The Metropolitan: Vol. 9, No. 6 (August 2022)

Volume 9 | No. 6

The Metropolitan

Amateur Champ Pg. 6

AMATEUR GOLF ASSOCIATION

The Metropolitan

Volume 9 | August 2022

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By The Numbers

MAGA

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

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- As in stroke. To explain, the par value of the 13th hole at Normandie Golf Club is “4,” and that’s what four strokes at No. 13 got you at the Normandie Amateur last month - a par. But, as Spencer Mason demonstrated in stunning fashion, it also was possible to cover the 318-yard hole in one stroke. With no vision of the target, i.e. the green, Mason launched a tee shot at No. 13 that bounced off the fairway, rolled onto the putting surface and dropped into the Mason jar for a hybrid ace. According to research, the odds of making an “ace-atross,” that is, an “albatross” and ace combined, reaches 6 million to one, depending on the circumstances. A holein-one at a par 4 has happened only one time in PGA Tour history.

Andrew Magee turned the trick at the 2001 Phoenix Open, sinking his tee shot on the par 4 17th at TPC Scottsdale, which was playing at 332 yards at the time.

WHAT WE DO: - Provide the GHIN Handicap Service to 140+ Member Clubs under the World Handicap System - Conduct ten (10) Metropolitan Championships each season - Conduct USGA Qualifying for nine (9) USGA Championships each season - Conduct the Amateur Series of Events for golfers of all ages and abilities

2,000 - As in dollars, which is the amount Lexi Thompson

was fined for slow play after the final round of the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship in late June. The expensive reprimand amounted to insult on top of injury, given Thompson yielded a two-shot lead over the last three holes of the LPGA major championship. The plodding American bogeyed four of her last seven holes, including the 16th and 17th, to finish one frustrating shot behind In Gee Chun. Thompson won $718,000 in prize money for her performance, so she won’t have any trouble covering the fine.

A 2009 U.S. Women’s Amateur Girls semi-finalist at Old Warson Country Club as a 14-year old, Thompson was playing with Chun and Hye-Jin Choi in the final round. The group was put on the clock with just two holes to play before completing their round in 5 hours, 45 minutes. It was not known if Choi and Chun also received fines. “I’m all for helping slow play, but putting those ladies on the clock with two holes left in trying to win a major seems like a good “read the room” situation, and don’t put them on the clock,” tweeted PGA Tour player Justin Thomas

- Provide the USGA Course/Slope Rating service to our Member Clubs - Regional authority on the Rules of Golf and Amateur Status METROPOLITAN CHAMPIONSHIPS Amateur Championship Old Warson Cup (Match Play Championship) Shogren Cup (Match Play PGA Pros vs. MAGA Amateurs)

14. Amateur Series 16. Bogeyman 19. USGA Qualifiers 22. POY Standings 23. What’s Next for MAGA? 24. Normandie Update

3. Bio/Numbers 5. Celebrating 30!

6. Metropolitan Amaetur 8. Normandie Amateur 10. Supe’s On 12. Rules Center

Open Championship • Women’s Amateur Championship Junior Amateur Championship • Senior Amateur Championship Metropolitan Cup Matches • Four-Ball Championship 9-Hole Championship • Mid-America Junior Cup

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- The number Rory McIlroy shot in the opening round of the Tour Championship late last month. A 3-under-par 67 for a player of McIlroy’s ilk is nothing unusual; it is more about how he shot it.

His opening nine holes featured a triple, three more bogeys, three birdies, one eagle and one par for a 1-over 36. He then birdied five of the last seven holes - with a bogey and a par in between - to finish with his 3-under 67. You can’t teach that. You also might have a hard time teaching what he did next - shooting scores 67, 63 and 66 to win the Tour Championship and FedexCup and a cool $18 million.

USGA QUALIFYING ROUNDS U.S. Open • U.S. Senior Open

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U.S. Mid-Amateur • U.S. Amateur U.S. Women’s Open • U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur U.S. Junior Amateur • U.S. Girls’ Junior Amateur U.S. Amateur Four-Ball • U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball

20,000

U.S. Senior Amateur • U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur

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- The amount of dollars Bob Goalby won by finishing first in the 1968 Masters Tournament. Just to show you how things have changed, Billy Casper wound up as the PGA Tour’s leading money winner in ’68, with his earnings of $205,169. Jack Nicklaus was next at $155,285, while Tom Weiskopf was third with $152,945. In contrast, the top-paid player in Major League Baseball in 1968 was Willie Mays, who made $125,000. Baseball would not reach the $200,000 salary plateau until 1973, when Dick Allen received that compensation level as a member of the Chicago White Sox. Now to add more contrast - in 2022, the top paid player in baseball is Max Scherzer, making $43.33 million this season. As of this writing, the leading money winner on the PGA TOUR for 2022 was Scottie Scheffler at just over $14 million.

