ELK CITY WINS 4th BEDLAM CUP MATCHES

The 2014 Bedlam Cup Challenge Matches began with a short note from Honorary Captain, Terry Nichols read by Shawn Wilson:
"It is a great honor to have been chosen the captain of the Elk City Golf & CC team. Some of my best memories are of playing golf here, where I have been playing since 1974 and it has been a lot of fun. I would like to say to all the golfers today to just do the best you can and enjoy every minute of it, but must of all, JUST HAVE FUN!"

For the fourth time in as many years that this event has been played, since the fall of 2011, to showcase Elk City's famous friendliness and also our "diamond in the rough", our challenging course, which was praised by so many of our visitors last Saturday (thank you Ed Hughes!!!).

Elk City won the Bedlam Cup Challenge Matches. But, beyond the competition, for many, the GPN Bank Bedlam Cup remains a curiosity, an enigma, of what it really is beyond the competition and the reason for tying up the course for a full day, all of which is as

important or more as who wins these inter cities match: from the beginning, it has been an event designed to meet new friends, to promote camaraderie and friendships, to reward a few of our players (32) for their year's performance and also their support, and, as an added bonus, this event, totally sponsored and funded by Great Plains National Bank, allows us "showcase our course" and show why Elk City is known for its friendliness.

Originally designed to have a nice "year ending event" at our club after the golf season had ended (*), the Bedlam Cup has grown into a nice fundraiser as, Mangum's GPN Bank's Branch President Robert Garton, who since the By the way, it was no misprint above: each player pays an entry fee of $20, that's it!
beginning was appointed to be "point man" for this event, had the additional idea of donating the entire $20 entry fee of each player to a charity, which now means a donation of at least $2,500 to the local Relay for Life cause, something that has been part of this tournament for the past 4 years.

As the tournament approaches and we begin to publish the names of the 32 players invited and/or qualified to represent Elk City Golf & Country Club's two 16-Man teams, I am asked by many:
"how do you get in the team (at least in Elk City)?, "why do you change pairings each nine?", "Is it a scramble? oh! why three formats?", "how do you do the points?", "why so late in the year?" and so on. Valid questions with valid answers, most of which are embodied in the paragraphs above. Now, the details as to how we choose the teams will be printed at the end of this post.

This year's tournament hosted nine 16-Man teams (Sayre, Mangum, Hollis, Wellington, Shamrock, Clinton, Hobart and two teams from Elk City) each of which are divided into eight 2-Man teams that play nine holes Low Ball (Front Nine) and nine holes Scramble (Back nine). After the first 18 holes are completed and players have lunch, all players go out again to play nine holes in an Alternate Shot with half of their team playing the front nine, and half of their team playing the back nine.

After the first 18 holes, Elk City's "Red Team", had a pretty good, but not insurmountable lead, particularly when the Alternate Shot format awards double points. Elk City had a "perfect score of 64 points out of 64 possible points and was leading Clinton who had 51 1/2 points. With 64 more points to go, all Clinton had to do was earn 13 more points than Elk City Red, and they would be the new Bedlam Cup winners.

It wasn't to be. Elk City won 61 (total 125) in the Alternate Shot format while Clinton won 58 (total 109 1/2), claiming second place in the 9 team field. Coming in third place was Mangum with 73, fourth was Wellington with 69 1/2 and fifth was Elk City Blue with 55 1/2.

The biggest point earners in Elk City were teams #1 (Joby Gray & Keegan Hall), and #3 (Rusty Wilson and Craig Martin) from the Red Team. Joby & Keegan had rounds of 29 (Low Ball), 32 (scramble) and 34 (Alternate Shots) and Rusty and Craig had rounds of 32, 29, 34 respectively.

Zach Zachary made Hole in One
on Hole #5, his first ever! Congrats!

Other Red teams that did well were, Aaron Kauk-Dustin Gunkel (32,31,33), Damon Butcher-Bryce Butcher (35,29,34) and David Dyson-Jordan Williamson (32,31,36), Not other teams shot under 100 for the three nine hole rounds.

The Blue Team's top scores (under par for 27 holes) were Bob Miller-Craig Phelps (34,32,37), Jack Coody-Rusty Ridling (35,34,38) and Grady Lantz-Rocky Andresen (33,33,39).

In closing, we want to extend our most sincere thanks to all of the following: the players and captains, Elk City Golf & C.C. Membership and Board of Directors, GPN Bank (Title Sponsor), Robert Garton (President GPN Mangum), CUDD (practice range balls to participants), our membership (players and non players alike), Ed Hughes (golf course superintendent who set up the course that was praised by
all), our clubhouse staff led by Myra Baker and last, but not least, Mona, my wife, without whom a lot of what we do as a club, would be practically impossible! THANK YOU ALL!

(*) - We approached GPN Bank's Bob Maine in 2011 for the title sponsorship, and after presenting the idea to bank's leadership, it was gladly and generously accepted.

(**) - Selection Process: First Right of Refusal goes to the top 20 scores of the Club Championship, regardless of the flight players are in; 2ROR goes to the winners of each flight in the Club Championship; 3ROR go to players not already in, but who participated in the annual Elk City Shootout (former "4th of July Weekend Tournament) and were among the top 20 best scores, 4ROR Best finish in each flight in the tournament above; 5ROF goes to players who otherwise support the club's activities where an individual score is needed and posted for handicap purposes.

The top team, this year was the Red Team, is the selection of the best 16 players of these 32 players with the second team, this year the Blue Team, formed by the other 16 players who accepted the invitation.

We cannot think of a better selection process that will reward members who not only participate in golf activities that require an individual score, but also who perform well.