the course. Just sayiin.’
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The four-day score Steve Spray shot to win the 1969 PGA Tour San Francisco Open at Harding Park Golf Club. With his 15-under total, the 28-year old Spray nipped Chi-Chi Rodriguez by a stroke to win to capture the final playing of that event.
The Provisional Ball Competing in the 2014 Normandie Amateur Championship, Tom Barry plays a provisional ball from the teeing area, which flys into a nearby residential yard and appears to come to rest in the same general location as his original ball. While searching - and making the sign of the cross - “Toz” discovers his original ball resting against a swing set, which is out of bounds. At the same time, he cannot find the provisional ball. What is the ruling?
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The 6-under par score Tiger Woods posted on Sunday of the 2018 PGA Championship at Bellerive Country Club. The score represents the lowest major championship round of Woods’ career. His tournament total 266 also remains the lowest of his major championship career - but it wasn’t good enough. Brooks Koepka had a second-round 63 and won the championship with a cumulative 264.
1. When he is done swearing and regretting his club selection, Barry must return to the teeing area where he will be making his third stroke.
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The number of wins Belleville’s Bob Goalby had on the PGA Tour, including the 1968 Masters Tournament. Goalby also had two PGA Tour Champions wins, a tour he helped establish in 1980. Goalby turned 91 earlier this year.
2. The proper ruling must be decided upon by the rules committee, since this siutation is not covered under any existing guidelines. 3. Barry is required to return to the teeing area where he will be making his fifth stroke. 4. Barry is alloted three minutes to make reparations to the homeowners and decide whether he wouldn’t be better off at a bowling alley.c
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The number of tournaments Jay Randolph won as an amateur, a few moons ago. A fine college player at George Washington University, Randolph won the Egyptian Amateur championship in Cairo in 1956, the Collegiate Southern Golf Conference championship in ‘ ‘57, and the Washington D.C. Amateur in 1958. Upon graduation, he turned to broadcasting, where he has been winning for more than 60 years.
Answer With reference to Rule 18.2a; Rule 18.2b; Rule 18.3, the correct answer is No. 3. In such a situation, the player must return to the teeing area where he or she wil be making a fifth stroke. 3
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MAGA STAFF
Curt’s Corner
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Curt Rohe - Executive Director
Curt Rohe - curt@metga.org 2020 P.J. Boatwright Interns
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 (Local and Sectional) US Senior Open US Amateur US Mid-Amateur US Girls’ Junior Amateur US Women’s Mid-Amateur US Junior Amateur US Senior Amateur US Senior Women’s Amateur US Women’s Open US Amateur Four-Ball US Women’s Amateur Four-Ball
ADVISORY COMMITTEE Scott Thomas, Chairman Dustin Ashby Tom Barry Skip Berkmeyer Chris Kovach Ryan Eckelcamp Tom Portner Curt Rohe
2020 P.J. BOATWRIGHT INTERNS Chase Phillps Jacob Skudlarczyk Hcase Holland
Well, welcome back after we took a month hiatus in May due to COVID-19 and the postponement of MAGA championships and events. To say it feels great to be conducting events finally in 2020 is the understatement of the year! What a crazy spring it has been and now we roll into summer with events rolling along. Alas, it is still awkward with the differing guideline from county to county, state to state in our case with upcoming events in Illinois. However, through all of this so far our participating levels are up in the first few events and it is wonderful seeing the competitors back on the course. We had an unbelievable start to the season with the 15th Metropolitan Open Championship at Lake Forest Country Club June 18-20. Changing venues after 14 years as St. Albans was seamless and the players received an unbelievable experience from the Lake Forest membership. The golf course played as well as could have been expected and we had a great champion in Seth Fair from Indiana. Many, many thanks to the Lake Forest contingent who helped with the volunteers that ultimately made the championship a great success. The 2nd 9-Hole Championship was played on June 27 at Ballwin Golf Club, with 55 players teeing it up on the 9-hole gem in West County. Even had 16-time Women’s Amateur Champ Ellen Port tee it up and come away with yet another MAGA title, Low Gross Women’s Division. Wrapping up June we had our 21st Junior Amateur Championship at Westborough Country Club. Look for all of those results later in this issue. Thank you all for reading The Metropolitan and it is good to be back on schedule for the remainder of the 2020 season. Enjoy the work of Dan O’Neill in this issue as he highlights the man behind the trophy - Jim Tom Blair - and the history of Meadowbrook Country Club. Keep golfing and we will be back in a month. curt@metga.org
THE METROPOLITAN EDITOR Dan O’Neill
