The Rinker Rodeo

September 6, 2009

Broadmoor Golf Course (Portland, OR)

Format:  net stroke play with adjustments for match play and team match play

Portland, OR -- The sky was angry on the morning of the 2009 Rinker Rodeo. All week long the weather was nothing less than gorgeous but something ominous was afoot as players cautiously arrived at the silent but deadly Broadmoor Golf Course. The rains poured from the skies like the tears of a Duck fan who viewed the Boise State game. Puddles began to form on the luscious greens of the “Moor” and it looked as if the players were going to need rafts instead of golf carts. Just when all was thought to be lost to the weather gods, the skies parted and the rains subsided. Smiles spread throughout the crowd of golfers, eager to get the party started.

Charlie Broadfoot and Jeff Albright kicked off the Rinker Rodeo. Playing as a twosome, this match would pair two of the TGS Tour's more formidable players. Charles -- just returning from a stint on the European pro-am circuit -- was anxious to get back to playing on the green grasses of the USA. Jeff Albright -- still hurting from his injury playing pick up softball at Delta -- grabbed a golf cart for the first time in ages and their two hour round was underway.

Jeff grabbed an early lead on the second hole by making par but quickly gave it back by posting a double bogey on the very next hole. The next few holes, these two battled back and forth, neither playing to their full potential as bogeys were a regular post. At the turn, Albs was up by one but Charlie was not going to go down easy. C-Dog made bogiey on 10 and took it to even. With a birdie on 14, Jeff felt the mojo and did not look back. Charlie kept it in reach but a bogey on 17 put it out of reach and Jeff won 2 & 1. With what some thought was a strange gesture, Albs proceeds to make an 8 on 18 as if to say, “Almost Charlie… almost.”.

The next tee time pitted TGS Tour regulars Jim Rader and Lance Meyerink in a classic matchup of mental breakdowns. The Rader vs. Rinker battle was riddled with expletives and poorly played golf shots. They swatted at each other like two drunks, wondering who was going to vomit first. Leads passed from one to the next like a joint at a Molly Hatchet concert. Rinker knocked himself out of overall contention early with a 9 on number 7, a 486 yard par 5. Rader waited a little longer but two triple bogeys (10 and 13) would take him out as well. As the smoke cleared and Jim was finished chasing his ball down the hill on 18, Rinker had won the match, 1 up.

Also in this “formidable” foursome were former TGS points leader Larry McKenna (currently 4^th) taking on Steve Teubner, who is quickly becoming a regular on Tour. Winning the first 4 holes, Teubner’s swing and putting prowess were just a little too much to match for the self-proclaimed “angriest man on Tour” . Grinding like Tony Alva skating a sweet pool session, McKenna turns on the gas by making the one and only par all day for this twosome on the 5^th, a 535 yard par 5. By the turn, he is only 1 down. McKenna continues his bashing by taking the next 4 consecutive holes. Steve’s start to the back all but crushed his hopes of anything by going triple, triple, quad, triple. A stumble on 14 where McKenna posts an 11 takes him out the tourney running, but does not keep him from closing out Steve 4 & 1.

The third tee time had Tour vet Tim Tyvand matching up against his newly developed nemesis, Alan Danner. Danner started his run by going 1 up with a par on 2. His bogey on 4 was enough to beat T’s double thus putting Alan up 2. Tim gained a little ground with Danner’s triple on the par 3 8^th, only to give it all back and then some, by taking a slap in the face 9 to finish the front down 3. Danner’s smashing tee ball on 10 reached the water (a couple of times) and goes on to post his tourney ending 10. Tyvand does little better with his triple but it’s enough to fuel the fires as he goes wilding, winning three of the next five holes, the other two being ties. Going into 16, down by 1, Danner stops the bleeding with a par on the 377 par 4 and squares the match. Tyvand slips on 17 like a fat man on an ice rink and makes 8 on the 339 yard, par 4, 17^th giving Alan a 1 up advantage with only 18 to play. Nervous tension fill the air as the two battle down the 18^th where T’s magical bogey 5 is just enough to beat Alan’s 6. All square.

Interesting happenings elsewhere in this foursome with a match up that paired underdog Mark Uyeda against the 2009 Al Fuego Invitational Winner, Brian Dapp. Dapp, who showed moments of brilliance in the 2009 Al Fuego, was not going to have the magic repeat. With Dapp losing the first 5 holes, the bus had left the station as the warring Uyeda went crazy with a 43 on the front and a more consistent 44 on the back to shoot a tourney winning 87 (22 handicap).  Mark U. lost only 1 hole to Dapp, who went on to shoot a disappointing 60 on the back for a 104.

