SOUTH ALABAMA MEN’S GOLF TIED IN 15th AT RIO PINAR

ORLANDO, Fla. – The University of South Alabama men’s golf team finished day one and 36-holes of the Rio Pinar Invitational tied for 15th place after shooting a 14-over par 590, Monday. Central Florida fired a blazing 15-under par 561 to lead the team portion of the tournament, while Golden Knights golfer Greg Forest is the individual leader at eight-under par 134.

During first round action, senior Jonny Caldwell lit up Rio Pinar Country Club with a three-under par 69. Unfortunately for the Jaguars, the rest of the team could not keep up with Caldwell’s pace. Junior Daniel Burns, sophomore Marc-Etienne Bussieres and freshman Jack Hiluta all carded four-over par 76. Junior Greg Gowen turned in a five-over par 77.

In the second round, Caldwell again turned in a three-under par 69, while Bussieres shot one-over par 73. Daniel Burns carded 74, Gowen shot 77 and Jack Hiluta turned in 81.

“Obviously as a team are very disappointed with the way we played today,” head coach Ben Hannan said. “Tomorrow we have to come out and play some good golf and sneak up on some people.”

Behind Forest in second is teammate Mike Stern (136) and Ian Rochester of Memphis (137). Caldwell is in fourth place with 138, while Paul Apyan (139) from USM is in fifth.

Wichita State (567) is six strokes behind UCF (561) in second place and Ole Miss (570) is nine-strokes back in third. Louisville (573) and Iowa State (574) are in fourth and fifth place, respectively.

The final round of the Rio Pinar Invitational continues with an 8 a.m. double-tee start, Tuesday. Tournament results can be accessed at usajaguars.com.


T-15 South Alabama 297 – 293 – 590
4 Jonny Caldwell 69 – 69 – 138
T-63 Marc-Etienne Bussieres 76 – 73 – 149
T-66 Daniel Burns 76 – 74 – 150
T-80 Greg Gowen 77 – 77 – 154
T-89 Jack Hiluta 76 – 81 – 157

Gamecocks golf gets going Monday

For the first time in more than a decade, New Brockton High School has a golf team, and its season starts Monday.

The Gamecocks will travel to the Andalusia Country Club to take on county rival Elba and Andalusia and Charles Henderson.

For Gamecocks head golf coach Brad Smith, the goals for this inaugural season are simple.

"If I can get them on the bus and off the bus, I’ll be doing fine," he said. "I just want to introduce these kids to competitive golf."

And introduce is probably the proper word for half of the golfers on the team.

Only three of the six players have previous tournament experience.

The most experienced is Smith’s son Steven, who competed on the Robert Trent Jones Junior Golf circuit this year. Smith finished second in the 14- and 15-year-old division.

Steven is a freshman.

Junior Michael Redd competed with Enterprise’s team last year, but has since transferred into New Brockton.

Sophomore John Donaldson is the other golfer with experience. Donaldson competed on the junior high level in California.

Brad Smith realizes for the others, golf will be a bit different from what they are used to.

"On the weekend, if you hit it in the bunker, you just pick it up and throw it out, and you don’t count the stroke.This is by the book," he said.

Smith took his team to a recent rules seminar at Highland Oaks Golf Course in Dothan.

The U.S. Golf Association sponsored the seminar.

Despite the players having to pay more attention to the rules, Smith said another objective is to keep the game fun.

The coach said there is no pressure to win a state title or even play for collegiate scholarships this year.

Smith added some players, with additional help, could possibly get a scholarship by the time they graduate.

"(Sophomore) Sawyer (Whittaker) is hitting the ball better than I expected. If he continues to get better, he could have a shot at a small-time college scholarship," Smith said.

In his first year coaching golf, Smith said his coaching philosophy revolves around the short game.

"Most of the strokes are lost on and around the green. If you can chip and putt, you’ll be OK," he said.

Smith said that is why the team will be on the putting surface three of the four days the team practices each week.

The coach said he is proud to have a golf program this year at New Brockton.

"I’m looking forward to it. We’ll keep it alive as long as there is interest in it. I’m hoping it’ll catch on," he said.

Eight people tried out, with six making the team: seniors Colton Bastion and Josh Roberts, Steven Smith, Donaldson, Redd and Whittaker.

Smith knows without parents’ help, the team could not exist.

"Golf is a very expensive sport. I want the team to be self-sufficient, so I charged a $100 fee to come out," he said "Parents are responsible for equipment, shoes and the fee. (They) and the kids made this happen. My hat’s off to them."

