AZ Golf Insider Digital Edition - April 2021

AZ GOLF INSIDER Digital Edition

APRIL 2021

RYAN HOGUE’S EPIC WEEK Page 10

THANK YOU, TIGER WOODS Page 24

Grayhawk Golf Club - Talon Course Host of the 97th Arizona Amateur Championship Scottsdale, Ariz.

F O E G N CHA

E S R COU

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Rest and relaxation. Swing by one of our world class spas or treat your significant other while you’re on the course all day.

The main course. After your round, dive into Tucson’s food scene with everything from top flight steakhouses to world famous Mexican food.

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Memberships at The Wigwam and The Arizona Biltmore G Clubs include reciprocal playing privileges at both re Golf properties. The Wigwam Golf Club is home to three incred ncredible golf courses, including the award-winning Robert Trent Jones, Sr.-designed Gold Course. The legendary Arizona Ariz Biltmore Golf Club features two fun-to-play courses, centrally located in the heart of Phoenix.

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From the Executive Director’s Desk

by Ed Gowan

Park, an ocean preserve on the Gulf of California with sea life in abundance. The Danzante Hotel is not-to-be-missed, nor is its 17th hole par 3 where the green sits 300 ft above the ocean on a promontory (CLICK HERE for a view).

AZ GOLF Insider Digital Edition EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE OFFICERS PRESIDENT.................................... Bob McNichols VICE PRESIDENT................................... Tim Brown VICE PRESIDENT .......................... Michelle Cross SECRETARY........................................... John Souza TREASURER....................................... Tim Hulscher GENERAL COUNSEL............................. Greg Mast EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEMBERS Jackie Bertsch, Vera Ciancola, Barbara Fitzgerald, Bryan Hoops, Jerry Huff, Mark Jeffery, Mike Kane, Leslie Kramer, Ann Martin, Scott McNevin

F

ebruary kicked off the tournament season with several championships and we also experienced our first Virtual Annual Awards Meeting.

If you haven’t viewed the Annual Awards, please do so. You can fast-forward if you wish, but you will miss some very compelling elements in the annals of Arizona golf. In addition to our tournament Players of the Year, you will want to hear about our Updegraff winner, Robin Farran; our Champion of Golf, Mike Kennedy; the Dorothy Pease awardee, Sally Larson; and the Volunteer of the Year, Jerry Glover.

The first men’s major, the AGA Championship at Aguila, was won in cold weather by Cameron Barzekoff with a score of -2 that gave him a two-stroke victory. Next up is the Stroke Play Championship at Ak-Chin Southern Dunes, where Trevor Lampson is defending. The Women’s Opener at Longbow Golf Club was won by Molly Steffes and Tori Totlis over a field of 30 two-player teams. Coming next for the women is the AGA Women’s Four-Ball Championship, held

May 17-18 at Troon North. What has been truly amazing about this Spring is the number of players wishing to compete. Fields are full weeks or months in advance.

Speaking of full, the Father-Son at Antelope Hills opened for entries on March 16th, and in less than ninety minutes had more than 275 teams entered with a significant waitlist already in place.

Because of this increasing demand, we will be expanding competitive offerings for the general membership as we go through the season. Stay up to date on the AGA Newsletters for information.

Keep your eyes on the website as many different companies and locations are interested in our business, offering discounts and other opportunities to gain back business lost last year. It’s a great time for golfers across the country.

The AGA Travel Groups are also filling up. This Fall we will be visiting Danzante Bay on the Baja Peninsula about halfway from California to Cabo. Making that workable is American Airlines, with low-cost flights directly into Loreto where you will find Bahia National

April 2021

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AGA STAFF Ed Gowan, David Bataller, Anj Brown, Alexa Cerra, Le Ann Finger, Tim Eberlein, Brianna Gianiorio, Sharon Goldstone, Vivian Kelley, Mike Mason, Derek McKenzie, Chris Montgomery, Robyn Noll, Cullen Perron, Logan Rasmussen, Kylie Shoemake, Alex Tsakiris, Susan Woods PARTNERSHIP CONTACT Chris Montgomery.................... (602) 872-7011 NATIONAL ADVERTISING CONTACT Brian Foster.................................. (602) 909-7799 THE AZGOLF INSIDER STAFF EDITOR-IN-CHIEF.......................... David Bataller AGA EDITOR.......................................... Anj Brown CONTRIBUTORS David Bataller, Anj Brown, Ed Gowan, Jimmy Jertson, Gary Van Sickle

Arizona Golf Association 7600 E. Redfield Rd., Suite 130 Scottsdale, AZ 85260 (602) 944-3035 www.AzGolf.org

AZ Golf Insider Digital Edition

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5

ON THE COVER Grayhawk Golf Club’s Talon Course will host the 97th Arizona Amateur Championship Presented by PXG, set for August 9-14 in Scottsdale, Ariz.

24

ACES & ANGLERS

OUT OF BOUNDS Gary Van Sickle reminds us to give thanks to Tiger Woods for his role in the popularity of the sport we love in this issue’s OoB column.

