LABOR DAY TOURNAMENT 2015

This was a different Labor Day tournament in many ways, beginning with the inclusion of three teams of juniors 13 and under. Usually, this holiday tournament ends up with a few teams in which parents or grandparents invite a youngster to play with them, but we had never had a team of two youngsters. This time -and I do not know if this will happen again-, we had three, mainly because of some special circumstances that led to the inclusion of the first team. Once there was a "first" young team, others followed, and we made a separate flight for them and everyone had fun. A total of 39 teams entered the tournament which were divided into 4 flights plus a junior flight.

Long hitting Jordan Williamson and steady Mark Fairchild made a great team combination and shot a 60 in this 3 format tournament which includes six holes each of low ball, scramble and alternate shots, which is where teams usually struggle. They won by a full three strokes over their nearest competitor, Ronnie Smith and fellow dog spoiling owner Eddie Davis who shot a 63. At 64, were Craig Martin and Rusty Wilson who completed the "A" flight winners.

This time around, my time to take pictures was limited, but I did take some, and when I was around #11, I saw a ball well inside the 150 marker, maybe 50 yards inside. No one was on #12, so it had to be a golfer from #11 whom I could not see yet. It was Jordan's. After Mark Fairchild stuck an approach shot well inside 10 feet, I joked, "you guys should try to play a more difficult game, like playing shots from where I hit the ball, then you'll see how difficult this game really is". Mark said, "when Jordan hit that tee shot, I just wet back to the cart to save my energy". In my former group in New Mexico we used to call this a "get in the cart shot". Same thing.

Kaleb Keith and out of town friend Beau Srader shot a 68 to win "B" flight by one over 5 teams who shot 69: Paul & Dustin Gunkel, Greg Dodson & Aaron Kauk , Brandon Thomas & Ricky Marr, Jeff Rule & Jeff Donaghey and Brad Spitzer and son Drew.

There was a playoff for 1st place in the "C" flight among two teams that shot a 71, brothers Jason and Greg Minter and Jerry Peffer & Andy Peffer. Jason and Greg won the sudden death playoff on #1. In 3rd place were David Dyson & Ricky Nagle.

There was also a playoff for first in the "D" flight where Terry Stone and partner Derek Rhodes defeated, also on #1, Rick Womack and grandson Nathan. In third place were Jonathan Butcher and Quinten Brown (they tied for 1st, but not thinking they had a chance for a winning spot, Quinten, from Texas, had left and were not in the playoff that required to play alternate shots).

In the junior flight, Tres Hill and Bryler Nichols won handily over Nate Jarel & Caden Culver 75-82, in third place were Grant Graham and John Harguess.

If we should have the same field next year, I'd like to have a long driving contest between Jordan Williamson, Dustin Gunkel, Kaleb Keith and Drew Spitzer... I guarantee you, it'll be a show! - maybe in the "End of the Year Scramble" on October 3rd!