The Metropolitan

Curt’s Corner

MAGA STAFF EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Curt Rohe - Executive Director

Curt Rohe - curt@metga.org DIRECTOR, MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS Caroline Buchan - caroline@metga.org P.J. BOATWRIGHT INTERNS Parker Leavitt Jack Underwood Tanner Weberling

2022 EXECUTIVE BOARD Officers Scott Engelbrecht, President/Treasurer Mike Marquart, Secretary At-Large Members John Bugh Stan Grossman Kelli Kirchoff Mike Marquart Rick Meyer, Jr. John Moore Mick Wellington ADVISORY COMMITTEE Scott Thomas, Chairman Tom Barry Skip Berkmeyer Chris Kovach Ryan Eckelcamp Tom Portner Curt Rohe THE METROPOLITAN CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Greetings!

August is always the peak of the season, specifically the Metropolitan Amateur Championship! Our flagship championship reaches the mountaintop of the championship season and we ease back down afterwards. Especially, this year as the Amateur was quite eventful with many first coming out of that week: 1) first time ever having a round cancelled for the day; 2) first time instituting two cuts, after Rounds 1 and 2; 3) first time even playing preferred lies (lift clean and place) and 4) crowning our first 3-time champion. It was a memorable week for so many reasons. But I must say thank you to Old Warson CC for its commitment to hosting a 54-hole championship...that was one first they did not want to be a part of!

Furthermore, thank you to Tim Roethler and his crew for the work, and I mean WORK, to provide a championship test to the best players in the region. Thursday morning when the storm settled in, the creek and lake on 13 came out of their banks, I wasn’t sure there would be any golf played that week. However, in true championship fashion they ensure the players received the proper test to crown the most significant amateur title in our region. Again, thank you!

Congratulations to Drew Pranger on becoming one of those firsts, the 2016, 2018 and now 2022 amateur champion put his name on the Jim Tom Blair Trophy for the 3rd time in its 32 year history. Passing over Don Bliss, Toz Barry and Kyle Weldon as 2-time champs and making new history. Three rounds under par at Old Warson is unbelievable playing any time and he put himself into company all alone.

As we move toward the end of the season I want to touch on the several compliments and comments I have received from players this year on our social media presence, all positives that we have done a really great job again this year on all of our platforms. Caroline Buchan, our newest staffer, came aboard in mid-May into a firestorm of the season starting and has done a tremendous job. Thank you Caroline!

With August we said goodbye to 2 of our PJ Boatwright Interns as they returned to school, Parker Leavitt and Jack Underwood. Parker and Jack were great assets to the team this summer, both bringing a lot of energy to the staff. We wish them all the best as they continue their college education at Arizona State and Mizzou respectively this fall, thank you!

Also with August is our last single month issue of the season. We transition into bi-monthly issues from here through next spring. We have some new features lined up and ideas to for some great content this winter, stay tuned and thank you as always for taking the time to read!

Celebrating 30 Years!

A Look Back on Our History Back in 1992, the St Louis Metropolitan area was already a great spot for golf. With its abundance of courses - both private and public alike - there were golfers of plenty, and a need to showcase that talent. In 1991, The Metropolitan Amateur Championship was created to recognize the best amateur golfers in the area. It was through this championship that the needs of the golf courses and golfers in the area became apparent.

Four men set out to provide the services needed in St Louis. Tom O’Toole, Jr, Jim Holtgrieve, Mike Corry, and Jim Tom Blair laid out the vision for the MAGA and presented their case to become licensed by the USGA. Officially forming and being licensed by the USGA, the Metropolitan Amateur Golf Association was founded in 1992, becoming the only Allied Golf Association(AGA) to provide handicapping, course rating, Rules of Golf, and Rules of Amateur Status in the metropolitan region. In 2017, the MAGA joined forces with the Southern Illinois Golf Association(SIGA) to provide them with handicapping services and championship support.

In its first year, the Metropolitan Amateur Golf Association conducted 4 events that are still on the schedule today: the Metropolitan Amateur Championship, the Metropolitan Women’s Amateur Championship, the Metropolitan Senior Amateur Championship, and the Normandie Amateur. As the association has grown, more championships have been added to fit the needs of area golfers. MAGA now conducts 12 championships as well as the Amateur Series. After joining with SIGA, MAGA assists in the conduction of the SIGA Championship and reintroduced the Southern Illinois Amateur in 2020. Each year, the USGA entrusts us to hold qualifiers for their national championships; in 2022, we conducted 10 USGA qualifiers.

