News Article for the Week of May 31st

Note: Submitted early because of the holiday weekend and thus no scramble item in the news.

For the week of May 31, 2010
Lakeview Golf course News
by Michael Bird, Lakeview Golf Course Manager

Thursday Match Play League Results - Pearl/Byron Team Tournament and Event 6

Photo: Richard Barber and John Chapman just after winning the Pearl/Byron Team Tournament on Thursday, May 27th, with a final round of 65 and a 36 hole total score of 275, five under par.    Photo by Michael Bird

Congratulations to Richard Barber and John Chapman for their sterling win in the Pearl/Byron Team Tournament.  The Dynamic Duo shot a net 65 on Thursday and finished the 36 hole tournament at five under par, an eight stroke advantage over second place finishers Jack Butcher and Rex Hudson.  In regular season play, Wilma and Jim Bateman continue to lead the pack in the team competition as they shot the low net team score of the day with a 63.  Wilma’s score of six under par also got her the low net round and led the team to a resounding win over Tony Wease and Charlie Sheetz by a score of 11 to 3.  In the individual competition, Mike Bird took over the top spot from Dave Brown and tied for the low gross round of the day, a 36.  Al Kavanaugh also shot a 36 and took home the long putt hole prize at #8.  Richard Barber came in second in low net with a round five under par and Jack Butcher won both the close to the pin hole prizes. 

Tuesday Men's League Results - Butcher/Doyle Team Tournament and Event 6

Congratulations also to Mark Sherer and Mike Bird who combined for a net score of 67  this past Tuesday earning them 40 points on the day, just enough to edge the 55 point night of the Kent Summers/Terry LaMar and Paul Hart team in the final round of the Butcher/Doyle Team Tournament.  Final score for the 36 hole tournament was 170 for Sherer and Bird to 168 for the second place finishers.  Third place went to the team of John Drake and Tom McAtee  at 167 points while Short Jeffers and Jack Divine (with helpers) finished up in fourth place at 145 points.  In regular season play, Tyler Kidwell shot a nifty 32 to edge by a single stroke both Doug Denson and Terry Butcher for the low gross score of the day.  Doug’s efforts helped propel the Denson/Holland team back into first place in team competition, just ahead of the John Drake/Tom McAtee team.  Tom McAtee took over the top spot in the individual competition, ahead of Buck Holland by five points and Mark Jones by six.  Other low scores for the day:  Net team low score: Tony Wease and Charlie Sheetz, a nifty 59.  Low net individual score was a tie between Tyler Kidwell and Charlie Sheetz, each shooting 28’s.  Long putt hole prizes were claimed by Allan Harmon, Larry Sutton and Phil Eyler.  Close to the pin prizes were taken by Tyler Kidwell, Stan Graber and Terry LaMar. 

Notes: Community League starts play the week of May 31st. Coming up for each of the three leagues, the Tuesday Men’s, the Thursday Match Play (replacing the scheduled Team Flighted Tournament) and the Community League, is the Individual Handicapped Tournament.  This 36 hole tournament will run during the month of May.   Complete league scores and standings can be found at golflakeview.com.

Bits and Pieces

Photo: My golf babe of the day:  Megan Dyal who was out playing golf with Travis Bullock Monday afternoon before the rains.  Look for her buddy (in the cart behind her) as my golf babe in the next Bits and Pieces.

-Saturday morning scramble note:  Wayne Souerdike hit his approach shot into six way off line to the right.  Fortunately it hit off the cart path by #7 tee box and bounced onto the green some 12-15 feet below the pin.  Guess who slammed it home for a birdie?  Wayne Souerdike.

-Sunday evening skins and flags with Curt Johnson and Tracy Rayhill:  Tracy made three birdies on the night - a beauty at two where his tee shot was up #8 fairway and his approach some ten feet below the pin; slammed home the putt.  On four, a two putt from just off the green after his fairway shot caromed off of a tree way short of the green and came to rest on the collar about twenty feet from the cup.  And a routine long guy birdie at #6 - long drive, nifty approach shot, sweet chip and a short putt for his four.  That put him at one under on his round.  Unfortunately, he finished with two bogeys and a double bogey to end up with a 38 - still pretty good for this time of the year for Tracy.

-Busy day on the course this Memorial Day, right up until the rains came down around seven this evening.  Several golfers were caught in the sudden downpour and came in drenched.

-Tuesday Men's League next on the agenda.  Week one of the 36 hole Individual Handicapped Tournament.

-Community League got started today with several golfers coming in for their rounds but only two (the Jeffers) completing their rounds.  The rain shortened the efforts of the others.  The Community League is also in week one of their Individual Handicapped Tournament.  This along with the start of their season.

-Goal of the day for the Tuesday Men:  Get every putt to the hole - no shorties during league this time.  Aim for a point six to eight inches beyond the cup and on the target line.  Sounds simple enough.

Mike Bird and Mark Sherer: Winners of the Tuesday Men's League Butcher/Doyle Team Tournament

Photo: Mike Bird and Mark Sherer won the 36 hole Butcher/Doyle Team Tournament completed at Lakeview Golf Course on Tuesday, May 25, 2010.  The duo shot a net 67 on the final day of the tournament to finish up with a total of 170 points, edging out the team of Kent Summers and Paul Hart (with sub help from Terry LaMar) who finished at 167 points.

Sherer, Knepp, Allen and Nickless Win Saturday Scramble at Lakeview

Photo: Saturday's winning team at Lakeview with an eight under round: Darvin Knepp, Jack Nickless, Joe Allen and Mark Sherer.  Photo by Mike Bird.

Joe Allen chipped in for eagle at #5 and then rolled in a 25 footer at #9 to do his share in helping teammates  Mark Sherer, Darvin Knepp and Jack Nickless win the Saturday scramble at Lakeview.  The foursome finished at eight under par for the nine holes and won the event on a card draw tie breaker as the team of Dave Wininger, Greg Potts, Abe Knepp and Trey Kidwell also finished at eight under.  Mike Bird, Wayne Souerdike, Gaby Love and Curt Johnson at six under par finished third in the five team competition.

Bits and Pieces

-Stephanie Wie has photos of Michelle Wie from last Saturday's play with Jiyai Shin.  Here.  And Michelle in NYC with photos and more at her blog Black Flamingo.

-Tiger playing at the Memorial.  Great!

-Lefty has a chance to move to #1.  After his opening +1 at the Colonial, expect he's more concerned about making the cut today then making the top spot in world rankings.  My bet: he doesn't make the cut, nor #1.

-Also at the Colonial:  Jeff Overton still hot and John Daly playing well.  Wow.  Go for it, Big John.  Stephanie Wie has photos of John in his blue and white checked trousers along with his similarly decked out sweetie here.

-Local golfers doing other things, like Dave Wininger, Bric Parker, Tracy Rayhill, Karry Stoll, Dan Steiner (I know what he's doing and really don't expect to see him at all - hi, Dan - we miss you), Curt Johnson (to a lesser degree).  Tennis and softball at the high school level?  Did have all those storms in the area last night but no rain at Lakeview other then a little splash around 3 and then some more after dark.  Did have it all around us though - Loogootee, Montgomery, Odon, Bramble.  Haven't seen much of Terry Butcher either though expect he's been traveling; he did come out and play a pretty good round at 33 this past Tuesday.

