The Metropolitan: Vol. 9, No. 4 (June 2022)

Volume 9 | No. 4

The Metropolitan AMATEUR GOLF ASSOCIATION

Amateur Series Pg. 8 Junior Amateur Pg. 6

The Metropolitan

Volume 9 | June 2022

6

By The Numbers

MAGA

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

8

90

- That’s how far away Chad Niezing was on the 17th hole at Bellerive Country Club - 90 feet, that is - when he chipped in for eagle to capture a terrific Missouri Amateur on June 25. Niezing deserves considerable props, after finishing second in the 2021 state amateur and after holding off the spirited charge of Sam Migdal in the final stages of the ’22 edition. After falling behind by four holes early in the second round of the 36-hole finale, Migdal showed his mettle and battled back to get within one with two holes to play. That’s when Niezing dropped the eagle to slam the door. To be sure, the 115th Missouri Amateur was one of the best.

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

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- Conduct the Amateur Series of Events for golfers of all ages and abilities

- The number of strokes separating Jo D Armstrong (then Blosch) from Ellen Port as she won the 1995 MAGA Women’s Amateur at Quail Creek Golf Club. The performance represented quite a degree of determination in Armstrong’s character - a year earlier she finished second to Port by 17 strokes in the 1994 MAGA Women’s Amateur at Fox Run Golf Club. At Quail Creek, Armstrong opened the 36-hole championship with a 5-under-par 67. Then, under chilly, windy conditions, with the word “Trust” written on her golf ball, she shot a final round 2-over 74 to beat Port by a touchdown. “Ellen’s the best,” Armstrong said afterwards.

“If you can beat Ellen Port, you know you can play golf. This is really big.” These days, Armstrong is part of the instructional staff at Norwood Hills Country Club, where she has been since 2000.

- 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)

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Open Championship • Women’s Amateur Championship

3. Bio/Numbers 4. Curt’s Corner 5. New Job Posting 6. Junior Amateur 8. Amateur Series 10. Supe’s On

- The number of players who made a playoff in the 1999 U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship at Old Warson Country Club, which plays host to the 32nd Metropolitan Amateur Championship on Aug. 4-6. The field of 22 formed after 36 holes of stroke play were conducted at Old Warson and Bellerive Country Club.

Both courses played at par 71 and the average score at Old Warson was 78, while the average score at Bellerive was 78.4 - that .4 will get you every time! When the match-play cut was determined to be 9-over-par 151, there were 22 hopefuls knotted for the final 12 spots. In the end, Danny Green defeated Jerry Courville Jr. 2 and 1 to capture the crown. The playoff for 22 set a record at the time, a mark since surpassed with 25 playing off for 16 spots at Capitol City Club (Atlanta) in 2017.

Junior Amateur Championship • Senior Amateur Championship

12. Bogeyman 15. USGA Qualifiers 16. POY Standings 17. 9-Hole Championship 18. Rules Center 20. What’s Next for MAGA?

Metropolitan Cup Matches • Four-Ball Championship 9-Hole Championship • Mid-America Junior Cup USGA QUALIFYING ROUNDS U.S. Open • U.S. Senior Open U.S. Mid-Amateur • U.S. Amateur U.S. Women’s Open • U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur

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15

10,000

U.S. Junior Amateur • U.S. Girls’ Junior Amateur

- A conservative estimate of how many steps it will take you to complete an 18-hole round of golf. Of course, it’s an estimate. Truth is, depending on your stride and your playing level, you likely will surpass it. To quantify the number of steps adults take during an 18-hole round of golf, the Mayo Clinic recruited 12 men and 30 women, aged 30-80 years, with established USGA handicaps, to complete an 18-hole round of golf on each of three municipal golf courses. The volunteers walked each course wearing a pedometer to record their step data and the analysis revealed each golfer took a mean +/- SD 11,948 +/- 1781 steps per 18-hole round of golf. Consequently, in most cases, walking 18 holes of golf will meet the recommendation to accumulate 10,000 steps per day as part of a general physical activity plan.

U.S. Amateur Four-Ball • U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball

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

By The Numbers 1 - From 1970-80, this the number of cuts Jack Nicklaus

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missed in a major. That’s right - one cut in 44 majors. During the period, he finished inside the top 10 of the championships 38 times. He finished top 5 or better 30 times and first 10 times.

From 1970-79, his worst finish in the Masters was eighth.

