USGA Mid -Am Qualifier at Oak Hill

The United States Golf Association Mid-Amateur Qualifier was held on the West Course today. Five spots and two alternates were at stake for the field of 78 golfers.

Oak Hill was represented by John Schantz (77), Jim Mason (76), Chuck Ryan (79), Mark Dugan (77) and Matt Weins (76). Unfortunately, none of the Oak Hillers scored low enough to move on to the national finals.

The West Course proved to be a tough test for the mid-am field with the low score of the day being two players at 71 (one over par as the course was played at a par of 70). Two more players posted 72 and four players at 73 played-off for the one remaining spot and two alternate spots.

Crew member Rich Johnson was the tournament chair and responsible for course set-up. Of note was Rich's use of the #17 East back tee on the 15th hole - something the crew tried a few times last fall. The tee on #16 was right out of the Captain's game as it was tucked way left requiring a hard draw tee shot. All in all Rich set up the course tough but fair.

It was a great event and a thrill to play a USGA event on our home course.

Crew Members Anchor Harmon Cup Victory

The annual Harmon Cup matches were held on June 14th and 15th and the Crew was well represented.

Captain Harmon's team featured 2007 club champ Dave Fries and crew member Brad McAreavy while Captain Hoff's team had crew members Jim Mason, Dylan Bronson, Doug Lyon and John Schantz.

Following day one's alternate shot and four ball format Captain Harmon's team held a slight edge with a 6 1/2 - 5 1/2 lead and the stage was set for the singles match showdown on Sunday.

In true Captain and Crew tradition Mason, Schantz and McAreavy teed it up on the West course at 7:00 AM for a quick 18 hole warm-up before the big event with Mason beating both Schantz and McAreavy while the latter two split their match.

In the big event Jim Mason, regaining form not seen in years, dispatched of young upstart Ross Pino 6 & 7. Meanwhile Doug Lyon took off his shirt and shoes, climbed into Allen's Creek on #5 to hit his shot. Only Jamie Lamb could inspire Doug to go to such lengths as he disposed of Jamie 5 &4.

Dylan Bronson continued to suffer from a case of the lip-out-skis and was not able to secure a win.

As the matches wound down it became clear that the second to last match of the day between John Schantz and 2006 club champ Matt Weins would determine the winner of the Harmon Cup. After Schantz had been down 3 early in the match the pair went to 18 all square where a half was needed to secure the cup for Captain Hoff.

Schantz left his second at the end of the fairway just short of the hill up to the green while Weins hit the green but was left with a tricky 30 putt from above the right front hole location. Schantz hit a delicate lob shot to 4 feet while Weins hit his putt 7 feet past the hole and missed the comeback. Schantz holed out the putt for par and the improbable upset was complete.

Memorable Moments

As the 2007 season winds down I thought I would try and recall some of the memorable shots from the past. I know this list is far from all inclusive but I'll take a shot:

Doug Lyon (#9 West) - Doug and Jim Mason were partners trying to protect a number of carryovers. They also had a side bet - whoever lost the hole between them had to go get coffee from the clubhouse. Doug's drive ended up in the rough about a quarter of the way down the hill leaving a tough 90 yard shot. He proceeded to hole it out for the win and the cup of coffee!

Jim Mason (#16 East) - The three-time club champion hooked his drive into the left rough and was left with 200 yards to a pin cut five paces onto the green just over the left greenside bunker. This was in maybe 1998 when the left hand trees were a little smaller. It was cold and the wind was blowing hard against Jim. Jim took out his driver, told us to "keep and eye on this it could go anywhere", aimed out-of-bounds and hit a massive cut shot that landed just over the bunker, trickled onto the green leaving an easy birdie putt. I'm sure most of us could hit balls from that spot for the rest of our lives and maybe get one that close. Truly amazing.

Dave Fries (East) - Just this year the 2007 OHCC club champion played the East with 6 birdies (counting #7 from the Black tee as a par 5). We played many of the tees all the way back, the course was soft and temps were in the upper 30's and low 40's. A really fine round - with all apologies to the many great rounds Jim Mason must have played over the years.

