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UIL State Tournament: Looking for greener pastures
Mixed reviews today on the status of the greens at Roy Kizer Golf Course.
The China Spring girls’ golfers said they weren’t great, but not as bad as had been rumored. One golf coach told me the greens were in much better shape than they had been during his team’s practice rounds two weeks ago.
However, Robinson’s Grant Duffy admitted to being frustrated by the poor green conditions early in his round. Sitting by the ninth green, I overheard several golfers talking about how a teammate would likely blame the greens for his poor play.
And from that vantage point near the ninth and 18th greens, I observed that the ninth was in such bad condition that there were only three areas where the maintenance crew could place a cup. The 18th looked much better.
Also, I had dinner at one of the many Austin-area strip centers and the restaurant happened to be near a Galaxy Golf. So, I had to stop in. Interestingly enough, the store’s salesman mentioned, without prompting, that he had played at Roy Kizer a couple of weeks ago and couldn’t believe they were going to play the state tournament there.
I know from talking to the UIL about this issue that they have a long standing deal with the Austin municipal golf courses. It would’ve been extremely difficult to change the venue for the tournament within the last month and the UIL probably would’ve been reluctant to do so anyway. And the Austin munis — Roy Kizer, Morris Williams and Jimmy Clay — do an excellent job of hosting the events.
Having stated that, it goes back to my assertion in previous newspaper columns that the UIL should raise golf’s profile and hold the state tournament at Barton Creek or some other worthy establishment. The UIL can have the state track meet at Mike A. Myers Stadium and the state basketball tournaments at the Frank Erwin Center, but it can’t have the state golf tournament at comparable facilities?
This is a state where Byron Nelson, Ben Hogan, Ben Crenshaw, Tom Kite, Kathy Whitworth and Justin Leonard grew up playing golf, but the finer golf establishments in the state would turn their noses up at the UIL? I doubt it.
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This game ain’t easy
With a sort-of day off on Wednesday, I hit the golf course myself and found a little bit more awe for what Gabriella Dominguez did in shooting 2-under-par 70 on consecutive days Monday and Tuesday at Morris Williams Golf Course.
Not because I struggled to a 90, but because of the little things she was able to do under a fairly high amount of pressure.
Gabby consistently got up and down for pars, sometimes when challenger Brittany Smith of Petrolia was already on the green looking at an easy par.
I myself had several opportunities to get up and down for pars, sometimes when it seemed pretty easy, and managed to botch most of them. So, once again, kudos Gabby.
By the way, there’s an update coming soon on those dreaded Roy Kizer Golf Course greens. They must not have been too bad if Salado’s Ryan O’Rear made five straight birdies on Tuesday.
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UIL State Tournament: Round 2 of 4?
I’m on my way out to Morris Williams Golf Course for what promises to be a good match between Chilton’s Gabriella Dominguez and Petrolia freshman Brittany Smith.
Dominguez shot 2-under-par 70 on Monday — playing her last 15 holes in 4-under — to take a two stroke lead over Smith. They were the only two girls’ golfers in 1A to shoot better than 81. They were grouped together yesterday and they’ll be grouped together again today in the final round.
Do I think a freshman is going to be able to go head-to-head with Gabby and beat her by two strokes? Not really.
But however it shakes out, it will be a good setup for 2009. Gabriella will be a senior and Smith will have another season of experience. That fact wasn’t lost on Petrolia coach Eric Simmons who looked forward to a two-year battle between the two players.
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UIL State Tournament: Hazards — water and otherwise
I’m on the ground here at the state golf tournament. It’s a little before noon and Gabriella Dominguez from Chilton as well as the Meridian boys’ golfers are all on the front nines of their respective first rounds. Dominguez teed off on No. 1 at Morris Williams Golf Course at 9:50, while the Meridian boys teed off on No. 10 from about 8:40-9:30.
Heavy rains last night — and continued drizzling this morning — made it soggy out there. I’m guessing that will be an advantage for Gabby as she attempts to win her third straight 1A individual title. Usually the players with better game respond better to tough weather conditions.
Early word from the other courses is that the UIL has shifted the 4A and 5A tournaments to the recently updated Jimmy Clay Golf Course and moved 2A and 3A to Roy Kizer Golf Course — and it’s causing a bit of an uproar.
Apparently — and I haven’t seen the extent of the problems yet — the greens are horrible at Roy Kizer. The word I received was that the powers that be have put all of their efforts into Clay and let Kizer go to pot. Again, I haven’t seen how bad it is, but that would be a bummer if 2A and 3A were playing on a lousy course with so many good ones available in the Austin area. … I’ll have more on this subject as the week goes on.