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PGA TOUR player, caddy and accomplished fisherman Ryan Hogue has had himself an epic few months on the golf course, and on the water.

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TOURNAMENT RECAP Get caught up on the results of the first Arizona Golf Association tournaments of 2021.

EXPERIENCE MONTEREY Join the Arizona Golf Association in September for the 2021 Monterey Golf Experience, which includes three nights and three rounds of golf on the California Coast.

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AZ Golf Insider Digital Edition

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April 2021

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10

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8 - AZ Golf Insider Digital Edition - Spring 2021

Spring 2021 - AZ Golf Insider Digital Edition - 9

Facebook

Aces &

Anglers Professional golfer and PGA TOUR caddy Ryan Hogue caught this 10.87 lb. largemouth bass at Saguaro Lake, one day after making his ninth hole-in-one.

by Jimmy Jertson

For the Arizona Golf Association Professional golfer and PGA Tour caddy Ryan Hogue recently had an absolutely epic week.

And I’m not talking about being “on the bag” for Patty Tavatanakit’s LPGA major win at the ANA Inspiration last Sunday.

Late last December, while playing a friendly skins game in Phoenix with other golf professionals including PGA Tour star Paul Casey, Hogue hit a hole-in-one on the 163-yard, par-3 seventh hole at Águila Golf Course.

It was - believe it or not - his 9th career hole-

in-one. Then, the following day, Hogue reeled in a 10.87 pound largemouth bass while fishing with a buddy at Saguaro Lake, just off Highway 87 and 45 minutes east of downtown Phoenix.

The nearly 11-pound bass, which grew large thanks to its habit of consuming rainbow trout, represented a personal best for Hogue.

“It was definitely an amazing couple of days for me,” said Hogue, 42, adding that he felt like he closed out 2020 in style.

Like his success on the golf course, Hogue’s success on the lake can be credited more towards skill than luck. He has always been an accomplished angler and arrived at Saguaro Lake knowing the biggest bass in the lake had been

10 - AZ Golf Insider Digital Edition - April 2021

feeding on rainbow trout.

“My fishing partner and I were committed to only using large swim baits that day, and the bait I used to catch the large bass looked exactly like a rainbow trout,” Hogue said. “It was a very big bait about the size of your average trout.”

Most bass fishermen know that you don’t get many bites when fishing with super large baits, but that when you do get a bite, it’s typically a big bite. In fact, when Hogue landed the monster bass, it actually had the tail-end of a real rainbow trout still hanging out of its throat.

So, Hogue’s personal record bass inhaled his trout look-a-like bait - while not entirely finished swallowing a real rainbow trout!

I interviewed Hogue for this story and he respectfully refrained from sharing anymore details about how he caught his monster bass, such as the exact area of the lake where he caught it, the water depth and the exact brand of his bait.

“A fisherman should never give up his exact spots or baits in keeping with the fisherman’s unwritten rule and code,” Hogue said, smiling.

A Mesa, Ariz.-native, Hogue first made a name for himself as a professional golfer. He once qualified for – and played in – the Phoenix Open, and made the cut in the 2018 Shriners Hospitals for Children Open in Las Vegas. He has also garnered numerous professional golf victories in a variety of mini-tour events.

This past October, Hogue earned recognition as an exceptional professional golf caddy who was “on the bag” for PGA Tour Player Martin Laird when Laird won this year’s PGA Tour Event in Las Vegas at TPC Summerlin. Then came the LPGA major win in Rancho Mirage. Hogue has also caddied for my younger brother, Marty Jertson, in a handful of PGA Tour Events, including the 2020 Phoenix Open and a couple of PGA Championships, and has caddied for some of the world’s best female golfers in a variety of LPGA Tour events.

In addition to his golf, fishing and caddying skills, Hogue is also known as an all-around, down-to-earth good dude.

Have a great 2021, Ryan.

April 2021 - AZ Golf Insider Digital Edition - 11

Paid Partnership

12 - AZ Golf Insider Digital Edition - April 2021

Paid Partnership

Ken Christopherson, the owner of Acculine Golf™, is a custom club fitter based in Prescott, AZ. He found while working with his clients that many struggled with accurate aim and alignment. To solve their problems, Ken invented two unique products.

Acculine Golf Pucks is a uniquely adaptable and modifiable alignment tool designed to allow a golfer to visualize their aim, alignment, and swing paths.

deliver a golf club on a consistent and fundamentally correct path is more easily achieved. Find the natural bottom of your swing arc! Find the best place to position your ball in your stance! Learn to hit the center of the clubface more often! Learn how to achieve the best ball flight! Learn to hit with more power. And most significantly, learn how to fix your slice effectively!

“When I first tried the Acculine Swing Trainer I was truly surprised; I couldn’t maintain my balance after I swung,” said Stuart Birch, PGA Instructor and Director of Golf at the Club at Prescott Lakes. “I found that I needed to change my posture and re-position my stance in order to swing in balance. Swinging the Acculine Swing Trainer for just 10 minutes, in the continuous Back and Forth swing drill, I discovered several very important things that I needed to change.

