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Defending champ Scott Foremny returns
the green jacket symbolic of the title. Some alterations may
prove necessary. |
The foursome of Tim Dolan, Jeff Finkeldey,
Harry Flawd and Bruce Monnin enjoy the time honored tradition
of the 19th hole. |
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Dave Terry, Jeremy Billones, Paul
Risner and Keih Hunsinger keep their dice on the fairway. |
Shannon Keating, Dan Dolan Jr and
the Bells hit the back nine before Alex makes the cut for the
final foursome. |
He Did What?! ...
After assistant GM Rob Drozd ran the best demo session of the week (seriously, his PowerPoint presentation is a sight to behold and allows you to not have to rely on your friends to play this fun and easy game), 70 participants scattered throughout the Lancaster Host to once again contest the Pebble Beach course in hopes of qualifying for the championship Skins game.
The event was preceded by presentation of a green jacket to our 2014 champion, Scott Foremny, whose massive guns did not quite squeeze into his two sizes too small coat. Better fashion was experienced by 2015 email tournament champion Debbie Gutermuth, who fit nicely into her ladies version of the iconic jacket.
John Kilbride, Alex Bell and Jeff Jackson each scored seven under par on the Pebble Beach course to advance to the Skins game. For the third year in a row, six under par was the magic score needed to claim the final position in the Skins game, but this year eight players were tied for the right to advance in the tournament.
The eight players were transported to the Muirfield course in Dublin, Ohio, home of Jack Nicklaus’ Memorial tournament, for a sudden death playoff. Seven players shot a par 4 on the first hole, but Shannon Keating’s bogey dropped her out of contention and left seven golfers remaining. On the second hole, only four players made par, with Jeff Mullet, Erik Buetikofer and Andy Lewis all eliminated with bogeys.
Larry Luongo had a poor start to the third hole with a bogey, and was eliminated from contention when Glen Pearce and Tim Dolan each scored a par. But Bryan Collars was tired of playing it safe, and sank the only birdie putt of the sudden death round to finally claim the fourth and final spot in the Skins game.
The four finalists moved to Augusta National to contest the Skins game with the infamous big green fuzzy dice on the stage of the Hopewell room of the Lancaster Host for the final time. All four players parred the first hole, but Alex Bell posted a birdie on the par 5 second hole to earn the first two skins of the event. The third hole saw another birdie, as Jeff Jackson needed only three strokes to complete the par 4 and earn a skin of his own. The fourth and fifth holes were halved, allowing John Kilbride (supported loudly by his enthusiastic band of Philadelphians) to take the lead with three skins when he needed only two strokes to complete the par 3 sixth hole. Not to be outdone, Bryan Collars birdied the seventh hole to earn a skin of his own, and all four players were on the board and in contention with just five holes remaining.
Not a birdie was to be found on the net four holes, meaning the next hole with a winner would take the plaque for the event. Collars opened the par 3 twelfth with a birdie, and could feel victory just around the corner. After Kilbride achieved only a par, Jackson stepped up and put his tee shot on the green, then drained a long birdie putt to halve the hole and allow the competition to continue.
Collars still had honors and opened the par 5 thirteenth hole with a solid drive. Given the choice to play it safe and lay up, or to gamble and “Go For The Green”, Bryan fell back on his memories of golfers putting the ball into the tributary of Rae’s Creek during the Masters and chose to lay up, despite the derision heaped upon him by the late staying gallery. After Bryan’s second shot, his caddy Bruce Young read the result as if Bryan had gone for the green (which he would have reached safely). When the inattentive caddy (a frequent problem during later portions of the Skins game) was forcefully informed that his golfer had laid up instead of going for the green, Mr. Young gave Collars a long, disappointed stare and then finally blurted out, “He did *&^$%&*$’ing what?!” Bryan’s caddy obviously wondered why he had stayed up so late just to watch his golfer give away a chance to seize the victory. Collars finished the hole with a par and sat down, hoping for the best.
John Kilbride made it all academic shortly afterwards. He did go for the green, and successfully avoided the water to set up a long eagle putt. The big, green fuzzy dice rolled high, and John scored the eagle which gave him the tournament title. Alex Bell scored a birdie and finished second with two skins, while Jeff Jackson also came up just short on his eagle putt and claimed third place with his one skin. Collars went from looking like the probable champion on the twelfth hole to finishing fourth after the fateful thirteenth.
Be sure to join the fun again in 2016. The best way to prepare is to get in a little practice during the 2016 seventh annual PBeM tournament which should start in April (during the month of the Masters).
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John Kilbride lines up his winning
shot
with the help of enthusiastic caddies
Chaka Benson and Robert
Barnes. |
Our four finalists bask in
their achievement
before taking
the big shots with the big green fuzzy dice. |
2015 PBeM Tournament:
Over 13,600 emails later, we have a champion.
A record field of 51 players contested the 6th annual BPA Pro
Golf PBeM tournament. All players first competed on the Augusta
National course. The top 40 players who finished 2 over par and
better survived the cut and moved on to contest the Muirfield
Village course. The top 22 (those one under par and better) then
advanced to contest the Pebble Beach course. The best cumulative
score of the three rounds won the title.
Debbie Gutermuth and jessica Finkeldey each blistered Augusta
to the tune of 7 under. Bruce reiff, Kevin Wojtaszczyk and Ron
Emch trailed by three strokes. Debbie grew her lead to four strokes
with a 4 under at the Muirfield Village course. Only Terry Coleman
and Jennifer Visocnik posting 5 under 67s would card a better
round as they moved into a tie for second.
Jennifer and Terry would outplay Debbie on Pebble Beach, but
their threats died with bogeys on the last four holes. Deb carded
a 2 under to go 13 under o win the tournament. Her score has
only been topped by Mark Yoshikawa's 18 under total in 2013 on
what some would argue were easier courses.
Jennifer finished 11 under to take second place laurels. Terry
was a stroke behind her to claim third. Dennis Nicholson bested
Bruce Reiff in a three-hole playoff to claim fourth at 9 under
while Peter Staab garnered sixth at 8 under.
Derek Landel shot the most frustrating round with a 9 over at
Pebble Beach, but that was still one shot short of Bob Hamel's
10 over in 2013 on the Muirfield course.
The tournament will be restarted in March 2016. Come join us
next year as we use the time of the Masters, the Memorial and
the U.S. Open to determine another PBeM champion of the BPA Pro
Golf world.
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