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John and the 3 aces
I’ve got to brag on my old dad a little bit.
A couple of Saturdays ago, I called home to check in and he said he had to buy a new pair of socks. A little slow on the up-take, I replied “Umm, OK.” Then he continued, “Because I got a hole-in-one.”
Now, when most people tell you they got a hole-in-one, your social responsibility is to react with great enthusiasm. But John Conine is starting to make a (relative) habit of it.
“Where did you make this one?” was the appropriate response in this case.
My dad made his first hole-in-one on No. 4 at Cottonwood Creek Golf Course here in Waco (back then it was No. 13).
After moving from Waco to Granbury in 1997, he holed the second one earlier this decade at a course called Nutcracker Golf Club near their new home at Pecan Plantation.
This last one happened on April 19 at Pecan Plantation Country Club where, he figures, the ball bounced a little past the hole and backed up into the cup. He couldn’t quite see the ball go in. One of his playing partners began looking for the ball behind the green, but old dad knew where the find the ball. Hole-in-one No. 3.
Of course, the three aces probably fall in line after the double-eagle he notched at Crown Colony in 2003.
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High-stakes par-3 golf
My guess is there will be some big-time local players at The Lake’s par-3 tournament on Saturday. I’m awfully tempted to find a couple of the better (or worse) golfers I know to enter this thing.
The tournament is paying $500 for first place, $400 for second, $300 for third, $400 for 10th, $300 for 15th and $200 for 18th with the potential of winning day money for the second 18 holes.
Seriously, for any golfers who aspire to play well, even if you lost your $40 entry fee, what better way to get your game in shape than 36 holes of high-stakes scrambling on par 3’s?
Here are the particulars: The Lake Par-3 Tournament starts at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday with a $40 entry fee (plus $15 for a cart if you can’t muster enough strength to walk 36 holes on the par-3 course). For more information, call Albert at (254) 756-2161.
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A definitively scratch golfer.
Waco’s John Derrick claimed a Scratch Players Tour victory over the weekend at Cottonwood Creek Golf Course.
The Scratch Players Tour, launched by some local golfers last spring, is an attempt to get some of the area’s best golfers — and ideally players from larger Texas cities — to compete against each other. Initially, I thought this was going to be a local circuit, but it’s sort of evolved into an annual event.
Yours truly wasn’t able to cover the tournament this weekend because of the presence of the Varsity Equestrian National Championships at the Heart O’ Texas Fair Complex. But here’s the scoop:
Derrick shot 2-over-par 74 on Saturday, then came back with a round of 2-under 70 on Sunday to win by three strokes over Bob Ammon. Jason Felps shot four over for third place.
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A driver that’s guaranteed to slice
I’m not too interested in multi-purpose products, even of the cell phone variety. I have friends who own Blackberries and iPhones and I’ve attempted to use them without much success. Supposedly the all-in-one device is convenient, but I have another way of keeping things simple. I want my cell phone to make calls and send text messages. If I need to send an e-mail or find information on the internet, I’ll use my computer. If I want to take a picture, I’ll use my camera.
So when a ridiculous two-in-one golf product happened across my e-mail In box this week, this philosophy kicked in. The tool was a driver, the “Big Daddy Driver” to be exact, that doubles as a weed-eater. That’s right. The bottom half of the driver opens up, revealing a weed-eater cord, allowing one to — evidently — hit a few drives whilst doing yard work. Or, I suppose, one could carry a weed-eater onto the golf course in case an errant drive finds the tall grass. (That’s cheating by the way, and could land one in hot water with the superintendent). But good luck chopping through heavy rough with this piddly little weed-whacker.
In summary, and I’m just guessing here, bad driver, bad weed-eater.
Now, I realize that this is more of a novelty product. A joke. And I get jokes. I think this one is super funny. But I can get a laugh for less than $49.95.
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No drama queens, but is there a new first lady of golf?
So not a lot of drama down the stretch in The Masters today. In fact, about 5:30 in the evening, seeing that Trevor Immelman had it all but wrapped up, I decided to go to the driving range on a beautiful Sunday afternoon here in Waco.
But I did DVR the last hour of coverage because I wanted to watch Immelman march up the 18th fairway.
A couple of thoughts: Not that it would have mattered if he shanked it, but how about that approach shot Immelman hit out of a divot? Then there was the Immelman family. Seeing Immelman’s mother and father waiting for him to come off the 18th green was great, but the show was really stolen by Carminita Immelman and 1-year-old Jacob. So I guess Carminita is going to replace Amy Mickelson as the Tour’s most photogenic player’s wife.