I needed to stand 3-4 inches closer to the ball (more upright) and adopt several more degrees of secondary spine tilt.

“These changes enabled me to swing on a more inside-out downswing path. I also learned that I hadn’t been placing the ball at the bottom of my natural swing arc. I do now! I make better contact with the

Utilizing the patented “Golf Pucks,” rods of various lengths are connected and locked in place at angles that enable a golfer to position their ball more accurately in their stance and align their setup position.

With the guide rods locked together, not just laid on top of each other, they can’t be inadvertently kicked or nudged out of position, and the system can easily be moved to fresh, divot-free areas.

Swinging in balance is another critical element of an effective, repeatable golf swing.

Ken discovered that a heavy weighted club enhanced the ability to learn to maintain balance during the golf swing. This led to the development of the Acculine Swing Trainer.

A continuous (nonstop), Back & Forth Swing Drill using the weighted swing trainer helped his clients discover a setup position that improved their swing motions and provided the most effective swing paths.

A slow-motion Swing Drill enables golfers to “Feel” where their hands, hips, shoulders, and arms should be throughout the golf swing.

When the Acculine Swing Trainer and the Acculine Golf Pucks® are used together, all the Acculine Golf System’s potentials are unlocked. Finally, the ability to

ball on every swing; I hit the exact center of the clubface 25 times in a row the first time I hit balls placed at the bottom of my swing arc! Most significantly, I now generate a more consistent clubhead speed with center of clubhead contact! With my 7 iron, my swing speed has increased 7.8 miles per hour and my carry distance went from 195-198 yards to 225 yards; without increasing my effort. And I maintain perfect balance throughout my swing.

I highly recommend Acculine Golf Pucks and the Acculine Swing Trainer to everyone!”

April 2021 - AZ Golf Insider Digital Edition - 13

TOURNAMENT

RECAP

Take a look at the leaderboards of 2021’s AGA Tournaments to date!

2021 WOMEN’S SEASON OPENER Longbow Golf Club - Mesa, Ariz.

Gross Flight 1

Pos. Player To Par Gross 1. Molly Steffes + Tori Totlis -2 2. Penny Rady + Percy Anderson -1 3. Kim Eaton + Leigh Klasse E 4. Judy Penman + Robin Krapfl 3 5. Barb Byrnes + Liz Waynick 7 6. Debbie Jensen + Kelly Schaub 9 7. Brenda Heyink + Brigette Charles 15

Flight 2

Pos. Player To Par Gross 1. Joan Hinkey + Jody Ault 7 2. Marcia Grenier + Mary Engert 8 3. Deb Bene + Marie Caldwell 11 4. Kim Wyatt + Susan Hamm 14 5. Jackie Byrd + Linda Torkington 15 6. Keely Bina + Susan Vancers 17

Flight 3

Pos. Player To Par Gross 1. Sarah Jacobs + Theresa Schiller 13 2. Kelly Carter + Laura Fulton 15 3. B. Logelin-Meiers + V. Downes 15 4. Carla Cohen + Pam Weinberg 16 5. Pat Kuntz + Susan Browning 17

Total 70 71 72 75 79 81 87 Total 79 80 83 86 87 89 Total 85 87 87 88 89

Molly Steffes (left) and Tori Totlis were overall champions of the 2021 Women’s Season Opener.

6.

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Aneda Ward + Diana Atkins Mary Pomroy + Suzy Ohara Bette McColley + Lynn Wampler C. Rutledge + D. Kompier

Flight 4

20 20 21 22

Pos. Player To Par Gross 1. Lynn Bileti + Sandra Jones 19 2. Jeri Shepard + Marcea Reuther 19 3. Betsy Mosher + Carol Yde 19 4. Karla Strong + Kathi Hall 21 5. R. Baggot + W. Hannaford 22 6. Beth Bartholow + Vicky Scott 23 7. C. Satterthwaite + K. Borka 25 8. Anne Turner + Janet Gardner 30

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92 92 93 94 Total 91 91 91 93 94 95 97 102

Net

Flight 1

Pos. Player To Par Net 1. Penny Rady + Percy Anderson -5 2. Molly Steffes + Tori Totlis -5 3. Kim Eaton + Leigh Klasse E 4. Barb Byrnes + Liz Waynick 1 5. Judy Penman + Robin Krapfl 2 6. Debbie Jensen + Kelly Schaub 4 7. Brenda Heyink + Brigette Charles 9

Flight 2

Pos. Player To Par Net 1. Joan Hinkey + Jody Ault -2 2. Marcia Grenier + Mary Engert -1 3. Deb Bene + Marie Caldwell 2 4. Kim Wyatt + Susan Hamm 3 5. Keely Bina + Susan Vancers 6 6. Jackie Byrd + Linda Torkington 7

