Time To Qualify

It is that time for the Missouri Am qualifiers to take place. Tuesday was the first of the five qualifiers. It took place at Winghaven Country Club in St. Louis. 35 players advanced onto the 100th Missouri Am being held the week of June 18th at Jefferson City Country Club. This Monday June 4th five other qualifiers are going to be held throughout the state. This year we had only 12 players exempt into the Missouri Am, if you have not received your tee time you can go online and see it at www.mogolf.org. Good luck to all those who are trying to qualify.

Also, this Monday is the first of five one day Hieronymus events. This one is being held at Redfield Golf Club in Eugene. If you are wanting to get your son or daughter in call us here at the office. Also next Thursday, June 7th is the second Annual Little Juniors event being held at Perche Creek in Columbia. This is a great event for kids between the ages of 6 and 10. The youngsters get to play some holes, and then we have a junior clinic and lunch. After that we have long drive and chipping and putting contest for all ages. It is a great day for everyone to come out and have some fun.

Hope everyone has a great weekend and see you on the first tee soon.

Scott

Grand Opening

Last Friday, I had the honor of playing the opening of The Club at Old Hawthorne in Columbia. The golf course and the clubhouse are absolutely fabulous. The course has changed since the last time I was there in March to rate. Mr. Samp has a gem with this golf course.

Yesterday was the local US Open qualifier at Kansas City Country club. Being one of my favorite courses, I was looking forward to playing, however after only hitting four fairways all day I did not have that much fun. Oh well life goes on!! After finishing my round about 5 last night I hopped in the car and drove across the state to St. Louis for a senior series event today at The Falls Golf Course, we are here this morning and then at Aberdeen tomorrow morning for another Senior Series event!

Applications are still available for the Missouri Amateur Qualifier; just call us at the MGA office, 573-636-8994 and we can help you out.

Until I see you on the tee.

Scott

We Are Under Way

Well, we have gotten the first day of the 2007 Senior 4 Ball under our belt!! With only a short drizzle in the morning the weather was perfect!! Old Kinderhook Golf Club is in perfect condition. In the Championship Division, defending champions Don Bliss, of Chesterfield, Missouri and Jim Coleman, of St. Joseph, Missouri, lit up the back nine by shooting a six under par 30 to go along with a 33 on the front for a 63. Bliss and Coleman finished the round with birding the last five holes. They are leading the event by three strokes over the team of Carl Benbrook and Stephen Koon.

In the net division we have a three way tie, teams Bill Jonas and Nicholas Mickalski, Bruce Robert and Ed Ewing along with David Maddox and John Hurley, shot a blistering 58.

Don’t forget that May 17^th is the deadline for the 100^th Missouri Amateur to be Held at Jefferson City Country Club. So make sure to go to the MGA web site and get your entry in.

Also, the Father-Son Championship being held in late July at Porto Cima is getting close to full, so if you are wanting to enter do not wait any longer and get your entries in.

Today, we have got the second round off and running here at the Senior 4 ball; the weather so far is perfect. So let’s hope that it stays that way and we can have a rain less day.

Friday morning I am heading to Boone Valley Golf Club in St. Louis for a USGA Family meeting. I am giving my presentation and I have not had time to get it ready with this hectic schedule. I hope that I can find some time this afternoon to get it ready, if not then I guess I will get it done late tonight when I get home or real early in the morning before I leave. The meeting is involving the Metropolitan Amateur Golf Association and also the Missouri Women’s Golf Association. The meeting should be very informational and also nice to see everyone with the USGA Committee. I hope that I can get back across the Missouri Bridge when I head home late Friday night, if not then maybe I can rent a boat to get back across the River.

Until next time and I see you on the tee.

Scott

Still Roadtripping!!

A whirlwind tour continues, last time I talked to you all I was on my way to the USGA Committee meeting in Houston, Texas. As usual when the USGA is involved everything is done first class. There were many great speakers during the weekend; I will only hit a couple of the highlights for you. Fellow blogger and USGA Regional Director Wendy Uzalec did a great job on her presentation on how to mark a golf course for a championship. On the second day, Pete Bevaqua from the USGA talked to us all about what goes on behind the scenes at the US Open. Last year, 350,000 kegs of beer were consumed during the event. Who says that beer does not go with golf!! Come on!! The event ended Saturday afternoon with a round of golf at Panther Creek Golf Course which is apart of The Woodlands complex. Somebody we all know from the MGA staff won the event, but he does not want to brag!! (Way to go me!!)

After the great trip to Houston, I then headed to the Big 12 Championship at Prairie Dunes Country Club in Hutchinson, Kansas. At the event I had the privilege of being a walking rules official, it was a treat to watch the stars of tomorrow battle it out on a fabulous golf course. As usual Oklahoma State won the team championship; the defending national champions are loaded and ready to make another run. People have always asked me how Oklahoma State is so good year in and year out. Well first off it has to do with tradition; the Cowboys have won multiple national championships and also conference championships. Secondly it has to do with facilities and opportunities. Karsten Creek, the home golf course for Oklahoma State is wonderful. The golf course is very challenging and also it has state of the art practice facilities for both programs. Third of all, the players that go to Oklahoma State are very bright; these kids do more than just get it done on the course. They are also very good in the classroom. On top of that each kid is first rate, I have never once seen a player from OSU make a scene, or not answer a question with either a yes sir or yes ma’am. Great programs attracted the great kids and players. In my own eyes, I wish that more college coaches would take a chapter from the OSU book and make more of these kids act and respect the game and people involved in the game with more respect. I get sick and tired of watching young players act like they are better than what they really are. I hope in the future that our junior programs can kick this habit in the butt!!!

From Hutchinson, I headed on down to Bolivar and Springfield for some more successful senior series events at Silo Ridge and Rivercut. Both of these events were sold out in advance, so if you are looking to play in these senior series events make sure to get your money in quickly because they are filling up.

We are now at Old Kinderhook, at the Lake of the Ozark, for the Senior 4 Ball, we have 86 teams. 42 teams in the net flight and 44 in the scratch flight. With all of the recent rain, the course is in great condition. Just one thing, do not hit in the rough, you may never get it out. Well, time to get the course ready for the event. Until next time.

See you on the tee.

Scott