4 Curt’s Corner
11 Metropolitan Amateur Preview
A Glipse into the Amateur!
5 By The Numbers
14 Amateur Series Event #3
Event No. 3 at Glen Echo CC is in the books! Season Point Standings are in full swing.
16 Sobbe Cup
An Update on the Next Stage of the Sobbe Cup Matches.
Yardage Book
22 Sup’s On Environmental Impact of Golf
24 Rules Center
What is considered Advice?
An Allied Golf Association of the USGA providing a variety of golf services to clubs and golfers in the Metropolitan St. Louis, Central, and Southern Illinois region.
- Provide GHIN Handicap Service to 140+ Member Clubs under the World Handicap System
- Provide the USGA Course/Slope Rating service to our Member Clubs
- Regional authority on the Rules of Golf and Amateur Status
26 What’s Next for MAGA?
Monthly Schedule and Deadlines
27 POY
Player of the Year Standings Update for MAGA and SIGA. Where do you stand?
6 Metropolitan Women’s Amateur
The Regions best Women’s Golfer was crowned.
8 The SIGA Championship
Five Divisions competed to take home the trophy in Southern Illinois.
10 USGA Qualifiers
US Amateur and US Senior Amateur Qualifiers are Complete!
18 The Bogeyman
The APGA: Ascension Classic
29 Keeping Up with the USGA
Why posting your scores on the same day you played matters.
30 World of Golf
See the World’s Champions from the month of July
20 Golf Fitness Hub 32 Normandie Reimagined
Sway: Excessive lower body movement during your backswing.
An update on the renovation project of Normandie Golf Club and the UCamp.
- Conduct twelve (12) Metropolitan Championships each season
- Conduct USGA Qualifying for nine (9) USGA Championships each season
- Conduct three (3) Championships in Illinois
- Conduct the Amateur Series of Events for golfers of all ages and abilities
METROPOLITAN CHAMPIONSHIPS
Amateur Championship
Open Championship
Women’s Amateur Championship
Junior Amateur Championship
Senior Amateur Championship
Four-Ball Championship
9-Hole Championship
East Side Amateur
Old Warson Cup (Match Play Championship)
Shogren Cup (Match Play PGA Pros vs. MAGA Amateurs)
Sobbe Cup
Mid-America Junior Cup
Amateur Series
ILLINOIS CHAMPIONSHIPS
Southern Illinois Amateur
SIGA Championship
Tony Stevens Cup
USGA QUALIFYING ROUNDS
U.S. Open • U.S. Amateur
U.S. Mid-Amateur • U.S. Senior Amateur
U.S. Women’s Open • U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur
U.S. Junior Amateur • U.S. Girls’ Junior Amateur
U.S. Amateur Four-Ball
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Curt Rohe - curt@metga.org
DIRECTOR, MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS
Caroline Buchan - caroline@metga.org
2023 PJ BOATWRIGHT INTERNS
Anna Marriott, Communications
Josh Plohr, Operations
Amari Sewer, Operations
Scott Engelbrecht, President/Treasurer
Mike Marquart, Secretary
At Large Members
John Bugh
Stan Grossman
Kelli Kirchoff
Mike Marquart
Rick Meyer, Jr
John Moore
Mick Wellington
Scott Thomas, Chairman
Tom Barry
Skip Berkmeyer
Chris Kovach
Ryan Eckelcamp
Tom Portner
Curt Rohe
Dan O’Neill
MVGCSAA
Dr. Zach Cutler
Hello members! Our apologies for getting this July issue out a little late...the last week of July and first of August was a little crazy. I went for a week to Cincinnati, OH with the Ladies National Golf Association, our partner organization we provide administrative support for their two national championships. They had their 93rd Amateur in Cincinnati and it was a great week. Upon return it was full-bore Metropolitan Amateur week for our team and while Caroline reminded me to get Curt’s Corner in time got away from me.
July was a busy month...they are all busy we know. I want to take a minute to say thank you to our volunteers here, you can never do this enough. First, our Rules Committee, who I think is the best in business...they give us countless hours to ensure our championships and qualifiers are conducted at the highest level. We have welcomed some new faces to the Committee this summer who are gaining experience with our seasoned officials which is only going to make the future stronger. But if I missed saying thank you or they did not hear hear it...thank you for what you do for the Metropolitan Amateur Golf Association!
We have several NEW volunteers this season as well, our Scoring Committee! Many of our championships and qualifying rounds these volunteers have been out just to take scores and put them into Golf Genius for us to keep us informed on what is happening on the course. It has added a new level of LIVE scoring to our events and it is very much appreciated by the players and those following online...so thank you to our Scoring Committee volunteers!
While this is a little late and the Amateur took place, I will tease the reader that Peter Weaver captured the 33rd Metropolitan Amateur Championship at Persimmon Woods Golf Club! Full story and recaps will come in the August issue, but congratulations to Peter on capping off a heck of a summer.
Coming up this month we have the US Mid-Amateur Qualifying and the Metropolitan Senior Amateur Championship. The Mid-Am field is one of the largest and strongest I have even seen, 132 will tee it up at Forest Hills on August 14. The Senior Championship will take place August 28-29 at St. Clair Country Club, just a reminder this is for ALL seniors. We have the championship division but also have age divisions that play for Gross and Net awards, so if you are 50+ get on the site and register.