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In Memorium John Stephen Spray - May 15, 2020 As the head professional at St. Louis Country Club for more than 30 years, Steve Spray was the epitomy of class and dignity. Before that, and before being hampered by injuries, he was a prominent player as both an amateur and professional, a resume that included his victory in the 1969 PGA Tour San Francisco Open. Spray passed away in Chesterfield, Mo. on May 15. Spray was born in Des Moines, IA and grew up in Indianola, IA. He played college golf at the University of Iowa and then Eastern New Mexico University, where he won the NAIA Championship in 1962 and ‘63. He then spent several years pursuing a career on the PGA Tour. In 1967, he missed a 40-foot birdie putt on the 92nd green and finished second at the Sahara Invitational in Las Vegas, one stroke behind Jack Nicklaus. In 1968, he tied for fifth at the U.S. Open at Oak Hill Country Club, won by Lee Trevino. “You know, I had some good finishes on the Tour and I was in the top 70 or so for a few years,” Spray said years later. “But I never was able to reach the top 10 or 20. In those days, that was the only way you could make a decent amount of money. “I was a journeyman. Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer had to have someone to beat, and I was one of those guys.” He also was a guy with a slew of injuries. A tendinitis problem in the left thumb forced him to change his grip and back surgery in 1974 slowed him further. In 1976, Spray gave up the touring pro dream to accept the job offer from SLCC. Always pragmatic about his PGA Tour experience, Spray never regretted the decision. “I had a wife and two kids, so when the club job came along, it wasn’t hard to say “yes,” Spray said years later. His humility notwithstanding, Spray was bit more than “a journeyman” at the ‘69 San Francisco Open at Harding Park, site of this year’s PGA Championship. During the third round, he poured in five brdies on the back nine to card a 30 and tie the course record of 5-under 66. In the final round, he protected the lead with 17 straight pars, then drained a 6-foot putt to birdie the 18th and edge the flamboyant Chi-Chi Rodriguez by a stroke. First place paid a much-needed $20,000. In subsequent years, Spray had some starts in PGA Tour Champions events, but never considered giving up his career at SLCC to again try playing full-time. “I don’t play as much as I once did,” he said in an interview before retiring from SLCC in 2012, “but I enjoy playing with the members, being with them.” Steve had several other wins, including the 1964 Iowa Open, the ’73 New Mexico Open and ‘73 Arisona Open. During his 37 years as a head pro in St. Louis, he won the Gateway Section PGA Championship in 1977 and ‘79. In 1984, he was named the Gateway Section PGA Player of the Year. Spray and his daughter Stephanie also operated Normandie Golf from 1990-94. In 2009, he was was inducted into the Iowa Golf Hall of Fame. Steve Spray’s life, however, was not just about golf. He is survived by his daughter, Stephanie Spray (and her husband John Stiehr); his son, John Spray Jr. and his sister, Mary Moorman. He was a Steve Spray reacts to his birdie beloved father, grandfather, uncle, friend and mentor to many. And he will be missed putt to win the 1969 San as one of the most respected figures in the St. Louis golf community. Francisco Open.
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The Bogeyman Dan O’Neill - Managing Editor
Meadowbrook is a special place for Amateur Come August - God willing and the pandemic don’t rise - the 30th Metropolitan Amateur will be conducted at Meadowbrook Country Club. The date is special for both the competition and the club. The winner of the championship will have his name added to the prestigious Jim Tom Blair Trophy, 10 years after Blair passed away at the age of 79, he remains one of the greatest amateurs Missouri ever has known. What’s more, the 2020 championship comes 60 years after the dedication of Meadowbrook at its present location in Ballwin, Mo. Now, the old Bogeyman might be confused for Ronald McDonald long before he’d be mistaken for Charles Blair Macdonald, but he always has considered Meadowbrook to be among St. Louis’ most endearing golf facilities. Meadowbrook doesn’t have a U.S. Open, PGA or Ryder Cup in its closet, but it has charming qualities and a fascinating history of its own. The club originally opened in the Overland area, a public facility bordered by Lackland and Midland avenues. At a time when the city of St. Louis stretched north and south, the Meadow Brook Club straddled the end of the streetcar run that followed the same path. In 1944, as World War II impacted business everywhere, the public venue went private. Meadowbrook Country Club was established and as war ended, membership grew. In 1946, Frank Moore, became Meadowbrook’s head professional. The brother of Cardinals center fielder Terry Moore, Frank Moore was considered the best player in St. Louis at the time. However, in 1950, he left Meadowbrook to run a bowling establishment he partly owned with celebrated brother. What can you say? Guess bowling was up his alley. On Dec. 12, 1957, disaster struck. A fire destroyed the clubhouse. Eventually, management was able to secure 320 acres of rural property at Kehrs Mill and Clayton Roads and plans were made for a new facility to include “the finest features of some of the finest clubs in the country,” promised club president Ben Blum. In March 1960, the doors opened and a few weeks later, so did the tee boxes. The 18 holes of golf designed by renowned architect Robert Bruce Harris became the talk of the golfing crowd. And with FHA financing, you could purchase a home in the new Claymont community for $20,000-$30,000. Quick! Sherman! To the WABAC Machine. Set the controls to 1960 … and call a realtor. In 2000, Meadowbrook underwent a renovation, headed by talented architect Keith Foster. In August of that same year, 6
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Ten years later, a home-cooked champion emerged once more, as Meadowbrook’s Eli Grant survived Brian Craig’s final-round 66 to capture the 2010 Metropolitan. That same evening, Sam Bradford completed 6 of 13 passes and suffered four sacks in his NFL debut, as the Rams lost an exhibition opener to the Minnesota Vikings. Good times, ay? Of course, the Rams are in Los Angeles now and Bradford is out of football altogether. The No. 1 pick in the 2010 NFL draft never made it big in the NFL, but he did make $130 million during an injury-hampered career, so he’s got that going for him … which is nice. As for Meadowbrook, it’s still here. And when the Jim Tom Blair Trophy is once more on the line at the 30th playing of the Metropolitan, the Beauty in Ballwin will shine once more.
