At Jr. ‘B’ Lincolns golf tournament last Friday at St. Marys G&CC
By Pat Payton
It came down to a chip-off to determine a winner at the annual Jr. ‘B’ Lincolns golf tournament last Friday at St. Marys Golf and Country Club.
The chip-off was from 87 yards out on No. 18, and Brett Graham managed to loft his shot the closest to the pin. It was enough to give Graham, his dad Scott, his uncle Steve, and family friend Matt McCarthy the 2020 title.
The Graham gang competed against the threesome of Rick Fifield, Jamie Hodgins and Larry Torrance. The fourth member of that group was Merlin Malinowski, who had a previous commitment and did not take part in the playoff/chip-off.
Nine-hole event
The Lincs’ golf tourney dates back to 1983, and it was the first time in its history that it was just a nine-hole event. A total of 106 golfers signed up, and four-person teams played either the front nine or the back nine in a Texas Scramble format.
The Graham entry shot a four-under-par 31 to top the front-nine field. They won by retrogression as two other teams also posted scores of 31. The Fifield foursome fired a sizzling eight-under 29 on the back nine to earn a spot in the playoff.
With darkness quickly approaching, Lincolns’ golf convener Dan Murrell picked the par 4 No. 10 hole as the sudden-death playoff hole. However, when both the Graham and Fifield teams parred the hole, it made the chip-off on No. 18 necessary to decide a winner.
During the regulation nine holes, the Graham team used “good driving and putting” to post birdies on the No. 3, 5, 6 and 8 holes. “Everybody contributed,” Steve Graham said.
The Fifield team, meanwhile, collected six birdies and an eagle on No. 15. They also had pars on No. 16 and No. 18.
Finishing second among the back-nine teams, with a seven-under 30, was the foursome of John Bloomfield, Matt Shellington and Don and Steve Kersey, all from the Burford area. The team of Ed and Heather Parkinson and Brian and Peter Hughes came in with a six-under 31.
Individual winners
The following golfers won individual prizes, a gift card donated by various businesses around town.
On the front nine, Matt McCarthy had the longest drive on No. 3, Sam Sedley drained the longest putt on No. 4, Dan Murrell was closest to the pin on No. 5, Tyler Duarte was closest to the pin on No. 7, and Steve Goad was closest to the mini-net on No. 9.
On the back nine, Mike Hitchcock was closest to the mini-net on No. 10, Jamie Hodgins had the longest putt on No. 12, Ben Landers had the longest drive on No. 15, Don Kersey was closest to the pin on No. 16, and Lucas Van Steensel was closest to the pin on No. 18.
The putting contest was won by the Brogden team, and the ‘skins’ were won by the team of Dan Murrell, Jeff Richardson, Dan Schiedel and Steve Chateauvert.
Tourney notes:
–For winning the tournament, the Graham team received shirts, hats and hockey sticks. And of course, they get their names on the coveted Lincolns’ golf trophy.
–There were five eagles recorded on No. 15 last Friday.
–Many former Lincs and current players took part in this year’s tournament.
–Lincolns’ golf convener Dan Murrell did an excellent organizing job again, club president Brandon Boyd pointed out. Boyd was also pleased with this year’s turnout of over 100 golfers.
