OVGA Amateur Golf Tour

This week the OVGA is at a new venue, Sebastian Hills Golf Club in Jamestown, just outside of Xenia. The course has everything from rolling hills to tree-lined fairways to wide open windy holes (in the spring and fall anyway) to carries over water and ravines. It has 5 par threes, two of which are over 200 yards from the tips. It also has 5 par fives, including 3 of the final 4 holes on the course. This week’s Hole Of The Week is the Par 5 18th hole. This 1 HDCP hole plays 515 from the blue tees and 495 from the white tees. It also employs something rarely encountered: a blind layup shot and an optical illusion. The hole doglegs left at the 200 yard mark, where the fairway seems to disappear. It actually slopes down about 20 feet before emcountering a creek, then rising again to the green. Tee shots finding the right or middle of the fairway are straightforward, but shots to the right will have to hit into an opening framed by trees, and here’s the illusion: If you hit at the opening, you may be hitting into the woods. I recommend players drive up and look at the lower fairway. You will notice that it widens on the left. Players on the left of the upper fairway need to play close to the left tree line. Below are some distances to make note of:

First fairway bunker  –  280 yards in
Second fairway bunker  –  230 yards in
End of upper fairway  –  200 yards in
Creek  –  110 yards in

An eagle on the 18th hole by the Wuellner/Amend group clinched the point the West needed to win the 2008 East/West Cup, sponsored by Dick’s Sporting Goods.  Final score was 4.5 to 3.5 to the West.  Details on the matches can be found here later.

Match 1: Halved
Match 2: West 4 & 2
Match 3: East
Match 4: East
Match 5: West
Match 6: West 2up
Match 7: West
Match 8: East

10:00 - (East) Bill Shannon/Michael Frank vs (West) Tom Camacho/Tim Haverkos
10:08 - (East) Tom Haley/Rich Coleman vs (West) Steve Brooks/Mike Greivenkamp
10:16 - (East) Joe Alicea/Matt Berry vs (West) Karsten Klint/Michael Coulter
10:24 - (East) Michael Bowen/Dan Furlong vs (West) Jim Cachat/Frank Hill
10:32 - (East) Michael Fischer/Bill Gabriel vs (West) Ed Thompson/Bill Weitzel
10:40 - (East) Larry Redmond/Nick Francis vs (West) Curt Wuellner/Greg Amend
10:48 - (East) Michael Wells/Matt Wells vs (West) Scott Middleton/Errol Mayle
10:56 - (East) Dave Johnson/Joe Wieland vs (West) Ken Perkins/Carl Cowan

The crown jewel of the OVGA season, the GolfTEC Tri-State Open was contested on Saturday at The Links at Grand Victoria with a field of 90 golfers representing Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana.  The winners played very well and the competition was fierce, but only one player per flight can be a Tri-State Open Champion.

In the Nicklaus Flight, Patrick Irwin collected his first career OVGA Tour victory and his first Major championship, holding off 2004 Tri-State Open Champion Joe Vlachos and Rich Lakes by a shot.  Irwin’s 75 (net 68) bested the flight of 27 golfers.

In the Palmer Flight, Tom Haley decimated the field, coasting home with a six shot victory after a 77 (net 60).  2007 Tri-State Open Champion Venkat Devireddy finished a distant 2nd.  Tom, who has been the subject of some rather unsavory accusations, wants to attribute his stellar play to Conquest Custom Golf and owner Bill Weitzel.  “Give Bill all the praise.  Without the new irons it I never would have won today.”  For all your club fitting needs, visit www.conquestcustomgolf.com (sponsor plug!!!!).

In the Hogan Flight, Michael Coulter snagged his 2nd career victory and his first Major championship with a 4-shot victory on Saturday.  Coulter’s 90 (net 65) put him ahead of Greg Amend and 2006 Tri-State Open Champion Bill Shannon who finished with net 69s.

In the Trevino Flight, Tom Haley’s net 60 (the lowest net score of the year on tour) barely held on for a 9-shot win over Rich Lakes, Charles Felts and Greg Amend. 

In the Lopez Flight, Mary Sturgill, who was mistakenly left out as being mentioned in the “power foursome” in the Tri-State Open preview, remained undefeated in Lopez Flight play.  Sturgill held off Debby Lakes by a shot to collect her 4th Lopez Flight win of the season and her first Major Championship.

In his bid for the Grand Slam, Masters Champion Matt Berry finished tied for 4th place, 6 shots back of Tom Haley in the Palmer Flight. (Masters Champions Scott Middleton and Rick Sizemore didn’t play Saturday).

Next week the tour’s annual rivalry, the East-West Cup, comes to Stonelick Hills with 8 matches to determine which side is the best side on the OVGA Tour in 2008!  Stay tuned to the blog for the latest OVGA news and notes.