Clackamas Classic

May 15, 2010

Stone Creek Golf Course (Oregon City, OR)

Format:  two-man best ball

Oregon City, OR—Blue skies and 75 degree weather greeted the largest field ever assembled for the Clackamas Classic.  The change in venue to a course actually in Clackamas County suited the field well and the scores showed it.  Look for the Tour to re-up Stone Creek’s contract in 2011.  On to the scores…

The first group included tour veteran Tommy Berry, tour hired gun Thatch Moyle and two newcomers: Fred and James Baker.  Thatch had medaled in every tournament previously played and his partner was well aware of this when he signed him to an exclusive contract in January.  Thatch lived up to his billing by shooting an 87 and helping team Pine Meadow post an unbelievable 14 under par.  It was a long, drunk wait to see if their score would hold up, and it did as no one could match their impressive socks or effort.  Fred and James had plenty of strokes to play with but this high handicap duo failed to complement each other’s weaknesses and struggled to a +1 finish.

Three long time Beaver backers and the leading rookie of the year candidate comprised the second group.  Charlie Broadfoot and Jeff Albright each posted a solid 79 but the best ball format did not do this team any favors, as they were only able to shave 8 strokes off par and finish in the middle of the pack.  Matt Bonniksen blew up his course adjusted 21 handicap (shooting an 88) but was left wondering what might have been as Bryan Norris failed to get anything going on his own card.  The team finished at -8 and after the round, Bonniksen was seen fielding several offers for the next best ball event.

The third group was all about good times and low scores.  Jason Wold and Andy Clark lit up the front nine -- thanks to Jason’s 34 -- and made the turn at an eye-popping 9 under par.  Word of their incredible score spread like gonorrhea at an Adult Friend Finders party and everyone in the field figured they were playing for second place.  However, the Bud Lights and a lost ball caught up to the dynamic duo on the back nine and they finished at 13 under, good enough for second place.  Jake Panowicz and Dave Charbonneau were caught up in a discussion about greatest 80’s hair bands and didn’t realize they were in contention for a podium spot.  Jake played his most inspired golf in some time and fired a 79 while Dave was just glad to be out of the house.  They finished at 10 under and rocked out to L.A. Guns on their way to the after party.

The fourth group included tournament host Tim Tyvand, Tyvand Sr., Steve Teubner and late fill-in/bankruptcy attorney Chris Kane.  Steve and Chris were kind enough to accept the strokes allotted for Steve and his former partner but the move proved costly as the team struggled to a +4 finish.  Chris was upbeat after his last place finish as his introduction to the group provided several leads on new clients.  The host finally made a run at his own tournament by playing his best golf in years.  The host’s 95 coupled with the steady play of Tyvand Sr. was good enough for a 3^rd place tie at 12 under.  Old habits die hard as Tyvand Sr. was heard lecturing his son after the round about the back to back 3 putts on holes 1 and 2.

Rich Wold, Seth Harris, Bob Albright and Tim Albright made up the next group of Classic competitors.  Rich and Seth were cruising along at 8 under when back to back bogies on 13 and 14 took the air out of their golf cart tires and ended any hopes of a podium finish.  Tim Albright returned to his 2007 Broadfoot Open Champion form and fired a 95.  Unfortunately, he got little help from his partner and the team finished with several other could-have-beens at 8 under par.

If the Classic gave out awards for slow play, the next foursome would have taken home all the hardware.  Steve Beal and Lance Meyerink thought it was a good idea to combine their high handicaps and take a run at the Circle of Honor but neither played well and they limped in at 3 under par.  Larry McKenna and 2009 Tour Champion Brett Hamel made a serious run at the title by finishing birdie/birdie but ran out of holes and had to settle for a third place tie at 12 under.

The most athletic foursome rounded out the field.  Jake Miller and Dann Sonne failed to break par on the front nine and by the time Jake got things going on the back, it was too little too late.  They finished at -5 and Jake was left wondering if Dann was really a +24.  Ian Lamont and Tal Wold had an unremarkable front nine, regrouped at halftime, then showed their competitive fire by shooting 5 under on the more difficult back nine.  They finished the round at -7 and vowed to train harder for the next event.

The Tyvands hosted a BBQ after the tournament and by the looks of their overflowing recycling container, a good time was had by all.  The late night shenanigans lasted until 2:00 a.m. when Karen mercifully drove Charlo home so the host could get 3 hours of sleep before his daughter awoke.  A special shout out to Mike Beauchamp who replaced Jason Wold on the couch and distinguished himself as the first overnight guest at the Classic. 

Congratulations to Tommy Berry and Thatch Moyle for earning a spot in the Circle of Honor, and thanks to all for making the 2010 Clackamas Classic a wonderful event.