Flight 3

Pos. Player To Par Net 1. Sarah Jacobs + Theresa Schiller 1 2. Kelly Carter + Laura Fulton 3 3. Bette McColley + Lynn Wampler 3 4. B. Logelin-Meiers + V. Downes 4 5. Carla Cohen + Pam Weinberg 5 6. Aneda Ward + Diana Atkins 5 7. Pat Kuntz + Susan Browning 5 8. C. Rutledge + D. Kompier 6 9. Mary Pomroy + Suzy Ohara 6

Flight 4

Pos. Player To Par Net 1. Jeri Shepard + Marcea Reuther 3 2. Karla Strong + Kathi Hall 3 3. Lynn Bileti + Sandra Jones 4 4. C. Satterthwaite + K. Borka 4 5. Anne Turner + Janet Gardner 4 6. Beth Bartholow + Vicky Scott 5 7. Betsy Mosher + Carol Yde 5 8. R. Baggot + W. Hannaford 7

Total 67 67 72 73 74 76 81 Total 70 71 74 75 78 79 Total 73 75 75 76 77 77 77 78 78 Total 75 75 76 76 76 77 77 79

April 2021 - AZ Golf Insider Digital Edition - 15

2021 SAN TAN AMATEUR Las Colinas Golf Club - Queen Creek, Ariz.

Pos. Player R1 R2 Total 1 John Bearrie 65 68 -9 T2 Tyler Wooldridge 68 66 -8 T2 Jim Ignoffo 67 67 -8 T4 Bryan Hoops 67 68 -7 T4 Brett Howard 63 72 -7 T6 Sean O’Donnell 69 67 -6 T6 Chris Kamin 67 69 -6 8 Hector Barnetche 69 68 -5 T9 Kaden Larkey 72 68 -2 T9 Rusty Brown 71 69 -2 T9 Abe Candelaria 69 71 -2 T9 Chris Thomas 69 71 -2 T9 Ryan Tjeerdsma 69 71 -2 T9 Shankar Natarajan 67 73 -2 T15 Matt Neils 69 72 -1 T15 Stephen Quartarone 67 74 -1 T17 Stephen Lindsey 72 70 E T17 Trevor Hopkins 76 66 E T17 Phelan Shaw 72 70 E T17 Alex Stamey 68 74 E T21 Coryn Wendt 67 76 1 T21 Chase Wilson 68 75 1 T23 Ty Hawkinson 74 70 2 T23 Johnse Good 73 71 2 T23 Sam Engel 76 68 2 T23 Mike Wagner 71 73 2 T23 Steve Brock 71 73 2 T23 Matthew Fimbres 70 74 2 T23 Rob McIver 69 75 2 T23 Anton Salome 67 77 2 T31 Justin Haines 74 71 3 T31 Tom Beach 69 76 3 T33 Michael Leonard 73 73 4 T33 Bailey Ogrin 73 73 4

T33 Sean St. Clair 73 73 4 T33 Alejandro De Zavala 71 75 4 T37 Jonathan Parvin 73 74 5 T37 Michael Jedrzejczyk 73 74 5 T37 Michael McMorrow 72 75 5 T37 Wayne Bailey 72 75 5 T37 Sean Portelance 71 76 5 T37 Brad Wayment 70 77 5 T37 Cole Wilczek 71 76 5 T44 Joshua Escobedo 73 75 6 T44 Matthew Gomez 73 75 6 T44 Steven Brown 73 75 6 T44 Steve Geesling 75 73 6 T44 Ted Neville 73 75 6 T49 Alex Strenge 74 75 7 T49 Brian Roser 72 77 7 T49 Mal Miller 76 73 7 T49 Colin Pratt 76 73 7

John Bearrie went low (65-68; -9) to capture the 2021 San Tan Amateur at Las Colinas Golf Club in Queen Creek.

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T53 Travis Bailey 74 76 8 T53 Steve Mindak 74 76 8 T53 Rod Kasperson 74 76 8 T53 Lee Decof 72 78 8 T53 Stanley Montoya 78 72 8 58 Mitchell Stevens 73 78 9 T59 Matthew Herberger 77 75 10 T59 Warren Cohen 77 75 10 T59 David Hondula 78 74 10 T62 Allen Webster 75 78 11 T62 Camden Nierman 77 76 11 64 Kasey Nafzger 74 80 12 65 Carl Butts 75 80 13 T66 DeWayne Thompson 76 80 14 T66 Nate Lamma 76 80 14 T66 Ken Vickers 79 77 14 T69 Mark Issi 75 82 15 T69 Paul Brown 82 75 15 T71 Clay Baldwin 76 82 16 T71 Mitch Chilton 80 78 16

T71 David Levos 80 78 16 T71 John Basden 81 77 16 75 Paige Peterson 78 81 17 T76 Martin Aldecoa 77 83 18 T76 Dustin Semenza 77 83 18 T76 Bob Burton 81 79 18 T76 Sean Smith 81 79 18 T80 Adam Labbe 80 81 19 T80 William Cicerelli 84 77 19 82 Kahdean Browne 83 81 22 83 Keenan Steele 84 81 23 84 David Cheung 87 79 24 85 Kristian Osuna 80 88 26 86 Anthony Cuevas 83 87 28 87 Martin Catero 89 84 31 88 Gilbert Peralta 94 87 39 89 Jake Voas 87 98 43 90 Scott Hatlen 94 104 56 91 Jesus Deanda 101 109 68 92 Chris Griego 110 102 70