New Brockton’s first match is set for a 12:30 p.m. start.

NBHS golf tourney set for April 3

The New Brockton Alumni Association Olen D. Roberson Foundation is sponsoring its fifth annual sgolf tournament Thursday, April 5, at Tartan Pines Golf Club in Enterprise. Registration begins at noon with the tournament starting at 1 p.m. The format is a two-person scramble.

Entry fee is $65 per person (team of two) and includes green fee, cart fee and dinner following prize awards.

Make checks payable to: New Brockton Alumni Association, Inc. For more information, call Sandy Griffin at 894-6570, Esta Underwood at 393-0949, Cheri Clark at 477-3389 or Jerry Goodson at 347-5961. Each golfer receives a bag full of goodies and super door prizes.

Hallman elected president of state PGA

Chet Hallman, head golf professional at Gunter’s Landing in Guntersville, was recently elected president of the Alabama Chapter of the Dixie Section PGA. He had just completed a two-year term as vice president and had also served as secretary for two years.

The PGA of America is comprised of 41 sections. The Dixie Section includes Alabama and the Florida panhandle, and its headquarters in Pelham at Balantrae Golf Club.

Hallman has been the head golf professional at Gunter’s Landing for seven years. Previously, he was the director of golf at Cherokee Ridge in Union Grove and the general manager/head pro at Woodland Forrest in Tuscaloosa. He is a graduate of the University of Alabama and a member of the Guntersville Rotary Club.

Hallman lives in Arab with his wife, Susan, and children, Lindsey and Tanner.

Two Tide Golfers Named to Ben Hogan Award Watch List

TUSCALOOSA – One made a trip into the 2007 U.S. Open field and the other was a 2007 U.S. Amateur finalist. And for their success on the golf course, two University of Alabama golfers have been placed on the Watch List for the Ben Hogan Award.

Crimson Tide seniors Mark Harrell of Hazlehurst, Ga. and Michael Thompson of Tucson, Arizona are among the 24 players named Wednesday to the list. The Ben Hogan Award is considered the most prestigious collegiate golf award, presented annually to the top men’s NCAA Division I, II or III, NAIA or junior college golfer. It takes into account all collegiate and amateur competitions during the past 12 months.

Alabama golfer Marten Olander won the Hogan Award in 1993, his senior season with the Crimson Tide. The 1993 All-American graduated from Alabama at the end of that season, putting together a perfect 4.0 GPA in business his senior year, and went on to play professionally in the European PGA. Olander won the 2001 European PGA Hardelot Challenge de France.

Returning PING First-Team All-America selections Billy Horschel of Florida, Southern California’s Jamie Lovemark and Kyle Stanley of Clemson, British Amateur champion Drew Weaver of Virginia Tech and Walker Cup participants Rickie Fowler of Oklahoma State and Wake Forest’s Webb Simpson highlight the list. Others on the 24 player watch list include Florida State’s Jonas Blixt, Ryan Brehm of Michigan State, UCLA’s Kevin Chappell and Lucas Lee, Jonas Enander Hedin and Stefan Wiedergruen of Charlotte, Georgia’s Harris English and Brian Harman, Derek Fathauer of Louisville, Stanford’s Rob Grube, Chesson Hadley and Cameron Tringale of Georgia Tech, UNLV’s Seung-su Han, Minnesota’s Clayton Rask, Joel Sjoholm of Georgia State and Sonoma State’s Jarin Todd.

Harrell competed as an amateur in the 2007 U.S. Open and missed the cut in the PGA event by just one stroke, exiting in the same scoring group that sent Phil Mickelson home. Thompson, a 2007 Ping All-American, made it to the finals of the 2007 U.S. Amateur. He is a three-time U.S. Amateur participant. Harrell has competed in the U.S. Amateur the past three straight years, 2005, 2006 and 2007.

The Hogan Award semifinalists will be announced on April 16. Three finalists will be named on May 7 and will gather at Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth, Texas for the May 18 ceremony announcing the winner.

Lady Trojans Struggle In Opener

LAKE CHARLES, La. - The Troy University women’s golf team struggled without one of its top players in the teams’ opening tournament of the spring season.

Playing without sophomore Desirae Zine, who was suffering from a stomach ailment, the Trojans placed 13th in the 16-team field of the Koasati Pines Collegiate Classic at the Koasati Pines Resort near Lake Charles. The annual event is hosted by McNeese State.