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- (cont.) The exception was 1980, when at age 40 he played with 50-year old Arnold Palmer in a final round and shot a 73, finishing tied for 33rd. Nicklaus went on to win the U.S. Open and PGA in 1980, so he had that going for him, which was nice.

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The Metropolitan

Volume 9 | June 2022

Curt’s Corner

MAGA STAFF EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Curt Rohe - Executive Director

Curt Rohe - curt@metga.org

METROPOLITAN AMATEUR GOLF ASSOCIATION & METROPOLITAN GOLF FOUNDATION ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT

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

New Position Available

Greetings Members!

I am going to sound like a broken record if you look back at 9 years of Curt’s Corner for the June edition... how is the year halfway over? The heat got turned up a bit here in June which hopefully is not a sign to come for the rest of the summer.

June was not quite as busy as May, but still a lot was happening around MAGA. We crowned champions in the Metropolitan Women’s, 9-Hole and Junior Championships and sent 5 individuals off to compete at USGA championships later this summer. Always one of the best parts of my job, handing out certificates to people realizing a dream of competing in a national championship.

As we head into July we kick off with US Amateur qualifying at Persimmon Woods Golf Club, always one of my favorite qualifiers. 118 will tee it up on. July 5 in hopes of grabbing one of the 4 available spots to the US Amateur. MAGA championships continue with the 4-Ball Championship at Franklin County CC in Washington and we travel to Carbondale to conduct the 98th SIGA Championship July 16-17. Anyone is eligible to compete in the SIGA championship. July also wraps up the regular season of the Thomas O. Sobbe Cup matches and moves into the playoffs.

Quick congratulations to Chad Niezing on winning the 115th Missouri Amateur Championship at Bellerive this month! The Missouri Amateur is a grueling week of golf and Chad made it to the final match for the 2nd year in a row, quite the accomplishment. Then to hole it it for eagle from 90 yards on 17 to close the match was quite special. Great playing by Sam Migdal as well in the final match, really cool to have 2 St. Louis guys in the final at Bellerive.

As always, thank you for reading The Metropolitan.

ROLE: The role of the Administrative Assistant is to provide support to MAGA and the services its provides to its clubs and golfers, while also providing support to the MGF with regards to the Normandie Renovation Project.

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES: • Provide administrative support to MAGA’s Executive Director • Provide administrative support to the MGF, particularly the Normandie Golf Course Renovation Project. Which includes, but is not limited to: o Provide support to the fundraising cabinet and project leadership o Schedule meetings of the cabinet and project leadership o Produce correspondence on behalf of the project leadership o Maintain records of fundraising, donors, etc. o Manage communications with donors, fundraising cabinet and project leadership • Identify areas of organizational needs QUALIFICATIONS, REQUIREMENTS and QUALITIES: • Ability to work independently and with the Executive Director and MGF leadership • Extensive computer literacy • Excellent written and verbal communication skills; ability to communicate effectively and project a professional image at all times • Organized, with the ability to establish clear priorities • Proficient in email communications • Familiarity with Microsoft Office products (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.) Creative approach to developing communication strategies • Strong organizational and time-management skills • Ability to work independently with minimal supervision; sound judgment and decision-making capabilities COMPENSATION and BENEFITS: • Hourly compensation commensurate with experience and qualifications • Flexibility with work location • Part-time TO APPLY: All applicants should forward a resume and cover letter electronically to Curt Rohe, Executive Director at curt@metga.org.

THE METROPOLITAN CONTRIBUTING WRITER Dan O’Neill

DEADLINE: Applications will be accepted until position is filled.

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See Job Posting 5

The Metropolitan

Volume 9 | June 2022

23rd Metropolitan Junior Amateur Weather conditions remained clear for both days at The Bogey Club for the 23rd Metropolitan Junior Amateur.

The Bogey Club was playing short but difficult for golfers who navigated the course although many of them stayed ahead of pace of play throughout their rounds.

The tournament was divided into five divisions: Girl’s 13U and Girl’s 19U along with Boy’s 13U, Boy’s 15U and Boy’s 19U. Of these divisions, the Boy’s 19U had the largest field while the Girl’s 13U was the smallest.

One of the best spots to watch play on day two was the third hole green which was played as a par four, where a unique hole location allowed players to be more aggressive with their approach shots. This resulted in 14 birdies from the field and one eagle from Reese Reinhardt who sank her approach shot from roughly 70 yards out.

The 15th hole was especially difficult for players Tuesday where a long carry over water forced many players to club up for the par four and take more risks on their tee shots which in turn gave some golfers especially difficult lies for approach shots. Over the two days, the 15th hole played as the hardest and the 8th hole played as the easiest.