Andrew Kay (#18 West) - As Jim Mason's partner 2006 NYS High School, OHCC Junior club champion and current scholarship player at the University of Maryland AK nearly holed his approach and tapped in the 12" putt for birdie to win a seven hole caryover against the 6 man field.

Double eagles - November 4, 2007 John Schantz and Brad McAreavy both hit approach shots to within 2 feet on #16 West for eagles and field win.

Marks galore - November 4, 2007 what is believed to be the highest single hole mark total of 9 - two eagles (Schantz & McAreavy), sandy birdie (Mason - yes the bunker shot could have gone in), birdie (Dylan Bronson)

Coldest Day - Sometime in the early 1990's New Years Eve day, cloudless day, no wind, 23 degrees! The pins were in.

The Beast of the East - Long Live King David!

It was a warm 38 degrees at tee time and the decision was made to "go East".

Reigning club champion Dave Fries blistered the course for birdies on #'s 6, 7 (played as a par 5 from the black tees), 14 16, 17 & 18. His birdie on #18 was good for a seven hole field win. Dave also partnered with Captain Brad McAreavy to win a six hole carryover on #9.

Brad was the master of the par 3's on the front, hitting to within 12 feet on #3 & 6. However, he could not convert the birdies.

Jim Mason put up a strong effort on the back nine capturing the greenies on #11 &15 with solid shots and making birdie on #12,16 &17 with near misses on #11 &15.

It was cool and the course was soft so what tees did we play from? Mostly back, of course! #3,6,7,9,10,11 & 17 were played from black/blue tees. The 18th was played from the blue tee, #5 &13 were played from the red tees and #4 was played from the old tee left of the third green.

Given the cool weather, course conditions and tee positions Dave showed why he is a worthy club champ and the captain and crew "Beast of the East".

Game Summary:

Carryovers to 9 &18
Players 5
Marks 15
Mark leader - Fries with 6
Money leader - Fries $32.50

Twos Run Wild

The twosome won only twice, there were two eagles, two of the par 3's failed to yield a greenie, JR McCarthy made only his second appearance in two years, the twosome lost $22 each on #18 and one of the 18th hole losers has quite a tie-in to the number two in his account number.

With the exception of JR's two birdies, the front nine was noteworthy only because of the lackluster play. The low lights included no one hitting the green on #8 with only one par for a field win (Bill Schuler). It only got worse on #9 as nobody managed a par and the hole was halved with bogeys.

The play picked-up a little on the back nine as Dr. Jim Mason, JR and myself all birdied #11. Jim and I both had it close on #13 but only Jim was able to convert the birdie and a field win (against John Teegardin and I).

As we headed to the 16th tee there were only 10 marks on the day. That's when it got wild.

Dylan Bronson captained the hole and hit it long but well right of the fairway. He decided to take JR who had hit it long but a little right of the fairway. As Dylan and JR were looking for their tee shots in the leaves Brad McAreavy hit a 220 yard hybrid from the mounds to 6 inches from the front hole location. I followed with my own 200 yard shot to 2 feet. Easily the two best second shots on #16 that anyone could remember. Jim managed to hit a really good second shot from the right rough just over the fairway bunker into the left hand green side bunker. Meanwhile JR and Dylan found their tee balls and actually had shots to the green. Dylan came up short and JR long.

Brad's eagle putt was conceded, JR and Dylan chipped to within 6 feet and Jim stepped up and just missed holing out his bunker shot for eagle. Jim's sandy / birdie was conceded, JR missed, Dylan converted his birdie and I made my eagle. Add it all up and that's 9 marks for the six players with two eagles! Possibly our highest single hole mark total ever (at least for 6 players) and the only time anyone could recall two eagles on th same hole.

On #17 Jim was the only one to hit the green and as captain decided to go it alone. In a sight rarely seen he three-putted to lose the mark and the hole.

We headed to #18 with 9 carryovers at stake. Unfortunately, the twosome failed to make a par and the field won the hole. All in all an uneventful day punctuated by two wild holes in #16 & #18.

