6 minute read
All’s Fair at the Open
Streaking Fair captures Metropolitan Open
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 stroke last year. “That was tough, but that’s golf,” he said, “sometimes you end up on the wrong side of it.” Fair began his trip to the right side of the Open with a birdie at par-3 No. 8 and a momentum-building par on No. 9 - a par 5 for members that played as a 504-yard par 4 for the championship. “I hit a great drive on No. 9,” said Fair, who turned 33 two days after the Open. “Then I hit a 5-iron to about 40 feet, and I was able to roll that in. And 9 is proba 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 par-5 fairway at No. 18 when weather condi tions brought play to a halt. “I wasn’t thrilled with the delay,” he said, “but I kind of got a better idea of where I stood and I knew I only needed par on the last.” Easier said than done. When play re
Streaking Fair captures Metropolitan Open
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 (73- 71-77) 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.
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.
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
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.