Thank you for reading and look forward to our final monthly issue in August where we recap the 33rd Metropolitan Amateur.
2 - The number of times - in succession - Buddy Allen has qualified for the U.S. Senior Amateur. Allen pulled off the repeat at Sunset Hills Country Club in Edwardsville, Ill. last month when he defeated Brett Allen of Columbia, Mo. in a playoff and earned the trip to Martis Camp Club in Truckee, Calif. Allen, who lives in Pevely, Mo., also played in the British Senior Amateur at Woodhall Spa Golf Club in England in early July. Not a bad summer so far, eh?
62 - The driver swing speed of an average women golfer is 62 miles per hour. That figure jumps to 96 mph for the average LPGA player. The average male golfer checks in at 84 mph, while the average PGA Tour player swings at 108 mph. For comparison, when he’s healthy Tiger Woods swings at around 128 mph. Meanwhile, Long drive competitor Ryan Winther has reached a top swing speed of 167.1 mph, which is a Guinness World Record.
59 - That’s how many putts from 10 feet and in Brian Harman made while winning the British Open at Royal LiverpoolGolf Club Hoylake last month. Oh, by the way, to be more specific, he made 59 out of the 60 attempts he had - that’s right, missed only once in 60 chances. Harman did not have a single three-putt during the week, while becoming the third left-handed swinger to win golf’s oldest championship, joining Bob Charles and Phil Mickelson. No surprise that he finished first in the championship for strokes gained/putting, gaining an incredible 11.57 strokes with his putter.
3.7 - The handicap index of Bret Baier, the Fox News anchor and self-proclaimed “golf nerd.” Baier was the captain of the golf team at Division III DePauw University in Greencastle, Ind. He also is a member at Congressional
Country Club and Pine Valley Golf Club. He shot a 72 from the members’ tees the first time he played at Augusta National, and has the scorecard framed and hanging on the wall in his office.after winning the 2010 NCAA individual championship at Illinois. The lefthander also won the Metropolitan Open.
25
- The number of years Persimmon Woods Golf Club has been open. The club will host the 33rd Metropolitan Amateur on Aug. 3-5 for the first time in 10 years. The last time the championship was conducted at Persimmon in 2013, Kyle Weldon joined David Estes as the only players to win the title back-to-back, repeating the championship he won in 2012 at Old Warson. “When you consider only one other player has won it back-toback and you look at the players who have won this, and some of the players who have not, it is a pretty special accomplishment,” Weldon told the Ol’ Bogeyman afterward. By the way, Estes won his consecutive titles in 1997-98.
9,473 - According to 2022 statistics, this is how many golf courses and country clubs there are in the United States. The number represented a decrease of 0.7% since 2021. That said, there appears to be more horses for the courses. According to Golf Datatech’s “Monthly Rounds Played Report” for April, 2023, play was up 7.8 percent compared with the same month a year ago. Likewise, year-to-date rounds played was up 3.1 percent compared with the first four months of 2022.
1 - The number of women who have made a cut in a PGA Tour event. The only one to do so is Babe Zaharias, who first accomplished the feat at the 1945 Los Angeles Open. That year she also made the cut at the Phoenix Open and the Tucson Open.
Thirty-three women came together to participate in this year’s Metropolitan Women’s Amateur Championship. Westborough Country Club provided a tight track that challenged the ladies over the course of two days. The Championship Flight played using gross scores, while Flights A through C used net scores.
In the Championship Flight, McKenna Montgomery of Persimmon Woods Golf Club fired a one-under (-1) par to sit in the solo lead after Round 1. The round started off rough for Montgomery, a former Lindenwood University golfer, with two bogeys in the first three holes, but she fought back to earn five birdies throughout her round. Behind Montgomery at two-over (+2) par are Kathy Glennon of the Country Club of St. Albans and defending champion Gracie Piar of Spencer T. Olin Golf Course tied for second. Glennon also had a rough start to her round with a bogey on Hole 1, but pushing through an up-anddown round with three birdies, she finds herself within range. Piar, a California State UniversityNorthridge golfer, also had an up-and-down round starting with a bogey, but fighting back after each fall, she finished the day with a birdie and just three back of the lead. Sitting tied for fourth are Peyton Cusick of the Metropolitan eClub and Tina Jones of the Country Club of St. Albans at four-over (+4) par.
Going into Round 2, McKenna Montgomery sat at the top of the leaderboardwith a three-stroke lead. Montgomery is no stranger to the winners circle, and knows what it takes to finish out a championship. Her round did not have any particular trends of up or down, other than a stretch of pars between holes 8 and 14, but it was enough to hold on at the top. Montgomery did finish her round strong with a birdie on Hole 16, as well as Hole 18, to finish with a Round 2 score of 71, even (E) par, and a total of 141, one-under (-1) par. Gracie Piar began her day tied for second place at two-over par. Piar, the defending champion, was looking to improve upon her game to climb up the leaderboard and maintain the trophy for a second year. As the day went on, her game seemed to improve, having made two bogeys on the third and fourth holes and finishing strong with three birdies in the last five holes. Piar definitely put the heat on Montgomery by posting a Final Round score of 69, two-under (-2) par. This brought her total to 142, even (E) par, one shot back, and in the Runner-Up position. With Piar unable to overtake
Montgomery, Montgomery claimed the title of the 31st Metropolitan Women’s Amateur. Kathy Glennon of the also started the day tied for second place. Through nine holes, she still held on to that T-2 position, but fell just short on the back. A Final Round score of one-over (+1), 72, left her three strokes back in solo third place with a total of 145.