-Just looking at the Seoul Sisters blog on the upcoming Ladies US Open and wondered when we're going to see Annika Sorenstam again.  About time, isn't it?  A couple of youngsters to watch: Alexis Thompson, all of 15 now, and Jennifer Song, best amateur in the world?

-We will be having a scramble tomorrow morning.  Starts at nine.

-Tip for the day: Go out and work with your fairway woods.  I'm thinking especially of #6 at Lakeview where hitting it up into the throat makes the hole so much easier.  I've been known to spend way too much time over in the 'nursery', that small clump of young trees right of the fairway at the corner of the dam, and having to thread my way through or over some much bigger trees to get to the green.  Even started using my 22 degree hybrid instead of my three wood for the sake of direction - normal tendency with the hybrid - a slight draw; with the three wood, a slight fade.  The slight fade is ideal for going around the corner at six but not if you can't get it to the corner.  (A thought: the drier grounds will give us short knockers a little more run and get the use of the three wood back into play - maybe.)

-My babe of the day: Jennifer Song, who was golf babe at Golf Babes last June.

Thursday Match Play League Results - Pearl/Byron Team Tournament and Event 6

Photo: Richard Barber and John Chapman just after winning the Pearl/Byron Team Tournament this past Thursday with a final round of 65 and a 36 hole total score of 275, five under par.    Photo by Michael Bird

Results of today's activity are posted here.  Congratulations to Richard Barber and John Chapman for their sterling win in the Pearl/Byron Team Tournament.  The Dynamic Duo shot a net 65 today and finished the 36 hole tournament at five under par, an eight stroke advantage over second place finishers Jack Butcher and Rex Hudson.

Thursday Match Play Leaguers - Come on Down!

Final nine holes of the Pearl/Byron Team Tournament.  Leaders are Richard Barber and John Chapman and they will be going out against the second place team, Patty Bowling and Pam Byron.  Other match ups include the third place team, Frank and Susan Fee going out against Clyde Wake and Terry LaMar, and the fifth place team, Rex Hudson and Jack Butcher playing against the Course team, this week being played by Wayne Souerdike and Virgil Harper.  Looks like the morning is going to be free of rain with the temperatures in the pleasant range.  Bring your A games and expect to pick up some birdies and pars along with a few smiles and chuckles during your outing this morning.

Tuesday Men's League Results

Results are now posted here.

Tuesday Men's League Results Event 6 and Butcher/Doyle Team Tournament

The results are not posted (my computer is down) but here are the winners, leaders, low scores and hole prize winners for today's event:

Butcher/Doyle Team Tournament:
-1st place - Mark Sherer and Mike Bird 170 points
-2nd place - Kent Summers and Paul Hart (and helpers) 168 points
-3rd place - John Drake and Tom McAtee 167 points
-4th place - Short Jeffers and Jack Divine (and helpers) 145 points

Regular Season Leaders
-Team - Doug Denson and Buck Holland
-Individual - Tom McAtee

Low Scores
-low net - Tyler Kidwell, Charlie Sheetz (28's)
-low net team - Tony Wease and Charlie Sheetz (59)
-low gross - Tyler Kidwell (32 - WOWZER!), Doug Denson, Terry Butcher (33's)


Hole Prizes
-#3 - Tyler Kidwell
-#4 - Allan Harmon
-#6 - Larry Sutton
-#7 - Stan Graber
-#8 - Phil Eyler
-#9 - Terry LaMar

Tuesday Men - Come on Down!

Final nine holes of the 36 hole Butcher/Doyle Team Tournament.  Mark Sherer and Mike Bird are the current leaders by a scant three points over the team of Mike Albertson and Mark Jones and just seven points up on Cory Rayhill and Mark Potts (btw, Mark's handicap is displayed as a '2' on the report; that's a '+2' in actuality, meaning his average is 33 and he gives 2 strokes to the field - thanks, Mark!).  Expect any one of the top nine teams (they are within 30 points of the lead) have a chance of winning with teams in the 10th through 12th spots given an outside chance.  Course conditions are good with the grounds still wet from our May rains; might get a little roll today with the sun, wind and heat of today and yesterday.  Expect to be warm, maybe even a little hot, in your round.  But nothing unbearable - yesterday's high was 89 and there was a nice wind coming in off the lake. 

News Article for the Week of May 24th

For the week of May 24, 2010
Lakeview Golf course News
by Michael Bird, Lakeview Golf Course Manager

Kidwell, Knepp and Arvin Win Saturday Scramble at Lakeview

Photo: Darvin Knepp and Mike Kidwell after winning the Saturday Morning Scramble at Lakeview on May 22nd. Not pictured: Mike Arvin. Photo by Mike Bird
Mike Kidwell, Darvin Knepp and Mike Arvin combined to fire a sterling six under par to take first place in Saturday's scramble at Lakeview. After opening with three pars, the team went on a tear with six straight birdies. Mike Arvin rolled in a putt from off the green at #8 for what turned out to be the decisive birdie and then chipped one in at #9 just for good measure. Four other teams participated with the teams of Mark Sherer, Wayne Souerdike, Trey Kidwell and Curt Johnson, and Tyler Kidwell, Junior Byron, Stan Graber and George Templin tying for second with scores of 31.

Thursday Match Play League Team Tournament and Event 5 Notes

After Thursday's play, Richard Barber and John Chapman remain at the top of the leaderboard after 27 holes in the Pearl/Byron Team Tournament.  With one round to go, they enjoy a two stroke lead over the team of Pam Byron and Patty Bowling, a four stoke lead over Frank and Susan Fee, and a five stroke lead over Clyde Wake and Terry LaMar.  Fourteen teams are participating with scores ranging from the leaders' even par score of 210 to the 229 score of Vic Wallace and Joe Gray.    For the day, Wayne Pearl blistered the course with a sterling 39 and a low net score of 29, six under par; Wilma Bateman had a good round as well, her three under par good for second place.  Mike Bird led in gross scoring, shooting a 37 with Wayne Pearl's 39 being the second best.  Hole prizes were claimed by Dave Brown at both #7 and #9, and Mike Bird at #8.  Leaders through five events are Jim and Wilma Bateman in the team competition and Dave Brown in the individual competition.

Tuesday Men's League Results Event 5 and Butcher/Doyle Team Tournament

Results at the end of last Tuesday's play in the Men's League:  With nine holes to go, the  Butcher/Doyle Team Tournament leaders are Mark Sherer and Mike Bird with 130 points followed by Mike Albertson and Mark Jones with 127.  The Albertson/Jones team find themselves at the top of the standings through five events while Buck Holland is on top of the individual competition.  Kevin Byron shot a nifty net 29 to take honors in that category while Mark Potts shot the low gross round with a 35.  Hole prizes were claimed by Trenton Kidwell, Mike Bird and Short Jeffers for close to the pin shots, and by Noah Callahan, Charlie Sheetz and Dave Strange for long putts.  Notes:  Just 17 birds on the night and no eagles.  Tyler Kidwell and Short Jeffers each had two birds.  Mark Potts and Junior Byron lead the par parade with seven apiece.  Group average did go down to 42.91, more than a half stroke better than last week and the low of the season so far.  Hole #1 played the hardest by far, playing 1.40 strokes over par, and #7 played the easiest by far, just .39 strokes over par.  Complete scores and standings for league play can be found at the course website golflakeview.com.