Morgan Nute was the winner of the Girl’s 13U division, while Caden Fehr won the Boy’s 13U Division with an impressive score of 67 good enough for -4 under on the day and -5 under on the tournament from the white tees.

In the Boys’ 15U division, Konnor Kueper won with a 10-shot lead over his competitors.

Audrey Cain came from behind Tuesday morning to pull out a victory in the Girl’s 19U division. She finished round one in second one stroke back at 76 and then shot 71 for par and a dominant victory in round two including five birdies on the day. Runners up Avery McLaughlin and Peyton Cusick were close following round one but were unable to keep up with Cain during round two.

Ryan Hopwood took the lead late Monday during round one and never looked back posting six birdies on Tuesday.

Hopwood said that while he had the lead at the start of round two he “knew people could come out and shoot really low here” and that until he was comfortable on the back nine he “ kind of [had] to put the pedal down.”

He finished the championship -8 under including an impressive score of 66 and -5 Tuesday to finish. While posting a strong score of -3 under for the championship and -1 on the day it wasn’t quite enough for runner up Andy Hennen to catch Hopwood.

Noteably, Matthew Politte had the low round of the week with a 65, including six birdies and one eagle, on day two to send him up the leaderboard to finish tied for fourth. The only bogey-free round came from the Boys’ 13U division champion Caden Fehr on the first day of the championship.

Thank you to The Bogey Club for allowing us to conduct our championship and giving the juniors the special opportunity to play on a great course.

Final Results 6

Flickr Photos 7

The Metropolitan

Volume 9 | June 2022

Event #2 Crescent Farms GC

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

Results: Open Division - Dedrick Harris Senior Open Division - David Rudd Super Senior Open Division - James Oslica

Open Division Name 1 2 3 4 5

Net Division - Chris Canfield Women’s Net Division - Sherri Brown Senior Net Division - Vince Schneider Super Senior Net Division - Stephen Weinstock

Results

Name

The Amateur Series Photos

Results: Open Division - Mike McKillips Senior Open Division - David Rudd Super Senior Open Division - John Chastain Net Division - Stephen Muenster Women’s Net Division - Maureen Dowling Senior Net Division - Ronald Wofford Super Senior Net Division - Stephen Weinstock

Event #3 Persimmon Woods GC 8

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

Senior Open Division

Photos

Results

Total Points

Affiliation

1 2 3 4 5

Affiliation

Super Senior Open Division

Total Points

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

1 2 3 T4 T4

290 240 210 200 180

Name

Affiliation

John Chastain Schooner Fitzgerald James Oslica Kevin Ortyl William Thompson

Bear Creek GC Metropolitan eClub Metropolitan eClub Sunset CC Metropolitan eClub

Net Division Name 1 Chris Canfield 2 Mike Bucchino 3 John Davis T4 Justin Vogt T4 Justin Zang

Affiliation

Total Points 1 2 3 4 5

260 190 145 130 130

Women’s Net Division 1 2 3 4 5

Affiliation

Alicia Anderson Kay Tice Carol Stampley Marge Behrens Sherri Brown

STL WGA STL WGA Whitmoor CC STL WGA Whitmoor CC

Total Points 270 260 250 120 120

Senior Net Division

Old Hickory GC Metropolitan eClub The Falls GC Whitmoor CC Ballwin GC

Name

190 180 160 140 125

Name

Affiliation

Vince Schneider Matt Hall Ronald Wofford Wayne Moore Peter Robinson

Old Hickory GC Metropolitan eClub Metropolitan eClub Metropolitan eClub Metropolitan eClub

Total Points 185 180 155 135 130

Super Senior Net Division

Total Points 1 2 3 T4 T4

220 160 150 115 105

Name

Affiliation

Michael Drake Stephen Weinstock King Edmonston Larry Laramine Leo Hefner

Metropolitan eClub Westwood CC Metropolitan eClub Metropolitan eClub Metropolitan eClub

For Full Standings Click Here 9

Total Points 240 210 175 115 115

The Metropolitan

Volume 9 | June 2022

Supe’s On

Nick White

Supe’s On What’s Happened to Our Range??

Proper Divots Patterns & How You Can Help Your Practice Facilities

There are three methods of divot patterns you can take, illustrated below:

(Scattered)

(Concentrated)

(Linear)

Mississippi Valley GCSA - Director

“Boy, I wish we had a bigger range.” has never rang truer than it has over the last two seasons. With the latest golf boom stemmed from the gift of Covid and new players taking on the game, the increased course usage and revenues have been a welcome sight to club owners and general managers all over town.