Margaret Farrell of Westborough Country Club let her familiarity of the course guide her through the first round. Farrell sits at the top of Flight A with a net score of two-under (-2) par. Behind her, is Trish Friley of Persimmon Woods Golf Club with a net score of three-over (+3) par to sit in second. In Flight B, Anne Moreland of Westborough Country Club also used her knowledge of the course to make her way to the top of the leaderboard with a net even (E) par. The second place position after Round 1 is held by Cynthia Rank of Old Warson Country Club at net three-over (+3) par. Debra McGinnis of Florissant Golf Club also fired a net score of two-under (-2) par to take the lead in Flight C. Carol Stampley of Whitmoor Country Club is following behind her at net one-over (+1) par in solo second.
In Flight A, Margaret Farrell’s strong Round 1 score of 69 put her above the competition. Farrell, playing her home course, continued to try to use her familiarity of the course to her advantage. Though she was unable to duplicate her score from the first day, Farrell put together a round of net three-over (+3) par, which brought her total to 143, or one-over (+1) par. Jeanne Place, also of Westborough Country Club, began the day in third place, but used her knowledge of the course to move up the leaderboard. After a Round 1 score of four-over (+4) par, Place improved her score and started chasing down Farrell by bringing in a Final Round score of one-under (-1) par, 70. Farrell’s score still held strong to stay on top and be declared the winner, while Place took home the runner-up award.
Flight B saw a change up the morning of Round 2, after the Round 1 leader, Anne Moreland, had to withdraw from the competition. This left the door open for others to move into that spot. With the removal of Moreland, Cynthia Rank became the new leader at three-over (+3) par. Rank doubled down and improved her score by onestroke to post a Round 2 score of two-Over (+2) par, 73, and take claim on the top spot. Mary Terwelp of Spring Lake Country Club was four-strokes behind Rank before the day started, but was unable to catch her. Putting together a Final Round
score of 79, eight-over (+8) par, Terwelp finished as runner-up with a score of 157, while Rank would be flight winner.
In Flight C, Debra McGinnis held a three-stroke lead over her competitors after Round 1. McGinnis knew she would have to play well again to take home the hardware, and she delivered. Pulling out a score of 67, four-under (-4) par, in Round 2, McGinnis brought her championship total to a whopping 136, or six-under (-6) par. Carol Stampley sat in second place following the first round and decided to duplicate her performance. Stampley went back-to-back 72, finishing at two-over (+2) par for the championship. Unfortunately for Stampley, this was not enough to hold off Nancy Struckhoff of Ballwin Golf Club. Struckhoff woke up on the right side of the bed and came ready to put up a fight. She made her way around the course tallying up a score of four-under (-4) par for the day. This pushed Struckhoff ahead to stake claim on the runner-up position with a score of 142, even (E) par, just behind the Flight C winner McGinnis.
After two incredible days of golf, McKenna Montgomery finds herself hoisting the Jayne M. Watson Trophy for a third time. This makes Montgomery only the second player to have won the championship three times. It also makes her the second most winning champion of the Metropolitan Women’s Amateur behind Ellen Port, who has won a remarkable sixteen times. Margaret Farrell, Cynthia Rank, and Debra McGinnis all find themselves going home after these two days of golf with new hardware for their shelves from their respective divisions.
2023 marked the 99th year of the Southern Illinois Amateur Championship, held at Green Hills Golf Club. The event took place July 15th and 16th, with a field of 67 players. The first morning started out with overcast skies and a few sprinkles, but as the day went on, the weather progressed into a sunny afternoon. Starting at 7:30am, players made their way around the course and completed the day by 3:31pm.
In the Men’s Division, eleven players finished at par or better for Round 1. Aaron Coon of Kokopelli Golf Club and Jarrett James of the SIGA eClub top the leaderboard at three-under (-3) par. Following closely behind them, Dan Hagler of Crab Orchard Golf Club, Bryce Doughty of the SIGA eClub, and Bryan Warren of McLeansboro Golf Course sit tied for third at two-under (-2) par. The shot of the day came from Garrett Mott of the SIGA eClub when he sunk one into the hole on the par-three, Hole 7, for an ace.
There are five participants in the Women’s Division. Ally Suhre of the Gateway PGA Jr Golf Club brought in the lowest score in the division at five-over (+5) par. Not far behind was Emma Hill of the Metropolitan eClub at six-over (+6) par. Sitting in third was Ashleigh Reeves of Franklin County Country Club at eight-over (+8) par.
Next came in the Senior Division, where Joseph Malench of the Metropolitan eClub brought in the only score under par in the group of one-under (-1) par. Malench started out hot with three birdies in the first four holes. Hot on his heels are three players tied for second at even (E) par. David Pfeil of The Legends Country Club, Tom Portner of Green Hills Golf Club, and Mike Castellari of Metropolitan eClub all kept themselves from finishing over par and just one back of the lead. In the Super Senior Division, four players battled it out to sit at the top of the leaderboard. Barry Dalmasso of the SIGA eClub out played his competitors by finishing with a score of three-under (-3) par. Doug Hardacre of Franklin County Country Club sat in second place at five-over (+5) par.
