Thursday Wrap

Picture: The Boys - Scott McAtee, Stephen Bradley, Matt Tucker - during their lets-close-the-course round this evening.

Items of Note

-Ochoa in lead at Ladies British Open; Wie six back with an even par round. Go ladies...
-Tiger one back at Firestone.
-Cubs lose. Oh darn...

That's enough for this day. It's been a hot one both long and full.

Dave Strange's Ace and Other Stories

Dave Strange's Ace

Great moment for senior Dave Strange as he stood on #7 tee box and watched his yellow (green to some) ball bounce in front of the green and then onto the green and then roll rather slowly across the green and into the cup. Playing partner Diane Bird hollered out as the ball finally disappeared, "Hole in One!" and exchanged high fives with the broadly smiling new ace here at Lakeview. Plenty of witnesses as Wilma Bateman and Clyde Wake were also there at #7; and watching the goings-on at #8 tee box were Bob Norris, Sam Potts, Chuck White and Mike Bird. This all happened just after league play started here this morning and continues the hole-in-one madness here this year. That makes nine since Terry Padgett's opening ace on Tuesday, April 17th. And we're still counting.

Other League Notes

-Kenny Hudson and Carroll Rayhill blasted their opponents, Dick Barber and John Chapman, and in the process got enough points to tie Potts and Norris at the top of the team standings.
-Don Lannan and Virgil Harper smacked the Byron team and remained well within striking distance of the two teams at the top.
-22 of the 34 golfers today finished with net rounds of 35 or under. Impressive.
-Charlie Sheetz just about has a lock on the individual championship.
-Chuck White from south of Washington subbed for the first time today. Ran into a bunch of people who he knows from school, work and play.
-Missed Walt Bowens and Dave Trinkle as did their opponents, Dale DeLong and Vic Wallace who had to play the course in their stead.

Saturday Manager's Scramble

With SAIC having nine teams of four and starting at seven this Saturday morning, am going to limit the Manager's scramble to twelve players. If you want to play this Saturday, sign up early or take your chances that a spot will be open on Saturday morning. The scramble teams will mix in as best they can with the SAIC scramblers.

Senior Pictures

Dave Strange shortly after his ace on #7 this morning.


Bob Norris, Chuck White and Sam Potts after finish of play this morning.

Sheetz, Norris and Potts Remain on Top

Results from this morning's Senior League play are posted. Super day for Dave Strange with a nifty hole-in-one on #7, his second hole of the day. Wayne Pearl also had a pretty special day, firing a gross 38. And look at Al Kavanaugh, firing a 37 and collecting two hole prizes; he and Dave Strange jumped Jack Butcher in the fight for second place. The leaders, Charlie Sheetz, and Bob Norris and Sam Potts, shot well enough to stay on top of the individual and team standings. Bob and Sam, playing against Mike Bird (me) and Chuck (the Rifleman) White, needing the last hole to win the match and the low net score, managed a couple of sixes which was good enough to beat the two pars thrown at them by their opponents and to win both the match and the net score by a very thin single stroke. The highlights:

	LAKEVIEW GOLF COURSE Fifty Plus League August 2, 2007 Event 15
		Leaders
		Team:	NORRIS/POTTS			132.5
		Individual:	SHEETZ, CHARLES			655
		Hole Prizes:
		#3:	Al Kavanaugh
		#7:	Al Kavanaugh
		#8:	Dave Brown
		#9:	Charlie Sheetz
		Hole-in-One	Dave Strange at #7!
		Low Net Individuals:
		Low Net Team:	Wayne Pearl/Ray Shaw (29's)
		Low Gross Scores:	Al Kavanaugh/Mike Bird (37's)
		Average Gross Score	45.00		prior		44.74	46.75	46.49
		Average Net Score	34.53		weeks		33.74	35.17	34.71

Seniors Time to Shine Again

On Senior Play Today

It's bound to be a hot Thursday on and off the course. Charlie Sheetz claims he's ready to get to it again and to remain on top after today's play. Be hard for any contender to catch him so the race for second takes on an added measure of interest. Jack Butcher sits there at the moment but about ten very antsy golfers have their eyes on his back. Al Kavanaugh looks to be about ready to make a move, as does Jack Lents and Don Lannan. No tigers around but plenty of stalking in the neighborhood.

In team play, Bob Norris and Sam Potts lead the pack and go up against the last place team of Mike Bird and the occasional sub - as of right now, do have a sub coming in to help me with the current challenge of containing Bob and Sam. That should help the likes of Kenny and Carroll and Don and Virgil, each of whom have a very good shot at ending the day in first place.

The course is playing easy with the hard and dry fairways so expect pretty good scores today. No pressure; just come out and play smart.

The USS Washtenaw County

That's the ship I was on when in the US Navy. Homeported in Japan, we steamed around the Far East. Diane pined away about half the time up in Yokosuka.

SAIC is scrambling at 7am this Saturday. Nine teams of four so there will be limited room for the Manager's Scramble. Somehow we'll manage to squeeze in among them...

Wednesday's This and That

On Golf and Other Sports

-St. Andrews opens doors to women, canines still banned (I assume). From Annika Sorestam: "I remember when I played as an amateur," she said of her visit at age 19, "there was a sign that said, 'No dogs or women allowed.'" Baby, you've come a long way. (Hmmm, that phrase isn't heard anymore, probably because of the 'baby' moniker. How about: Lady, you've come a long way...)

-no to both Bonds and Glavine in their pursuit of magical numbers last night...

More Tuesday Men Golf Stories

-last night as I was walking about while Tuesday Men were finishing up their rounds, I noticed Tyler Kidwell searching in the ditch to the right and behind number 8 green and that would be for his drive. Hmmm, mighty long poke there, Tyler. I see that he ended up taking a double bogey on that hole but recovered nicely with a birdie and a hole prize on number 9.

-number 5 pin placement, just above the rise and way over on the right, didn't stop five of the Tuesday Men from getting birdies. Most dramatic (that I'm aware of) was Kevin Byron's shot from underneath the pines that hit the flagstick dead center and dropped into the hole.

-I was on number 5 tee box when Mitch Jeffers and four others teed off. Three of the five used irons, one of which utterly failed in its intended use, to get safely closer to the hole, instead squishing off to the right and out of bounds. The two who used drivers were labeled 'real men' by one of the five, but one of them also saw his ball disappear to the right. As the group was leaving the tee box, Mitch, one of the iron users, told me that he was exactly where he wanted to be and that his next shot, from about 80 yards, would leave him his birdie putt. And of course you know that he did just that, sticking his pitch just three feet from the pin. Just another ho hum, routine, do-it-all-the-time kind of play at #5... (The five had just come away from #4 where three birdies and two pars were registered. These guys are good, at least every now and then...)

Looks like another great day for golf, sunny and hot with a little breeze coming off the lake. Better grab your sticks and head on out there. We should be about ready for another hole-in-one, shouldn't we? Is it your turn?