A fire destroyed the Meadowbrok Country Club clubhouse and made the front page in December, 1957. Today, the repositioned club is a pristine postcard as it awaits the 30th playing of the MAGA Amateur Chamionship on Aug. 6-8.. 7
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.
As trophy suggests, Blair b whose winner is awarded with the Jim Tom
By Dan O’Neill
Blair Trophy. For entertainment purposes, if for no other
Blair was from a different era, to be sure.
reason, it’s always interesting to ponder a
Times were different, the game was different,
“Mt. Rushmore” for a particular sport.
the manner in which it was chronicled and
For Cardinals fans, the challenge is formidable
celebrated was different.
- selecting just four faces from so many
Blair was born and raised in Jefferson City,
favorites, so many Hall of Famers. For hockey
son of the late Missouri Gov. James Blair,
Blue-bloods, the process might be equally
who held office from 1957-61, Jim Tom
daunting, and try choosing a group of St.
accomplished a number impressive bullet
Louis NFL names from the Cardinals and
points in his life. He served in the Army after
Rams combined. Likewise, should you ponder
college. He established a highly successful
a Mt. Rushmore of amateur golf from the St.
insurance brokerage firm in St. Louis. He
Louis area, arguments abound. Would the
was an avid duck hunter and a member of
foursome be limited to men, or co-ed? Would
the Missouri Conservation Commission from
it include golf administrators, architects or …
1965-77.
cough! cough! … golf writers?
Moreover, he was a husband, a father of three
That’s probably a different mountain, maybe a
and a grandfather many times over. He also
molehill.
was among the founders of the Metropolitan
But you get the point, it’s treacherous ground
Amateur Golf Association and a friend to so
to tred. And yet, one thing is certain. Any Mt.
many on the local golf scene. Interspersed
Rushmore of amateur golf in St. Louis, any
between and around all of it, he was the
short list of the Greatest Of All Time - aka
essence of what it meant to be an amateur, or
“GOAT” - would include Jim Tom Blair III.
at least, what it used to mean.
Ten years have passed since Blair died of
He was a player. Man, he was a player.
complications from multiple sclerosis. He was
“What amazed me about Jim Tom was his
79. And many more years have come and
ability to hit all of the golf shots,” said Jim
gone since Blair was a prominent competitive
Holtgrieve, another Mt. Rushmore candidate.
figure in amateur golf. The time lapse makes
“During U.S. Open qualifying at Westwood
the name incognizant to those who compete
Country Club once, I was paired with Jim
for the Metropolitan Amateur Championship,
Tom. The 15th hole is a slight dogleg right,
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belongs with the GOATs and of course I hit a hook into the left rough. “Jim Tom told me that if I was ever going to be a good golfer, I would have to learn how to hit a fade. He worked the ball both ways and I was simply amazed. He was a wonderful person. He could be tough. But as I said, he was very kind to me and tried to help me.” As a junior at Jefferson City High, Blair won the Missouri High School golf championship in 1948. He went on to play golf at Oklahoma A&M, which later morphed into the college golf powerhouse Oklahoma State. After graduating college, and returning from Army duty, Blair became a prominent amateur in both local and national events. He won the state amateur twice (1952, ’55) and finished runner-up four times, including a 39-hole loss to Bill Stewart in the 1957 finale. In that same state championship, he also was the 36-hole stroke
Championship three times, including backto-back in 1967-68, and won three St. Louis District titles. What Blair did on a national basis was even more extraordinary.
play medalist four times.
................................................................................
He captured the highly regarded Phil Cotton
(continued on page 10) 9
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Cary Middlecoff (left) smiles as he presents the low amateur award to Jim Tom Blair and his mother, Emilie, at the 1956 Phoenix Open. Blair led the championship for 36 holes before finishing in a tie for tied for third.
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Blair
...........................................