It all started with the Metropolitan Amateur Championship, and has since evolved into an ever-growing organization, providing golf opportunities for golfers of all abilities. In 2000, MAGA added the Metropolitan Junior Amateur to its championship schedule. In 2006, Dick Shaiper and Tom O’Toole, Jr formed the Metropolitan Open Championship to identify the best golfer - pro and amateur - from the region. Since then, this vision has grown to be a top Open championship in the Midwest, attracting professional golfers from across the country. In 2016, the MAGA added the Amateur Series to the schedule, which allows golfers of different abilities, genders, and ages to compete in one day events at the same time throughout the season. The most recent addition for the MAGA is the 9-Hole Championship. Just in its third year, this championship separates itself from others by being a shorter competition, which can be great for those who may have busy schedules.

Finding ways to continue to grow the game is important, so in 2006, the Metropolitan Golf Foundation was established to help kids and programs for them to embrace the values of golf. In recent years, the Normandie Project was formed through the Metropolitan Golf Foundation to restore Normandie Golf Club, and bring opportunity to the community through golf.

It has been a fantastic 30 years! It has been a real pleasure to serve the St Louis area in golf, and we will continue to do so.

Dan O’Neill

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The Metropolitan

Volume 9 | August 2022

Pranger Makes History at Old Warson Drew Pranger won his third Metropolitan Amateur Championship Sunday shooting a 70, 69 and then 68 to finish at -6 during the Championship. Pranger is the first player ever to win three championships. The final round was action-packed with a tight and competitive field from the 1st all the way to the 18th tees.

At one point in the final round the top five positions were only separated by two strokes, with more than six holes to play. Tyler Linenbroker had led the Championship through the 1st two rounds and while he was looking to maintain his lead Sunday, he was unable to hold on and fell into a tie for 3rd with Shawn Jasper and Justin Bryant.

Ryan Sullivan made a huge push in the final round climbing from 6th all the way up to first, posting four birdies on the front nine alone. Unfortunately, he was unable to stay hot on the back nine, where he bogeyed the 15th and 16th holes to fall to 2nd. Justin Bryant was also able to make a late push for the lead posting three birdies on his front nine to jump into a tie for 1st place. Bogeys on the back nine would also oust him from the top of the leaderboard where he would finish in a tie for 3rd with Shawn Jasper and Tyler Linenbroker.

Drew Pranger claimed his 3rd Metropolitan Amateur Championship shooting -3 on the day and -6 on the Championship beating the runner-up Ryan Sullivan by three strokes. Pranger was the definition of consistent during the Championship shooting under par in all three rounds and posting at least two birdies in each round.

Over the 54-hole Championship, Pranger shot an impressive 11 birdies compared to only 5 bogeys on the way to his victory. Pranger was also the only player to finish under par all three rounds of the Championship.

“We’ve had so many good amateur players in this town for so long that no one else has won this three times” said Pranger when asked how he felt about his record third Metropolitan Amateur Championship, “it’s pretty gratifying I’m not gonna lie.” Pranger felt that it was easier to close this Championship out compared to his previous wins because of the lead he had managed to build going into the last few holes even though he was not aware he had a four-stroke lead until his caddy, Mike Wellington, told him on the 18th Tee Box. Pranger also commented on the difficulty of the course at Old Warson saying “this place is challenging, so shooting the scores I shot and playing and winning by three, it’s just gratifying for my own mindset.” While he did not look at the leaderboard throughout his round, he did say that “when I birdied 13, I got to -5… and -5 is pretty good” when asked if he started to realize he was going to win during his round.

A number of players commented on the difficulty of the course at Old Warson as well as the great condition that the course was in, a testament to the hard work put in by the grounds crew at Old Warson to get the course back in playing shape following the flooding Thursday morning. Tom O’Toole commended the club for their commitment to the Championship saying, “it was great to get that support from the staff and certainly from the membership as well.” He said Thursday morning when the course was covered in water the staff at Old Warson told him “we’re committed to the championship, we’re gonna play 54 holes.”

Final Results

In his remarks following the trophy presentation Pranger thanked the staff and members at Old Warson for making the tournament possible along with the staff at MAGA and said “It feels really great to be the first three-time champ.”

Flickr Photos

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The Metropolitan

Normandie Amateur

What a weekend at the 36th Normandie Amateur! The Final Round of the Championship was one for the books.