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Wire to wire?
Thursday evening, I would’ve never guessed that Trevor Immelman would be a wire-to-wire leader/winner of the Masters, but as of 4:30 CST on Sunday, with Steve Flesch’s ball in Ray’s Creek at the 12th, it’s starting to look like another South African willl win The Masters. Right now, Flesch is the only guy within four strokes of Immelman and he’s about to card a bogey (or worse) on the 12th.
Here’s the list of wire-to-wire Masters champions: Craig Wood, 1941; Arnold Palmer, 1960; Jack Nicklaus, 1972; and Raymond Floyd, 1976.
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Immelman, Snedeker running down a dream
OK, I’m getting closer to believing in Trevor Immelman and/or Brandt Snedeker. In fact, I could see one or both running off and leaving everyone behind on Sunday.
I’m beginning to reach this conclusion for two reasons. First, just look at the scoreboard and it’s pretty easy to see that either guy, especially Immelman, is going to have an excellent chance at slipping on a green jacket if he simply shoots even par. Actually, Snedeker has a couple of guys right on his tail, but at least he’s four shots clear of Tiger.
And I saw something I liked in Snedeker’s game today. He bogeyed Amen Corner, but then came back with birdies on holes 14 and 15. (By the way, check out his mug on his profile on cbssportsline.com. Does he look like John Denver or what?)
As for Immelman, it’s hard to tell how he’ll handle adversity because he hasn’t created any for himself. Playing with the lead on Saturday, he had one bogey — on the par-3 fourth — and shot 3-under on the back nine.
But then there’s this: If Immelman shoots even par on Sunday, Tiger would need to shoot 66 to catch him. Can I see Tigers shooting 66 on Sunday at the Masters to chase down the South African? Yeah, I can.
Wait, wait, wait. Has Tiger ever come from behind on Sunday to win a major? No. Has he ever won a PGA Tour event when trailing by more than five shots after 54 holes? No. Does that mean he’ll never do it? Hmm, I’m betting he will. Will it be today? I’ll bet I’ll be sitting on the couch to see.
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After 36, I’m in the rough
So, I humbly concede that I might have been off the mark with my picks for five golfers other than Lefty or Tiger that could win The Masters. Two of them — Rory Sabbatini and Luke Donald — failed to make the cut, and from the remaining three Andres Romero is having the best tournament so far in 20th place through 36 holes.
Not that picking this thing is an easy proposition. I’m honestly quite surprised that Donald missed the cut. When I was looking at the season he’s having, his putting stats and how he’s performed at Augusta, it was hard to come up with a reason why he might not win. But that’s golf.
And for the record, I’m not ready to put money on Trevor Immelman or Brandt Snedeker. Frankly, it’s looking like Tiger or Lefty.
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Dreaming of playing scratch golf
Watching The Masters always makes me want to get out to the golf course. It’s at just the right time of year — spring has hit and everything is busting out green. This morning in fact, I made a trip to a local driving range and had an excellent time hitting a few shots, then practicing chipping.
Of course, the reason for the practice session today was two-fold. I’ll be playing at Colonial Country Club on Monday in the Wide Open Media Tournament. So it would be nice if I remember how to swing a golf club.
If I were a scratch golfer, the reasons would’ve been three-fold as the local Scratch Players Tour is cranking up again with a tournament April 19 and 20 at Cottonwood Creek Golf Course.
The 36 hole tournament costs $100 to enter, including two rounds of golf, range balls and a post-round meal on Sunday. Entry forms are available at Cottonwood.
The event is open to all amateurs, but all players will play in the same flight. Mark Healer won the Scratch Players tournament in 2007 with a 36-hole score of 5-under-par 139, a stroke in front of runner-up Jason Phelps.
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Tiger devours a walrus
Here’s an indication that it’s too early to tell what’s going to happen at this year’s Masters: Craig Stadler is a stroke ahead of Tiger Woods on Thursday afternoon.
Sitting in my living room watching the tournament — which will become a familiar position during the next four days — I listened as Tiger chastised himself for, as my roommate and fellow Trib staffer Jason Orts pointed out, hitting the ball 320 yards right down the middle of the fairway on the par-5 15th. It just goes to show how Tiger has Augusta National down to a science. He probably has an idea from which blade of grass he wants to hit each shot.
That errant drive really cost Tiger. Yeah, sure. He hit his second shot to the left side of the green on the 530-yard hole, then chipped in for eagle. OK, so Tiger’s not trailing the Walrus anymore.
