OVGA Amateur Golf Tour

Hole 1 - Jim Cachat, 4
Hole 2 - Sam Melton, 3
Hole 3 - Sam Melton, 3
Hole 4 - Cy Zibrik, 3
Hole 9 - Darin DePew, 2
Hole 10 - Steve Waterhouse, 3
Hole 17 - Dave Johnson - 3

PAYOUT = $19 per skin

In the Eagle Flight

Apparently once was not going to be good enough for Sam Melton.  The sweet swinging 5-handicap recorded his first OVGA victory yesterday at Deer Run and completed Opening Weekend with a clean sweep at Walden Ponds.  Melton held off a late charging Rich Lakes, along with a trio of others at net 73, with a par on the 18th hole (Lakes had bogey) to finish at even par net 72.  Melton became the first player since Jerry Inebnit to win as the lowest handicap golfer in the field.

In the Birdie Flight

Rich Coleman started strong, but handed over the spotlight to two rookies who decided to make their impact known on Opening Weekend.  Matt Johnson held the lead until the 15th hole when Brett Maynard made a charge and pulled away for a two shot victory in his first OVGA event.  Maynard became the first player since Opening Day last year (Cole Cartwright and Trevor Gummere) to win in their first OVGA tournament.  Maynard finished the day at -2, net 70.

In the Par Flight

It looked like Jamie Hayes was going to run away with the tournament, building a 6 shot advantage through 12 holes, but he faltered late while Bill Shannon made a charge on the back nine.  Playing holes 10-15 in just 18 net shots, Shannon erased the 6-shot deficit and took a two shot lead after 16 holes in route to an 8-under, net 64. 

All in all, Walden Ponds played much tougher this year with an average score of 97.5 compared to 93.8 strokes in 2008. 

Next week, the OVGA heads to Sharon Woods for the first leg of the Great Parks Championship.  The GPC encompasses four events at Hamilton County Park District Courses (Sharon Woods, Vineyard, Miami Whitewater and Mill Course).  The player with the lowest net score in these four events will be crowned as the Great Parks Champion complete with trophy that you can keep as well as having your name displayed on a traveling trophy that can be viewed at the Mill Course.  Rich Coleman is the reigning GPC Champion.

Who ordered up the weather this year?  No more rain/snow and 30 degrees for us!

Opening Day 2009 say three OVGA veterans notch their first career wins and saw seven rookies take their first shots at tour glory.  Two players in the entire field were able to crack net par with another coming in right at net 70.  Deer Run proved to be a tough challenge as the average score was 95.2, up from 94.6 last year.

In the Eagle Flight

Sam Melton took a one shot lead at the turn (net 34) over Larry Redmond and Steve Brooks.  Redmond would tie Melton after 12 holes and move ahead by two shots after the 13th hole.  Redmond would double bogey the 14th allowing Melton to draw even.  Redmond would move ahead by a shot when Melton double bogied the 16th.  While Melton and Redmond were battling back and forth, Chris Mulligan was inching his way back into contention.  Mulligan was four shots back after 11 holes and three shots off the pace after 14 holes, but as he went to the tee box on the 18th hole, Mulligan and Melton were tied at 67 with Redmond and Brooks a shot back.  Melton would par the 360-yard par 4 while Mulligan, Redmond and Brooks recorded bogey.  The win was Melton’s first in seven OVGA events.

In the Birdie Flight

Jim Cachat staked his claim to the lead early, leading the pack for the first five holes, which included a birdie on the 541-yard opening hole.  Cy Zibrik was not to be outdone as he and Cachat played the front nine at even par 35.  Zibrik fell off the pace following an 11 on the 11th hole as Cachat opened a four shot lead after 12 holes.  Cachat held a three shot lead over Mark Bixler after 14 holes, but saw the lead cut to a single shot after a double bogey on the 15th hole.  Bixler would take the lead following a net birdie on #16.  Another net birdie on the 17th hole gave Bixler a two shot lead and he would close it out with a bogey on #18 for a two shot victory, his first OVGA win, over Jim Cachat and Mike Greivenkamp.

In the Par Flight

Ray Hatfield, Tim Shaffer and James Crockett all shared the lead at some point during the front nine, with each having a singular turn at the top of the leaderboard as well.  Crockett would fall two shots off at the turn and would get no closer on the back nine.  Hatfield and Shaffer made the turn at 3-under net 32.  Shaffer would make his move on the 11th hole with a net birdie to grab a two shot lead when Hatfield bogied the hole.  Shaffer would extend the lead to five shots with another net birdie on #12.  Not to be detered, Hatfield would charge back to within a shot by going net birdie, net eagle, net birdie on holes 14-16.  Pressure?  What pressure?  Shaffer promptly net eagled #17 to extend his lead to four shots which would be the margin of his first OVGA victory.

Congratulations to Sam Melton, Mark Bixler and Tim Shaffer on their victories.  The entire Deer Run scoreboard and 1st Conquest Cup points standings are attached…see the Excel spreadsheet and the tabs for both.

The OVGA is back in action tomorrow (April 26) at Walden Ponds Golf Club for the completion of Opening Weekend.  Melton and Bixler will be looking to pull the Opening Weekend double dip.  Will we see a another trio of players notch their first OVGA wins and who will be the first rookie to take the top spot?  The drama continues tomorrow!

The OVGA Sign Up Tour ends on Sunday at Hooters in Anderson.  We’ll be there from 11:00-1:00 for sign ups.  Buy just because the sign up tour ends, doesn’t mean you still can’t sign up for the tour. 

Anyone interested in joining can email Chad Stewart at ovgagolf@yahoo.com for more information.  The preseason starts on April 5 at Yankee Trace in Centerville with the regular season teeing off on Opening Weekend April 25-26 at Deer Run and Walden Ponds.

Come be a part of the best golf in town…any way you slice it!