The Trojans finished with a three-round score of 991, 127 strokes over par on the 6,203-yard, par-72 layout.

Sun Belt Conference foes Florida International and South Alabama battled to the final hole for the team crown, with the Golden Panthers edging the Jaguars by one stroke at the end. FIU shot a 56-over-par 920 with USA one stroke back at 921.

Two other Sun Belt Conference teams, ULM and Arkansas State, also competed in the event. The Warhawks finished ninth with a score of 962 and ASU placed 12th with a score of 974.

“Our team played the entire tournament as if they were in quicksand,” Trojans coach Matt Terry said. “They played well in the practice round, and tried hard, but the harder they struggled, the worse it got for them.”

FIU’s Cristina Marin was the individual medalist for the tournament with a total score of 222, good for six-over-par. Her closing round 70 not only sealed her one-shot victory over three other players, it also set a tournament record for low round.

Troy teammates Kaley Branton and Danielle Skipper tied for team honors. Both players shot 247 for the tournament, finishing in a tie for 53rd. Annelies Anderson was one shot back of her teammates and Liz Balkcom was another stroke behind. Sarah Weldon finished with a score of 291.

“You could see them struggling on the course during the tournament,” Terry said. “They have to get over the hump during the next three weeks, before playing in the next event. We have a lot to work on.”

The Trojans will return to action March 2-4 at the USA Lady Jaguar Invitational in Mobile.

SOUTH ALABAMA'S MEN’S GOLF FINISHES IN FIFTH AT GATOR INVITATIONAL

GAINSVILLE, Fla. – The University of South Alabama men’s golf team finished in fifth place after turning in 851 at the star-studded Sun Trust Gator Invitational, Sunday. The Jaguars (72nd) finished in front of five top-50 teams, including ninth ranked Duke, and near the top with four other top-30 teams.

“Obviously, I am proud of the guys, as the greens were difficult today, but they really closed well,” head coach Ben Hannan said. “The depth of this field shows that we can play with anyone and lets us know that we can play nationally.”

Sophomore Marc-Ettienne Bussieres lead the Jagaurs on the final 18-holes with a scorching three-under par 67. Freshman Jack Hiluta continued his strong play with an even-par 70 as he finished overall with a 209, one-under par. Juniors Daniel Burns and Dan Swomley shot 73 and 78, while senior Jonny Caldwell carded 76.

Florida, ranked 18th in the country, dominated the field with a 20-under par 820 on the way to the team title. The Gators finished 12 strokes ahead of no.15 Florida State (832) and 22 strokes in front of Mississippi State (842). UAB (844) finished in fourth place, while the Jags (851) rounded out the top-five.

“We should have a lot of confidence heading to Orlando so we need to continue to work hard and get better for each tournament this spring,” Hannan added.

South Alabama returns to the course in Orlando, Fla. at the Rio Pinar Invitational, Feb. 24-25.

5 South Alabama 283 – 282 – 286 – 851
T-6 Marc-Ettienne Bussieres 68 – 72 – 67 – 207
T-12 Jack Hiluta 72 – 67 – 70 – 209
T-23 Jonny Caldwell 68 – 69 – 76 - 213
T-57 Daniel Burns 75 – 74 – 73 – 222
70 Dan Swomley 78 – 75 – 78 – 231

Tigers Return To Action February 20-22 In Wahiawa, Hawaii

The 2007-08 Auburn men's golf team, with six returning lettermen, is off to its best start in 14 seasons with three consecutive top-five finishes followed by a top-10.

Auburn opened the season drenched by heavy showers in a trip to Rocky Face, Ga., for the Carpet Capital Collegiate hosted by Georgia Tech Sept. 14-16. The Tigers (298-287-290--875) finished fourth in a tough field, featuring 12 teams in Golfweek's preseason top-30. Auburn was led by senior Gordon Strother (71-73-73--217), who finished tied for 15th.

"We were in the hunt the entire weekend," said Griffin. "It really helped in giving us something to build on for the rest of the season."

Next for the Tigers was a trip to Birmingham for UAB's Shoal Creek Invitational on Sept. 24-25. After the first two rounds, Auburn (303-282-295--880) was in third place thanks to a brilliant second round team performance of 6-under par.

The Tigers would finish the tournament in third, behind Kizzire (75-68-72--215), who finished 1-under par to tie for fourth, just two shots off the individual lead.