April 2021 - AZ Golf Insider Digital Edition - 17

2021 AGA CHAMPIONSHIP Aguila Golf Course - Laveen, Ariz.

Pos. Player 1 Cameron Barzekoff T2 Evan Chien T2 Bryan Hoops T4 Shankar Natarajan T4 Hector Barnetche T4 Alejandro De Zavala T4 Zach Smith T8 Ryan Pelletier T8 Sean O’Donnell T8 Adam Walicki T11 Mitchell Holmes T11 Jack Algya T13 Tyler Wooldridge T13 Ryan Tjeerdsma T13 Rob Stratton T13 Brett Howard T13 Domecq Mason T18 Abe Candelaria T18 Matt Andrews T18 Chris Kamin T18 Michael Leonard T18 Mike Wagner T23 Grant Cesarek T23 Garrison Campbell T23 Jett Isoda T23 Chad Hossack T23 Rusty Brown T23 Joey Pirmann T23 Andrew Stineman T23 Jacob Letman T31 Phelan Shaw T31 Warner Beach T33 Jim Ignoffo T33 Carson Kemp

R1 R2 R3 Total 69 70 69 -2 75 68 67 E 69 72 69 E 69 76 68 3 73 69 71 3 73 68 72 3 69 70 74 3 73 71 71 5 73 71 71 5 67 71 77 5 69 76 71 6 73 68 75 6 73 74 70 7 71 77 69 7 72 72 73 7 70 79 68 7 70 71 76 7 73 73 72 8 73 75 70 8 66 77 75 8 74 69 75 8 71 70 77 8 71 76 73 10 73 72 75 10 74 74 72 10 72 76 72 10 70 74 76 10 73 71 76 10 71 73 76 10 68 69 83 10 72 72 77 11 73 69 79 11 74 73 76 13 75 72 76 13

Cameron Barzekoff was the player to shoot par or better (69-70-60; -2) in all three rounds of the AGA Championship at Aguila Golf Course.

T33 T33 T33 T33 T39 T39 T39 T42 T42 T42 T42 T46 T46 T46 T49 T49 T49 T49 T53 T53 T55 T55

Bruce Pape Joshua Escobedo John Chiesa Dave Aarons Sean St. Clair Kaden Larkey Justin Haines Rod Kasperson Jared Charbonneau Tyler Smerz Paul Brown Dylan Mattson Tanner Kovacevich Matthew Fimbres Daniel Klein Sahand Vahilzadeh Chase Wilson Matt Neils Chris Ichelson Sol Park Brad Wayment Robert Moore

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73 70 72 80 74 75 74 74 78 75 80 72 74 81 74 79 72 74 76 72 69 73

75 75 77 70 74 70 75 74 73 76 71 74 74 69 72 71 78 77 73 77 78 77

75 78 74 73 76 79 75 77 74 74 74 80 78 76 81 77 77 76 79 79 82 79

13 13 13 13 14 14 14 15 15 15 15 16 16 16 17 17 17 17 18 18 19 19

T55 T58 T58 60 61

Matt Powell Gatjeak Gew Michael Dugan Sean Portelance Johnse Good

74 75 73 78 76

76 75 77 73 74

79 80 80 80 84

19 20 20 21 24

The following players did not make the cut Colin Pratt DeWayne Thompson Carl Juengst Jesse Lawrence Brandon E. Bowron Ryan Busbee Camden Nierman Alec Miller Ruben Perez Justin Alonzo Bailey Ogrin Matt Simone James Smith Rod Tomita Caden Truelick Scott Lanning Sean Markham Jordan Murray Kasey Nafzger Keenan Steele Jeff Benton Matthew Hirshberg Steve Geesling Michael Kaltenbach Steve Whitehead Steve Brock Jacob Dinkel David Hay Jake Kasel Kevin Wall Randy Jacobus Jordan Sayler

78 76 77 75 77 72 76 74 76 75 78 77 73 74 77 75 75 79 78 77 77 75 74 76 73 76 80 79 77 79 79 77

74 - 76 - 75 - 77 - 76 - 81 - 77 - 79 - 77 - 79 - 76 - 77 - 81 - 80 - 77 - 79 - 79 - 75 - 76 - 77 - 78 - 80 - 81 - 80 - 83 - 80 - 76 - 77 - 79 - 77 - 78 - 80 -

12 12 12 12 13 13 13 13 13 14 14 14 14 14 14 14 14 14 14 14 15 15 15 16 16 16 16 16 16 16 17 17

Brian Merdinger Michael Sciacero Lee Decof Ted Elliott Ryan Bailey Justin Hibbert Christopher Large Mitch Chilton Ace Ersek Jimmy Hilton Warren Cohen Andrew Atkinson T.J. Kelber Brian Weber Scott Archuleta John Galloway Coryn Wendt Rodrigo Duran Jeff Bowden Bryan Castillo David Cheung Orlando Laughter Jonathan Parvin Clay Baldwin Matthew Pope Chris Cruz Kahdean Browne Matt Pitts Greg Diedrich Steve Ortiz Roger Henry, Jr .