Bits and Pieces

-Another young South Korean wins.  Sun Young Yoo takes the Sybase Match Play event in Gladstone, NJ, by beating Angela Stanford yesterday afternoon after disposing of the world's #1 player, Jiyai Shin, in the morning.  Jiyai Shin had disposed of the Wie Lass Saturday afternoon (dang it all).  The dominance of the South Korean ladies continues.  Wow!

-Note the photo (at the link) of the winner showing a lot of emotion - joy - by jumping into the arms of her caddy.  Remarkable.

-My golf babe of the day:  Sun Young Yoo.

-So where are all the good American players?  Who's gonna be the American Se Ri Pak?

-On the big boy tour, the Byron Nelson Classic was won by an Aussie, Jason Day, who survived a shot in the water at the last hole when his playing partner and guy who was one shot behind dropped his shot into the water as well. Not exactly the way you would expect the last two guys on the course to finish up their day.   How about the 16 year old, Jordan Spieth, playing like a champ and coming in tied for 16th?!  A junior in high school. Another phenom.

-At Lakeview yesterday, lots of golfers getting out into the heat of the day.  We got an inch and a half of rain from the Friday afternoon storm, substantially less than the five inches they got down in Washington.  Eric said they got even less up in Odon.  All that rain is good for growing grass, don't you know.

-In the end, it was Tracy and Cory Rayhill along with Jeff Brookshire closing down the course as the light of the day disappeared.

-Still working on my putting and like my new two ball SRT Odyssey putter very much.  Local and quite good golfers having the same putter: Mark Potts and Doug Denson.  (Probably others as well that I'm unaware of at the moment.)  Working with my irons as well - was it Ben Hogan who said if you want to improve your putting, get it closer to the hole?  Makes sense.  And if you want to have more success with your irons, then get to the shorter shafted ones as soon as possible.  And you can do that if you are longer and more accurate off the tee, right?  Hmmm.  Probably should be spending more time with the driver, right?  Nah.

-Tip for the day, a hot Monday: Play early or play late, or both, and leave the midday heat for the mad dogs and the Englishmen.  Guess the English women have more sense.

Kidwell, Knepp and Arvin Win Saturday Scramble at Lakeview

Photo: Darvin Knepp and Mike Kidwell after winning the Saturday Morning Scramble at Lakeview on May 22nd. Not pictured: Mike Arvin. Photo by Mike Bird

Mike Kidwell, Darvin Knepp and Mike Arvin combined to fire a sterling six under par to take first place in Saturday's scramble at Lakeview. After opening with three pars, the team went on a tear with six straight birdies. Mike Arvin rolled in a putt from off the green at #8 for what turned out to be the decisive birdie and then chipped one in at #9 just for good measure. Four other teams participated with the teams of Mark Sherer, Wayne Souerdike, Trey Kidwell and Curt Johnson, and Tyler Kidwell, Junior Byron, Stan Graber and George Templin tying for second with scores of 31.

Saturday Morning Scramble Time

9am

Thursday Match Play League Team Tournament and Event 5 Notes

After Thursday's play, Richard Barber and John Chapman remain at the top of the leaderboard after 27 holes in the Pearl/Byron Team Tournament.  With one round to go, they enjoy a two stroke lead over the team of Pam Byron and Patty Bowling, a four stoke lead over Frank and Susan Fee, and a five stroke lead over Clyde Wake and Terry LaMar.  Fourteen teams are participating with scores ranging from the leaders' even par score of 210 to the 229 score of Vic Wallace and Joe Gray.    For the day, Wayne Pearl blistered the course with a sterling 39 and a low net score of 29, six under par; Wilma Bateman had a good round as well, her three under par good for second place.  Mike Bird lead in gross scoring, shooting a 37 with Wayne Pearl's 39 being the second best.  Hole prizes were claimed by Dave Brown at both #7 and #9, and Mike Bird at #8.  Leaders through five events are Jim and Wilma Bateman in the team competition and Dave Brown in the individual competition. 

Thursday Match Play League Results

This morning's Match Play League results are posted here.  Note the pairings for next week's final round of the Pearl/Byron Team Tournament.

Thursday Match Play Leaguers - Come on Down!

Event 5 of the season today at 9am along with week 3 of the Pearl/Byron Team Tournament.    Barber and Chapman are the leaders of the tournament - today is moving day.  Bring your A game and expect some fun in the overcast and coolish clime.  Next week the match ups will be determined by the team tournament leaderboard: #1 vs #2, #3 vs #4, #5 vs #6, and #7 vs #8.  If there is a tie somewhere in the mix, a coin flip will be used to decide position of the teams affected.

Tuesday Men's League Notes

-Just 17 birds on the night and no eagles.  Tyler Kidwell and Short Jeffers each had two of them there birds.

-Mark Potts and Junior Byron lead the par parade with seven apiece.

-Group average did go down to 42.91, more than a half stroke better than last week and the low of the season so far.  Bound to get better, right?

-#1 played the hardest by far and #7 played the easiest by far.  Btw, that data is at the bottom of the online report of the scores by hole.

-On a personal note:  Mark Sherer and I went out with a couple of the young guns, Trenton Kidwell and Weston Muessig.  Three 38's in the group (that's final scores, not a gun type), with Weston ending up with an uncharacteristic 41.  Each of us missed at least one short putt and have signed up for an online lesson with current Big Boy  and Big Girl putting wizard, Dave Stockton (who was noted to have been working with Adam Scott a week ago just before the Scott lad wins at The Texas Open - impressive).  Only kidding about the online lesson though I expect it would help.  Adam Scott did go to the clubhouse last Sunday evening with that yukky taste in his mouth of having missed a short putt - the only one he missed all week.  So, have heart, guys, and keep after those nail biting shorties. 

Tuesday Men's League Results Event 5 and Butcher/Doyle Team Tournament through 27 Holes

Results at the end of today's play are here:

Butcher/Doyle Team Tournament Leaders: Mark Sherer and Mike Bird

Regular season Team Leaders: Mike Albertson and Mark Jones

Regular season Individual Leader: Buck Holland

Low Scores:

-Low Net: Kevin Byron (29)

-Low Net Team: Kevin Byron and Junior Byron (62)

-Low Gross: Mark Potts (35)

Hole Prizes:

-#3: Trenton Kidwell

-#4: Noah Callahan

-#6: Charlie Sheetz

-#7: Mike Bird

-#8: Dave Strange

-#9: Short Jeffers

Tuesday Men - Come on Down

Hey!  It's a grand day to be alive and to be playing golf.  Why not get out there early, or stay late, and play 18!  (You all remember Ernie Banks, right?)  Expect some overcast skies and coolish temperatures and a course that is a little wet but not really all that much.  Again, not much roll in the fairways and the greens are soft and receptive.  Scores should be better just because it's well into May now and we really have had plenty of time to round our games into some sort of shape.

Week 3 of the Butcher Doyle Team Tournament.  Better start thinking about making your move if you are somewhere in the bottom half of the tournament standings.  Don't know how many points it will take to win - 160?  170?  Less, like maybe 140?  Depends on what those frontrunners do today, Walker and Ackerman, Rayhill and Potts (the young ones).  They already have 95 points with close to 60 points available each of the next two weeks.  Four teams are in the 80 range, another four in the 70's, and another four in the 60's.  Not counting anybody out just yet.