The first players teed off at 7:00am with the senior division leaders beginning their rounds at 9:30am and the open division leaders closing out the tee times at 10:30am. Going into the last round of the championship Tony Gumper was leading the field at eight-under par, while Brian Lovett led the senior division at three-under par.

Tony Gumper’s day did not go quite like his first, starting with a bogey. He did not let this deter him, fighting the whole round to finish at one-over (+1) par for the day, and seven-under (-7) par for the championship. This score still held off all competitors and made Gumper the 36th Normandie Amateur Champion. Chris Kovach, Chad Niezing, Ryan Eckelkamp, and Curtis Brokenbrow came to the Final Round prepared to not let Gumper run away with the championship. After nine holes, Eckelkamp, Brokenbrow, and Niezing were sitting at four-under (-4) par, tied for second. Unfortunately for them, the back nine did not lend them the help needed to catch Gumper. Chris Kovach had a rough start to his round, but was able to battle back to post one-under (-1) par for the day, which brought him to five-under (-5) par for the championship and into second place.

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www.GolfAlabama.org

Final Results

Flickr Photos

Brian Lovett

Tony Gumper The most impressive moment of the day came from Spencer Mason, who sunk one in from the tee on the Par 4, 13th Hole. The distance from the tee to hole was about 318 yards with no vision of the green. An eye witness to this rare hole-in-one said the ball took one bounce in the fairway, onto the green, and rolled right in. When trying to communicate back to the tee that the ball had gone in, Mason thought the spectator was saying the ball had gone in the native area or out of bounds. Once figuring out what had really happened, he walked to the green to retrieve his ball in disbelief.

The Senior Division wrapped up its championship weekend with a playoff. Brain Lovett, the Round One leader, had a few tough breaks which brought him to finish the championship at one-over (+1) par. Tony Nolfo came into the Final Round at three-over (+3) par, but was able to card a two-under (-2) par for the day to meet Lovett at one-over (+1) par. The two played the par four, First Hole, for the playoff. Lovett was able to capitalize off of a bad break for Nolfo around the green, winning the hole and making him the Senior Division Champion.

The weather conditions were favorable at 82° and sunny with a cool northerly breeze throughout the day.

Beginning later this year, renovation of Normandie Golf Club will begin, marking this the last Normandie Amateur Championship on this course until project completion. We couldn’t have asked for a better farewell to this version of Normandie, and are looking forward to coming back when it is done.

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Renaissance Ross Bridge Golf Resort & Spa on the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail, Birmingham

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The Metropolitan

Volume 9 | August 2022

Supe’s On

Supe’s On

Tahoma 31

Drew Keeven Mississippi Valley GCSA

What is it and why might you hear about it?

- Affiliate Liaison

When people think of the United States Golf Association, they might think about all of the golf tournaments they put on throughout the year or maybe they think of it as the organization responsible for upholding the rules of golf.

While both things are true, it is just scratching the surface in terms of what they do for the game of golf.

One particular involvement that is rather important for people in my industry is the USGA’s dedication to turfgrass research. Over the last 100 years, the USGA has provided grants to various universities that total over $40 million. The research program can essentially be broken down into two larger categories: Integrated turfgrass management & genetics and breeding.

In recent years, an area of interest for the USGA that has gained a lot of attention is the development of new bermudagrass varieties. One of the main goals was to create and make commercially available a variety of bermudagrass that could withstand the cooler temperatures in our part of the country.

The first glimpse of success for the USGA was a partnership with Oklahoma State University and their turfgrass breeder, Dr. Yanqi Wu, in 2010 when they released NorthBridge bermudagrass and Latitude 36 bermudagrass. They are both solid varieties that exhibit cold hardiness and wear tolerance which has made them a strong choice for sports field managers.

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While NorthBridge and Latitude 36 were entering the market, Dr. Wu and his team at OSU were working to create what they hoped to be an even stronger variety in terms of cold tolerance, drought resistance and wear tolerance. The result of all their hard work and determination is Tahoma 31 bermudagrass.

In our area, Tahoma 31 has shown that it can withstand our winters and green up quickly in the springtime. Also, it recovers significantly faster than the zoysia we are used to seeing. All of these characteristics, along with its overall turf quality and playability, make for a compelling argument when considering it for a course in this area.

If you find yourself playing golf at Tower Tee, you’ll be able to see this new variety. If you’d like more information about Tahoma 31, they have several articles and testimonials on their website which can be found at tahoma31.com.