Calvin Brown Russell Dixon Victor Ferreira Mike Mason Jacob Fendrick Gerald Carr Jeff Ridgeway Tanner Lowry Arturo Villarreal

77 80 - 77 80 - 80 78 - 78 80 - 77 81 - 79 79 - 83 75 - 78 81 - 80 79 - 75 84 - 78 82 - 79 81 - 80 81 - 78 83 - 81 82 - 79 84 - 80 83 - 84 80 - 83 82 - 82 83 - 82 83 - 83 82 - 81 84 - 80 85 - 81 84 - 86 82 - 80 89 - 77 92 - 84 87 - 83 89 - 90 83 - 90 84 - 90 85 - 85 90 - 87 90 - 90 87 - 98 95 - 97 110 - 112 98 - 103 110 -

17 17 18 18 18 18 18 19 19 19 20 20 21 21 23 23 23 24 25 25 25 25 25 25 25 28 29 29 31 32 33 34 35 35 37 37 53 67 70 73

April 2021 - AZ Golf Insider Digital Edition - 19

Paid Partnership

APEX BODYWORX

DRIVE YOUR GOLF GAME FORWARD WITH IMPROVED MOBILITY AND FLEXIBILITY

Lying Spinal Rotation Bring your left foot flat on the floor. Lift your hips up and shift them to the left. Bring the left leg up and over the right leg. Make sure your left foot is touching either the floor, your own body, or a support of some kind. Bring the right hand to the left knee and extend the left arm out to the side. Hold the stretch for up to 2 minutes.

Unwind from the stretch, pause for one minute and then repeat on the other side.

STRETCH FOR GOLF ~ STRETCH FOR LIFE

By Judy Stowers, LMT, CST, TPI Certified

Kneeling Hip Flexor Stretch Begin in a lunge position. Bring the right leg out in front of you to about 135 degrees.

Square the hips (bringing both hips forward) and then let your hips sink forward into the stretch. You may stay in the upright position, or have your hands on the floor. See the video above on the left for a walk-through on how to best accomplish this stretch from start to finish.

Shoulder Stretch Bring both hands behind your back and clasp them together. If this isn't possible, hold onto a small hand towel behind your back, with the hands as close together as possible. Place your hands on a chair/bar/counter top behind you so that you feel a strong stretch in the front of the chest and shoulders. Hold the stretch for up to 2 minutes. Come out of the stretch and let your arms hang by your side for one minute. Repeat 2-3 more times.

www.apexbodyworx.com

In even its most basic form, stretching is a tool that we can all use to improve our golf game and our other activities of daily living. It is the fountain of youth that goes untapped! When we experience restrictions in the body, stretching is a simple way to release the tension and tightness that is causing the restriction. This then allows for more mobility and range of motion, which then translates to more power and a better overall swing out on the golf course.

The main three areas of restriction for many golfers lie in the spine, hips, and shoulders. Where there is restriction, there is imbalance.

This may occur for many reasons, usually stemming from posture that is compromised from too much sitting, not enough movement, and repetitive movements with singular patterns. Using a combination of stretching, corrective exercises and soft tissue mobilizations, balance in the body can be regained. Retraining the body with balanced form creates long term benefits out on the golf course, and in life. Increased mobility, increased flexibility, increased blood flow, and overall strength and power are just some of those benefits.

Stretching takes some effort, yes. And...each time you stretch, it layers on the previous experience, creating long term change in the body. If you stretch once, you likely won't experience any major shift in your game. If you commit to stretching regularly, the impact become cumulative, creating change that can be felt almost immediately upon application. When you begin to FEEL the differences in your body, it becomes much easier to create a routine that will leave you feeling great and having more fun out on the course.

The stretches here are just the beginning. When you create an increase in mobility and flexibility in your body, the results on the greens will speak for themselves with longer drives and more birdies!

If you want help identifying the specific restrictions in your body, schedule a stretch session with us at www.apexbodyworx.com or call us at 480-332-3141.

Paid Partnership

Golf fans have been treated to some great documentaries over the years chronicling the lives and careers of the some of the game’s all-time great like Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods and Ben Hogan. Now, thanks an Arizona company, the star of such a network caliber documentary film could

markable lives of everyday people are celebrated, documented and remembered - but most importantly Gift of a Lifetime is set to make an impact on the children of tomorrow. Future generations will benefit as they will someday learn first-hand about those in their family who came before them.

“We’ve had long careers documenting the lives of great athletes,” said Steinke, a former sports anchor at Fox Sports Arizona. “But this is a chance to take those story-telling skills and make a difference in the lives of families both now and in the future.”