In the 4^th tee time, the hotly contested battle of Dave Charbonneau v. Dann Sonne was fought tooth and nail as the front nine was brought to all square at the turn. With one less triple on his card, Sonne posted a 46 on the front. Little did Dave know that the second triple he would post on 9 to bring him to 48, would not be his last. He manages to go triple, double, triple, triple, double to put an extremely disappointing end to his chance at Rinker Rodeo greatness. Sonne, in a somewhat Albright-esque manner, decides to throw up a 10 on the 18^th only to find out later, that the miscue would cost him the Tournament win.

Golfing along with the Double D’s, Tom Berry versus current TGS Points leader Andy Rader in a highly anticipated matchup. Perhaps no one looking forward to it more than Tommy Berry himself, who was set out to make Andy prove it. After pushing a few, Tommy came out rolling sparked by a birdie on 4 to take a 3 up lead. Andy battled back and with Tommy’s 10 on the 7^th, gained a little pop and cut Berry’s lead to 2 up at the turn. Both shot a lackluster 46. Andy tripled 10 to go 3 down but clawed back winning the next two holes but couldn’t overcome the Berry’s lead. Tommy closed this one out 3 & 2 after shooting a 90. Rader posted a steady eddy 91.

Tim Halle, no stranger to the Rodeo, was up next along with Ken Wittmayer and Rob Moyer. A late WD by Rob’s partner left him without a match, yet he continued to play on in hopes of catching lightning in a bottle as his match would be scored all square and 1.5 points given to each team. Grind as he might, the four consecutive double bogeys that started off the back was going to cause too much damage for the day. Rob would finish with a 93, net 79.

Things started off well for Wittmayer and stayed that way. Parring the first hole and taking an early lead, Ken never looked back. Consistent play put him up by 3 at the turn and left Halle searching for answers. Ken’s quad on 8 killed what would have been a respectable turn score, instead of the 48 that was posted. Halle did not fair much better and a 49 was earned. Tim did get some life on the back with three pars and a birdie, adding up to a 45, but Ken’s unwavering game was not going to be denied. Ken closed the match 4 & 3.

The final group held some very interesting characters. The two low handicappers on the Tour squared up against each other in what was scheduled to be the “Battle for Broadmoor”. Brett Hamel started things off quickly by going one up on two-time TGS Champ Jason Wold on number one by scoring a wonderful birdie. Hamel lost the next hole however to go back to even. Wold took control up until 5 where he struggled on the par 5 to post a double bogey. Hamel, on the other hand, played the hole beautifully and posted a birdie to bring it back again to even. Brett could not keep the mojo as he went bogey, bogey, par, double to finish the front, putting Wold up by three. As they made the turn, the underdog Hamel knew he had to get hot.  However the heat never came. A double bogey 6 for Hamel on 10 that put him 4 down was a devastating blow. Wold did stumble a bit and made a double on 13 which opened a tiny door with Hamel being only 2 down with 5 to play. With renewed life Hamel struck out on the number 14 par 5. His par would be a good score but no match for Wold’s birdie putting Jason up 3 with 4 to play. The short 363 yard par four 15^th would be Hamel's last chance. His bogey did not hold up and Wold closed this one out 4 & 3.

The other twosome to join this posse was Ian Lamont vs. Bob Albright. Bob -- after returning from hand surgery last season -- was ready to go, however Ian’s game was ready as well. Albright dug a giant hole right away as he went 6 over after the first 4 holes (a  triple on 4 didn’t help) giving Lamont a 4 up lead. A 42 on the front for Lamont would have him up by 5 on Mr. Albright. Bob, who grinded to a 46 on the front, opened up the back with a win on 10 and 11 but that was the last noise he would make. Lamont would win this match 4 & 3.

We all gathered in the Divot Room for fried food and beverages and to hand out the wonderful prizes provided courtesy of BlackJack Graphics, Inc., the title sponsor of the Rinker Rodeo. Tommy Berry swept the prizes with two KPs. There were a couple of LDs but since your tourney host didn’t win, I didn’t remember who won them and don’t care.

The after hours party commenced sans a few players but the energy was high and the booze flowed like water. Many drove to the bar, but no one was able to drive home. Illness and hangovers were the popular feelings the next day. All and all, a great success!