The highlight of the day so far (as of about 3 p.m. Thursday) has to be Ian Poulter’s ace of the par-3 16th. The ball landed on the middle of the green, then briskly rolled toward the flag on the left side. And in. Poulter played the rest of the course in even-par, so he’ll start Friday’s round at 2-under-par.
Oh by the way, defending champ Zach Johnson posted a cool 70.
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Masters preview: Look who else is playing
Breaking news from the world of golf: The Masters has invited 93 golfers to join Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson in its little tournament this week.
I know it’s hard to believe, what with all the attention focused primarily on Tiger. But, yeah, it’s true. Actually, there are 31 3-player groups and one two-player group set to tee off on Thursday.
So let’s say I had a free plane ticket to anywhere in the U.S. other than the Deep South this week. I’d pick Vegas, baby, Vegas.
And here’s five golfers not named Tiger or Phil who I would bet on to win The Masters:
(not in order of best bet)
Bubba Watson
Why he’ll win: No one named Bubba has ever won The Masters. Come on, how can this be? Also, Watson is currently No. 1 on the tour in driving distance and he played college golf at Georgia. What might stop him: Tied for 174th in putts per round … and no one named Bubba has ever won The Masters.
Andres Romero
Why he’ll win: I saw this guy put the heat on the big boys at the British Open last summer before falling off late on Sunday. He’s going to win a major before too long and it could be at Augusta. He’s in the top 20 in driving distance. What might stop him: He’s sixth in putts per round but tied for 36th in putts per hole. Does that seem like a weird contradiction to anyone else?
Padraig Harrington
Why he’ll win: Won his first major last summer at Carnoustie. That could set the Irishman off. He’s got the game for Augusta — he’s long and can putt, leading the tour in putts per round. What might stop him: Recent hot streak faded a bit in Houston last weekend.
Rory Sabbatini
Why he’ll win: Tied Tiger and Retief Goosen for second place last year and has played well at Augusta National the last two years. He’s got the game to win a major title and his gumption could prove to be a positive. What might stop him: You really think Tiger’s going to let Rory beat him?
Luke Donald
Why he’ll win: He’s playing better than anyone on the tour (not named Tiger) so far this year with a scoring average of 69.6. What might stop him: He barely ranks in the top 100 in driving distance, so he’ll be hitting a little more club into those slippery Augusta National greens. But, hey, he hits it farther than defending champ Zach Johnson.
Others I considered and why I didn’t pick them: Zach Johnson (I like him, but he’s not having the kind of year that suggests he’s going to repeat); Sergio Garcia (He’s Sergio).
But why not just put money on Tiger? you ask. It’s just too easy (and probably wouldn’t pay off too great).
However, we are living in a phenomenal golf era of the highest order. Consider this: either Arnold Palmer or Jack Nicklaus won The Masters every year from 1962-1966 and together they claimed 10 green jackets between 1958 (Arnie’s first) and 1986 (Jack’s last). However, Tiger and Phil might eclipse the golf rivalry of rivalries — at The Masters at least. Woods and Mickelson have combined to win six of the last 11 Masters.
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Greenbrier hosts Denn Scholarship scramble
This time of year, there’s no shortage of good ways to give back to the community and play golf at the same time, and here’s another great one:
Greenbrier Golf Course in Moody will host the second annual Mike Denn Scholarship Benefit Golf Tournament on April 19.
The event is a four-man scramble with shotgun starts at 8:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. The cost is $50 per person or $200 per team.
For more information, call Matt or Audra Denn at (254) 379-3374 or Melanie and Joey Rebando at (254) 715-8003.
Also:
The fifth installment of Leasleypalooza has been set for June 21 at The Lake Country Club and will include the annual four-person scramble tournament along with performances by the Jonquil Street Band and Donna Beckham.
The golf tournament tees off at 10 a.m. with the concert following at 7 p.m. Entry fee for the tournament is $95 and includes a ticket to the concert.
Leasleypalooza , which honors former China Spring boys’ basketball and golf coach Randy Leasley, raises money for the Randy Leasley Scholarship Fund.
Leasley died in a house fire at his home on Feb. 8, 2004. The Leasleypalooza event is designed both to raise money for scholarships and honor the memory of the fun-loving coach.
For more information contact Luke Gilliam at luke@coachleasley.org or visit www.coachleasley.org.
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Hey, ref, fore!!!
If you’ve ever yelled at a basketball ref, you should really consider making a gesture of goodwill to the men and women in striped jerseys.
One chance to do just that comes our way with the first annual Zebra Open Golf Tournament.
The Waco TASO basketball chapter is hosting the tournament on April 17 at Cottonwood. The entry fee is $200 per team (includes green fee, lunch and snacks) and singles can enter for $50.