However, to superintendents and golfers alike, it can be a point of frustration and a whole new set of problems we haven’t experienced like this before. All superintendents over town hear the same questions: Why won’t people fix ball marks? Why aren’t divots being filled? Why are carts driving where they’re not supposed to? My favorite of all being, what’s going on with the range?

With the influx of new players interested in the game, and more people spending time on the practice facility to dial in that ‘game’, it is our responsibility as superintendents and seasoned players to educate newcomers about proper etiquette, including how to use the range. Just like there is respect and etiquette when utilizing the golf course, there is similar etiquette to using the practice facilities, mainly how to take a proper divot pattern.

No matter what kind of grass you have on your range tee, growing it in St. Louis’ environment is a challenge, it’s either too hot or too cold, too wet, or too dry. Taking divots to optimize recovery after you leave the stall not only helps your superintendent but is courteous and essential to the player who uses the space behind you.

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Scattered divot patterns are the most common, and indiscriminately take whatever grass is available and…fire away! Here there is little room for the turf to recover afterward, and little space for the next person to hit after you. Total chaos.

Concentrated divots patterns are the next most popular, and aim to take all the grass away, leaving absolutely no room for recovery and many times must be sodded to make the surface playable again. Linear divots patterns are the last method, and you guessed it: the best way to take a divot on the range. Simply place the ball directly behind your previous divot and continue down the line backwards until you run out of space. Then, move over 3-4 inches, and begin your next line. This not only allows the turf to recover the quickest but optimizes the space, leaving the stall neat and tidy for the next person up. So, next time you are on the range, help show your buddies even though they may not play like a pro, they can at least act like one on the range!

Thanks for reading, sharing, and doing your part to help your practice facility.

Nick White

Golf Course Superintendent Bellerive Country Club

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The Metropolitan

Volume 9 | June 2022

W h e r e i t G o e s f r o m He r e i s Ha r d to S ay .

The Bogeyman Dan O’Neill

As The Metropolitan went to print this month - or should we say went to post - the Saudi-backed LIV Golf series was still picking off names.

Brooks Koepka had fallen, as had other major championship winners like Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson, Patrick Reed, Bryson DeChambeau, Sergio Garcia and Charl Schwartzel.

That’s not a bad lineup, if you’re fielding a baseball team, but you’re not.

You’re fielding a golf tournament. If you were starting nine and most, if to all, were well-known stars you’d have quite a lineup.

But the recent LIV event in Portland was featuring a 48-player field, and probably 75-80 percent of the players were relative unknowns. TV was non-existent. The galleries looked like something you might see for a state amateur. The shotgun starting was … well, what’s the word? … let’s go with “unusual.”

What is the point, where’s this going, how can it survive? In this bizarro new world of golf, the last thought in that trilogy is the most astounding.

Truth is, it can survive as long as the Saudis have an inexhaustible supply of money. In other words, this is Star Trek, “infinite space,” no end in sight.

If you are paying a player such as Mickelson $200 million up front, a player who is 52 years of age, who was No. 83 and falling rapidly in the OWGR at this writing, who but for one anomalous week has been largely irrelevant for several years, you are not concerned about making money. This is not your typical startup.

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This is not the same as the American Basketball Associations, the USFLs or the World Hockey Associations of years past. Those leagues threw big money at a few players, yes, and then it stopped. And then the needle went to empty, then the financial cabin pressure dropped, then they had to land.

The LIV doesn’t have a needle, doesn’t have cabin pressure, doesn’t have to land. A revenue plan doesn’t seem pertinent. This is oil money and oil money is a pit … bottomless enough to cloud memories and dissolve dignity … limitless enough to erase an association with of 15 of the 19 hijackers on 9/11 … relentless enough to corrupt sensibilities and purchase souls.

Regardless of whether you feel the profiting PGA Tour defectors are justified or not, there is a bigger picture here that is most troublesome.

Professional golf is not supposed to work this way.

Unlike the other major sports, and with rare exceptions, golf has always been based on a principle - you have to earn it.

all trying, right? Even in a Sunday morning scramble group, we’re all competitors.

But is that the same as knowing you get little more than a “thanks for coming” if you miss the cut? Is wanting to play well the same as knowing you have to play well to cash a decent check?

You can’t be a 40-year old DH who bats .224 with six home runs and 25 RBIs and gets paid $29 million, based on what you did in the past or connected to your contributions to a team. Golf is not a shared responsibility or reward.

