At the U.S. Open this past weekend, two formerly nondescript players, Graeme McDowell and Greg Harvet, led the field by finishing first and second in that pressure-packed, talent-laden competition.
Coming into the sixth week of this year's MSIS series, 112 players signed up for a chance, like McDowell and Harvet, at finishing atop the field. Each of two MSIS players, Jack Hoey (OC) and Dick Lawson (QH), exceeded his target and then some by scoring 48 points. Congratulations to these two top performers for unleashing their talents in the face of today's pressure.
On the other hand, two players missed a chance to emulate Hoey and Lawson. By not showing up, they reduced the field to 110 players and stripped two teams of the benefit of our best-7-of-8-players format. Under the Roman Empire's Rules of Golf, both players would have been proscribed and made fair game for bounty hunters.
TODAY'S ACTION
From the outbound shotgun start at 8:30 a.m. to the inbound buffet race around 1:00 p.m., the weather was extremely uniform: 94-95°F, 0-1 mph winds, 20% humidity, and clear skies.
Fresh off the summer solstice and facing the prospect of a full moon in two days, the field was primed for and delivered an upscale performance on Orange Park's Bobby Miller-designed course. The average score this month was five points more than last month at Jacksonville G&CC.
It has to warm the cockles of your heart to see a message like the one greeting us on the parkway signboard inside Orange Park: "Welcome Senior Interclub. Go OP." The latter command helped to boost Joe Pierce's OP team into a share of second place. Unfortunately, they were two points short under our best-6 tiebreaker rule.
Forget the cockles of your heart! By installing a complimentary keg in the scorer's area, Orange Park won more than a cockles-worth of MSIS good will! And kudos to OP's superintendent for giving us a firm, fast, playable course and to OP's chef for giving us a bread pudding like Mama used to make.
SCORER'S TABLE
Barney Poston, our Tournament Chairman, once again coaxed an error-free performance from his MSIS scoring team. This year's U.S. Open had 6,500 volunteers, while Barney makes do with a nine-man team:
Readers: Tom Mackin (OP); Frank Knafelc (OP)
Scorers: Bob Hubbard (OP); Joe Power (EH)
Recorder: Jack Garrity (EH)
Runner: Barney Poston (HH)
Posters: Charles Raulerson, Head Professional
Brian Rogers, Asst
Sorter: Paul Williams (OP)
THE SHAKY LADDER
Twelve teams shifted places on the standings ladder this week. Eight teams rose, none more ecstatically than San Jose which climbed four places. Four teams sank, none more agonizingly than Ponte Vedra which plunged eight places by skipping this event.
San Jose
With 270 points, Captain Bill Basney's team snatched first place by a one-point margin over the next three teams. Don Wilkinson led the team with a strapping 47 points on the strength of a 76-stroke game. San Jose's scores were more widely dispersed (5.0 points) than any of the three runners-up so Don's feat tipped the balance. Today was a colossal moving day for San Jose, climbing four places on the season's ladder.
St. Johns
With 269 points, nonplaying Captain Bob White's team snagged second place by two points over Orange Park in a best-six tiebreaker. Don Rader was the team "stick" with 44 points generated by 75 strokes in low-gross tie with Mike Lamphier (EH). St. Johns climbed two rungs on the ladder.
Orange Park
With 269 points, Captain Joe Pierce's team slipped into third place by one point over Hidden Hills in a best-six tiebreaker. Bob Gilliam brought home the bacon with 44 points and a fine 78 strokes. Orange Park gained one place in the season standings.
Hidden Hills
With 269 points, Captain Tex Blinn's team took fourth place on the losing end of a three-way tiebreaker with St. Johns and Orange Park. Ralph Belter boosted the team with 41 points while Barney Poston and Fred Whatley nipped at his heels with 40 points apiece. With the smallest dispersion (2 points) in today's field, Hidden Hills jumped two rungs to second place on the ladder.