(continued from page 9)
In 1951, he lost in the final match to the “Toledo Strongman” Frank Stranahan at the Western Amateur. At that time, the Western Amateur was among the premier championships in the country. Blair was a powerhouse in his own right. In 1955, he stunned everyone at the Tam O’Shanter in Chicago when he slammed a 375-yard drive down the middle of the 18th fairway on a 410yard par 4. Problem was, there was a river in front of the green, which is where Blair’s shot splashed down. He took a triple-bogey 7 on the hole and lamented, “I should have used a spoon instead of a driver.” Blair qualified for 11 U.S Amateurs, played in six U.S. Opens and two U.S. Senior Opens. During the ‘50s and early ‘60s, he often played in PGA Tour events as an amateur. And while times were different, his log of making 42 cuts in 51 PGA Tour starts is no less remarkable. He won the California State Fair Championship, New Orleans Invitational and Upper New York Championship, among other tournaments. In 1956, at the age of 26, he led the PGA Tour Phoenix Open for 36 holes before finishing tied for third four shots behind winning pro Cary Middlecoff. Make no mistake, Blair could play with the best. But, despite the skills and the encouragement he realized competing in such events, Blair never turned pro. He was torn at times, to be sure, and he often pondered the possibility. But in 1962, Blair was leading
his second match of the Trans-Miss at Old Warson Country Club when he was called off the golf course. He was informed his mother and father had died in a tragic accident, poisoned in their home by a carbon monoxide leak. Jim Tom was 30 at the time, but he became much older. The idea of playing tournament golf and becoming an absent parent became unacceptable. “I like to have dinner with my wife and kids,” he told St. Louis Post-Dispatch correspondent Bill Beck. “If you’re going to play tournament golf, you don’t have time for that.” So he remained a true amateur. And he remained, to the very end, a remarkable player. 11
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Guest Columnist Dan Reardon
U.S. Open Memories: A Norman Scoop (Editor’s note: Dan Reardon has covered golf for KMOX NewsRadio 1120 AM for some 35 years.) If there actually is a U.S. Open this year, and if media are allowed to attend, it will be my third trip to Winged Foot Golf Club - which includes Davis Love III’ s “rainbow” PGA win in 1997 and Phil Mickelson historic U.S. Open collapse in 2006.. Comfortably north of 100 majors on my golf coverage resume, I often am asked about all-time favorites. Jack Nicklaus at Augusta in 1986 and Hale Irwin’s 1990 U.S .Open win at Medinah frequently come to mind. Seldom do I mention one that has a personal element of pride involved, the 1988 U.S. Open at the Country Club at Brookline, won by Curtis Strange. Brookline is one of the most historic venues in golf, a charter member of the USGA. It’s the site of the greatest upset in golf history - amateur Francis Ouimet’s U.S. Open win in 1913. But the club has not frequently played host to professional golf. Since Ouimet’s epic win, the U.S. Open (1963) has returned only once to Brookline, although the national championship is set to return in 2022. In my third year of covering golf for KMOX in ‘88, my primary on air duties were leaderboard updates in hourly newscasts. But I thought of myself as a correspondent and looked for news that I could use to flavor my reports. I made a point to spend time on the course each day, a lesson I learned from the legendary Herbert Warren Wind. With second-round play well underway in the late morning, I was walking the course when I saw a crowd gathered near a first aid tent in the vicinity of the tenth hole. I didn’t need to be Bob Woodward to investigate. As I got closer, I saw Australian Greg Norman was the focus of the galleries, and easily recognizable with his cowboy style golf hat. They were placing ice on his left wrist, which already rested in a sling. I found a marshal who had been with Norman’s group and asked what happened. He said that on the niith hole - one hole earlier - Norman played a shot out of long grass and struck a buried rock with his swing. At the time, Norman was the No. 1 player in the world and had been for the better part of two years. Armed with the injury news, I hurried back to the media center. When I arrived, I asked at the USGA information desk what they were saying about Norman. They had no idea what I was talking about. I realized then that I had a scoop! Not scheduled for a report until later that day, I nonetheless called the sports office at KMOX to relay the news. I told the radio personality on duty that “Greg Norman was withdrawing from the Open with an injured wrist.” Mindful I was a school teacher moonlighting in the media, the veteran broadcaster challenged the information. He emphasized there was nothing on the wire to corroborate my story. I stood fast, reiterating that Norman was iced and in a sling - and I didn’t care what was on the wire. With that, I left it in the hands of that KMOX personality to make the call. Norman, in fact, withdrew and afterward said, “It’s probably the lowest point in my career. I’ve never pulled out of a tournament before.” More than 30 years later I still don’t know if the station put my scoop on the air. What I do know is that I reported it and to this day, it remains a moment of pride. 12
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Metropolitan Amateur Series
First shots fired at The Landings The pandemic postponed golf season took the wraps off with the playing of the first 2020 Amateur Series event at The Landings at Spirit in Chesterfield, Mo. A pristine day greeted 51 amateurs, eager to put the ball in the air and compete in the Series, which is sponsored by Imperial Headwear. The inaugural 18-hole tournament proved to be quite a horse race, with three strokes or less separating first and second place in four of the five divisions. The Metropolitan
Amateur Series is comprised of six events throughout the summer, designed to accommodate players of all skill levels and ages. Events are bracketed into five divisions: Scratch Open, Net Open, Senior Open, Senior Net and Super Senior Net (65 and older). At season’s end, Oct. 3-4, a two-day invitational championship will be conducted at the Quarry. Series members will earn points during the six -event season to earn a spot in the championship final.