The Boys’ Division rounded out the day. Trey Roessler of Annbriar Golf Course finished the day on top of the leaderboard at one-over (+1) par. Sitting behind him was Riley Knobeloch of the USGA/MetAmateur GC in solo second at six-over (+6) par.
The Final Round of the SIGA Championship at Green Hills Golf Club was an eventful day of golf. Starting at 7:30 in the morning with the Women’s Division and closing out tee times with the Men’s Division, all players made their way around the course by 3:00pm.
With the Women going off first, they were able to finish early. Never looking back, Emma Hill of the Metropolitan eClub birdied Hole 9 followed by a bogey-free back nine with five birdies. This brought Hill to three-under (-3) par for the day and three-over (+3) par for the championship to top the leaderboard. Ally Suhre of the Gateway PGA Jr Golf Club improved her score from Round 1 to Round 2 by four strokes. Suhre finished the day at one-over (+1) par and the tournament at six-over (+6) par to finish tied for second behind Hill. Ashleigh Reeves of Franklin County Country Club put together the only other round under par in this division. Reeves was tied with Hill through Hole 13, but a bad Hole 14 dropped her back. A birdie on Hole 18 brought Reeves to two-under (-2) par for the day and tied with Suhre for second at six-over (+6) par.
The Senior Men’s Division continued their fight for the top today. Joseph Malench of the Metropolitan eClub duplicated his performance from Round 1 by bringing in another score of one-under (-1) par. Malench finished his round strong with a birdie on Hole 18, bringing his championship total to two-under (-2) par and sitting comfortably in the lead. David Pfeil of The Legends Country Club and Tom Portner of Green Hills Golf Club started the day tied for second, and ended the day tied for second. Pfeil and Portner remained neck and neck all day, finishing with a score of two-over (+2) par.
In the Super Senior Division, Barry Dalmasso of the SIGA eClub pulled out a second round under par to finish with a hefty lead. Dalmasso shot one-under (-1) par for the day, which brought his total to three-under (-3) par and provided him the win. Sitting eight-strokes back, Doug Hardacre of Franklin County Country Club carded the second round under par in the division. Hardacre shot one-under (-1) par, finishing the championship at four-over (+4) par.
Following behind the Super Seniors were the Junior Boys. Trey Roessler of Annbriar Golf Course walked away with the hardware in the Junior Division. Roessler finished the day six-over (+6) par and the championship seven-over (+7) par. Coming in the clubhouse in solo second was Riley Knobeloch of the USGA/MetAmateurGC with a total score of sixteen-over (+16) par.
Closing out the day with the Men’s Division, things came down to the wire. The leaderboard remained tight throughout the day with six people remaining at even par or better. Bryce Doughty of the SIGA eClub decided he liked his score from day one and did it again. Carding five birdies, Doughty shot two-under (-2) par for the day, which brought his total to four-under (-4) par to win the championship. Bryan Warren of McLeansboro Golf Course tried to take down Doughty, but two rough holes on the back nine dropped his round down to even (E) par. Warren finished the championship in solo second at two-under (-2) par. Brandon Bullard of Green Hills Golf Club sat in solo third place at one-under (-1) par. Coming in tied for fourth at even (E) par were Fabian Oechsle of Bogey Hills Country Club, Kyler Spencer of Nashville Golf Club, and Jarrett James of the SIGA eClub.
on August
As the 33rd Metropolitan Amateur draws near, the field is set and the course is ready for the show. Persimmon Woods Golf Club, located in Weldon Spring, MO, was established in 1998, and will host this year’s championship. Though not as old as many clubs within the area, Persimmon Woods has forged a name for itself within the greater Metropolitan golf community. The course was designed by course architect Keith Foster and is now overseen by Superintendent Nick Scheible. Featuring native grasses, wildflowers, mature trees, ponds, and creeks, the course is sure to test the golfers, while also allowing them to showcase their incredible talent.
Persimmon Woods Golf Club has hosted numerous championships and qualifiers since its inception. Over the years, the club has been gracious enough to lend its fairways to seven USGA Championship Qualifiers, four Missouri Golf Association Championships, the NCAA Division III Men’s National Championship, multiple St. Louis District Golf Association events, and six PGA Professional National Championship Qualifiers. This year marks the third Metropolitan Amateur Championship to be held at Persimmon Woods Golf Club, having hosted in 2003 and 2013. The course will play between 6840 and 6890 yards with a par of 71 for this year’s championship.
Competing on August 26-31 at Martis Camp Club
The field for the 33rd playing of the Metropolitan Amateur comes with an impressive caliber of competitors that are sure to keep things interesting. Out of a total field of 156 players, approximately 51 are current or former collegiate golfers. Pulling together an average field age of 30 years old, the oldest and youngest golfers face an age gap of 54 years. The oldest competitor is Anthony Brown coming in at 69 years old, while the youngest is Eric Ewing at just 15 years old. Across the field, 47 different Metropolitan Amateur Golf Association member clubs are represented. There are seven former Metropolitan Amateur Champions in the field again this year, including the defending Champion, Drew Pranger. Competing alongside them are four previous runner-ups and numerous other rising stars to keep an eye on.
