Bob West
The Port Arthur News
PORT ARTHUR —
Scrambles have taken over
area tournament landscape
With a big assist from Babe Zaharias pro Ed Campbell, who did all the legwork, elsewhere on this page you will see the area’s 2012 schedule of golf tournaments. As in the past, fund-raising scrambles account for a heavy percentage of the events.
Whereas the golf schedule used to be loaded with individual stroke play and partnership competitions, it’s now become almost exclusively scrambles of the four-person variety. The scrambles are much-needed revenue producers for hosting clubs and a great way to raise money for charitable causes.
Of the 72 events on the 2012 slate, only a handful resemble real golf. Tops among those are the Nederland Heritage Festival April 14-15 over both Babe Zaharias and Bayou Din, the May 4-6 Tyrrell Garth Invitational at Beaumont Country Club, which features both match and medal play, the June 15-17 Silsbee Country Club Invitational, the Wildwood Old Glory on June 30-July 1, featuring a combination of best ball and two person scramble, the July 21-22 Neches River Four Ball at Beaumont Country Club and the Sept. 1-3 Labor Day Invitational at Sunset Grove Country Club in Orange.
Also on the schedule is the Oct. 6-7 Beaumont City Championship, a 36-hole medal play tourney at Henry Homberg Golf Club. It is, at this point in time, the only tournament listed for Homberg, due to the rundown condition of the golf course, as discussed in this space last week.
If all goes well with getting the Homberg layout back to where it’s not an eyesore, which is almost certain to happen with Jimmy Fetters having been brought on board in a consultant’s role, other events are likely to be added.
March, with 12 events, and April with 19, account for nearly half the tournaments, as chairmen try to beat the heat. First on the tee is a Feb. 11-12 Four Ball at Babe Zaharias.
If there is a tournament that is not listed on the schedule, e-mail me at rdwest@usa.net with details. We won’t publish the complete schedule again, but we’ll list tournaments on a month by month basis.
CHIP SHOTS: PN-G’s golf team, which should have a good shot at making it to the state tournament this year, ran away with the Barbers Hill Invitational at Eagle Pointe on Monday. Paced by standout freshman Braden Bailey’s 72, the Indians’ 313 team total was by 29 shots better than runner-up Nederland. Jarrod Brown and Lonnie LaBove added 79s for the Indians and Brandon Provost had an 83. Nederland was paced by Dillon Hebert’s 79. Rounding out the Bulldogs’ top four were Thane Tillie, 86, Trevor Smith, 88, and Hunter Huff, 89 . . . PN-G golfers were also dominant in The First Tee of the Golden Triangle/Southeast Texas PGA Junior Winter Tour stop Saturday at Idylwild Golf Club. LaBove shot a 74 to win boys 16-18 , with Bailey second at 78 and Brandon Soileau third at 82. Other flight winners were Tanner Crumpton (86 in Boys 14-15), Josh Elmore (99 in Boys 12-13), Shelbi Vincent (102 in Girls 16-18), Karlei Hemler (100 in Girls 14-15), Sierra Wenner (63 in Girls 12-13), Collin Todora (46 in Co-Ed 10-11) and Preston Ricks (34 in Co-Ed 7-9) . . . PN-G ex Chris Stroud, after skipping the Farmers Insurance Open last week, will be back on the PGA Tour this week at the Waste Management Phoenix Open. As of now, Stroud’s plans are to play the next four events. He’ll be at AT&T National Pro-Am at Pebble Beach next week, the Northern Trust Open at Riviera in Los Angeles Feb. 16-19 and the Mayakoba Classic in Mexico Feb. 23-26. Playing well in those events could really set him up for a big season . . . Rufus Mier finished plus 5 to win the Monday Seniors at Belle Oaks. Ron Somerville was second at plus 4 and Ed Boone third at plus 3. Bill Taylor (No. 8) and Somerville (No. 15) were closest to the pin winners . . . In the Friday Seniors at Belle Oaks, there was a three-way tie for first between Bill Worsham, Jim Robinson and Barry Jackson. All finished at 0. Taylor (No. 3) and Robinson (No. 12) were closest to the pin winners . . . The Seniors at the Babe was played in a 2-ball team format. The foursome of Adam Noel, David English, Arvie Young and Bernie Johnson won the front in plus 4. On the back, the team of Rick Pritchett, Harry Green, Cap Hollier and Paul Duplantis won with plus 1 . . . The Super Saturday game at the Babe was also played in a 2 ball format. The team of Pritchett, Noel, Ron Scrillia and Glenn Marino swept, posting minus 2 on the front and minus 4 on the back . . . In the Jan. 18 Patch Seniors 50 Plus game three teams tied the front in minus 4. Included were the foursome of Jimmy Fetters, Jim Beane, Larry Johnson and H. Guidry, the team of Rick LaBove, Don MacNeil, Richard McClelland, Don Storey and Harry Sport and the team of Roddy Weatherly, Tommy Prejean, Walter Colin and Benny Epperson. On the back, the foursome of Dennis Walsh, Paul Young, Cap Hollier and Ron Scrillia won with minus 12.
Golf news should be e-mailed to rdwest@usa.net or faxed to 724-6854.