Amateur Series Results Open Division
1st – Ryan Higgins: +3 2nd – Colin Stolze: +3 3rd – Colin Hall: +4 Open Net 1st – Justin Zhang: -2 2nd – Dwayne Leslie: +4 3rd – John Davis: +5 Senior Open 1st – David Rudd: E 2nd – Terry Souchek: +3 3rd – James Storey: +3 Senior Net 1st – John Schranck: -4 2nd – William Abanathie: -3 3rd – John Epps: -1 Super Senior Net: 1st – Lendell Phelps: -6 2nd – King Edmonston: -5 3rd – Stephen Weinstock: -3
Steve Rommerskirchen
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Terry Souchek
Welcome to the MAGA 15
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Streaking Fair capture
Seth Fair blasts out of a bunker (above) and kisses the trophy (middle). Amateur Reilly Ahearn (below) made the cut..In upper right, MAGA director Curt Rohe presents Ryan Ecklekamp (right) with the low amateur medal, whille Steve Kupcho (lower right) finished T26..
No question about it, Seth Fair has caught the virus. But don’t worry, there will be no need for contact tracing, self-quarantine or any pandemicprotecting measures. It’s not that virus. Fair
has a winning virus. The Indianapolis product fired a Saturday 68 to capture the 15th Metropolitan Open on Saturday, June 20 at Lake Forest Country Club. Although he began the final round two shots off the lead of Kevin Kring (Springfield, MO), Fair’s 3-under-par finish covered the ground and then some. His 54-hole score of 8-uder 205 (67-70-68) landed two shots clear of runner-up Brian Doyle (Louisville, KY), who finished with 20(67-68-72). “I won last Tuesday (June 16), which was a one-day event (in Dayton, OH),” Fair said. “And I won a tournament in Florida in February. So, I’ve won the last three I’ve played in. It’s just nice to be back playing golf, but winning obviously is the best.” Prevailing at Lake Forest was especially gratifying for Fair, who missed getting a Korn Ferry Tour card by a single 16
stroke last year. “That was tough, bu that’s golf,” he said, “sometimes you up on the wrong side of it.” Fair began his trip to the right side o the Open with a birdie at par-3 No. and a momentum-building par on N 9 - a par 5 for members that played 504-yard par 4 for the championshi “I hit a great drive on No. 9,” said Fa who turned 33 two days after the O “Then I hit a 5-iron to about 40 feet I was able to roll that in. And 9 is pr bly one of the toughest par 4s I’ve ever played. So I felt like that was an extra bonus going into the back 9.” Holding a onestroke lead, Fair was in the middle of the p fairway at No. 18 when weather con tions brought play to a halt. “I wasn thrilled with the delay,” he said, “bu kind of got a better idea of where I s and I knew I only needed par on the last.” Easier said than done. When play re
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s Metropolitan Open
ut u end
of 8 No. d as a ip. air, Open. t, and roba-
par-5 ndin’t ut I stood e
e-
sumed one hour 10 minutes later, Fair knocked his second shot in a bunker short of the green. He had a difficult uphill third shot to a deep hole location. But he managed his par. Meanwhile, two groups behind, Doyle doubled No. 17 to fall further back. “I didn’t make it any easier on myself,” acknowledged Fair, who pocketed $20,000 for first place. “But all in all, I was just really happy with the way I played. The golf course is really good, the volunteers and everyone who puts on the championship... It’s just first-class all the way. “ While the field was thick with traveling pros, two St. Louis-area amateurs - Ryan Eckelkamp (7371-77) and Reilly Ahearn (72-72-78) — made the 36-hole cut. Eckelkamp won the Missouri MidAmateur and East Side Amateur in 2017, before qualifying into the 2019 U.S. Mid-Amateur. He’s not without credits, and the low amateur finish at Lake Forest certainly belongs with them. “It’s a tough track and a tough field,” said Eckelkamp, a Washington Mo. product. “I like to try playing with these guys whenever I have the chance. It reminds me how big the pond is and how little a fish I am.”
St. Louis pro Chris Naegel (70-69-70) finished tied for 6th. St. Louisan Justin Bardgett (69-71-71), an assistant golf coach at the University of Illinois, finished T13 and edged the boss, Illinois head coach Mike Small (68-76-69), who was T20. Griffen Locke (70-71-72) from Joplin, MO was also T20.
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Story by Dan O’Neill. Chase Holland Photos
Hello Old Friend Closed in early April due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the golf facilites at Forest Park were allowed to re-open to “The Park� faithful on May 24. Management is continuing to impliment CDC and government guidelines to protect the health and safety of players.