Gift of a Lifetime believes every life has a story and its team of award-winning television writers and producers are set to bring a bit of Hollywood into your home.

be you or a relative or a business associate.

As Gift of Lifetime client Molly Carter recently remarked, “it was like I was watching my father’s life story on Netflix!”

You may not have won a major championship but without a doubt you or someone you hold close has an amazing story to tell and “Gift of a Lifetime” is ready to help you do exactly that.

A custom documentary company founded by former Phoenix television personalities Brad Steinke and Tim Ring, Gift of a Lifetime is putting a different slant on filmmaking. With a combined 80 years experience and14 EMMY Awards, the Gift of a Lifetime production team will turn your or a loved one’s life story into a powerful network caliber documentary.

Gift of a Lifetime is changing the way the re-

22 - AZ Golf Insider Digital Edition - April 2021

Paid Partnership

A chronological account woven between stories, life lessons, reflection and introspection produces a celebration of a life well-lived but also a family treasure that will be passed down for generations. Grandparents and great-grandparents will no longer only be an anecdote or just a name on a family tree.

“If you had a chance to watch a 30-minute documentary on your grandfather or your great grandfather, a chance to see his face, hear his voice, listen to his stories, would you do it? Of course you would. We all would,” said Ring, a former Sports Director at 3TV and CBS5 in Phoenix.

“We want to give future generations that opportunity by making these films today.”

do its part to help change that. Celebrate a milestone birthday, retirement, or holiday for that person who, ‘already has everything.’ Call to learn how affordable this unique treasure will be.

So many everyday people have led amazing lives.

Their stories deserve to be told. They deserve to be remembered. Visit giftofalifetimevideo.com/ about to learn more today!

Tom Jennings recently viewed his ‘Gift of a Lifetime’ documentary alongside his wife, children and grandchildren.

Time forgets most everyone but Gift of a Lifetime wants to

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OUT OF BOUNDS

by Gary Van Sickle

For the Arizona Golf Association McDonald’s didn’t invent food. It only seems that way.

McDonald’s did invent the way the world consumed hamburgers-- from the original walk-in pickup window all the way through to the life-altering drive-through window and, of course, the Super Size option.

Tiger Woods didn’t invent golf. It only seems that way.

Woods invented a new way to play modern golf—first by hitting it 30-40 yards past everybody, using strength to gain such a significant edge that other players hastily hit the fitness van to try to catch up in a new kind of arms race as they began doing the unthinkable, lifting weights.

For a stretch of years, Wood hit it closer, pitched it tighter and made more crucial putts than anyone in golf, maybe ever. He mixed a thousand-watt smile with a hundred-mile stare, added The Tiger Fist Pump to an array of emotional theatrics that electrified fans and demoralized challengers with his drive, focus, superior skills and relentless take-no-prisoners, second-place-sucks attitude. He also brought millions of new fans into a same-old-kind-of-game with his unique mix of cultural heritages.

Oh, he also won a lot and often by a lot. By 12 strokes at the 1997 Masters. By 15 at the 2000 U.S. Open. By 11 at the 2000 NEC Invitational at Firestone and 2003 Bay Hill Invitational.

There is so much more to say but in a nutshell, Tiger Woods Super Sized the PGA Tour. He faces a long road to recovery after his recent harrowing one-car accident in the Los Angeles area that left him with serious leg injuries and us worried about his health and golfing future.

You know his stunning numbers: 82 wins, 15 major championships. Woods changed golf dramatically during his 25 years as a pro. Among other things, power has become almost a necessity as the PGA Tour average driving distance inches close to 300 yards. It was Tiger who led us down this path.

What else hath Tiger wrought? Money, lots of money. Purses on the PGA Tour more than tripled from 1980 ($13.3 million) to 1990 ($46.2 million).

By 1995 B.T. (Before Tiger), that sum rose to $62.9 million. Woods turned pro in the late summer of 1996 and by 1999, just two years after his dominant Masters win the tour’s total purse jumped to $134 million, mainly because of him. Four years later, it was $224 million. By 2019, the last year a global pandemic wasn’t fouling up the works, prize money exceeded $343 million. That’s a five- to six-fold increase, part of what is known as The Tiger Effect.

Everyone connected with golf or even remotely kinda-sorta interested was blessed to live during The Tiger Era. I was one of those lucky you-know-whats. I’d just switched magazine teams in the fall of 1996 and was covering the Las Vegas Invitational as one of my early assignments for Sports Illustrated. All Woods did was play the final 72 holes (of a rare 90-hole event) in 26-under, including a closing 64, and score his first

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tour win after a playoff with Davis Love. Thus, among my first sentences for SI were: “Golf, as we know it, is over. It came to an end on a chamber-of-commerce Sunday evening in Las Vegas when Tiger Woods went for the upgrade: He’s not just a promising young Tour pro anymore, he’s an era.”

Don’t give me any credit for that observation.

Tiger was just that good and it was obvious. Woods averaged 323 yards per drive off the tee that week.