Skip Berkmeyer (2009), Brad Carpenter (2019), Shawn Jasper (2017), John Kelly (2004), Drew Pranger (2016, 2018, 2022), Jimmy Seigfried (2015), and Kyle Weldon (2012, 2013) have all hoisted the Jim Tom Blair trophy before. The sweet taste of victory is a feeling they all know well and are wanting to experience again. Drew Pranger became the first player to win the Metropolitan Amateur three times with his win last year. Proud of his accomplishment, Pranger is looking to make it four in this year’s championship. Kyle Weldon has a chance to equal Pranger’s record, with two wins under his belt. As the 2012 and 2013 champion, Weldon became only the second player to hoist the trophy in back-to-back years. Eyes will be on all of the past champions, especially Berkmeyer, Carpenter, Jasper, and Pranger who all put together performances last year that earned them invitations to the Old Warson and Shogren Cups. Jasper, Carpenter, and Pranger all participated in the Old Warson Cup at the beginning of the season, followed about a week later by Berkmeyer, Carpenter, and Pranger joining together on the MAGA Shogren Cup team.
When looking at the field, you cannot discount the former runner-ups. Of course there is Skip Berkmeyer and Shawn Jasper who have found themselves in both the runner-up and champion positions, but the four competitors who have yet to lift the trophy are sure to put up a fight. Last year’s runner-up, Ryan Sullivan is ready to come back to win it all after his final two rounds of back-to-back 68’s pushed him up the leaderboard into second in 2022. Sullivan followed up this performance last year by qualifying and participating in the
U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship. Joining Sullivan in the line up are Chris Kovach, Tony Gumper, and Ryan Eckelkamp. All four of these former runner-ups were also participants in this year’s Old Warson and Shogren Cups. The 2020 runner-up, Chris Kovach, is once again ready to compete after a top ten finish last year. Other competitors will need to keep an eye out for Tony Gumper and Ryan Eckelkamp as they have been showcasing their talent over the past year, qualifying and then competing in the U.S. Amateur Four-Ball as a team. Together, they won a five hole play-off to make it to the match play portion of the championship. Eckelkamp kicked off the year by defeating his lower ranked competitor in the Old Warson Cup 6 & 4 to make it to the Round of 8. He is hoping he can bring that competitive winning mentality into this stroke play championship. Gumper will be a strong force, after finishing second in the player of the year race last year and having a strong start to this season. He has already found himself in the winners circle this year, winning the first non-invitational event of the season at the East Side Amateur.
Now the runner-ups and former champions may be strong, but the field is rounded out by some powerful competitors. In total, the field handicap averages +0.8. With a field like this, it could be anyone’s game. A player that showed he can compete with the best last year was Michael Becker. Becker finished the Metropolitan Amateur tied for 11th, and then went on to qualify and compete in the U.S. MidAmateur Championship. Also in the field is the 2022 Metropolitan Junior Amateur Champion, Ryan Hopwood. He finished in the top ten of this year’s Junior Championship, and will now compete in the Amateur for a third time. Joining him in the field is his twin brother Connor Hopwood. Bringing that brotherly competition as well are the Migdal brothers, Sam and Joe. Both have played in numerous MAGA events over the years and shown what they are capable of. Sam Migdal is a former three-time Old Warson Cup Champion and Metropolitan Open Low Amateur. Brian Lovett will be out on the course again this year. Lovett is the 2022 Senior Player of the Year, as well as, the reigning Senior Amateur Champion and Old Warson Cup Senior Champion. For Lovett and others in the field, age is but a number when it comes to playing golf, and their skill proves it.
A breakthrough star of last year’s championship, Tyler Linenbroker, is back again. After putting together a record equaling first round of six-under par, Linenbroker continued to put himself in the mix until ultimately finishing tied for third last year. Linenbroker reminded everyone what he can do with a runner-up finish in the St. Louis
District Golf Association’s Griesedieck Men’s Championship this past month. He is ready to charge for the Amateur trophy again. Chad Niezing is a name known throughout the state for his ability to golf. Niezing is a multi-year participant of the Old Warson and Shogren Cups, and is the 2022 Missouri State Amateur Champion. He is still looking to put his name on the Metropolitan Amatuer trophy and is hopeful this could be the year. Justin Bryant is a player to watch for this year. Bryant is a two-time Old Warson Cup Champion, and started this year off by earning a runner-up finish in the Old Warson Cup. He followed that up by earning Medalist honors and qualifying for the next stage of U.S. Open Qualification at our Local Qualifier in May. Bryant will have to face many familiar faces in this championship, including Max Kreikemeier. Kreikemeier began the season by defeating Bryant in the final match to become the reigning Old Warson Cup Champion. Using his skill, Kreikemeier is looking to join the small group that has hoisted the Old Warson Cup and the Jim Tom Blair Trophy in the same year. Another player looking to make history to round out his successful summer is Peter Weaver. Weaver has been hot this summer, where he began playing on the winning MAGA Shogren Cup Team in May, before moving on to become the 2023 Missouri Amateur Champion in June. He was not done yet because he continued forward to win the St. Louis District Golf Association’s Griesedieck Men’s Championship. As a small addition to his ‘23 golf resume, Weaver also won a playoff hole to secure a 2nd alternate position for the U.S. Amateur. He is hoping to keep this streak alive and become the first player to win the Missouri Amateur, STL District Championship, and the Metropolitan Amateur all in the same year.