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Supe’s On Jimmy Bucher Norwood Hills Country Club
Bunkers play a major role in golf strategy, golf maintenance, and architecture. Bunkers originated on the Seaside Links of Scotland when sheep would find protection from the cold North Sea winds behind the rolling hills and flock tightly together wearing a hole into the ground, known as a bunker. The simplicity of this bunker was a common part of golf up until the late 1970’s. However, starting in the 1980’s, high quality bunker construction became the norm in golf maintenance, and it continues to evolve today. The rules of golf state a bunker is a hazard consisting of a prepared area of ground, often hollow, from which turf or soil has been removed and replaced with sand or like. In regards to bunker renovation and construction, design is the first key thing to consider. There are no rules on the shape or size of a bunker, but during the design and construction phase, the one guideline is that a bunker be of sufficient depth or confirmation to prevent golfers from playing out of the bunker as easily as from a fairway or greenside lie in grass. Once the artistry of the architect is
From simp into comple
finished and the design and location have been set, then construction can begin. The first part of construction is the survey and staking of the bunker design. Once that is achieved, a small bulldozer or backhoe will begin carving and shaping the earth into a bunker. Sand contamination is a major problem with bunkers due to surface water running into the bunker and washing soil into the bottom. Therefore, when shaping a bunker, it is important to direct surface water away from the face. After shaping, subsurface drainage is installed in the bunker floor to prevent water from pooling excess rainfall. The drainage in the bunker connects to a larger drain line that will take it to a stream or retention pond. Golf courses are like small cities, in that there are miles of sewer/drainage, electrical cables, and irrigation pipes underground. After shaping and drainage are complete, and before sand is added, a liner can be installed to minimize washouts. A bunker liner is a porous, textured material that allows sand to adhere to bunker faces and water to drain freely. This will help prevent bunker faces from washing out during a heavy rain. They also minimize the contamination of sand which improves the consistency and playability of the bunkers. In order to allow fair play and prevent “fried egg” ball position, there are certain criteria to consider when selecting the sand for the bunkers. These are particle size distribution, particle shape, color composition, and purity. After the sand is selected and added to the bunker at a depth of 3 to 4 inches, sod or seed is placed on the bunker surrounds to finish the project. Golfers, superintendents, and architects have worked together to extend the life of a bunkers through; design, drainage, sand selection, and maintenance practices. Bunker construction has become an elaborate and expensive process over the last 30 years with intentions to improve playability and consistency. Like many things on the golf course, a bunker looks simple on the surface. But there are many facets of infrastructure involved. 20
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ple origins, bunkers have evolved ex elements of golf maintenance
The 15th hole at Norwood Hills Country Club West Course.
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Amateur Open Club
New program brings exciteme A unique, new golf competition in St Louis and all MAGA regions aims to benefit Youth on Course. The Amateur Open promises to make every round of golf exciting and rewarding through a summer-long competition. Golfers can simply post their scores from their rounds to get on a region-wide leaderboard and win gift certificates to local golf establishments. How it works: 1. Men and women 21 years and older can register in the Amateur Open of STL Club for $50 (if you already have a handicap, you can still register on the platform by paying $30); Players can use special promo code WEL20 for this inaugural season and save $20.
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2. Pick a partner and play on any course and set of tees; golfers can compete as a team or individual or both ($5 for each competition). A portion of this fee will directly benefit Youth on Course in Kansas City. 3. Get on weekly and weason leaderboards by posting your hole by hole scores on GHIN app or by uploading the picture of your completed scorecard 4. Play a minimum of 8 rounds between June 29 – Sept. 6 to become eligible for season points race prizes. 5. At the end of the season there will also be an 18-hole Amateur Open Championship.
The idea
The Amateur Open is made up of working professionals
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ent, opportunities for juniors who are eager to grow the game. “We are really passionate about the game especially since it makes competition across skill levels possible, more so with the World Handicap System,” said club founder, Som Chilukuri. “We realized that there is no real platform for golfers to connect with a larger picture across a region or season. Leagues are typically limited to a course and a group. We thought it would be really cool to make each round count for every golfer.” The club emphasizes three main themes - celebrating the “compete with yourself ” aspect of the game - creating winning possibilities across skill levels - and fostering a vibrant community of recreational, yet competitive golfers. “Golf to us is an avenue to unify people in a great competitive setting with no barriers at all on skill levels, age, and gender or whatsoever,” Chilukuri said. “And with The Amateur Open, we are able to do that without needing to physically come together at a single event or course” The Support Metropolitan Amateur Golf Association supports The Amateur Open values and mission to create competitive golf opportunities, while bringing the community together. MAGA has consulted with The Amateur Open to provide
league management best practices, making it a certified