Yes, it was Las Vegas, it was dusty, the ball rolls out… but 323-yard drives then were the stuff of “Happy Gilmore,” a silly movie that came out earlier in 1996.

Woods was Happy-esque. His driving distance in Vegas was 40 yards longer than the field average, something that was about to become a sobering reality for PGA Tour players who thought Woods was an overhyped former amateur star out of his league.

You didn’t have to be a genius to see it coming.

You didn’t even have to stay at a Holiday Inn. For instance, Fred Couples and Davis Love were two of the tour’s biggest stars but few of the gallery USGA

followed their pairing early that week. What crowd was there was with Woods. All you had to do was look for the dust cloud rising up over the cactus. That was the Tiger stampede, a small version of what was to come.

A few weird things happened. The Invitational had a pro-am format for four rounds. Woods turned an ankle in the opening round while playing with Nevada Gov. Bob Miller. There was talk Tiger might withdraw, which was a big local story. Obviously, Tiger played on. He got into the mix with a 63 in the fourth round, then that closing 64.

In the playoff, most remember Love dumping his approach in a greenside bunker and making bogey to lose. It wasn’t that simple. Woods had a 15-footer for birdie and the win but missed. In fact, he aggressively rolled it four feet past the cup. Love had a 10foot putt to save par and he missed, too.

It wasn’t over yet. Woods still had to make that four-footer for the win (that would get him into next April’s Masters Tournament, by the way). There was time enough for observers to wonder if he’d feel the nerves and soon succumb to the experienced tour veteran Love. No doubt many skeptical PGA Tour players felt that’s how it might play out.

But Woods stroked it home, only looking fazed later when he had to pose between two scantily clad Vegas showgirls with the winner’s oversized check for an awkward photo.

I was there 23 years later in Augusta, Ga., when Woods notched Win No. 81, his fifth Masters title, in 2019. There can’t be many other, if any other, media on hand for Nos. 1 and 81. What about No. 82?

Somehow, Tiger handled that in Japan without me.

I was simply the beneficiary of remarkably good timing, lucky enough to watch Tiger Woods make history, as you did, and write about it.

It was Tiger who made pulling off impossible shots and impossible finishes a regular habit. He spoiled, dazzled and awed us. His golf and his life were addicting to watch even when they sometimes strayed out of bounds.

As tour player Stewart Cink once noted, “Tiger isn’t one in a million. He’s one in ever.”

Tiger Woods won his first U.S. Open in 2000, by a record-setting fifteen strokes at Pebble Beach Golf Links.

In that regard, we all owe Tiger a big debt of gratitude for the last quarter-century.

Did I say big? Super Size that, please.

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Arizona Golf Association 2021 Monterey Golf Experience September 20-23, 2021

Travel with the Arizona Golf Association in September for the 2021 Monterey Golf Experience. Registration includes three nights lodging at the Hyatt Regency Monterey Hotel and Spa on Del Monte Golf Course, a reception, and three rounds of golf at Quail Lodge & Golf Club, Carmel Valley Ranch Golf Club, and Poppy Hills Golf Club.

Registration Option and Pricing: Single Golfer: $1,550; Two Golfers: $2,300; One Golfer, One Non-Golfer: $1,900 Details: Hyatt Regency Monterey Hotel and Spa on Del Monte Golf Course 3 nights lodging - September 20 - 23 in King Bed Nestled within 22 acres of soaring Monterey Pines, the Hyatt Regency Monterey Hotel and Spa on Del Monte Golf Course is a destination hotel providing travelers with the quintessential Monterey experience and is in close proximity to downtown Monterey, Monterey Airport and easy access to some of the Peninsula’s most well-known attractions.

Quail Lodge & Golf Club Quail Lodge & Golf Club has been awarded “Best Playing Conditions” for all of Central California by GreensKeeper (2016, 2017). Known for its playability, pristine conditions and beautifully manicured greens, our Monterey Peninsula golf course was originally designed by Robert Muir Graves in 1964 and refined in 2015 by Principle Designer Todd Eckenrode – Origins Golf Design. Tee times begin at 1:00 p.m.

Carmel Valley Ranch Golf Club The only Pete Dye-designed, bentgrass golf course in Northern California is right here at Carmel Valley Ranch, and no matter how you slice it (or hook it), this par-70 layout offers something for all players: tactical shots, dramatic elevation changes, incredible scenery. It’s a rollicking good time, ranked among the top resort courses in the country by Travel + Leisure’s “World’s Best” readers’ survey.

Tee times are TBD. Poppy Hills Golf Club Poppy Hills, home of the Northern California Golf Association and the hidden jewel of Pebble Beach. Immersed in the history of Pebble Beach Resort, the magnificence of Spyglass Hill and the breathtaking views a Spanish Bay, Poppy Hills stands tall in the center of them all providing guests with what our golf course architect Robert Trent Jones Jr. calls “the closest you can get to playing golf in a National Park.” Tee times begin at 10:00 a.m.

For more information and questions, contact: Anj Brown at anj@azgolf.org or 602.872.7022