The Rinker Rodeo

August 7, 2010

Broadmoor Golf Course (Portland, OR)

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

RINKER RODEO RECORDS RECORD TURN OUT!

Many athletes were anxiously awaiting the arrival of the tourney host, who was hastily still putting the final touches on what was to be a glorious event at the ever beautiful Broadmoor Golf Course. After getting ROCKED on Friday from rock and roll legends "Jack Ramsey", some of the participants were a little slower than others, yet the price paid was well worth it! While exchanging pleasantries and money, everyone checked in was ready to begin the “War at the Moor”.

First on the tee was a foursome containing two newcomers to the TGS Tour. David Martinez and Ian Gordon came to the Tour via Horizon Air Qualifying School. Joining these two were Tour regulars Andy Clark and Bob Albright. Bob and Andy faced off against one another as Ian and Dave squared off as well. Things were heating up rapidly as holes were traded back and forth like a Wimbledon match. Although they were not on pace to compete for a top finish, Dave and Ian battled like gladiators down to the wire. David got hot and won holes 11 through 14 but Ian did not go down without a fight to battle back and win 15 and 16 but by that time the damage was done. Despite making a quadruple bogey on 18, David won the match 2 & 1.

Clark and Bob began slugging it out early and never let up. Even when Andy posted a triple, double, double on 5 through 7, he never gave up. Bob kept the pressure on through the back, going 5 up through 13. Clark, looking deep into his jersey and finding the heart that makes a champion, came storming back like a woman scorned and flat out took it to Bob going birdie, par, par, birdie. With only the last hole to play and down one, Clark tried to run the table but couldn’t close the door as both would make bogey and Bob would take it 1 up. Clark's card looked like Rinker’s bar tab with a few too many doubles and a couple of triples on it which led to a roller coaster 90.  Bob’s play, in usual fashion, was bogey consistent but two untimely doubles would leave him with too much left on his plate. His net 70 would be only get him to a 6th place finish.

Next up was the fantastic foursome of Beal v. Teubner and Charbonneau v. Tal Wold. Many feared that this group, with an averaged handicap of 27.5 might be like a drunk frat guy at the bar... really lame and no idea when  it’s time to go home. Tal Wold would be the first to silence the critics as he posts a par on the first hole while Charbs worries the crowd with his triple. Beal adds to the debacle with his quad to start the round while Teubner scoots it in with a bogey. Even as he struggled on the front with a quad, two triples and a boat load of doubles to go out with a 56, he was handling the Teubner onslaught which contained a few crazy 8’s... and even a pair of “niners”. They were even through the turn but ol' Beal remembered his lesson notes from last week and after posting an all too familiar quad on 11, he put Teubner in the rear view mirror and went 6 over on the last 8 holes to come in with a 46, beating Teubner 5 & 3.

Despite his “awesome” triple on the first hole, Charbonneau came rushing back with a par on the next hole while Tal would come back to reality by making triple. These two would not get real hot to be in contention but battle they would. Charbs showed great resilience by not collapsing after making a triple and quad on the front and then starting the back with another “awesome” quad. Tal put some pressure on but he played like he was hitting on the ladies... nothing really happened and Charbs won the match 2 & 1.

Jake Panowicz, Tommy Berry, Rob Moyer and Rich Wold would be the next to hit the links. All were equally matched as all would finish the front with either a 42 or 43. The group threw in some doubles to make the matches interesting but in the end Tommy would not challenge Jake as Berry lost all but 3 holes on the back and ended up losing 4 & 3. Rich gave it a go battled like a tour vet but a 9’er on 15 would take him out of his match and his chances at finish in the top of the field. Rob, on the other hand, made use of his win and with his consistent play to get his score to a respectable 69.

Jason McMillan, a new-comer to the Tour, faced a formidable foe in Andy Rader. Try as he might, Jason was no match for the ever sand-bagging A. Rader. While Jason posted a few too many 8’s on the front, Andy went on to go out with a 39, all but crushing the dreams of McMillan. McMillan posted a better 44 on the back and tried to make a match of it but the damage was done. A. Rader would not fair as well on the back but his “high” handicap brought an average round into second place.