The low handicappers for the day:  Mark Potts at +2 (he gives the field 2 strokes), Trenton Kidwell and Phil Eyler, each at 1.  Expect to see some movement towards the big zero today by several of the scratch and near scratch players out there.  In fact, I expect movement by all the players towards a lower handicap whether carrying a  gaudy one or a more typical eight or a fifteen.  Remember, the group average is hovering around the forty-three mark, meaning that the average handicap is about eight strokes.

Whatever - come out and play and have fun first and let the guy keeping the scorecard worry about the numbers.  Wonder how many of you can do that?

Bits and Pieces

-From Seoul Sisters, lots of photos of the ladies playing in the 2010 Korean Women's Open won by Soo Jin Yang.

-Se Ri Pak wins the Bell Micro LPGA Classic!  The Queen of and Mom to all the South Korean golfers, won in overtime down in Alabama when she rolled in a birdie putt on the fourth extra hole to beat Brittany Lincicome.  Suzann Petersen also made the playoffs but sat down after the second hole.  Michelle Wie, who actually climbed up a few spots during her three holes of play before the tournament was called and reverted to Saturday's standings, finished dead last and took home a paycheck of $2530.  Commentary and photos at Seoul Sisters.


-My golf babe of the day: who else but Se Ri Pak.  (Photo from about.com.)


-Adam Scott won down in Texas as the big boys played 36 holes on Sunday because of weather.  Nice short putting, Adam.


-Sunday at Lakeview was a little quiet with overcast skies and occasional showers.  A lot of golfers did come out after five and got nine holes in.


-Tip of the day: From yesterday's broadcast of the Texas Open: On your approach shot, make a full body turn.  Adam Scott was hitting into one of the par threes on the back nine when he missed way left of the green.  The analyst, old what's-his-name, immediately suggested the full body turn - get those shoulders and belly button facing your target.

News Article for the Week of May 17th

For the week of May 17, 2010

Lakeview Golf course News

by Michael Bird, Lakeview Golf Course Manager

Potts, Kidwell, Blake and Byron Win Saturday Scramble

Photo: 1st and 2nd place team members at the Lakeview Saturday Morning Scramble. From the left with the first four being the winners: Mark Potts, Roger Blake, Kevin Byron, Tyler Kidwell, Junior Byron, Trey Kidwell and Mark Sherer.   Photo by Mike Bird

The team of Mark Potts, Tyler Kidwell, Roger Blake and Kevin Byron used an eagle on four and five birdies to win the Saturday Morning Scramble at Lakeview. In second place was the team of Mark Sherer, Junior Byron and Trey Kidwell. Two teams tied for third at five under: Mike Kidwell, Noah Callahan and Larry Hembree; and Short Jeffers, Mike Bird, Stan Graber and Bryant Trambaugh. Two other teams participated and came in at minus four and minus three. Of note: Larry Hembree, playing in his first Saturday scramble of the year, chipped in both at hole number four and hole number six, each good for an eagle.

Thursday Match Play League Event 4 and Team Tournament Week 2

Leaders of the Pearl/Byron Team Tournament at the halfway point are Richard Barber and John Chapman.  At one under par, they enjoy a five stroke lead over the teams of Pam Byron and Patty Bowling, and Clyde Wake and Terry LaMar.  Low scores for the day: Patty Bowling at five under for low net; Mike Bird at 37 for low gross; and Ray Shaw and Dave Brown with a 70 for low net team score.  Hole prizes were claimed by Patty Bowling at #7, Junior Byron at #8 and Mike Anderson at #9.  Group average gross score was 47.82, up a half a stroke from last week.  Regular season leaders after four events are Al Kavanaugh in individual competition and Al and his partner, Mike Anderson, in team competition.

Tuesday Men's League Event 4 and Team Tournament Week 2

Photo: Mark Potts, who finished up his semester at college, shot a sterling round of 30 in league action at Lakeview Golf Course on Tuesday, May 11th.  Photo by Mike Bird

At the midpoint of the 36 hole Butcher/Doyle Team Tournament, Skip Ackerman and John Walker are tied at the top of the leaderboard with Cory Rayhill and Mark Potts, each team with 95 points.  In third place is the team of Mike Albertson and Mark Jones with 86 points while Mike Seals and Nick Toy sit in 4th place with 85 points.  In regular season action,  Mark Potts blistered the course with a sterling five birdie, four par round of 30 for the low gross of the day.  Trenton Kidwell also had a bunch of birdies, four, in a round of 34.  Low net scores were turned in by Mark Jones at 29, and Mark Sherer and Mark Potts with 30's.  Mike Bird, who led in pars with 8, and Mark Sherer claimed the low net team score with a super 62.  Hole prizes winners were Rob Sterling, Karry Stoll and Mike Kidwell with long putts; and Mike Bird, Tony Wease and Rob Rollins with close to the pin shots.  Jon Boyd, subbing for Jack Divine, found three birdies on the course in a round of 38.  Other multiple birdie shooters were Phil Eyler and Mark Sherer, each with two.  On top of the standings at the end of the fourth event are Curt Johnson and Bric Parker in team competition, and Skip Ackerman in individual competition.  Group gross average for day was 43.53, down from the 44.29 of a week ago but still not matching or beating the 43.25 of the season opener.  The first hole remained the most difficult hole to play, coming in at 1.38 strokes over par.  Number four was the easiest on the day with a .66 over par average. 

Other Notes:  Community League starts in two weeks during the week of May 31st.  Call the clubhouse to register your team.  Additional detail for Lakeview league action can be found at the course website, golflakeview.com; commentary and photos can be found at the course blog, lakeviewgolfcoursenews.blogspot.com.

Potts, Kidwell, Blake and Byron Win Saturday Scramble

Photo: 1st and 2nd place team members at the Lakeview Saturday Morning Scramble. From the left with the first four being the winners with a score of seven under and the second three coming in second at six under: Mark Potts, Roger Blake, Kevin Byron, Tyler Kidwell, Junior Byron, Trey Kidwell and Mark Sherer.

The team of Mark Potts, Tyler Kidwell, Roger Blake and Kevin Byron used an eagle on four and five birdies to win the Saturday Morning Scramble at Lakeview earlier today. In second place was the team of Mark Sherer, Junior Byron and Trey Kidwell. Two teams tied for third at five under: Mike Kidwell, Noah Callahan and Larry Hembree; and Short Jeffers, Mike Bird, Stan Graber and Bryant Trambaugh. Two other teams participated and came in at minus four and minus three. Of note: Larry Hembree, playing in his first Saturday scramble of the year, chipped in both at hole four and hole six, each good for an eagle.

Saturday Morning Scramble Time

9am - rain or shine...

More Match Play Notes, Event 4, Pearl/Byron Team Tournament

Additional notes on Thursday Match Play League action:

-Six birds on the day with Terry LaMar (subbing for Ward Smith who is expected to be back in two or three weeks) getting two of them (Bird, Bowling, Kavanaugh and Brown got the other four).  Unfortunately for Terry, he gave the birds back and then some with double bogeys at the par fives.  Ouch.