For those of you out there who have yelled at refs and feel bad about it (and I think some of you perhaps should) but you can’t play on April 17, there’s still away to give back. Sponsorship opportunities range from a gift-bag sponsorship for $50 to an eagle sponsor for $500.
For more information, contact Don Wenzel at (254) 836-4719 or Earl Stinnett at (254) 750-8018.
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Panthers surge to top of 16-4A tourney
Midway’s Kort O’Leary stayed steady in windy conditions on Tuesday to open up a five-stroke lead in the first of three rounds of the 16-4A tournament.
O’Leary shot 3-over-par 75 at Cottonwood Creek Golf Course, five ahead of Midway teammate Zac Collins and seven better than the closest non-Panther golfer. The tournament shifts to Stone Tree Golf Club in Killeen on Monday, then Brownwood Country Club the following Monday.
Midway’s Spencer Shelburne and Trey Chamness are tied for third place at 9-over followed by teammate Cody Thompson and Waco High’s Corbett Curry at 10-over.
The Midway I team shot 31-over 319 to move into first place, 19 strokes in front of Midway II and 27 in front of Waco High in third.
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Junior tour hits Twin Rivers
Twin Rivers Golf Club is hosting the Heart of Texas Championship junior tournament on Saturday and Sunday. The event is part of the Texas Legends Junior Tour, so some of the state’s top juniors will take the course Saturday and Sunday until about 2 p.m.
The bad news for golfers hoping to play at Twin Rivers is that the course won’t be available in the morning. But the good news is that there’s an opportunity to contribute to junior golf.
I got an e-mail this morning from the USGA’s Jim Moore looking for volunteers to help marshal the tournament
“Do any of you folks want to spend one or both of your weekend mornings working this event?,” he asked. “If so (no pressure here - not that I feel like any of you could be pressured anyway) please let me know.”
Jim can be reached at jmoore@usga.org.
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Loving the Madness, looking forward to The Masters
So, I’m sitting in my living room on a beautiful Sunday afternoon, just as yesterday I was sitting in my living room on a beautiful Saturday afternoon. Why would I do this when I could be out at the golf course at least hitting range balls? It’s because I’m addicted to the NCAA Tournament.
I don’t think I’m the only golfer who’s a huge college basketball fan. In fact I know I’m not. There seems to be a pretty high occurrence of golfing hoops fans.
I’m torn because I want to be out enjoying the weather. But a commercial (of all things) helped me find consolation. You know the one “The Masters on CBS, a tradition like no other.” It helped me remember that there’s still plenty of good golfing days left in this year, including sitting on this same couch watching the final round of The Masters in three weeks.
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Chips and salsa
The chipping green at Twin Rivers Golf Club is one of my favorite places in town to hang out.
It’s a great spot to hone the all-important skills of chipping and pitching. It’s free (though I usually buy a basket of range balls to hit before I mosey over to the chipping area). And it’s in close proximity to the Baylor clubhouse, a good place for a reporter to pick up on handy golf news items.
On Saturday, I was chipping with a friend who is a relative beginner. Baylor women’s golf coach Sylvia Ferdon was out working with players and she was nice enough to happen by and give my buddy a 20-minute impromptu lesson — free of charge. You can’t beat that value.
Then on Monday, I was back in the same spot, though this time without a club in my hand. I was there to interview Baylor golfer Colton Williams, but I also saw another familiar face — that of new Baylor women’s golfer Jordan Rhodes.
I met Jordan when she finished as the runner-up in the Starburst Junior Golf Classic Girls’ Championship division last summer. At the time, she was headed to Texas State, but she recently transferred to Baylor.
So the scorecard reads: two trips to chipping green, zero made chips, one free lesson and one renewed acquaintance.
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Latest comments
I would sure like an update on Kizer if you can get it. Our kids are playing there Thursday and friday. One local says they’re horrible(mostly dirt) but a golf advisory board member says they will be ‘playable’. My guess …112 golfers
... read the full comment by Mark Smith | Comment on UIL State Tournament: Hazards -- water and otherwise Read UIL State Tournament: Hazards -- water and otherwise
Dude, Stick to writing about sports you know more about.
... read the full comment by fred couples | Comment on A definitively scratch golfer. Read A definitively scratch golfer.
Remember the Tom Watson Master-days? Those were some unbelievable chip-shots.
... read the full comment by Fred | Comment on Tiger devours a walrus Read Tiger devours a walrus
Masters? Fastest Greens on the Tour……the lightning fast Greens of Augusta.
... read the full comment by Fred | Comment on Masters preview: Look who else is playing Read Masters preview: Look who else is playing