"I'm proud of the way we fought in the Shoal Creek," said Griffin. "Patton had another really great showing."

In two weeks time, Auburn returned to Birmingham for The Jerry Pate National Intercollegiate at Old Overton Golf Club. With four players carding rounds in the 60s, Auburn (284-266-280--830) shot its lowest team round and lowest team 54-hole score in school history and went on to finish fourth.

Moseley (66-67-68--201) placed fifth individually and broke the school record for low 54-hole shot total with his 201. He also holds the Auburn record for lowest 54-hole score in relation to par (-14), a mark he set at the 2006 John Burns Intercollegiate in Wahiawa, Hawaii.

"It's a really great thing," commented Griffin on the record performance put up by the Tigers. "Jay has both of those records in the books. I can't believe we played that well and didn't finish first. It shows how truly tough the field was."

The Tigers concluded the fall season on Oct. 12-14 with The Bank of Tennessee at the Ridges Golf Club. Auburn (287-288-286--861) finished eighth with Moseley (70-70-73--213) again leading all Tigers at 3-under to finish tied for 13th.

"All in all, it was a good fall," said Griffin. "We were productive and got better in some important areas."

It has been a group effort from the Tigers with four different players leading in three major statistical categories. Northcutt leads the team in stokes average with 71.56 per round. Moseley leads in most sub-par rounds with 6, while Strother and Kizzire lead in rounds counted with 10.34/12 (.862).

Auburn finished the fall season ranked 12th nationally in the Golf World/Nike Golf Coaches' Poll after a three week stay in the top 10.

The Tigers return to action Feb. 20-22 at The John Burns Intercollegiate in Wahiawa, Hawaii. It will be their 17th appearance in as many years at the event where the Tigers have found success in the past, finishing first in 1996 and second on three occasions.

No. 2 Ranked Golf Team Heads To Sawgrass to Defend Title

TUSCALOOSA – So far the University of Alabama men’s golf team is two-for-two this season in successfully defending the tournament championships it won last season. This weekend the Crimson Tide will try to make that stat three-for-three when it travels to Pontre Vedra Beach, Fla., and Sawgrass Country Club to defend its 2007 championship at the John Hayt Collegiate Invitational.

Competing for Alabama will be Michael Thompson (68.67), Mark Harrell (71.58), Joseph Sykora (72.00), Matt Hughes (71.11) and Matthew Swan (74.67).

Alabama goes into the three-day tournament, which begins with first round play on Sunday, ranked No. 2 in the Golf Week/Sagarin rankings and No. 3 in the Golf World/Nike Coaches’ poll. Jay Seawell’s Crimson Tide team, winner of four tournament championships last season, has already won two tournament championships this season, the Carpet Capital Intercollegiate and the Jerry Pate National Intercollegiate, two events it won last season as well.

The John Hayt Collegiate Invitational is hosted by the University of North Florida. The 2008 field includes Alabama, Charlotte, Coastal Carolina, Florida, Georgia State, Indiana, Notre Dame, Pepperdine, South Carolina, Tennessee, UAB, Central Florida, UCLA, North Florida and Vanderbilt.

“The field is strong. You have Charlotte who hasn’t lost yet. They’ve won every tournament they’ve played in,” said Alabama head golf coach Jay Seawell. “We have defended successfully twice this season, which I think is a testament to the players on our team. It’s really hard to defend. We’re looking forward to that opportunity, especially with this field. So if we’re able to go and successfully defend the title against this caliber of field, it will be a good building block for the rest of the semester.”

The Crimson Tide is the tournament’s defending champion, besting the field of 15 on February 20, 2007 by shooting 303-291-287/881.

“It’s always good being the past champion. We know the golf course well. We know the competition. We’ve just got to go out there and be ready to play,” said Alabama senior golfer Mark Harrell who competed, as an amateur in the 2007 U.S. Open and missed the cut by just one stroke. “From the time I got here my freshman year, I’ve seen a gradual change in attitude. We’ve eventually gone from enjoying playing the game to believing we can win. And that’s what we do every day when we go out and practice. We try to get better because we believe we can win. Last year we came close to winning the NCAA Championship, and I think we’ve got a desire to do better this year and have that opportunity again.”

Alabama’s last event was its final fall event, the October 28-30 Callaway Golf Match Play Championships. Its last stroke play event was the October 8-9 Jerry Pate in Birmingham.