Drew Keeven

Keeven Brothers Sod Farms MVGCSA Affiliate Liaison

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The Metropolitan

To Putt or Not to Putt..

Rules Center

It is possible that you did not hit a bad shot or land in a terrible place, but suddenly you are met with an obsticle that you did not see before. Your ball landed around the fringe, and you thought “oh that’s putt-able”. As you approach the green and your ball, you realize there is a sprinkler head between you and the hole. Now, with a sprinkler head in the way, your decision has gotten more complicated. Why would they put that there? It is getting in the way of your master plan to make par.

Sprinkler Head on Line of Play Immovable Obstruction Close to Putting Green (e.g. Sprinkler Head) “Relief from interference by an immovable obstruction may be taken under Rule 16.1.

The player has these extra options to take relief when such immovable obstructions are close to the putting green and on the line of play: Ball in General Area: The player may take relief under Rule 16.1b if an immovable obstruction is:

Some courses have sprinkler systems to help water and maintain greens, including Old Warson Country Club. During the Metropolitan Amateur, some players ran upon this problem of a sprinkler head in their line of play around the green. You may have been one of these players, or maybe it was your playing partner; or perhaps you didn’t come across this issue at all. But in the case that this does happen to you or your group one day, let’s see what your options are. Will you putt the ball or chip instead?

>On the line of play and is: -With two club-lengths of the putting green, and -Within two club-lengths of the ball Exeption - No Relief if Line of Play Clearly Unreaonable. There is no relief under this Local Rule if the player chooses a line of play that is clearly unreasonable.”

To Putt or Not to Putt John Thorman explains your decision making options: Dear John: There are several hole at Porto Cima that have sprinkler heads close to the putting green (see picture of front-right side of putting green on the 15th hole). If I want to putt my ball from off the putting green, but it would have to roll over a sprinkler head, do I get free relief?

- Texas Wedge Dear Texas Wedge: There is no free relief for line-of-play interferance from an immovable obstruction (e.g. sprinkler head), except when the ball is on the putting green (Rule 16.1a). However, some courses (e.g. Arizona, Florida, Ireland, Scotland) have aprons and false fronts that are so closely mown (grass cut to fairway height or less) that players routinely putt their ball from off the putting green. In such circumstances, Local Rule F-5 is often implemented. Here’s the wording: 12

Volume 9 | July 2022

> -

Use of this Local Rule is at the discretion of the Committee. It may be restricted to specific holes, to balls lying only in closely mown areas, to specific obstructions, or to immovable obstructions in closely mown areas. This Local Rule is rarely used on This edition of Rules Center features an Midwestern courses. excerpt from MAGA official John Thorman’s Having said all of this, there is one situation where a player automatically gets line-of-play relief from a sprinkler head. That’s when the player’s ball lies on the putting green and the sprinkler head (on or off putting green) intervenes on his or her line of play. In such a case, the player may place (not drop) his ball at the nearest point of complete relief where there is no line-of-play interferance (usually on the putting green but sometimes in the general area).

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e-book, Let’s Get It Right.

The Metropolitan

Volume 9 | August 2022

Event #5 Glen Echo CC

Amateur Series Standings 7 Divisions, 6 Events, 1 Great Series

Open Division

MAGA conducted the fifth event in its Amateur Series at the Innsbrook Golf Resort. The hills and valleys of Innsbrook presented challenges for golfers on a course littered with water hazards and difficult fairways that have a habit of sending balls into the rough. The 13th hole at Innsbrook proved to be particularly difficult.

Name 1 2 3 4 5

The 13th hole is a par 5 with woods all along the right side of the fairway and water down the left, the hole also features a creek separating the green from the rest of the hole and forcing many golfers to lay up.

Despite this, players were able to finish their rounds in under 4 ½ hours.

Results

The Amateur Series Photos

Results: Open Division - Nick George Senior Open Division - Bobby Wooten Super Senior Open Division - James Oslica Net Division - Thomas Willis Women’s Net Division - Alicia Anderson Senior Net Division - Gregg Johannes Super Senior Net Division - Stephen Weinstock

Total Points

Mike Walton Metropolitan eClub Colin Stolze Metropolitan eClub Matthew Hunt Old Hickory Golf Club Mike McKillips Country Club of St. Albans Eric Fogleman Metropolitan eClub

270 240 205 190 175

Senior Open Division Name

The Amateur Series will look forward to its sixth and final event before the Amateur Series Championship at Sunset Hills Country Club in Edwardsville, IL on Sept. 12.

