TGS Cup Championship

Indian Creek Golf Course (Hood River, OR) and Skamania Golf Course (Stevenson, WA)

Player	Indian Creek gross score	Handicap	Indian Creek net score	Skamania gross score	Handicap	Skamania net score	Total score	TGS Points
Jason Wold	77	7	70	74	7	67	137	36
Tommy Berry	88	12	76	81	12	69	145	30
Jim Rader	92	21	71	97	21	76	147	27
Rich Wold	92	14	78	84	14	70	148	24
Lance Meyerink	104	18	76	93	19	74	150	21
Jeff Albright	85	11	74	88	11	77	151	18
Bob Albright	90	13	77	91	13	78	155	15
Tim Tyvand	105	28	77	109	29	80	157	12
Brendan McMullen	114	26	88	98	26	72	160	9
Dave Charbonneau	103	24	79	128	24	104	183	6
Charlie Broadfoot	93	8	85	111	9	102	187	3

Stevenson, WA -- General Custer versus the indians. Hammer versus nail. Jason Wold versus Tailgate State. There are some match-ups that have occurred throughout history that -- in hindsight -- just weren't competitive. The 2008 Tailgate State Cup finale was one of those events.

In the beautiful Columbia River gorge, 11 players came together to find out who had the nerve, gumption and liver to last through 36 holes of golf on two of the toughest courses in the area. The field showed up to a chilly, blustery day at Indian Creek golf course to begin their quest. Lance Meyerink showed up at the last possible minute to avoid disqualification and the field was set.

Players struggled on the first nine holes at Indian Creek with only Jason Wold and Tim Tyvand breaking par after handicaps were considered. In fact, only three other players (Jim Rader, Jeff Albright and Tommy Berry) were able to break 40. Play improved dramatically on the back nine with Jim Rader's 34 leading the way. Jason Wold shot another 35 to finish with a net 70 and the lead. Tyvand's early heroics were for naught as he limped in with a 42 to finish the first day seven strokes behind his fellow Sprague classmate. Brendan McMullen showed a 14 stroke improvement from front to back nine but his net 88 all but eliminated him from the conversation.

After a reshuffling of the foursomes, the second day parings were set and the players were sent off at Skamania Lodge golf course, across the river in Washington. A long Saturday night at the local Chinese-American restaurant left several players with poor countenances and their scores showed as much. Charlie Broadfoot and Dave Charbonneau each took 56 strokes on the beginning nine holes to prove that they were indeed victims of the "Scorpion", a potent concoction of unknown origin that they were served the previous evening. Broadfoot's demeanor was so poor that he decided to play the entire final nine holes using only his seven-iron. Remarkably, he improved by 10 strokes.

Wold's mauling of the scoreboard continued as he made seven pars and two birdies to get around the front side in 34 shots. His victory was inevitable at this point in the game and his playing competitors could only marvel at his composure and shot-making ability. Berry put up a spirited fight to the end but a closing round of 69 still left him two strokes shy of Wold on the day and eight strokes behind for the tournament.

Despite the misadventures of Broadfoot and Charbonneau, the field played remarkably well with Tyvand's 80 being the next worst round of the day. He also had the misfortune of losing a club and perhaps a pint of blood when he attempted to recover it from the blackberry bushes in which he had thrown it.

Jason Wold's weekend was truly remarkable. He had two eagles (net) and only one double-bogey. He made 22 pars during the 36 holes that were played. Of the four nine-hole rounds that were played: he had the lowest score once, tied for lowest score once and missed out on lowest score by one stroke on both of the other two sides. He was tied for the lead after nine holes, regained it after 14 and never again relinquished his first place position. Even if pre-tournament favorite Bryan Norris had played, he likely wouldn't have stood a chance.

Wold's victory confirmed that he would retain the Tailgate State Cup into 2009. Other players are hopeful that he will become complacent in his practice regimen and his fitness conditioning to allow them a chance to taste glory next season.

Thanks and appreciation go out to all who participated in the Tailgate State Cup and especially to the tournament organizers. Tour Commissioner Tommy Berry deserves an extra round of hugs as his passion and devotion to camaraderie keep the tournaments running smoothly and the fields ever expanding.

Best of luck to all next year and here's hoping that all (other than Jason Wold) have the time and desire to continue improving their games during the offseason.