Rader Round-up

Player	Best ball	Worst ball	Net ball	Total	Points
Jeff Albright	-6	+5	-3	67	29
Brett Hamel	-2	+2	-2	69	20
Tommy Berry	-2	+2	E	71	18.5
Don Rader	-2	+3	-1	71	18.5
Tim Tyvand	-6	+4	+3	72	17
Lance Meyerink	-2	+1	+4	74	16
Tom Rader	-2	+3	+3	75	15
Ian Lamont	-2	+6	+1	76	14
Trent Paasch	-1	+5	+2	77	12.5
Larry McKenna	-2	+6	+2	77	12.5
Jim Rader	-1	+6	+2	78	11
Keith Eayrs	+1	+4	+4	80	9.5
Todd Towers	-1	+5	+5	80	9.5
Jordan Blair	+4	+4	+5	84	8
Sean Edwards	+4	+4	+6	85	6.5
Steve Tuebner	+1	+5	+8	85	6.5
Kevin Nufer	-2	+6	+12	87	5
Jeff Grant	+3	+11	+5	90	4
Joe Burkley	+3	+10	+7	91	2.5
Andy Rader	-1	+6	+15	91	2.5
Bryan Grant	+3	+10	+9	93	1

North Plains, OR -- If only one word could describe the 2009 season of the Tailgate State Cup thus far it would be "pleasant surprises". As the tournament was being played on a holiday weekend, several tour regulars were not in the field for the Rader Round-Up. However, because of the course it was played at or perhaps due to the hospitality of the tournament's host, this year's iteration of the tournament was a rousing success.

Despite pre-planned weddings, birthday parties and vacations, 21 players turned up at Pumpkin Ridge's Ghost Creek golf course to compete for the cash, prizes and pride that were at stake. A pre-tournament meeting on the practice range was held and the players were informed that the event would be comprised of three separate six-hole segments that -- once summed -- would be each player's score.

The first six holes were a two-man best ball event that was very familiar to players on the Tailgate State tour. Jeff Albright and Tim Tyvand got off to a hot start with an eagle on the first hole (courtesy of Albright's birdie) as did the team of Jim and Andy Rader (Jim also made a birdie on the first). Lance Meyerink and Larry McKenna had possibly the most peculiar start to their round with eagles on both of the par-three holes that they played as McKenna made par on each while receiving two strokes. Bogeys on three other holes, though, had them completing the best ball portion of their round at a mere two strokes below par. Two more birdies each by Albright and Tyvand got them to six shots under par when the first portion was complete, four strokes clear of the rest of the field.

The second portion of the day was a "worst ball" competition. Each player chose another competitor in their foursome and used the higher of the two scores recorded on the hole. With Ghost Creek's tall grass and heavy woodlands framing several holes, there were sure to be some embarrassing numbers.

Surprisingly, more than half the field recorded a par on the 16th hole (play began on the 10th hole on this day) and five players had birdies on their card for the par 4 second hole. The only real disaster occurred in the Albright/Tyvand/Lamont/Nufer foursome with all players having to use Albright's triple-bogey on the relatively benign, 301 yard 17th hole.

After twelve holes were complete, Tyvand stood at two strokes below par with Albright, Meyerink, Berry and Hamel as the only other players at even par or better. The final six holes (numbers 4 through 9) proved the most costly for a number of players. Andy Rader best epitomized the field's travails by limping home to scores of 11 and 14 on the final two holes.

Due to the unusual scoring format, no one was sure of how they stood in relation to the rest of the field. Over a nicely catered affair of chicken wings and quesadillas, scores were tallied and the best ball help provided by Tyvand in the first portion of the round enabled Albright to achieve his second Tailgate State Tour victory in 2009.

The first third of the race for the Tailgate State Cup is complete and the leader board demonstrates what a wacky season it has been thus far. Tour legends such as Charlie Broadfoot and two-time defending champion Jason Wold are surprisingly absent from the top while names you might not expect (Larry McKenna, Brett Hamel, et alia) are right in the mix. Expect many irregularities to sort themselves out after the inaugural edition of Dick Point's Red Hot Golf Tournament brings standard "stroke play" golf back into use.