OVGA Amateur Golf Tour

Fairfield proved to be a scorer’s course as 19 players broke net par on Saturday, including some very impressive scores.  We’ll get to those in a minute.  As a whole, the 51 player field averaged a score of 89.6, the best field average of 2009.  Now…on to the results.

IN THE EAGLE FLIGHT

It was evident through the first nine holes that we were in for some low scores.  Tom Camacho held a one shot lead over Chris Mulligan and Michael Gaines at -4, 31.  Gaines would take a one shot lead after 11 holes with Camacho, Mulligan and Joe Vlachos a shot back.  Camacho and Vlachos would tie Gaines after 12 holes, but Gaines would grab the lead back after 13 holes.  Mulligan would fight back to tie for the lead thru 14 holes and it appeared any number of players could be walking away with the victory.  Camacho would rejoin Gaines and Mulligan in the a 3-way tie atop the leaderboard thru 15 holes.  Mulligan would move ahead by a shot following a par on the par 3 seventh hole setting up dramatic finish.  Dan Furlong closed to within a shot and joined Gaines and Camacho at a shot off the pace with a hole to play as Mulligan maintained his one stroke advantage heading to the final hole.  Furlong would par the 9th hole, while Mulligan bogeyed it and Camacho bogeyed the 18th hole as all three ended the round at -3, 67.  Gaines would finish a shot off the lead after a bogey on the 9th hole to finish at net 68.  The dreaded scorecard playoff would decide the outcome with Chris Mulligan prevailing with a back nine net 32, compared to 36 by Camacho and Furlong.  The win was Mulligan’s first this year and his third career OVGA Tour victory.

AVG Score - 82.9

Medalist - Tom Camacho, 75

IN THE BIRDIE FLIGHT…

Rick Lingo jumped out to a one shot lead at the turn over Mark Bixler, Rich Coleman and Chad Stewart following a 3-under, net 32.  Bixler and Stewart leaped over Lingo after net birdies and a net bogey by Lingo on #10.  Bixler would grab the lead after 11 holes with a net birdie to move to -4 and would go on to shoot a back nine net 28 to earn his second win of the season.  Bixler ended the day with a 78, net 61, to win by three shots over Rich Coleman (64).  Bixler’s net 61 is the lowest round on tour this year by three shots.

AVG Score - 87.6

Medalist - Mark Bixler, 78

IN THE PAR FLIGHT…

Ray Hatfield lead a hotly contest Par Flight at the midway point with a 7-under net 28 on the front nine, highlighted by his net albatross on the par 4 8th hole.  Michael Fischer was a shot back followed by Jeff Schlueter and Greg Amend who were three shots behind.  Fischer would draw even after 10 holes, but Hatfield quickly regained the lead after 11 holes and would maintain the lead thru the 12th hole.  The lead would go back and forth between Hatfield and Fischer for the next three holes with Fischer ending up with a one shot lead thru 15 holes.  Hatfield would fall off the pace following a net triple bogey that put him five shots off the lead after 16 holes.  Fischer held a three shot lead over Ed Rae but was struggling to seal the deal.  Rae closed to two shots back after 17 holes after having trailed by as many as six shots on the back nine.  Fischer’s double bogey on the par 3 18th hole opened the door for Rae, but a bogey on his final hole (#9) would give Fischer the victory.  Anthony Eckinger closed with a net birdie on #18 to tie Rae for 2nd place.  It was Fischer’s first win of the 2009 season and his 8th career victory on tour.  It moved him into a tie with Michael Bowen and Gerry Plogman for 2nd most victories in tour history (Jerry Inebnit, 10) and also marks the 2nd time Fischer has won the Father’s Day Open at Fairfield (June 17, 2007).

AVG Score - 99.8

Medalist - Anthony Eckinger, 85