-Hole #6 played the hardest for the group, coming in at 1.93 over par.  Number one was second at 1.82 (1.63 for the men, 2.00 for the women).  The easiest on the day was #7, playing just .82 strokes over par.

-Clyde Wake and Charlie Sheetz duked it out for the high score of the day; Clyde won the dubious distinction in the end, coming in with a 62 versus Charlie's 61.

-Junior Byron continued his struggle with his game during league play, shooting a 44, some five strokes above his average.  He did come back out last night, worked on his game, then took two long tees from me in a six hole match game, firing pars from #4 through #9.

-Patty Bowling firing on all cylinders with her 45 yesterday.  That follows her 49 of the previous week, meaning two weeks in a row below that 50 mark.  She and Pam are tied for second in the Team Tournament with Clyde Wake and Terry LaMar.

-Winners of last year's team tournament, Wayne Pearl and Junior Byron, find themselves looking up this time around.  They are tied for last with Ken Hudson and Carroll Rayhill.  No sense panicking just yet - got two more weeks to turn the tables.

Thursday Match Play League Event 4 and Team Tournament Week 2 Results

This morning's results are posted here.  Leaders of the Pearl/Byron Team Tournament at the halfway point are Richard Barber and John Chapman.  At one under par, they enjoy a five stroke lead over the teams of Pam Byron and Patty Bowling, and Clyde Wake and Terry LaMar.  Low scores for the day: Patty Bowling at five under for low net; Mike Bird at 37 for low gross; and Ray Shaw and Dave Brown with a 70 for low net team score.  Hole prizes were claimed by Patty Bowling at #7, Junior Byron at #8 and Mike Anderson at #9.  Regular season leaders after four events are Al Kavanaugh in individual competition and Al and his partner, Mike Anderson, in team competition.

Thursday Match Play League Event 4 and Team Tournament Week 2

Match Play Leaguers tee off a t nine tomorrow morning.  Mike Strawn and Virgil Harper will be playing in the Course team (#14) and going out against Pam and Patty.  Expect things will remain a little soggy after this morning's rain but should be loads of fun to be out there competing and slapping that little ball around.  Bring your A game and any bag of tricks you may want to share.  Would be kinda neat it someone were to get a hole-in-one, don't you think?

Note: The Pearl/Byron Team Handicapped Tournament is a 36 hole, low net tournament.  Low net score for the 36 holes determines the winning team (this is a change from what was reported in the paper a week ago which had both the Tuesday Men's tournament and this tournament based on points earned for the 36 holes).

Bits and Pieces

-My golf babe of the day:  form Golf Babes - Maiya Tanaka.

-Congrats to Mark Potts on his 30 last night.  Think that's a tie of his best at Lakeview.

-Congrats also to Trenton Kidwell on his four birdie night and a score of 34.

-Would like to know what happened in the Mike Kidwell-Tyler Kidwell-Trey Kidwell-Joe Allen foursome last night.  Joe did okay with a round of 42 gross and a net of 34, but Mike, Tyler and Trey came in with 45, 46 and 46 scores, some 18 strokes over their averages.  Ouch.

-Mark Sherer and I broke even with our scores (36's) and the quarters (skins and flags - 3 each).  I did meet my personal goal of getting the ball to the hole on each of my putts; did miss a couple of short ones but am pleased with the new putter's performance - the Odyssey white steel two ball srt is a honey.

-Still no word on the whys and hows of Erica Blasberg's death.  The latest from abc.

-Rain falling in buckets here.  It's been a very wet spring.

Tuesday Men's League Notes

Photo: Mark Potts who finished up his semester at college and shot a sterling round of 30 in league action at Lakeview Golf Course on Tuesday, May 11th.

At the midpoint of the 36 hole Butcher/Doyle Team Tournament, Skip Ackerman and John Walker are tied at the top of the leaderboard with Cory Rayhill and Mark Potts, each team with 95 points.  In third place is the team of Mike Albertson and Mark Jones with 86 points while Mike Seals and Nick Toy sit in 4th place with 85 points.  In regular season action,  Mark Potts blistered the course with a sterling five birdie, four par round of 30 for the low gross of the day.  Trenton Kidwell also had a bunch of birdies, four, in a round of 34.  Low net scores were turned in by Mark Jones at 29, and Mark Sherer and Mark Potts with 30's.  Mike Bird, who led in pars with 8, and Mark Sherer claimed the low net team score with a super 62.  Hole prizes winners were Rob Sterling, Karry Stoll and Mike Kidwell with long putts; and Mike Bird, Tony Wease and Rob Rollins with close to the pin shots.  Jon Boyd, subbing for Jack Divine, found three birdies on the course in a round of 38.  Other multiple birdie shooters were Phily Eyler and Mark Sherer, each with two.  On top of the standings at the end of the fourth event are Curt Johnson and Bric Parker in team competition, and Skip Ackerman in individual competition.  Group gross average for day was 43.53, down from the 44.29 of a week ago but still not matching or beating the 43.25 of the season opener.  The first hole remained the most difficult hole to play, coming in at 1.38 strokes over par.  Number four was the easiest on the day with a .66 over par average.

Tuesday Men's League Results

Results are posted for today's play.  Two team tie at the top after 18 holes in the Butcher/Doyle Team Tournament.  Skip Ackerman and John Walker joined Cory Rayhill and Mark Potts at the top with 95 points.  Results for all the standings are posted here.

Bits and Pieces

-LPGA player Erica Blasberg found dead at her home in suburban Las Vagas.  That's not good - way to young to be dying.  Stephanie Wie has a write up here.

-Tiger talks for 25 minutes at a presser and his swing coach, Hank Haney, quits.  Just one more thing for TW to think about as he gets his life in order and rounds his game back into shape.  Jeesh.

-Mostly Harmless takes a swipe at the big news outfits for the lack of coverage of Morgan Pressel's win over in Ibaraki.  Couldn't agree more - we need to see much more coverage of women's golf as a world organization, not just the LPGA events here in the USA.  Of course, I don't mind getting my info from the blogging eforts such as Mostly Harmless and Wie Under Par.  Suits me just fine.  Would like to see much more tv coverage though.  Or even a stream on the internet.

-My golf babe of the day:  How about a cart girl of the month from Avid Golfer - Mimi Sisombath.  Can't say I've seen too many of these cart girls in our neck of the woods.  Not yet, anyway. 

On the local scene:

-Ken Wagler sank a 15-20 putt at #4 for an eagle on Sunday evening and then gave the two strokes right back at #5.  Think I heard his son Adam say that he finished the round with a par 35.  And that's not too shabby.

-Eric reported that the Four Horsemen were out there playing 18 holes yesterday morning.  Guess that would be Jack Lents, Ken Hudson, Jack Butcher and Dave Brown.

-Mark Sherer and his son, Jansen, were out Sunday evening.  Jansen and Lane Henrichsen, Walter's boy, should be stalwarts of the Loogootee golf team in a year or two.  Mark getting in some practice for tonight when he and I, along with the league challenge, start birdie-par-low putt-close-to-the-pin game of our own.

-My own personal goals for today are: Flatten my swing plane on my drive and get back to hitting that little draw; get the ball to the hole 100% on my putts - will be going for a mark some six to eight inches beyond the cup; take a couple of Mark's quarters.