No one should begrudge these guys wanting to make more money. If you’re competing on the PGA Tour you’re one of the best 150-or-so players on the planet. Last year, the biggest earner on the PGA Tour was Jon Rahm at just over $7.7 million - that is the average salary of a NBA player, where the top five wage-earners made more than $40 million per season, where there are 450 participants.

Throughout history, this sport has never included a free lunch. You’re only as good as your last performance, your last scorecard. That’s way it always has worked. Galleries can rest assured, when they incur the expense and effort to attend a Masters Tournament or any professional championship, the favorites they watch are trying to play their best, to win.

The average salary in the MLB, where there are 906 players aboard, is about $4.4 million. The average take on the PGA Tour is about $1.5 million, while the player who finished 250th on the 2021 money list made a little more than $6,000 - before expenses.

It’s not just about competing, it’s about their playing privileges, their bank account, their wife and kids, their prospects.

So the bone with the LIV situation here isn’t about money, it’s about money for nothing. It’s about integrity, a moral quality that has been essential to golf, a sovereign principle that is being dismantled by the LIV.

Now, you have an LIV player like Dustin Johnson, reportedly being paid $150 million just for coming. Is he trying? You can assume he is. We’re

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The Metropolitan

Volume 9 | June 2022

2022 USGA Championship Qualifying Click on the image for Full Results

Award-winning dining, a booming craft beer scene and exceptional year-round golf on courses along the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail await you in Alabama. Plus, with Jerry Pate’s Kiva Dunes and Arnold Palmer’s Craft Farms in Gulf Shores, from the mountains to the coast you can take it all in.

www.GolfAlabama.org

Competeing on July 25-30 at Bandon Dunes

Competeing on July 18-23 at The Club at Olde Stone

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

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Competeing on July 30-August 4 at Anchorage GC

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The Metropolitan

Volume 9 | June 2022

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

Men’s POY

Name

Affiliation

Chad Niezing Peter Weaver Sam Migdal Curtis Brokenbrow Tony Gumper Zachariah Shirley Brad Carpenter Zach Walsh Ryan Schuenke Jason Landry

Metropolitan eClub Bellerive Country Club Norwood Hills Country Club The Quarry at Crystal Springs Old Hickory Golf Club Metropolitan eClub Franklin County Country Club Forest Hills Country Club Quincy Country Club Greenbriar Hills Country Club

No. Events

No. Wins

Total Points

Pts Behind

1 1 1 2 1 1 1 1 1 2

0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0

750 650 500 475 425 287.5 275 250 210 207.5

100 250 275 325 462.5 475 500 540 542.5

Senior Men’s POY 1 2 3 T4 T4 T6 T6 7 8 T10 T10

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 T10 T10

Name

Affiliation

No. Events

No. Wins

Total Points

Pts Behind

Buddy Allen Paul Neeman David Bremer Pat O’Neill Tom Barry John Hughes Tom Portner Tom Pruden Brian Lovett Brian Hall John Todd

Metropolitan eClub Persimmon Woods Golf Club Persimmon Woods Golf Club Metropolitan eClub Normandie Golf Club Persimmon Woods Golf Club Green Hills Golf Club Persimmon Woods Golf Club Bellerive Country Club Persimmon Woods Golf Club Lake Forest Golf & Country Club

1 1 1 1 0 1 1 1 0 1 1

0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

250 200 125 100 100 72.5 72.5 60 50 35 35

50 125 150 150 177.5 177.5 190 200 215 215

Name

Affiliation

No. Events

No. Wins

Total Points

Pts Behind

Gracie Piar Madison Derousse Madeline Larouere Avery McLaughlin Momo Kikuchi Morgan Gindler Tina Jones Catherine Salem Grace Stafford Lindsey Byer Melanie Wolf

Gateway PGA Jr Golf Club Metropolitan eClub Metropolitan eClub Bellerive Country Club The Quarry at Crystal Springs Greenbriar Hills Country Club Aberdeen Golf Club Whitmoor Country Club Country Club of St Albans Old Warson Country Club Bogey Hills Country Club

1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1

1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

725 525 425 375 350 325 300 275 250 112.5 112.5

200 300 350 375 400 425 450 475 612.5 612.5

Women’s POY

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4 9-hole Championship th

MAGA hosted the 4th annual Metropolitan 9-hole Championship Saturday at Creve Coeur Golf Course. Players enjoyed nine fast holes of golf under great weather with an overcast sky and mild temperatures throughout the morning.

