35th MGA Senior Four-Ball @ Town & Country Club

While the weekend's weather for the Gopher Invitational was extremely difficult for golf, these past two days at the Town & Country Club in St. Paul have been glorious! The picture is looking over the 18th green just before dawn this morning. And, as pretty as this looks, the day itself has turned out better - bright sun, clear sky and 80* - not too bad for September 16!!

Players in the Championship Flight are just starting to finish from the afternoon rounds. MGA Executive Director Tom Ryan and his partner Marshall Nowlin are in the (proverbial) "thick of things" after firing an opening 71. However, they are chasing defending champions Jerry Gruidl and Robert Leaf, who opened with a 68. Kudos to Bob Patrick, who played alone in tribute to his long-time partner Dick Brozo, who died this past spring.

In the event you did not see the results of the Gopher Invite, the team championship ended up in a tie between the Texas Longhorns and the LSU Tigers. The trophies were awarded to the Longhorns after the tiebreaker - the 54-hole total of the highest scoring individual on each team. Minnesota's own Don Constable, a Spring Hill member, sank a long putt on the 18th hole for a birdie and a final round 1-under par 71 to aid his Longhorns in the victory.

Next week, I will be writing from Edina Country Club and the 21st MGA Mid-Amateur Championship.

Until then-

Doug

The Gopher Invitational

I'm back "on the air" after a two month delay and am out at Spring Hill Golf Club overseeing the rules for the 4th Gopher Invitational. Day 3 dawned to bright sun, but it has since been replaced with clouds and a forecast for rain and winds 20-30 mph from the NW. Let's hope the rain holds off long enough to finish on time.

Yesterday yielded some great scoring despite having weather that seemed to be similar to "Hurricane Ike" by the end of play. Tyler Obermueller of Wisconsin fired a 4-under par 68 despite finishing his round double bogey, bogey, bogey on 7-9. It included an eagle 2 on the par 4 6th. He holed his lob wedge second shot after playing a 5-iron off the tee. The tees had been moved forward to 268 yards to entice players to go for the green. However, most players stayed with the prudent strategy and laid up short off the tee.

As usual, Spring Hill is in perfect condition, thanks to Superintendent Tim Johnson and his crew. They have received nearly 3/4" rain since Wednesday night, so the fairways are soft without giving up any roll and the greens are very receptive. The rain has "slowed down" the greens to a comfortable 11-12' on the stimpmeter.

It's hard to believe, but the MGA tournament season is virtually over. The MGA Senior Four-Ball Championship begins tomorrow at the Town & Country Club in St. Paul. The season concludes the following week with the MGA Mid-Amateur Championship at Edina Country Club and Braemar Golf Course. I hope to be updating you from each of those sites, so stayed tuned!

Until next time-

Doug