“It does feel like it’s been a while,” said Seawell. “You’re always excited about the beginning of the season and at the same time it’s hard to believe it’s already here. It feels like we just started practicing just the other day. But we’re looking forward to it. It’s a great tournament to start in. The golf course is a very good golf course. It’s a great test and the field is one of the top in the country. You’ve got three teams in the top four who are going to be there, so it’s something to look forward to.”

Among the ranked teams are (with the Coaches’ poll listed first), No. 2/No. 3 Charlotte, No. 3/No. 2 Alabama, No. 4/No. 5 UCLA, No. 10/No. 9 Florida, No. 15/No. 20 South Carolina, No. 22/19 Indiana, No. 23/No. 10 Tennessee, and No. 24 Golfweek Central Florida.

“I think being the defending champion puts a little bit more burden upon you because you remember last year, especially since everyone who was on the team basically last year is on this year’s team,” said Seawell. “However it is the first tournament of the year and you go into those with a little bit more excitement and a little less expectation because it is still winter. We’ve only had a few weeks to get ourselves ready. So it’s kind of a balancing act, the pressure and the burden and honor of being the defending champion. But also it’s the beginning of the year and it’s exciting. Our games are just in the beginning stages of getting where we want them to be.”

Alabama returned with its lineup intact from a 2007 team that placed sixth at the NCAA Championships and won four team championships. Thompson played in three of the four fall tournaments and has a 68.67 stroke average going into the spring. He’s finished under par in three of those tournaments. Just days after returning from California and the U.S. Am, he was on a plane bound for Japan with his teammates to open the team’s season. He finished T-3rd at the Topy Cup, shooting 9-under. He finished second at the Carpet Capital at 5-under and T-3rd at the Jerry Pate at 13-under par. Harrell tied for first at a school record 198 (66-64-68) at the Jerry Pate. He competed in all four fall stroke play events and has a 71.58 stroke average going into the spring. Sykora won the Topy Cup at 14-under par (67-66-69/202) and has a 72.00 average to open the spring.

Seawell says last year’s team, that was ranked No. 1 in the nation from late September through February last season, was good, but this year the men have come back perhaps even stronger and certainly more determined.

“I think I saw it immediately after we left the NCAA’s last year. There was a hunger in their eyes,” said Seawell. “They finished sixth and that’s the second-best finish in the history of the school, but I remember looking at every one of them on the flight home and you could see it. They were thinking, ‘Wow. We didn’t accomplish what we wanted to.’ They wanted to get better. So I’ve seen a hunger and an eagerness to improve on what we did last year. To win some championships, a few more regular season and in postseason. Plus I think the development of (2007 U.S. Amateur participant) Matt Hughes has sparked our team into a really competitive team. We have the five guys returning from last year and then Matt also is one of the top players in the country right now. So the competition within all six guys (including NCAA participant Gator Todd) has just made us a better team.”

Alabama’s remaining two spots were determined by a qualifier with Hughes and Swan winning the final spots. Teams vary formulas for picking who competes at tournaments. At Alabama, it’s all determined on the course. If a player wins an individual tournament championship, he gets five exemptions, meaning he automatically gets to play in five tournaments without going through a team qualifier for an open spot. Harrell and Sykora both won tournaments in the fall, so they’ve had exemptions. Each time a player finishes among the top three individuals, he gets one exemption. Thompson has finished among the top three in all his tournaments, so he’s made the team each time.

“That’s the great thing about golf. It’s decided on the golf course,” said Seawell. “We’re going to leave an All-American or an All-Southeastern Conference caliber player at home which is a tribute to the depth of this team.”