There are numerous players in the field that continue to make their presence known in championships. Some have even lifted other Metropolitan Championship trophies, like Zach Walsh who is a former Metropolitan Junior Amateur Champion. Eighteen competitors are members of Persimmon Woods Golf Club and hope that their f amiliarity with the course leads them to victory. From champions to newcomers and everyone in between, players are gearing up and ready to take on a new challenge in 2023. The depth of the field is sure to make this a great Metropolitan Amateur Championship.
Starting Times for Rounds 1 and 2 are set and available in the championship portal. To view click here.
For Full Metropolitan Amateur Championship Records, click here.
After a great day at Glen Echo Country Club for the Amateur Series Event #2, seven players finished at the top of their division for the day. It was a warm, sunny day and the golf course was in excellent condition. All players teed off in a shotgun start at 9:00am with everyone completing their rounds by 2:30pm. Players enjoyed playing a course that was once the host of golf in the Olympics in 1904.
Players have started earning points to gain entry into the Series Championship. There are 3 events left to earn those points!
Wager
Clint Bohannon
Courtney Cooper
Michael Gualdoni
Luke Lasley
Mike Lawton
Results:
Open Division - Mike Lawton
Senior Open - Paul Downing
Super Senior Open - Kevin Erxleben
Net Division - Scott Vouga
Senior Net Division - Dave Draucker
Super Senior Net Divsion - Doug Williams
Women’s Net Division - Peggy Shamleffer
The Group Stage of the Thomas O. Sobbe Cup have come to a conclusion. The top teams from the 18 divisions are moving on, except for two. With eighteen divisions and only sixteen bracket positions available, four teams will have to battle in a playoff to determine who will move on to the single elimination Round of 16. The four lowest ranked teams following the Group Stage were Greenville Country Club, Ruth Park Golf Course, Old Hickory Golf Club II, and Persimmon Woods Golf Club I. Greenville CC will have to play Ruth Park GC, while Old Hickory GC II will have to play Persimmon Woods GC I to move on. The other top fourteen teams have automatically moved on and been placed in their bracket positions. All teams will complete their Round of 16 matches by August 30, and then we will move forward to the Quarterfinals. The Semifinal and Final matches will take place at The Legends Country Club on September 15.
competing in a largely colorless arena.
O’Neill
Theevent will fly under the radar, won’t get much publicity. And frankly, there’s not much in the way of traditional publicity to be had these days.
Fanfare or not, the Advocates Professional Golf Association comes back to town on Aug. 9-10, staging a 36-hole championship at Glen Echo Country Club. In the second year of a three-year agreement, the APGA competition coincides with the fourth edition of the PGA Tour Champions Ascension Charity Classic on Sept. 8-10 at Norwood Hills Country Club.
In case you don’t know about the APGA, it will run a schedule of 11 tournaments nationwide this year, offering some $800,000 in prize money. The season-ending Lexus Cup Bonus Pool provides an additional $35,000 carrot for APGA players.
In addition to a professional division, each APGA event features an amateur division for players with handicaps of 5 or less.
The mission here is not to establish another golf league, promote fame and fortune, or even grab some aforementioned publicity - not directly. The goal is to provide an opportunity for those things. To open the game up, to include and diversify. to make professional golf a viable landing strip for inner city youth.
This is not a new concept. The APGA, sponsored by Dougherty Business Solutions, has been at this now for 13 years. If you follow golf, you’ve heard of Tony Finau and Harold Varner III. Finau is among the top-20 ranked players in the world, Varner among the top 100. But before you heard of them, they were players of color dreaming about
They were wondering about how or where they might access that arena. They were just getting started, nurturing their love of the game, refining their skills, taking those first steps from promise to performance and the pursuit of a professional career. They were taking them on the APGA Tour.
The APGA doesn’t just run tournaments. The APGA Tour Player Development Program provides free clinics, mentors, equipment and complimentary entries fees to those who most need it. It talks the talk and walks the walk. Partnering with events like the PGA Tour Champions Ascension Charity Classic, with corporate partners like St. Louis-based World Wide Technology is important to both.
Admission for the APGA event at Glen Echo is free for a St. Louis community that appreciates a good golf tournament - and a good opportunity - when it sees them. Along with the competition, a youth clinic is scheduled for 4:30 p.m - 6 p.m. on Aug. 9, a program that includes participants from local youth organizations, interactions with APGA Tour players and dinner.
“Last year’s event showcased the extremely high level of play the APGA Tour offers, and we’re thrilled to welcome these talented golfers back to St. Louis,” said Nick Ragone, executive vice president and chief marketing & communications officer for Ascension. “Bringing greater diversity to the game while helping these players reach their dreams in professional golf is one of the most important aspects of this tournament.”
Grandiosity? Far-fetched? Well, consider that the Ascension Classic, which includes a $30,000 purse, is the last regular season event for the APGA. The winner gets an exemption into the PGA Tour’s World Wide Technology Championship on Nov. 2-5 at El Cardinal at Diamanté Cabo San Lucas.
Should that player catch lightning in a bottle and win the WWTC, he takes home a check for $1.5 million, and he receives a PGA Tour card for the next two years. It can happen, just like that!
Marcus Byrd has won five times on the APGA Tour schedule this year. As a result, he’s had four at-bats in PGA Tour events. He’s missed cuts in each, but if you keep knockin’ at the door ... you never know. As Winston Churchill once said, “A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.”