Game Summary:

Players 7 (6 in mark game)
Marks 19
Mark leader - Mason with 6
Game leader - Mason with $24

Fries Makes Frosty Debut

Reigning Oak Hill Club Champion, Dr. Dave Fries made his much anticipated fall debut and received a frosty welcome.

Play was delayed until 10:30 due to a long frost delay. Dave established himself as the Captain's pick of the day right from the first hole with a long, straight driving game. Including his captain holes he would play in the twosome eight times. Who says the club champ doesn't get any respect?

Club champ or not you still have to make putts and on #1 he could not answer Dr. Jim Mason's birdie. Then at the 5th I holed out an unlikely birdie chip from the hill right of the green and when Dave's birdie putt from 8 feet missed he had lost the first five holes as the team.

Teaming with me on the sixth Dave failed to capitalize on a good look from 12 feet for the win. Things were looking good as Dave captained number seven and chose long hitting Brad McAreavy who was stroking. With Brad on the green in two John Teegardin stole a halve for the field when he scrambled for a par from the right rough 60 yards short of the green to pin only 6 feet from the right side.

I made a nice birdie on #8 from 5 feet and Dave had now been on the losing side for all eight holes. The action heated up on #9 as Dave teamed with Bob Calcagno. Dave was the first to hit the green with a nice shot to 6 feet. Bob hit a nice shot to 7 feet, Mike LaBue hit to 15 feet then JT knocked it to 4 feet. All made their putts and the hole was halved.

Dave and Bob teamed up again on #10. Jim hit a nice iron to eight feet to a back pin for the field. Dave was up to the task and hit it to five feet. However, Dave failed to match Jim's birdie and now had lost all ten holes.

The missed putt got the champ fired-up as he strung together birdies on #11 and #12 and finally broke the losing streak with a great birdie chip-in on #14 for the field. Dave failed to capitalize on #16, missing his eagle putt from 10 feet but did make his 4th birdie of the back nine and 5th in eight holes.

Dave suffered one more stroke of poor luck when I rolled in an 18 footer on #17 to take a three hole win for the field from Dave and Jim. To finish things off Dave was part of the losing field to Bob and I on #18 as Bob made a nice 4 for 3.

When you are the club champ you have a bullseye on your back. Dave played some great golf and basically got frosted in the game. He did show his championship mettle though with six marks to tie Jim for the mark lead on the day.

Game Summary:

Carryovers - to next hole
Players 8
Marks 26
Mark leaders - Fries, Mason 6 each
Money leader - Schantz $25.50

Gropple and other Ugliness

Sunday started out cool but sunny with dark lake effect clouds to the north. By the time we reached the 10th green the gropple was falling. By 17 and 18 it was just ugly with a cold wind and lake effect rain.

Only 6 players today so carryovers were to #9 and #18.

A mostly uneventful round early as only 3 holes on the front were won. Jim Mason and I almost stole the 9th with a par but Brad McAreavy made a nice downhill 5 foot putt to salvage a tie for the field.

Things heated up on the back nine with Rich Johnson chipping in on #13 from the right rough 20 yards short of the green to a back pin for a team win. Regrettably, he gave it right back on #14 when he failed to choose Doug Lyon as his partner after Doug hit it to 8 feet. Doug buried the putt and gave the field a win.

Things got downright wild on #17 when Brad chipped in for birdie from the right rough 15 yards short of the green for the team. Doug saved the field by chipping in right on top of him from just in front of the green! My 35 foot birdie putt and Jim's 12 foot sandy putt both burned the edge.

With the weather deteriorating we all made a mess of #18 and were happy to get to the clubhouse with a tie and hope for better weather next weekend. We're looking forward to Oak Hill's 2007 Club Champion - Dave Fries (who was off sharpening his game in Pinehurst) - making his first appearance next weekend.

Game Summary:

Players: 6
Carryovers - to #9 and #18
Total marks 11
Mark leaders - Lyon, McAreavy, Schantz with 3 each
Overall leaders - Lyon, McAreavy, Schantz $9.00 each