-Tip for the day: Just relax and have some fun.

Tuesday Men - Come on Down

Looks like the storms have passed on through and the day is going to be a honey.  Course is in great shape with grass growing at a record setting pace.  Not much roll in the fairway but the greens remain soft and receptive.  Expect scores to get a little better today because we have good weather, no nasty nits, three weeks of play under our belts, and it's week two of four of the Butcher/Doyle Team Tournament - current leaders: Short Jeffers and Jordan Divine.  Bring your A games and plan on having some fun with a stick and a little white ball.

Bits and Pieces

-Morgan Pressel, the only American in the tournament, wins the Salonpas Cup in Ibaraki.  Details at Mostly Harmless.  With the win, she became the golf babe of the day at Golf Babes.  Note the non golf attire worn by Morgan - little black dress and high heels.

-Tiger Woods withdraws from The Players with possible bulging disc in his upper back.  Hope it's a stress related thingee rather than a more serious injury.  I remember how anxiety (on starting a new job) almost bent me over one Saturday morning; still did manage to come out and play in the scramble (Steve Padgett was one of the team members - hi, Steve!). Johnny Miller also thought it might be stress related.  I think Tiger has a few things roiling around between his ears at the moment, things that do affect his play.  Hope he finds some way to relax, you know, like, go to a movie with a friend or something (?!).

-So Phil Mickelson will edge even closer to being #1 in the world.  That would be a change, first one since 2005 when Vijay Singh and Tiger sparred for the top spot. However, he isn't there just yet.  Tiger does have to get his act together if he wants to keep that being-#1-in-the-world streak alive.

-And how about the show that Tim Clark put on for us yesterday afternoon!  Watched most of the coverage even without Tiger anywhere around.  Good going, guys!

-Ladies play down in Alabama this week at the Bell Micro Classic.  Here's the line up; pairings not listed yet.  Definitely time for Michelle Wie to get herself another win.

-My golf babe of the day:  How about two of them: Morgan Pressel, latest winner (over in Japan) and the next winner (?!), Michelle Wie.  Go here for this photo of the two 'party girls' seen at Golf Spelled Backwards.

News Article for the Week of May 10th

For the week of May 10.

Lakeview Golf Course News

by Michael Bird Lakeview Golf Course Manager

Trenton Kidwell and Mike Bird Take Scramble on Windy Day

Trenton Kidwell and Mike Bird circled the course in two under par to win the May 8th Saturday Morning Scramble over three other teams. Mike Bird rolled in a twelve footer from just off the green at #1 and Trenton Kidwell stuck one at the three inch mark at the par three 7th to account for the two birds that went along with their seven pars. Two teams came in at one under: Dave Wininger and Wayne Souerdikle, and Doug Denson and Stan Graber. Mark Sherer and Joe Allen came in at one over par. Doug Denson and Mark Sherer also stuck shots at #7 for kick in birdies for their teams, a remarkable feat considering the cool and gusting wind that made shot making difficult throughout play.

Thursday Match Play League Event 3 and Week One of Pearl/Byron Tournament

LeagueLeaders: Team - Mike Anderson, who just returned from Florida, and Al Kavanaugh.  Individual - Al Kavanaugh.  Hole Prize winners: Terry LaMar on both #7 and #9; Frank Fee on #8.  Low scores:  Net - Dick Barber, Frank Fee, Terry LaMar and Patty Bowling, each coming in at 4 under par.  Gross: Al Kavanaugh with a 37, followed by Mike Bird and Terry LaMar with 39's.  Leaders in the Pearl/Byron Tournament after nine holes are Dick Barber and John Chapman who came in with a nifty net score of two under par; Tony Wease, playing with Charlie Sheetz, Clyde Wake, playing with Terry LaMar, and Vic Wallace playing with Joe Gray, are tied for second in the thirty-six hole tournament with scores of one over par.  Birdies were claimed by Ken Hudson at hole five, Mike Bird at hole six and Al Kavanaugh at hole nine.  Kavanaugh led in pars at six, followed by Bird and Frank Fee at five.  For the day, the average gross score was 47.33, some six tenths of a stroke better than the previous week.  Note: Players of the Day: Terry LaMar and Al Kavanaugh.

Tuesday Men's League Results Event 3 and Week One of the Butcher/Doyle Tournament

Leaders after week three of the regular season: Team: Allan Harmon and Rob Rollins; Individual: Allan Harmon.  Holes prize winners for last Tuesday: Close to the pin shots: Joe Potts, Doug Denson and Terry Padgett; long putts: Dennis Brosmer, Bric Parker and Skip Ackerman.  Low scores: net: Allan Harmon and Jordan Divine, each with 31's; gross: Short Jeffers with a nifty par round of 35; Phil Eyler shot a 36 for second low gross score on the day.  Net team: Short Jeffers and Jordan Divine (64).  Group average gross dropped a bit from 44.63 last week to 44.29 this week.  Of the nineteen birds captured during play, five were at hole #4 (continues to be the league's most popular birdie hole), three at holes 2 and 9, 2 at the first hole and one at holes 3, 6, 7 and 8.  Three players came in with two: Short Jeffers, Weston Muessig and Mike Bird.  Phil Eyler and John Walker led in pars with six each.  Jordan Divine subbed for his dad, Jack, managed to tie for low net, and teamed up with Short Jeffers' net score of 33 to take the nine hole lead in the thirty-six hole Butcher/Doyle Team Tournament.

Note: Full details and scores of league action can be found at golflakeview.com.  Additional commentary and photos can be found at the course blog, lakeviewgolfcoursenews.blogspot.com.

Trenton Kidwell and Mike Bird Take Scramble on Windy Day

Photo: Mike Bird and Trenton Kidwell on the #1 tee box after winning the Saturday Morning Scramble. Photo by Pam Byron

Trenton Kidwell and Mike Bird circled the course in two under par to win the Saturday Morning Scramble over three other two man teams. Mike Bird rolled in a twelve footer from just off the green at #1 and Trenton Kidwell stuck one at the three inch mark at the par three 7th to account for the two birds that went along with their seven pars. Two teams came in at one under: Dave Wininger and Wayne Souerdikle, and Doug Denson and Stan Graber. Mark Sherer and Joe Allen came in at one over par. Doug Denson and Mark Sherer also stuck shots at #7 for kick in birdies for their teams, a remarkable feat considering the howling wind that made shot making difficult throughout play.

Saturday Morning Scramble Time

9am

Bits and Pieces

-Big Boys: Tiger and Phil at 2 under, four back after day one.  Tiger dumped one in the water at 18 to lose a shot.  Give him something to think about overnight and till today's tee time (8:18).  Jeff Overton is also at two under.

-Morgan Pressel leading at the Salonpas Cup in Japan.  Updates from Mostly Harmless.  Being played in Ibaraki, Japan.  You remember where Ibaraki is, right?  Northeast of Tokyo.  Diane and I were stationed in Yokosuka, Japan, back in the early '60's.  Yokosuka is southwest of Tokyo.

-My new putter performed admirable yesterday.  Rolled in a six footer for birdie on our start hole (#6), and made several more putts over the course of the nine holes.  Did leave a couple of them short (big problem for me when the pressure mounts).  Did not get my five stroke improvement - shot a disappointing 39 with doubles at #7 and #4, the two easiest holes on the course.  Jeesh.