The APGA also conducts collegiate rankings, whereby top five players receive numerous benefits and opportunities. Michigan State’s Troy Taylor was the No. 1 in the 2022-23 standings. Taylor earned a sponsor’s exemption into the 2023 Korn Ferry UNC Health Championship and automatically qualified for the 2024 season-opening APGA Tour Farmers Insurance Invitational at Torrey Pines.
Publicity is hard to come by, and big galleries are reserved for big leagues. But this about soul, and the should of the APGA Tour is in the right place. The Ascension Charity Classic has been a treat for the golf community. Norwood has provided the theater for previous champions like Paidraig Harrington and David Toms - both major championship winners on the regular PGA Tour.
The event has brought personalities to town like Cardinals fan John Daly, embraced favorite sons like Jay Williamson and Jay Delsing and brings a healthy balance to our sports diet.
Dream chasers get the opportunities and means by which to chase. St. Louis golf fans get a chance to see young guns compete at a high level, and stroll the historic grounds of Glen Echo, site of the 1904 Olympic Golf Tournament.
> Excessive lower body lateral movement away from the target during your backswing.
> Swaying makes it difficult to develop a proper weight shift during transition and the downswing.
> Inability to having a stable platform to drive your weight off of during transition, will cause the golfer to lose power and try to develop speed in an inefficient sequence.
> In the golf swing, it is very important to be able to coil around your trail hip during the back swing.
> Right hip internal rotation needs to be adequate to be able to have full rotation around the hip rather than swaying.
>If the body is unable to rotate around the right hip due to joint or muscular restrictions than lateral movements will dominate the pattern.
> Lateral stabilization is crucial while rotating during a large shoulder turn. It is very important to have the ability to separate the upper body from your lower body in the golf swing.
> Limited trunk to pelvic separation is usually caused by reduced spinal mobility and shortened lat flexibility.
> Strength and stability of the gluteal musculature is directly proportional to the ability to laterally stabilize the trail leg during the back swing.
> The main glute muscle involved with this motion is the glute medius muscle.
Dr. Zach Cutler Sports Chiropractor and TPI Certified Family Golf and Learning Center @FGLCPERFORMANCE
Here are a couple exercises to try out!
We all know golf courses as beautiful, and sometimes very tough, greenspaces to enjoy the great game of golf. Maintenance departments work diligently to put forth great playing conditions that provide positive and memorable experiences for members and guests. What you may not notice is the positive impact these same spaces have on the wildlife and natural landscapes.
Golf Course Superintendents love the outdoors, many of us are fishermen and hunters in our spare time. It is a natural feeling for us to take an appreciation and feel a responsibility to preserve the ecosystem that is within and surrounds the golf course. We do this by having naturalized areas that require less maintenance. These areas grow up tall and provide scenic improvements to the golf course and allow for an undisturbed habitat for pollinators and other wildlife. Naturalized areas, once established, receive minimal chemical intervention, and only require two to four mows a year for weed management. Naturalized areas promote grasses and wildflowers that are natural to the area.
Water conservation is another way Golf Course Superintendents express their environmental stewardship. You may think, there is no way golf courses conserve water with the number of acres of maintained turfgrass. Advancements in irrigation system technologies and research in watering needs for turfgrass, golf courses are not using as much water as it would appear. Golf courses use water out of necessity and we use many different data collection tools that help us determine when our turfgrasses are at the point of needing water.
The GCSAA worked with the 99 regional chapters to develop Best Management Practices for all 50 states. These BMPs help show how Golf Course Superintendents operate and have a positive impact on the environment through preservation and providing greenspace. Next time that you are out on the golf course, take notice of the wildlife you see, the flowers on the property and the pollinators that are enjoying those flowers. Without the golf course there, those living things may not have been present.
I’m sure many remember from The Masters Championship this year was one involving potential winner Brooks Koepka. What some claim was just an innocent gesture or removal of a glove, has others crying a breach in the Rules. It was for sure seems like a bold action to take while surrounded by cameras, regardless of the intent. After hitting his second shot on the par-5 15th fairway, Koepka AND his caddie appear to do some blatant cheating. The caddie can be seen mouthing quite large and aggressively the number five, while Koepka disguised his actions of flashing a five with his hand through the removal of his glove after using his five-iron. These actions from both parties appeared to be directed towards his playing partner, Gary Woodland, and Woodland’s caddie, who at the time had still not hit his second shot from a similar distance. Per the Rules of Golf, this seems to be a breach on giving advice. The people sitting at home, watching on television caught these actions and immediately took to the internet to call them out on breaking the rules. This uproar did then cause the committee at the Masters to investigate the scenario. After talking with all involved, who were adamant no advice was asked for nor given, Augusta National’s team determined there was no breach and no penalties were issued.
People involved in and regularly around the professional game have spoken out since, stating that this rule is potentially broken all the time, though not necessarily intentionally. Caddies on tour communicate frequently about what clubs are being used by their player, though not in an attempt to help one another. These discussions may happen after all balls are hit or unchanging club choices have been made. Sometimes it is a matter of one caddie looking in another players bag to see what club was missing. Another caviat in these scenarios is that the media personel that are travelling with each group on the course are having to report which clubs are being used. To get this information, the caddies or sometimes players themselves are having to tell reporter (which could be mouthing, stating, or gesturing). With this going on, it can appear advice is being given, and can be hard to ignore that your playing partner is sharing this information. Most of the time these actions fly under the radar and are not broadcast to the world. What we saw may have simply been them informing a reporter out of site, but people are still not totally convinced this was not blatant advice giving. Regardless of what we, the public bystanders think, the decision to not penalize the players was made.