The Old Committeeman: After a hard day’s work,

By Warren Belser

The Old Committeeman walked into the XIX Hole and found the golf chairman and the tournament chairman sitting at the octagonal table with papers spread all over it. The O.C. was greeted with this from the golf chairman: “What on earth brings you to the XIX Hole at this late hour?” “I was on my way home after a game at our neighboring club and recalled that I had not posted my score on their computer. While it was on my mind, I decided to stop here to do it,” the O.C. replied. “I also decided to find out who were the walking wounded left in the XIX Hole.” The Golf Chairman replied, “You find these two stalwarts reviewing last year’s golf program with a view to planning this year’s program. And with a little privacy, we decided to have a go at it.” “Have you anything new and exciting in the works?” the O.C. asked. “Nothing new,” replied the Golf Chairman, “But perhaps you have something new to give us.” The O.C. replied, “Yes, I do as a matter of fact. During my drive over, I thought about my match this afternoon, and it reminded me of the weekly matches that my friend’s club holds every Thursday in the late afternoon during daylight savings time. What they do is to reserve at least three starting times beginning at 2 o’clock. Participation in the match is open to any golfing member holding a current USGA handicap. All you have to do is sign up by 1 o’clock, be ready to play by 2 o’clock, and know your current handicap. The format depends on the number of players signed up. All formats are off handicap and are found in the Rules book or the USGA Handicap manual. Moreover, all matches are played according to the Rules and players can choose the tees that they wish to play off. A last condition is that play is at a fast pace. During daylight savings time, there is enough daylight to play a round between 2 o’clock and sundown. However, slow play is not tolerated and it is not part of this outing.” The Tournament Chairman asked the O.C., “Please explain to me, how far does this group really go to play by the Rules? There are degrees of adherence to the Rules, you know.” “They follow the Rules strictly,” replied the O.C. “In other words, there is no playing mulligans off the first tee, no nudging the ball in the middle of the fairway, and no using a putting ball on the green. Any relief taken is taken precisely as the Rules permit. They play as if they were in an AGA championship. Do you have any other questions?” “I have a few,” said the Golf Chairman. “You said that they play at a respectably fast pace. Please comment about that. We have difficulty at this club, as you know, getting members to move it along not only in club events, but in friendly matches as well.” The O.C. replied, “Let me make two comments about pace of play. In my last daylight savings time round at this club, we were twelve players and we played a four-ball match play competition using a nassau scoring with each nine worth one point each and the 18 worth one point as well. The winner was the side with the most points. “They follow match play strictly. There was none of this ready-play procedure because of the important feature of match play that you should have all the possible options before you when you play a shot. You may put your opponent at a disadvantage with your shot first, then it is his challenge. “Moreover, on the green, if my partner makes a score as good or better than I could make with the sinking of my next putt, I would pick my ball up. This speeds up play.

For handicap purposes, I would record the most likely score that I could make. If I had a four- or five-footer, I would add one stroke to the strokes already taken, but if it was a 10-footer or more, I would add two. “I have given you three examples of how they would play depending on the sign-up number. For other matches, all you have to do is take a look at the Rules book or the handicap manual. My friend has a listing for all the matches off handicap for groups from three players to fifteen. If you want, I will get you one. “One last point to discuss,” said the O.C., “What if it rains?” “The Golf Chairman said, “That is a question that I have been thinking about as you have expanded on all this glory.” The O.C. replied, “If it rains during the round to a point that play is suspended for the day, the match is played as a nine-hole match provided all groups have cleared nine; otherwise, the match is cancelled. “If it is raining at the first tee off time, delaying play, the match would be played as a nine-hole match when play is resumed, provided enough daylight and players are available. Another way to play would be to play a foursome match, if the sign-up was in groups of four and there was daylight of two and a half hours left after the rain. Apparently my friend’s club played two of these matches last year. The first was confronted with the remark that you play foursomes with women and my friend confronted the complainer with my observation, ‘Yes, that is true and foursomes are also played in the Walker Cup and the Ryder Cup matches. Surely, you are mature enough to play that way.’ The second time it was very well received. “In summary, I like everything about it,” the O.C. said. “You play by the Rules, you play off handicap, you play from various tees. It’s open to all members and you get to know other members better. It also provides, as in my case, a chance for members to invite friends from other clubs during the week for a very competitive match. Finally, the match is played during a cooler part of the day. It has something good for everyone. “Now, I have given you a new idea to work on this year,” the O.C. said. “Where is James?” The Golf Chairman replied, “James has locked up and gone home. Before he left, we asked him where you were today. We were told that he had not seen you today. We had wanted to talk to you and you have come in out of the blue and have given us a new idea. For that we say thanks and bid you good night.” “Good night,” said the O. “What we have discussed,” continued the O.C., “is a four-ball match play event, but suppose the sign-up was eleven players. How would they play? I understand that they would play an individual stroke play competition with the sign up fees to be awarded to the top third of the field. You know that handicaps, as organized, do offer each player an equal opportunity to finish in the top 30 percent of the field. “If nine players sign up, I have been told,” continued the O.C., “that they would play in three groups of three. The match would be stroke play off 90 percent of handicap. The usual sign-up draw would be slightly revised with one of the three low handicappers in each group, then mid-handicappers and last the high handicappers.