Affiliation

1 2 3 4 5

Affiliation

Super Senior Open Division

Total Points

David Rudd CC of St. Albans Bobby Wooten Crown Pointe GC Mike Quesenberry Lake Forest G&CC James Storey Glen Echo CC Scott Horton Crescent Farms GC

1 2 3 4 5

390 340 330 290 250

Name

Affiliation

James Oslica Schooner Fitzgerald John Chastain Kevin Ortyl Dan Abegg

Metropolitan eClub Metropolitan eClub Bear Creek GC Sunset CC Sunset Hills CC

Net Division Name 1 Chris Canfield 2 Mike Bucchino 3 John Davis 4 Justin Vogt T5 Justin Zang T5 Stephen Muenster

Affiliation

Total Points

Old Hickory GC Metropolitan eClub The Falls GC Whitmoor CC Ballwin GC The Quary at CS

1 Alicia Anderson 2 Carol Stampley T3 Kay Tice T3 Pam Lenhard 5 Maureen Dowling

Affiliation STL WGA Whitmoor CC STL WGA STL WGA Whitmoor CC

1 2 T3 T3 5

330 275 235 230 180 180

Name

Affiliation

Gregg Johannes Vince Schneider Daniel Delaney Joe Golembeski Peter Robinson

Metropolitan eClub Old Hickory GC WGM GC Far Oaks GC Metropolitan eClub

Total Points 320 265 195 195 190

Super Senior Net Division

Total Points 1 2 3 4 5

325 270 205 205 190

Name

Affiliation

Stephen Weinstock Michael Drake John Epps Butch Campbell King Edmonston

Westwood CC Metropolitan eClub Metropolitan eClub Metropolitan eClub Metropolitan eClub

For Full Standings Click Here 14

450 420 360 215 210

Senior Net Division

Women’s Net Division Name

Total Points

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Total Points 400 380 230 195 185

The Metropolitan

Volume 9 | August 2022

L e e Tr e v i n o : P l ay f o r S c o r e those of you scoring at home, that’s three Opens in 20 days.

The Bogeyman Dan O’Neill

Lee Trevino was in town last month to promote his participation in the Ascension Charity Classic. Trevino will be joining Nancy Lopez, Hale Irwin and St. Louis Blues coach Craig Berube in an exhibition preceding the 54-hole championship, Sept. 9-11 at Norwood Hills Country Club.

We’re now more than 50 years removed from Trevino’s remarkable run in 1971-72, when he collected 10 of his 29 wins on the PGA Tour circuit, three of his six major championships, and back-to-back British Open titles.

The funny thing is, Trevino knew he was on to something special as the ’71 season began. He won three times in 1970, even captured the PGA Tour money title ($157,037), for the only time in his career. But after giving up the third-round lead in the U.S. Open, finishing with a final-round 77, he felt unfulfilled and unsure of himself.

“I didn’t play extremely well in 1969 and 1970,” Trevino said.“I kind of forgot that what got me there in the first place was hard work. So I started back working again really hard at my craft.”

Then, at the 1971 Doral Eastern Open in early March, he got an unexpected visit from his celebrated nemesis, Jack Nicklaus, who approached Trevino in the locker room during tournament week.

“He sat down next to me and he said, ‘You don’t know how good you are, you can win anywhere.’ ” Trevino recalled. Now, rest assured, the “Merry Mex” never lacked for confidence. But hearing such encouragement from the best player in the game was chicken soup for Trevino’s soul. “It meant everything; I’ve never forgotten it,” Trevino added.

And off he went. He captured a memorable ’71 U.S. Open at Merion, cracking up Nicklaus on the first tee of a playoff by pulling a rubber snake out of the bag, then beating him in the 18-hole overtime. Two weeks later, Trevino won the Canadian Open and a week later, the British Open at Royal Birkdale. For

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He became the first to win the three national championships in the same year - a feat later equaled by Tiger Woods (2000).

He also became Sports Illustrated magazine’s Player of the Year. No one could have seen that coming, right? He did.

“Well, the U.S. Open was at Merion, and I knew a little something about Merion,” Trevino explained. “I had played there before. I knew it was not a big golf course, which I liked.

It had two par-5s, and that was all, and it was par-70.”

Trevino also acknowledged the help of a playoff rain delay, which softened the greens and leveled the playing field between the high-trajectory parachutes of Nicklaus and the low-flying approach shots of Trevino.

Meanwhile, in 1971, the British Open was conducted at Royal Birkdale, a course that featured five par-5s. But there was a quid pro quo. In ’71, players still were allowed to employ the “British ball,” a sphere that was 0.06 smaller in diameter to the USGA version. Small ball would be outlawed at the British Open starting in 1974, but until then, many players like Trevino chose to utilize the smaller ball in the championship, believing it provided a bit more distance and maneuverability in the wind.