This has for sure opened people’s eyes to paying closer attention when it comes to advice giving. Luckily for amateur golfers, we don’t have reporters to inform and cameras on us, though now we may watch the other players in our group more closely. So how do we know what is considered advice and what is considered providing with information on the Rules?
Dear John: You said giving information on the Rules is not advice. Can you explain the difference?
- Curious
Dear Curious: Advice is essentially suggesting how a player should play their game (definition of ADVICE). Here are a few examples where helping another player with Rules is NOT considered giving advice:
1. Another player hits their ball into a shallow hole and asks you for their options under the unplayable-ball Rule. You may review the unplayable-ball options, but not recommend an option. The other player must play their own game and decide.
2. Another player hits their ball into a penalty area. You may discuss where the ball last crossed the edge of the penalty area. You may also review the relief options available, but not recommend an option. The other player must decie whether to play their ball where it lies in the penalty area or pursue a one-stroke relief opotion.
3. In taking relief from a red penalty area, another player droops their ball three club-lengths no closer to the hole from where it last crossed the edge of the penalty area. Information of the Rules is not advice. You may politely remind the player that he or she is only allowed to drop within two clublengths and mus re-drop (thereby saving them from a two-stroke penalty in stroke play or a loss of hole penalty in match play for playing from a wrong place; Rule 14.7a).
4. You play a tee shot on a par-3 hole and another player asks if you hit a six-iron for the purpose of helping them decide what club to use. Their question had nothing to do with the Rules. The player is asking for advice. Unfortunately, you must take a deep sigh and advise them that asking for advice is a two-stroke penalty in stroke play and loss of hole penalty in match play (Rule 10.2a second bullet) and not answer that question. If you answer the question, then you are giving advice... and incur the same penalty, except that in match play your opponent has already lost the hole (Rule 10.2a first bullet)!
31 Glen Echo CC
*For Full Standings Click the Underlined Heading*
*For Full Standings Click the Underlined Heading*
The World Handicap System (WHS™), launched in January 2020, includes safeguards designed to protect the integrity of your Handicap Index®. One of them is the playing conditions calculation (PCC). What is it and why does it matter? Let us explain:
The PCC compares the actual scores made at a given course each day to the expected scores of the players who made them. If the number of players who score at or below their expected score is higher than anticipated, the course played easier. If the number of players who score at or below their expected score is lower than anticipated, the course played more difficult.
If, for example, harsh weather conditions cause golfers to shoot higher scores than they normally would based on their Handicap Index, the PCC takes that into account to better reflect performances on that day.
PCC adjustments, which range from -1 to +3, are applied automatically and clearly identified within a player’s scoring record. Keep in mind that, on most days, the PCC results in a value of 0, meaning the course played to its difficulty as indicated by the Course Rating™ and Slope Rating® of the various tees.
For the calculation to take place, at least 8 scores must be posted at a course by players with a Handicap Index of 36.0 or below – and the more scores that are posted, the more reliable the data becomes.
The PCC takes place at the end of each day, so only scores posted on the day of play will contribute to the data pool. That is why we encourage all golfers to post their scores on the same day as their round. If you post on a later day, the result of the PCC will still be applied after your score is posted – as long as you use the correct date for when the round was played.
John Deere Classic - Sepp Straka
Barbasol Championship - Vincent Norman
Barracuda Championship - Akshay Bhatia
The Open Championship - Brian Harman
The Ascendant presented by Blue- Nicholas Lindheim
Made in Himmerland- Hojgaard Rasmus
Genesis Scottish Open - Rory McIlroy
U.S. Women’s Open- Allisen Corpuz
Dana Open- Linn Grant
Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational- C. Knight/E. Szokol
Amundi Evian Championship- Celine Boutier
Price Cutter Charity Championship presented by Dr. Pepper- Pierceson Coody
NV5 Invitational presented by Old National Bank- Trace Crowe
Hartford HealthCare Women’s Championship- Jenny Bae
Twin Bridges Championship- Jenny Bae
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The UCamp at Normandie Golf Club is coming closer to the end of its summer. Urban Golf of St. Louis heads up this program to introduce young kids from within the community to golf. They are learning golf terminology, etiquette, and the fundamentals to swinging a golf club. The kids are even learning the role of a caddie as they walk from tee to green on the 18th hole at Normandie, and see how one completes a hole.
The team at Urban Golf is also finding ways to encourage and inspire these young souls to be the best versions of themselves. They are providing the knowledge and tools to help the kids strive to reach their goals in and outside of golf. Local speakers and personalities, come at the end of each day to talk to the kids and share their personal journeys in life. The goal is that these kids see others just like them reach their dreams, and believe that they too can lead a successful life.
For a glimpse into the camp, click here.
For more information on the Normandie Renovation Project and how you can help, visit https://www.metga.org/nicklaus-and-normandie or contact normandie@metga.org
“The appeal of this project to me was to be involved in an effort that could serve as a catalyst to change needed in our country today, beginning with parts of St. Louis County. Restoring Normandie for a community in need will have a long-lasting positive impact on the lives of youth in St. Louis.”
-Jack Niclaus on his involvement in
