Regardless of the controversy surrounding the Saudi-backed LIV Golf occasion performed at The Worldwide in close by Bolton final weekend, the match drew hundreds of followers and ended with Dustin Johnson’s thrilling 35-foot eagle putt to win on the primary playoff gap.
Sportswriters protecting LIV, which has shortly turn out to be a critical menace to the PGA Tour, have famous that the brand new circuit has attracted followers who’re OK with excessive money payouts even for low finishers (Sihwan Kim shot 16-over-par, completed final and picked up $120,000), shorts, if desired, as a substitute of lengthy pants, loud music blasting from carts and audio system throughout play, together with Beastie Boys and AC/DC soundtracks, and four-player crew competitors.
The truth is, Invoice Pennington of the New York Instances lately wrote, “The LIV Golf management is satisfied that the important thing to the tour’s success is its crew idea, which is new to golf.”
With a crew title of “4 Aces” Dustin Johnson, Talor Gooch, Pat Perez and Patrick Reed gained first place collectively in Bolton and shared — get this — $3 million.
Gardner Municipal Golf Course Professional Store Supervisor Dan Berry, whereas admitting that he wasn’t interested by the LIV Golf Tour when he got here up with the concept for a brand new, four-player crew occasion on the native hyperlinks, was happy with the inaugural 36-hole tourney performed final weekend.
“We had a great turnout with 64 gamers divided into 16 four-player groups, every making an attempt to get the bottom scores, each gross and web on every gap, for his or her squad,” mentioned Berry, who known as the match the “Two by Two 4 Ball.”
Successful the lads’s division gross prize with mixed scores of one-under-par 283 was the gifted crew of Dave Drake, Geoff Tobia, Mark Manca and Invoice Wilson. Charging to victory on Sunday, companions Tobia and Manca carded a 67, whereas Wilson and Drake fired a 69.
First-net winners at 266 had been Jeff Denis, Maurice Fitzgerald, Skip Morrill and Jay Gearan, 4 photographs decrease than runners-up Bruce Coffin, Drew Duplessis, Kurt Foresman and Allen Goguen. Then got here third-net winners Francis Phillips, Tim Woods, Sean Monahan and Tim Hebert at 272, adopted by Brian Chadbourne, Jake Lenthall and Chris and Seth Vogel at 274.
The successful ladies’s gross crew at 348 included Sue Tourigny, Joanne Welch, Bridget Marinelli and Laura Foresman. Web winners at 291 had been Sharon Ialenti, Ann Twohig, Brenna LeBlanc and Fran McFaul.
Extra Gearan on Golf: Johnson qualifies for Mid-Beginner; Why was Chris McGrath’s title etched in a long-lost golf ball?
Up Shut on the U.S. Senior Beginner
Longtime GMGC member Ann Twohig loved volunteering on the lately held U.S. Senior Beginner in Marion at The Kittansett Membership.
“It was very nice, a beautiful expertise,” mentioned Twohig, who labored within the transportation and credentials areas of the match. She labored intently along with her buddy, Sheila Grady, a Kittansett member.
Whereas volunteering in the course of the last week of August on the seaside hyperlinks of Kittansett, one of many state’s prime programs, which opened in 1922, Twohig met a few well-known golfers who certified for the match: Augusta Nationwide Golf Membership Chairman Fred Ridley, who gained the U.S. Beginner in 1975, and 1981 U.S. Beginner champion Nathaniel Crosby, the son of the late legendary singer/actor Bing Crosby and Kathryn Grant, now 88.
Each the 70-year-old Ridley (80-79) and the 60-year-old Crosby (84-77) missed the lower for match play.
The U.S. Senior Beginner started in 1955, and is open to qualifiers who’re 55 or older.
Incredible 4: These Higher Gardner highschool golfers are primed for robust seasons
The Anthony Kim thriller
Again in early Could was the tenth anniversary of what’s presumed to be Anthony Kim’s last PGA Tour spherical. He opened with a 74 within the 2012 Wells Fargo Championship then withdrew from skilled golf competitors altogether. He’s by no means returned.
Though it has by no means been formally confirmed, Kim, now solely 37, is believed to have had an insurance coverage coverage that will pay him thousands and thousands of {dollars} within the case of a career-ending damage.
Kim, who gained thrice on the PGA Tour, completed third within the 2010 Masters and made 11 birdies at Augusta the earlier 12 months, was clearly on a path to mega-stardom.
And his connection to Gardner Municipal is fascinating. In 2005, Kim, then a star golfer for the College of Oklahoma, was in New England for the Northeast Beginner in Rhode Island, and, conveniently across the similar time, GMGC was internet hosting a two-round qualifier for the U.S. Beginner Public Hyperlinks Championship.
With out ever having set foot beforehand on the par 71 Gardner hyperlinks, Kim carded terrific rounds of 69-67 with a lunch break on the course restaurant in between.
Whereas protecting the PGA’s Deutsche Financial institution Championship in Norton in 2008, I requested Kim if he remembered Gardner Municipal.
“Oh, yeah,” he mentioned. “The U.S. Publinks. I bear in mind the 18th gap. Par 4, straight up the hill. I wanted to make a par.”
And he did. Kim additionally recalled his cart caddy that day, Colt Knost, who had gained the U.S. Beginner the 12 months earlier than and was then taking part in on the Nationwide Tour.
Apparently, Knost is now retired from skilled golf and is a well-liked and common analyst for golf occasions televised by CBS Sports activities and in addition a number of a Sirius XM Radio golf speak present, Gravy and the Sleaze, with former skilled golfer Drew Stoltz.
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