-Seems like things are starting real slow in the leagues this year, meaning golf games are rounding into shape at a surprisingly slow pace.  Can't blame it on the weather.  Maybe it just seems that way and in reality things are about as normal as moms and apple pie in America.  (Btw, Mother's Day this Sunday - doing anything special for or with your mom?)

-Saturday morning scramble starts at 9 tomorrow.

A Note on the Passing of Shorty Rayhill

We lost one of our moms this past Tuesday as Shorty Rayhill ended her long battle with cancer.  Wife of Carroll, mother of Tracy and Kelly, grandma to Cory.  The viewing is today from 2-8 at Brocksmiths; funeral tomorrow at 10 at the Christian Chuch here in Loogootee.  Shorty Rayhill - already missed.

Thursday Match Play League Event 3 and Team Tournament

Results are posted here.  Leaders: Team - Mike Anderson and Al Kavanaugh.  Individual - Al Kavanaugh.  Hole Prize winners: Terry LaMar on both #7 and #9; Frank Fee on #8.  Low scores:  Net - Dick Barber, Frank Fee, Terry LaMar and Patty Bowling (4 under).  Gross: Al Kavanaugh (37), Mike Bird and Terry LaMar (39's).  Leaders in the Pearl/Byron Team Tournament: Dick Barber and John Chapman (-2); Wease/Sheetz, Wake/LaMar and Wallace/Gray tied for second at one over par.

Bits and Pieces

-New Odyssey 2-ball SRT putter arrives.  Expect it to take five strokes off my game immediately.

-Thursday Match Play League plays at nine this morning (and for the rest of the season, btw).  Today is week one of the Pearl/Byron Team Tournament, week three of the season.  And we got some more rain last night, meaning that the already sodden grounds are going to be a little more sodden.  No roll on the fairway; greens extra receptive.

-Those nasty nits are just about gone.  The most effective way that I found to keep them away this year was to drape a bandana on top of my head and place a cap on top to keep it in place. 

-Big Boys go at it down in Florida at the Players Championship starting this morning.  Phil Mickelson early, Tiger Woods late.  Tiger refocused?  Has Elin yelled at him yet this week?  What goes on off the course does matter; it's very hard to leave 'stuff' in the car in the parking lot, mush as we try to do just that when we head out for a round of golf, or a beer with our buddies, or whatever.  Takes a powerful lot of focusing to, well, focus.

-In any case, hope Phil and Tiger and about thirty other golfers are on their game and that we get a whale of a show for the four days.

-Lots of the Big Girls are over in Japan playing in the JLPGA's first major of the year, the Salonpas Cup.  Updates here from Mostly Harmless. 

-Golf Babe of the Day: Another lady from the '70s who burst on the scene and immediately became a golf superstar:  Nancy Lopez.  Go here for a short biography of her, including the fact that she won nine times in her first year, 1978, and then followed that up with eight wins the second year.  Wow.

-Tip of the day:  From Nancy Lopez: "Do your best, one shot at a time and then move on. Remember that golf is just a game." 

Thursday Match Play Leaguers!

We start at 9am tomorrow morning with the first week of the Pearl/Byron Team Handicapped Tournament.  Trophy goes to the team with the best four week/event net score.  Expect the winning score to be around 260, maybe 270.  Good luck.  Regular season match play continues as usual.

Tuesday Men's League Notes

-Group average gross, 44.29, did go lower than the previous week but by a paltry third of a stroke and did not reach the opening day current low for the year of 43.25.

-Of the nineteen birds captured yesterday, five were at hole #4, three at holes 2 and 9, 2 at the first hole and one at holes 3, 6, 7 and 8.  Three players came in with two: Short Jeffers, Weston Muessig, Mike Bird.  Tyler Kidwell did not birdie #9 for the third week in a row.

-Phil Eyler and John Walker led in pars with six each.

-Last week there were five sevens at hole #2, this week just two.  Unfortunately, yours truly was a member of the triple-bogey-club-at-two each week.  (That hole owes me...)

-Newcomers Allan Harmon and Rob Rollins continue to shine with the duo leading the pack in team competition and Allan on top in the individual standings. 

-Three toughest holes yesterday: one, five and three.  They played 1.50, 1.36, and 1.12 strokes over par.

-Jordan Divine subbed for his dad, Jack, and managed to tie for low net with Allan Harmon (31's).  Along with team member Short Jeffers net score of 33, the Jeffers/Divine team find themselves in first place in the Butcher/Doyle Team Tournament after week one.  Lots of time and opportunity to catch them as the tournament runs for four weeks for the first time this year (two weeks in previous years).

Tuesday Men: Butcher/Doyle Team Handicapped Tournament Results Week 1

Full leaderboard is now posted here.

Tuesday Men's League Results

Results of today's play are posted here.  Leaders after three weeks:  Team: Allan Harmon and Rob Rollins; Individual: Allan Harmon.  Leaders of the Butcher/Doyle Team Handicapped Tournament after one week: Jeffers/Divine.  Holes prizes: Joe Potts, Dennis Brosmer, Bric Parker, Doug Denson, Skip Ackerman, Terry Padgett.  Low scores: Net: Allan Harmon and Jordan Divine (31's); gross: Short Jeffers (35); net team: Short Jeffers and Jordan Divine (64).  Group average gross dropped a bit from 44.63 last week to 44.29 this week.

Tuesday Men - Come on Down

Tournament action starts today: 1st nine holes of the Terry Butcher/Jeff Doyle* Team Handicapped Tournament.  Your target is to have the most team points over the next four weeks (events).  The tournament is changed from last year only in length and emphasis.  (The name: tournament is named after previous year's winner.)

Other notes:

-Grounds are wet from all the rain.  Expect soft greens and fairways that won't give much roll (of course, you can always go after the cart path and get some distance there - hard on balls, though).

-Even with the lack of roll, expect the group average score to go down; afterall, it is two weeks into the season and we've had the opportunity to knock all rust from our clubs and to find some kind of rhythm.  Right?  Expect more than one eagle today as well.  Number four is always available to the long knockers in the crowd.  And it seems like we get more and more of those every year.

-No zero handicappers this week though Mark Potts may play if he chooses to come home for the day in the middle of finals week.


-Corrected Walter Henrichsen' score from last week from 36 to 35.  Remember - players have a week to let me know of errors in score keeping or posting.



-Tip for the day: Use enough club, make a good swing.

News Article for the Week of May 3rd

Lakeview Golf Course News

by Michael Bird

Saturday Scramble: Short and Accurate Triumphs Over Length

Mike Bird, Greg Potts and Kevin Byron used accuracy with their approach shots and putting to win the May 1st Saturday Morning Scramble at Lakeview. The trio converted birdie putts at holes one, two, four and eight to come in with a score of 31 and beat the teams of Dave Wininger/Wayne Souerdike, and Mark Potts/Bric Parker. Continually outdriven from 25-50 yards by the long knockers on the other two teams, the threesome used the shorter sticks to maximum advantage: Greg Potts nailed the approach shots at one and two while Kevin Byron took care of four and eight; Mike Bird rolled in the putts at two, four and eight. The competition each finished their rounds with scores at an even par 35.