To a superior ball-striker like Trevino, more distance and better maneuverability were gold.

“Anytime I can reach all the par-5s, I’m a pretty dangerous guy,” Trevino recalled. “I can play the par-3s and the par-4s. My problem was playing against long hitters who could reach the par-5s in two, especially Nicklaus. He could reach all five (at Royal Birkdale), but that’s OK. I don’t mind that if I can reach them also.”

For the second year in succession, Trevino took a lead into the final round and this time held it, edging Lu Liang-Huan by a shot to add a third Open to his improbable trifecta.

That set the table for 1972 at Muirfield. As the reigning champion of the PGA, Masters and U.S. Open, Nicklaus arrived in Scotland staring down a Grand Slam and carrying the “man to beat” label. The fact Nicklaus had won the previous gathering at Muirfield, staged in 1966, made him that much more formidable. In short, he was the height of his intimidating powers.

But Trevino intimated he never feared anyone. “I wasn’t intimidated too much with anybody,” Trevino said. “I learned a long time ago, if I looked at a golf course and I felt I could beat it, I played for a score, not for an individual. I can’t help what the individual does.

“Nicklaus did the same thing. Nicklaus could actually look at the golf course and tell you almost to the stroke what was going to win that major championship.”

At Muirfield in ’72, the winning score was 6-under-par 278. Trevino carded it, holing out from off the green four times during the championship, including famously on the 17th hole of the final round. Nicklaus fell one shot shy.

The duo played out a similar scenario in 1974. Trevino won the PGA Championship at Tanglewood Park in North Carolina while the previous year’s champ - Nicklaus - finished one shot back. In the end, Nicklaus was a runner up to Trevino four times major championships. That is, if not for the talkative Texan, Nicklaus would have won 22 majors instead of his record 18.

Trevino chuckled when he thought about that fact. It’s been a long time, but some things never get old.

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The Metropolitan

Volume 9 | August 2022

SIGA

2022 USGA Championship Qualifying

Player of the Year Standings

Click on the image for Full Results

Men’s POY 1 2 3 T4 T4 6 T7 T7 9 10

Name

Affiliation

No. Events No. Wins

Total Points

Pts Behind

Bryan Warren Alex Ciaramitaro Aaron Jones Brendan Luster Tony Nolfo Brandon Bullard Dan Haglar Jim Giacone Justin Rister Parker Lawrence

McLeansboro Golf Course Metropolitan eClub SIGA eClub SIGA eClub Metropolitan eClub Green Hills Golf Club SIGA eClub SIGA eClub SIGA eClub Gateway National Golf Links

1 1 0 1 1 0 1 0 1 1

1500 650 575 537.5 537.5 437.5 400 400 387.5 350

850 925 962.5 962.5 1062.5 1110 1110 1112.5 1150

0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Competeing on September 10-15 at Erin Hills

Senior Men’s POY 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 T10 T10

Name

Affiliation

No. Events No. Wins

Total Points

Pts Behind

Tom Portner Mike Castellari Mark Featherling Joseph Malench John Kueper Mike O’Neill Robbie Wright David Glass Tom Wright John Ellis Sanguok Shin

Green Hills Golf Club Greenview Golf Course Greenview Golf Course Metropolitan eClub Greenview Golf Course Metropolitan eClub Union County Country Club SIGA eClub Union County Country Club SIGA eClub SIGA eClub

1 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 1 0 1

1250 1025 825 650 437.5 325 287.5 275 225 200 200

225 425 600 812.5 925 962.5 975 1025 1050 1050

0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Competeing on May 20-24, 2023 at Kiawah Island

Competeing on May 13-17, 2023 at The Home Course

18

19

Start planning your Fall

Golf Vacation to Mississippi, Birthplace of America’s Music, with our handy Golf Package Guide.

Play traditional course layouts and signature celebrity golf designs from the Mississippi

Delta to Coastal Mississippi.