Alan Danner v. Dann Sonne was another high handicapper match up that had great potential depending on who showed up to play. Turns out Sonne was more worried about Heavy Metal Rock and Roll than golf as he would record two backbreaking 11’s on the front. Danner, on the other hand, played like he knew what he was doing and fired a 44 on the front, parring the last 4 holes. Danner did stumble out the gate on the back making a triple bogey but came right back with a natural birdie on 11. His many pars, minimizing mistakes and crushing of Sonne (4 & 3) brought Danner to a score of 64 and was our 2010 Rinker Rodeo Champion.

The Rinker Rodeo was happy to see golf veteran Todd Towers back on the links after a long layoff. He was aptly matched against ever Tour favorite, Matt “Two Gloves” Bonniksen. Both players struggled to find their game and neither truly did. With Bonniksen lathered up like a prize fighter, he scrapped and clawed his way to win 1 up over Towers. Neither had a chance at real prize money as an 88 for Todd and a match-winning 79 would not be enough to make anything special happen.

Broadfoot came out in his match against Bryan Norris like a man possessed. Broadfoot, who is notoriously hung over and sometimes utterly discombobulated on Tour, was surprisingly focused. He came out and fired the low gross round of the day, beating a frustrated Charles P. Wagon 2 & 1. Norris just couldn’t get anything going and went on to shoot a lackluster 78. Look for him to come out firing at the Al Fuego.

Rinker had his hands full with an ever troublesome Jim Rader. They battled like the mighty giants they are while trading verbal barbs back and forth. Neither giving in as they were not only playing for their respective teams, but overall bragging rights. The front had the two only one shot apart with Rinker posted a quad bogey induced 47 and Rader a cool 46. Rinker had built a large lead at his home course but J. Rader would answer back. With the match all squared with three holes to play, Meyerink showed his lack of mental focus and fortitude and completely collapsed.  Not only did his posted 9 get into his head, but the fact that Rader was winning did not bode well for the fragile minded polar bear from Salem. Rader went on to close him out and cruise to victory winning 1 up on the last hole. Further adding insult to injury, Jim, who was completely oblivious to his outcome, would shoot a very respectable match-winning assisted 67 and putting him just behind his brother in a 3rd place finish. Meyerink, with a backside 53, quietly limped into the clubhouse to cry in his 7 & 7, with yet another poor showing on Tour.

Brett Hamel and Jason Wold would duke it out in the low handicapper match albeit not much of a fight broke out. Hamel could not get out of his own way and pissed away the first 4 holes leaving Wold in the drivers seat. With Wold posting a heartbreaking 9’er on 10, Hamel tried to knock the strong kid from Battle Creek Country Club off his game but it wasn’t in the cards. Wold would go on to win 3 & 2 however the match win was not enough to put Wold in the money on this day.

The last group paired Ken Wyatt against Tour veteran Jeff Albright. Wyatt, a bit of an unknown, took on Albright full force and on this day was victorious. Albright never had anything going and bogey golf all over his card. Wyatt, while not shooting his best either, did have enough in his bag to edge out Albright 4 & 2. Wyatt’s match win would vault him into a top ten finish.

The 2009 Rinker Rodeo Champion, Mark Uyeda, came out focused and fueled. Taking on Scott Matulich, he battled through the front in a tight match only to turn on the jets on the back and methodically crush his opponent 5& 3. His early close out win was just not enough to repeat as Champ as Mark finished with a 74 and Scott with a disappointing 86.

Adjourning to the club house, we all exchanged stories and “what could have been” moments. After the final calculations were done, the Orange and Black teams tied (7 to 7) in their matches, thus negating additional -3 from scores. KPs and LDs were handed out to those who hit non-errant shots. I did not win so I don’t recall any of them except for Brett Hamel’s long drive that he topped horribly only to have it roll 250 yards into the middle of the fairway. Such is golf ...