John Hardin won the men’s net division with a score of -1, in the senior division Jim Mclaughlin claimed victory over the field and the only junior player in the tournament John Deluca put together an impressive performance of 38 (+3) on the nine-hole course.

Final Results

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Photos

The Metropolitan

We all watched as Justin Thomas faced an unfortunate scenario at the U.S. Open, when his ball landed right next to a drain grate in the fairway. Much to his dismay (and possibly the dismay of many watching, having been in this spot themselves), JT was not granted relief. So, why was he not granted relief? Let’s dive-in:

Rules Center

When looking for Relief of this nature, you must go to Rule 16.1 (Abnormal Course Conditions). In this example the abnormal course conditin is the drain grate. This Rule clearly states that interferance must exist. Interferance exists when (1) the ball touches or is in or on an abnormal course condition, (2) it physically interferes with your area of intended stance or swing, or (3) only while on the putting green, it intervenes on your line of play.

So, let’s check off Justin’s Ruling:

> For starters, he is NOT on the putting green so no line of play is being intervened. > Next, his ball is just outside of the abnormal obstruction. It is fully on solid grass, not touching the drain grate at any angle. No relief. > It can also be seen (in the image above) that his club at no point in his swing will make contact with the obstruction. There is no potential for danger or injury while striking the ball. Still no dice for JT. > Last check off: the stance. When Justin sets up in his normal stance, his feet are not touching the drain grate. Also, not providing any form of imminent danger or injury potential for the player, so relief will not be given.

Unfortunate ball lie for Justin Thomas, but kudos to him for being honest, as golf is a game of honesty and integrity. Many aspects of a course can mess with your mind (i.e. water and bunkers) and now you can add drain grate to that list. Golf requires a lot of mental focus, and just as you can’t let a water hazard psych you out, you can’t let a drain grate deter your focus either.

So, what happens if you are facing one of these villianous drain grates in a penalty area?

John Thorman explains ->

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Volume 9 | June 2022

Ball in Penalty Area, Relief from Drain Grate?

Dear John: We were playing the par-4 15th hole at Persimmon Woods Golf Club (Weldon Spring, MO). My approach shot rolled down the cart path and cam to rest on some bare ground just inside the penalty area. I’m right-handed. My stance was on the drain gate. Do I get free relief... and if so, where would i drop? --Hardpan

Dear Hardpan: Sorry, but when a players ball lies in a penalty area, there is no free relief from an abnormal course condition (see second bullet in Rule 16.1a(2); also Rule 17.3). The players choices are to play the ball as it lies or proceed under a penalty-area relief option (Rule 17.1; one-stroke penalty; three options: two-club-length-lateral, back-on-the-line, or strokeand-distance relief ).

So, in this instance, taking abnormal course condition relief would be proceeding under an inapplicable Rule (see Committe Proceedures C6(9) in “Official Guide to the Rules of Golf ” for more discussion about playing under an inapplicable Rule). Were the player to take relief from the grate inside the penalty area, the stroke would count, there would be a one-stroke penalty under Rule 17.1d (the applicable Rule), plus a penalty for playing from a wrong place (a place not allowed by Rule 17.1d; a two-stroke penalty in stroke play and loss of hole in match play under Rule 14.7a; probably not a serious breach).

Were the player to take relief outside the penalty area, he or she might get by with only a one-stroke penalty. It depends on whether the player just happened to drop and play from what would be the relief area for lateral penalty-area relief (i.e. player lucks out). Otherwise, as before, the stroke would count, there would be a one-stroke penalty under Rule 17.1d, plus the penalty for playing from a wrong place.

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This edition of Rules Quiz features an excerpt from MAGA official John Thorman’s e-book, Let’s Get It Right.

The Metropolitan The Metropolitan

Volume 9 | June 2022

“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.”

Whats Next for MAGA in July?

MAGA

Event

Date

13th Metropolitan Four-Ball July 10-11 Championship 98th SIGA Championship

July 16-17

32nd Metropolitan Amateur

Aug 4-6

Entries Close Closed July 13 July 20

USGA Qualifiers U.S. Amateur

July 5-6

Closed

U.S. Senior Amateur

July 21

July 6

U.S. Mid-Amateur

Aug 9

July 20

Amateur Series Event #4 - Glen Echo Country Club

July 18

July 8

Championship Information metga.org 20

- Jack Nicklaus on his involvement in Normandie GC project 21

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Volume 9 | No. 4

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