Thursday Match Play League Results Event 2

 Leaders after the second event: Dave Brown and Ray Shaw in team competition; Ray Shaw in individual competition.  Hole prizes: Rex Hudson at #7, Jack Lents at #8, and Wilma Bateman at #9.  Low Scores: Net - Dave Brown and Terry LaMar (32's).  Gross: Mike Bird, Junior Byron, Al Kavanaugh (38's).  Five birds on the day, two by Al Kavanaugh, at holes six and nine; Jim Bateman got one at #4; Ray Shaw at #5; Rex Hudson and Junior Byron at #7.  Mike Bird led in the par category with six with Junior Byron and John Chapman coming in with four on the day.

Tuesday Men's League Results Event 2

Last week's leaders held on to the top after play this past Tuesday:  Doug Denson and Buck Holland in team competition, Buck Holland in individual competition.  Hole prize winners: Doug Denson, Walter Henrichsen, Dave Strange, Brent Courter, Terry Butcher, and Scott Arthur.  Low scores for the event: Brent Courter and Larry Sutton in low net team score with a 68; Walter Henrichsen, subbing for Warren Atkison, had a 35 for low gross; and Brent Courter shot a nifty 29 for the low net score.  Mark Sherer had the only eagle on the day, chipping in at #2.  Twelve birds were made during play with Tim Voegerl, Weston Muessig and Tyler Kidwell each coming in with two.  Four players tied for the most pars at six: Dave Wininger, Mark Jeffers, Trenton Kidwell and Doug Denson.

Additional notes:  Each of the leagues starts their first tournament of the new season with play during the week of May 3rd.  The Team Handicapped Tournament will run for the next four weeks with the teams capturing the most points over the four events claiming the trophies.  Note 2:  The Community League starts play the week of May 30th; teams and individuals are encouraged to sign up in advance by calling the clubhouse (295-5678).  Note 3: Full details and scores of league action can be found at golflakeview.com.  Additional commentary and photos can be found at the course blog, lakeviewgolfcoursenews.blogspot.com.

Bits and Pieces for a Sunday Evening

Jody and Nathan Seals out for a little golf with dad, Mike, Sunday evening.

Walter Henrichsen did the golfing while son Lane went fishing.

Other notes and comments:

-Phil Eyler turned 60 this past Wednesday. He celebrated the start of his seventh decade by eagling #2 on Friday - drove the green, made the putt.

-Ward Smith went to the hospital after play last Tuesday afternoon - tingling in his hands (?). Stayed there for at least a day as his heart was examined. He's back home now, resting. Hope to see him back on his feet, and playing golf, quickly.

-Nathan Seals (pictured above), Mike's eight year old son, joined dad on Saturday and found his very first par in his young career, a sterling three at #9. Congratulations, Nathan. May you have many more, and some eagles and aces as well. Dad, Nathan and sister Jody returned Sunday evening to find more of that golfing magic.

-On the Big Girls Tour (LPGA) Michelle Wie had a brilliant five under for the first nine holes on Sunday but could manage just an even par on the back nine. She finished third behind Ai Miyazato (3rd win of the season) and Stacy Lewis. Note that the short and accurate swing of Miyazato triumphed over the big and long swing of the Wie Lass. Don't think the Lewis girl is very long either.

-Lorena Ochoa had her final tournament with the end of Sunday's play and won't be around to see that she has lost the top spot in the world rankings. Jiyai Shin takes over when the rankings come out tomorrow. Pretty impressive for the Shin lass, this being only her 2nd year on the LPGA after a pretty special couple of years on the KLPGA. Wikipedia article:

Jiyai Shin, also known as Ji-Yai Shin (Hangul: 신지애; born April 28, 1988), is a professional golfer currently playing on the LPGA Tour and the LPGA of Korea Tour (KLPGA). She has broken all existing KLPGA records, winning 10 events in 19 starts on the KLPGA Tour in 2007. In 2008, playing only 10 tournaments on the LPGA Tour as a non-member, she won three events, including the Women's British Open and the ADT Championship.

-An Irish lad, some 20 years young, won down at Quail Hollow with a stupendous final round of 62. Rory McIlroy got himself in a zone and couldn't have missed a shot if he had tried, including a 47 foot putt on the 18th to cap his record setting round.

-Another golfing pup, 18 year old Ryo Ishikawa, shot a 58 over in Japan. Best score ever on a major tour.

-After watching Mark Potts putt some during the scramble Saturday, I tried out his short stick, an Odyssey White Steel 2 Ball SRT. Ordered one from The Golf Warehouse after comparing prices with rockbottomgolf.com. Better shipping rate at the former by a few dollars. The new putter will replace the blade I bought up at a golf show in Indy way back in 1995, which served me well for most of the past fifteen years.

-Tip for a Sunday evening: Gets lots of sleep and wake up on a Monday morning with a zest for the challenges and opportunities of the week ahead.

Short and Accurate Triumphs Over Length in Saturday Scramble

Photo: Mike Bird, Kevin Byron and Greg Potts. Photo by Pam Byron

Mike Bird, Greg Potts and Kevin Byron used accuracy with their approach shots and putting to win the Saturday Morning Scramble at Lakeview. The trio converted birdie putts at holes one, two, four and eight to come in with a score of 31 and beat the teams of Dave Wininger/Wayne Souerdike, and Mark Potts/Bric Parker. Continually outdriven from 25-50 yards by the long knockers on the other two teams, the threesome used the shorter sticks to maximum advantage: Greg Potts nailed the approach shots at one and two while Kevin Byron took care of four and eight; Mike Bird used his new/used putter, an Odyssey half mallet, to make the putts at two, four and eight. The competition each finished their rounds with scores at an even par 35.

Bits and Pieces

Photo: Joe Doyle out to play yesterday for the second time in some fifteen months. Foot troubles.

-Tiger taking the weekend off after looking like a duffer while firing a 79 down at Quail Hollow. Hope he has something constructive to do down home - places to go, people to see. Guess Elin isn't going to be around, nor any one of the supposed 121 young ladies he become friendly with over the last several years.

-Michelle Wie on top of the leaderboard down in Mexico. Hot Dog! Though she bogeyed the last two holes, one of which was a par five and a birdie the day before. Wie Lass - you could have had a four stroke lead going into today's play. Wonder if there's a video of her holing out a sand shot from 70 feet at 16 for a birdie? Not in google yet but here's one of her McDonald commercial.

-Had breakfast, a delicious breakfast btw, at Stolls' Lakeview Restaurant yesterday morning with Diane and our two boys, Marty (down from Noblesvilles) and Eric (over from the golf course) when Diane brought up the golf babes that have been showing up in this blog (and half wondering where the golf hunks were). Marty hadn't seen them and offered that the only golf babe he could think of was Jan Stephenson, a lady golfer from the '70's and 80's. Guess who is our Golf Babe of the Day?

-Golf Babe of the Day: Jan Stephenson.

-Did you note one of the headline articles in the above May 1977 SPORT magazine poster photo of Jan Stephenson? Special Section: Sex in Sports - A Key To Winning. Hmmm. Did anybody in particular come to mind? Someone who all of a sudden finds himself maybe living the life of a celibate, and not winning? Hmmm.

-Scramble at nine this morning and the rain has stopped, at least for a while. Gotta get on over there.

-