Whitmoor CC 1 North Spring Lake II Quincy CC Sugar Creek GC

16 8 9

Bogey Hills CC 4 The Legends 13 CC II Greenbriar Hills CC II

5

Fox Run GC II 12 Westborough 2 CC I Algonquin GC

15

Greenbriar Hills CC I 7 The Quarry GC 10 Fox Run GC I 3 Spring Lake I

Click on the cover for the full issue or visit www.GolfMississippi.org

14

Bellerive CC II 6 Tapawingo 11 National GC

Sobbe Cup Bracket *as of 9/6

Whitmoor CC 1 North

Quincy CC 8

Bogey Hills CC 4

Greenbriar Hills CC II 5

Algonquin GC 15

Greenbriar Hills CC I 7

Spring Lake I 14

Tapawingo National GC 11

21

The Metropolitan

The Metropolitan

Player of the Year Points Standings 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

1 2 3 4 5 6 T7 T7 9 10

Men’s POY

Name

Affiliation

Chad Niezing Curtis Brokenbrow Ryan Sullivan Tony Gumper Peter Weaver Drew Pranger Brad Carpenter Michael Becker Corey Choate Justin Bryant

Metropolitan eClub The Quarry at Crystal Springs Tapawingo National Golf Club Old Hickory Golf Club Bellerive Country Club Glen Echo Golf Club Franklin County Country Club Glen Echo Golf Club Meramec Lakes Golf Club Old Hickory Golf Club

No. Events

No. Wins

Total Points

Pts Behind

5 6 7 4 2 2 2 4 5 2

1 1 0 2 0 1 0 0 0 0

1491 1444.17 1410 1200 1026 850 834.17 800 793.33 758.33

46.83 81 291 465 641 656.83 691 697.67 773.67

No. Events

No. Wins

Total Points

Pts Behind

4 2 2 4 3 3 4 1 1 2

1 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1

1150 555 410 372.5 370 265 255 250 200 185

595 740 777.5 780 885 895 900 950 965

Senior Men’s POY

Name

Affiliation

Buddy Allen Brian Lovett Paul Neeman Joseph Malench Tony Nolfo David Bremer Pat O’Neill Tom Barry Jack Eisenbeis Brian Hall

Metropolitan eClub Bellerive Country Club Persimmon Woods Golf Club Metropolitan eClub Metropolitan eClub Persimmon Woods Golf Club Metropolitan eClub Normandie Golf Club St. Louis Country Club Persimmon Woods Golf Club

Women’s POY

Name

Affiliation

Ellen Port Gracie Piar Madison Derousse Madeline Larouere Brooke Biermann Avery McLaughlin Katrina Clark Momo Kikuchi Morgan Gindler Tina Jones

Sunset Country Club Gateway PGA Jr Golf Club Metropolitan eClub Metropolitan eClub Country Club of St Albans Bellerive Country Club The Legends Country Club The Quarry at Crystal Springs Greenbriar Hills Country Club Aberdeen Golf Club

22

No. Events

No. Wins

Total Points

Pts Behind

0 1 1 1 0 1 0 1 1 1

0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

1295 725 525 425 400 375 350 350 325 300

570 770 870 895 920 945 945 970 995

Volume 9 | August 2022

Whats Next for MAGA? MAGA Event

Date

Entries Close

Southern Illinois Amateur

Sept 10-11

Closed

Sobbe Cup Final Four

Sept 23

Closed

30th Metropolitan Senior Amateur

Sept 27-28

Sept 14

Amateur Series Event #6 - Sunset Hills CC

Sept 12

Sept 9

Amateur Series Championship

Oct 17-18

Invitation Only

Championship Information metga.org 23

The Metropolitan

Volume 9 | June 2022

Normandie Project Update:

Normandie Golf Camp

“The appeal of this project to me was to be involved in an effort that could serve as a catalyst to change needed in our country today, beginning with parts of St. Louis County.

Restoring Normandie for a community in need will have a long-lasting positive impact on the lives of youth in St. Louis.”

Normandie has wrapped up its summer golf camp. The camp started with just a few kids on day one, and has grown since then. Every day, the kids have been able to grow and learn more about the game of golf. When they began, the kids had never held a golf club before, and now they can hit balls down a fairway. These kids have been able to learn the game and grow together. Through this initiative, we hope to continue to see the game grow. There should be no boundaries on golf, and the game should provide a space for community. The future of Normandie and the next generation of golf is on its way.

This is what the Normandie Project is about, and it’s only the beginning.

Photo by Jamar Church Pinkston For more information on the Normandie Renovation Project and how you can help, visit https://www.metga.org/nicklaus-and-normandie or contact normandie@metga.org

24

- Jack Nicklaus on his involvement in Normandie GC project 25

Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Flickr, & YouTube

Volume 9 | No. 6

Follow Us! @MetAmateurGA

Metropolitan Amateur Golf Association

Metropolitan Amateur Golf Association MAGA

Phone: 314.567.6262 Email: info@metga.org Web: metga.org

11724 Lackland Industrial Dr St. Louis, MO 63146