CLOSEST TO THE PIN
Hole 3: Earl Strickland (MC) 11' 6"
Hole 5: Mike Cooper (SN) 3' 9"
Hole 11: Fred Vines (ML) 8' 11"
Hole 14: Brion McDermott (QH) 10-3/4"
Note: I have two sleeves of balls for one of you. Who did not stay to get their prize? Please call 564-2182.
INTERCLUB MATHEMATICS
Nowadays a fifth-grade student is expected to understand certain concepts in probability and statistics. Herewith is an opportunity to capture important information on today's performance and to open a refreshing dialogue with one's grandchildren.
Eagles: 0
Birdies: 74
Strokes: 75 Mike Lamphier (EH)
Doug Rader (SJ)
114 Anonymous
Points: 48 Jack Hoey (OC)
Dick Lawson (QH)
17 Anonymous
ARTICLES SUBMITTED
None.
SPOTTED IN THE CROWD
Roy Gulick, former Scheduling Chairman and current Team Rep from MP didn't play today but there he was in the golf shop just before our opening ceremonies. Due to pinched nerves in the upper spine, Roy has pain in the shoulder area and numbness in the fingers. Without Roy in the lineup, Magnolia Point captured sixth place and moved up one rung on the season's ladder.
SCORECARDS
The scorer's table successfully handled two small problems during the post-round process: 1) X's were marked on two cards and 2) scores were entered on the bottom line on two cards.
For the umpteenth time, no one should mark X in any cell on their score card unless it is his legal mark on the signature line. Marking X in a score box risks being drawn and quartered.
With respect to the second problem, the bottom line was labeled Marker's Gross so the offender was deemed innocent. Ordinarily, the bottom line is labeled Notes or some such.
LAPTOP COMPUTER OWNERS
We are still in need of laptop owners willing to bring their computer to the course and help with after match scoring. Summer time heightens the problem.
If you own a lap top, please volunteer for scoring duty by contacting Barney Poston or your Team Captain. Barney offers below-market wages with on-the-job training and is a nasty boss.
All kidding aside, alternatives to our computerized scoring are NOT pretty. Please come forward with your offer to help.
NEXT MATCH
Queen's Harbour Yacht and Country Club
Mark McCumber Royal Course
Monday, July 12, 9:00 a.m. shotgun.
FINANCIAL NEWS
Our Google AdSense account has earned $102.76 since the last check was issued to us by Google. We should recieve a check for $100+ in a few weeks.
We will be paid again as soon as our account reaches $100. Google issued a check to us for $101.82 on July 23rd, 2009. We have been paid $306.27 total by Google since we opened our account in January 2007. Clicking on those ads and doing Google searches from our web site both bring in the CA$H.
We are paid for clicks on any of the Google ads on our web pages. When you are on our web site, look the ads over. If you see anything of interest, by all means check it out. Also, when you need to do a search of the Internet, please go to our home page and search from there. See the ads at the top of the column to the right. ----------->
Bank account:
Click to enlarge
WEB SITE
Sign up for MSIS emails or be one of those who don't get the word. The sign-up form is at the bottom of our home page: www.jaxsi.org.
Support the fellow-competitors who sponsor our web pages. Notice the advertisements posted by Lewis Blinn, Contractor and Jock Ochiltree, Realtor.
Tex Blinn plays out of Hidden Hills Country Club. He's a very good contractor and is ready to serve your remodeling needs. Give him a try.
Jock Ochiltree is a long-time webpage sponsor and plays out of World Golf Village. Each month Jock provides statistics and features a house on the market in the community located near our tournament site. Check it out. Just click on his ad where it says "Click here” and "Bonus Link".
Track the MSIS schedule at the JAX365 website. It's bold, it's clear, it's in synch. JAX365 can help you keep up with the entire Jacksonville scene!
ARTICLES SOLICITED
Please submit an article that might interest our members. It needn't be related to golf.
Surely you've seen or heard things during MSIS our matches that would be of interest to us all. Funny stories about things that happen on the course. They don't have to be the absolute truth!
Brag about a great hole you played or a great shot you hit. Here again, you may stretch the truth. Write them up and send them to me. It would make this a much more interesting publication. Please help out. Surely someone out there has an opinion or suggestion for the Interclub.