MAGA League. The Amateur Open is also supported by an advisory panel from Incub8 Startup Studios, a Silicon Valley-based technology incubation company. www.incub8.vc Youth on Course “We are excited that 10% of each round’s proceeds will directly benefit Youth on Course,” said Curt Rohe, MAGA executive director. Youth on Course allows junior golfers in our region to play at participating facilities for only $5 (or less) per round. This program allows junior golfers in our community access to playing golf they otherwise would not have. Learn more at youthoncourse.org. Interested in learning more about The Amateur Open? Visit theamateuropen.com to register. 23
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USGA announces exemption
U.S. Open, U.S. Amateur and U.S. Women’s Open forced
The USGA has announced the exemption criteria for a 144-player field, set to compete in the U.S Open, Sept. 1720 at Winged Foot in Mamaroneck, NY. The news came in late June, a month after the USGA canceled all qualifying for its premier men’s championship because of the coronavirus pandemic. Most of the existing exemptions remain in place, but the organization has added several new categories to include Korn Ferry Tour points leaders and top-ranked amateur players. “We looked at every possible scenario to have qualifying, it’s in our DNA, it’s our cornerstone to USGA championships, and we take great pride in that. We view our championships as the ultimate meritocracies in golf where you earn your way in,” John Bodenhamer, the USGA’s senior managing director of championships, told GolfChannel. com. “Obviously, we couldn’t do it this year, so what was our starting point? It was to create representative fields as best we could. “Looking back at the data of the last several years of what U.S. Open fields have typically looked like, we tried to create exemption pathways so that when we get to the first tee of that first round, fans, media and players will look at the field and say, ‘They didn’t have qualifying but they got pretty close to what a U.S. Open would normally look like.’” Among the 84 players identified as qualifiers was Phil Mickelson, who benefitted from a decision to expand the Official World Golf Ranking cutoff from top 60 to top 70. Mickelson was ranked No. 61 on the selected cutoff date of March 15. The USGA also will exempt the top two finishers, not otherwise exempt, in non-major PGA Tour events beginning with the Memorial Tournament and ending with the Wyddham Championship. The top three finishers will be taken from the PGA Championship on Aug. 6-9 at TPC Harding Park. And the the top five finishers in aggregate points from the European Tour’s five-event U.K. series receive spots. Additional categories include the top five in Korn Ferry Tour regular-season and Finals points, the top seven in the 24
World Amateur Golf Ranking after the U.S. Amateur, Order of Merit leaders on several international tours, as well as special exemptions. We’re excited because we thought a little creatively about not just going straight down the rankings but adding some of these play-your-way-in opportunities,” Bodenhamer said. “This isn’t perfect, it doesn’t replace qualifying, it will be a one-off this year in what will be a very unique year.” The Official World Golf Rankings as of Aug. 23 will be used to fill out the field and determine the alternate list. Entries will open July 15 and close Aug. 26. Earlier in June, the USGA also announced the list for exemptions into the 120th U.S. Amateur, which also had no qualifying. Exempt players who wish to participate in the Amateur at Bandon Dunes must file a an entry application by July 8 at 5 p.m. EDT. (Blank entries will be filed by the USGA for players who become exempt after close of entries.) The exemption list includes: *Winners of the U.S. Amateur Championship the last ten years (2010-2019) * Runners-up of the U.S. Amateur Championship the last three years (2017-2019) * Semifinalists of the U.S. Amateur Championship the last two years (2018-2019) * Round of 64 from the 2019 U.S. Amateur Championship * Any player who qualified for the 2019 U.S. Open Championship
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on slots for championships
d to balance fields without qualifying tournaments * From the U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship, winners in 2016-2019; runners-up in 2018-2019 and quarterfinalists in 2019. * From the U.S. Junior Amateur Championship, winners in 2016-2019; runners-up in 2018-2019 and quarterfinalists in 2019. * From the U.S. Senior Amateur Championship, winners in 2016-2019 and runners-up in 2018-2019. Winners of the 2019 U.S. Amateur Four-Ball Championship * Playing members of the United States and Great Britain & Ireland Walker Cup Teams, four year exemption once appointed to the team (2017 & 2019). Playing members of the two most current United States World Amateur Teams (2016 & 2018) * Winners of The British Amateur Championship (five year exemption) (2016-2019) * Winners of the most current Asia-Pacific Amateur and Latin America Amateur Championships. * Winners and runners-up of the 2020 North & South Amateur and Western Amateur Championship, and winners and runners-up (including ties) of the 2020 Southern Amateur and Sunnehanna Amateur Championships. * From the current Men’s World Amateur Golf Ranking®/ WAGR® the top 25-ranked players as of June 24, 2020. * Players exempt under this category must file an entry
prior to the close of entries. Also from the current Men’s WAGR, the top 25-ranked players using the WAGR Age Filter as of June 24, 2020. Players must be age 25 on or before August 10, 2020. * Special exemptions as selected by the USGA. Requests must be submitted via the Preliminary Application by July 8, 2020 at 5 p.m. EDT. Meanwhile, the U.S. Women’s Open, scheduled for Dec. 10-13 at Champions Club in Houston, filled 100 spots with the exemptiona announced. There were 45 more exempt spots, as well as 11 more tee times to be identified. Many likely will be filled off the Rolex Women’s World Rankings. The Women’s Open exemption categories include spots for the top two not otherwise exempt from among the top-10 finishers at championships still to be played, as late as the ShopRite Classic (Oct. 1-4). The top three not otherwise exempt from the top-10 finishers at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship (Oct. 8-11) also will get spots. Players who are not already exempt can earn a berth from their position on LPGA tour’s 2020 official money list (top 10) or the Symetra Tour’s official money list (top 5) through Nov. 11. the final rankings on the 2019 LET Order of Merit and the final money lists on the 2019 Japan LPGA Tour, Korean LPGA Tour and China LPGA Tour will round out the field.
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The 2020 MAGA 9-hole championship was conducted on Saturday June, 27 at Ballwin Golf Club. More than 50 golfers teed it as the competition was separated into five divisions. Among the more prominent players in the field was Ellen Port, pracaticing her competitive chops in the Women’s Division. A winner of seven USGA championships during her distinguished career, Port demonstrated she’s still a player to be reckoned with, firing a 2-under 34 to capture Women’s Low Gross. On the flipside, Michael Fowler shot a 3-under 33 to edge Tony Nolfo by a stroke nd capture the Men’s Low Gross. Other winners are featured at left around the picturesque swing of Lucy Bloomstran.
A Hard 9
The 9 Hole Championship Winner’sCircle Women’s Divisioon Low Gross- Ellen Port (upper left) Low Net Emily Bloomstran (swinging) Men’s Division Low Gross - Michael Fowler (upper right) Low Net - Steve Mueller (not pictured) Senior Women’s Division Low Gross - Renie Compton (middle left purple shirt) Low Net - Alicia Anderson (with Compton) Senior Men’s Division Low Gross (tie) Schooner Fitzgerald (middle right) and Joseph Correnti (not pictured) Low Net - Craig Gravatte (lower left) Junior Division Low Gross – James Sherstoff (lower right) - Chase Holland photos -
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Kikuchi, Muth prevail at Junior Amateur
What could possibly top winning a Metropolitan Junior Amateur Championship? Winning two in a row, of course. After three separate rain delays stretched a two-day event into three days and a July 1 conclusion, Momo Kikuchi did just that, carding a 36-hole total of 152 at Westborough Country Club, securing the Barbara A. Berkmeyer 2020 MAGA Junior Amateur Resuts Trophy in the Girls 16-18 age catWestborough Country Club, par-68 egory for the second consecutive year. Reese Reinhardt couldn’t keep Barbara A. Berkmeyer Championship 1 Momo Kikuchi (The Quary) 73 79 152 pace, but played well in challenging 2 Reese Reinhardt (Tapawing0) 91 86 177 conditions to finish runner-up. James M. Holtgrieve Championship 1 Andrew Muth (Tapawingo) 70 T2 Drew Barclay (WingHaven) 71 T2 Ryan Walsh (Forest Hills) 69 T2 Jack Wooldridge (Forest Hills) 69 T5 Blake Skornia (Algonquin) 72 T5 Sam Fix (Westborough) 72 Boys Age 12-13 Division 1 Wynston Weiler (Norwood Hills) 71 2 Owen Walther (Youth On Course) 79 3 Shota Tiger Kikuchi (The Quarry) 88 4 John DeLuca (Forest Hills) 84 Boys Age 14-15 Division 1 Aidan O’Keefe (Youth On Course) 75 2 Colby Sauer (Meadowbrook) 71 3 Max Sigman (WingHaven) 76 4 Tim Powers (Glen Echo) 77 5 John Chapman (Greenbriar Hills) 76 Girls’ Age 12-13 Division 1 London Fitzgerald (The Quarry) 86 2 Addy Surber (Forest Hills) 83 3 Avery McLaughlin (Bellerive) 84 4 Reese Robson (Westborough) 92
67 71 73 73 73 73
137 142 142 142 145 145
74 89 84 90
145 168 172 174
73 77 74 74 81
148 148 150 151 157
79 82 86 89
165 165 170 181
In the first round, returning champ on Braden Hoisington left his mark with a hole in one at the par 3 No 4 But it wasn’t enough to stop Andrew Muth, who fired a 1-under 67 in the final round to finish 1-over 137 and win the James M. Holtgrieve Troph in the Boys’ 16-18 category.
Drew Barclay, Ryan Walsh, and Jack Wooldridge finished in a three-way tie for second, five strokes off Muth’ lead. Meanwhile, Aiden O’Keefe cap tured the Boys 14-15 Division, whil Wynston Weiler won the Boys 12-1 slot and London Fitzgerald won in the Girls 12-13 bracket.
The Junior Amateur winners pictured includ (back
round), Andrew Muth (upper left), Wynston W London Fitzgerald (lower left) and Aidan O’ left). Braden Hoisington (lower right), scored No. 4 during the first round of the champio ough Country Club.
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r
, r
p g
pik 4. w e d hy
k y h’s ple 13
de Momo Kikuchi
Weiler (upper right), ’Keefe (far lower a hole in one on nship at Westbor-
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The Cure!
Finding it difficult to live with the lonely isolation of the pandemic? Try re-living some of the greatest moments in St. Louis sports history with former Post-Dispatch sportswriter Dan O’Neill and his captiving new books. Both are filled with spectacular pictures, colorful anecdotes and dynamic stories, highlighting the magical decade of the 1980s Cardnals, and the enchanting history of the Blues - culminating with last year’s stunning Stanley Cup championship. Both editions are available at area book stores or through online book purchasing websites. You won’t have to worry about social distancing, you’ll be to “Go crazy!” and lift Lord Stan-
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