Barb and Andy's Golf, Travel, & Life Diary
Inspired by Golf & Life and Sharing Our Experiences, Insights, & Love
Storyline No. 1 of 16: Suzy Whaley, PGA/LPGA and now President of the PGA of America! Historic in one sense and heartfelt, soulful, & dynamic in all senses; long live our sport of golf—from leader to leader and generation to generation! 66th PGA Show; 29,000 PGA Members; more than 1,000 Brands, and 40,000 attendees—let’s celebrate golf! (Andy Reistetter; 1/27/19, Facebook Post with 4 Pics & 1 Video)
CLICK here for historic opening of the 2019 PGA Show by PGA President Suzy Whaley
Storyline No. 2 of 16: Opening Ceremony of the 66th PGA Show… Red Carpet… for dignitaries? NO, for our veterans and those in PGA HOPE supporting them! We salute you Ken Juhn, Judy Alvarez, Joseph Garrido, Jack Wiseman, Chris Nowak, and Laura Miller! Well Done President Whaley and the PGA of America! (Andy Reistetter; Facebook Post with 24 Pics; 1/27/19)
See more in these pictures:
Here is my ongoing experience playing the Laurel Island Links Golf Club which is less than 3 miles from the GA Exit 6 on Interstate-95 just across the Florida border. This is a club that you can call home whether you play it once a year, a handful of times a year or are a member! The Bogey’s Grille is the golfing equipment of ‘Cheers.’ Be sure to say hello to new owner (purchased in October 2017) Ron Tyre for me or better yet let me know when you are coming and I will tee it up with you! Good golfing!
So here is my Facebook posting log and three photo albums: 1) Aerial Pics from my Buddy Drone; 2) People of Laurel Island and the Food of Bogey’s Grille Pics; and 3) ground level Golf Course Pics.
Facebook Log:
Another great round of golf on the Laurel Island Links & Bogey’s Bar & Grille followed by a good time at Bogey’s! Some more aerial pics by my Buddy Drone! When was the last time you played Laurel Island Links? When will be your first time playing Laurel Island Links? Enjoy! (Facebook Post with 30 Pics; Andy Reistetter; 11-3-18)
Always a good time at Laurel Island Links! A Davis Love III design gem, challenging shot values, FUN golfing experience, beautiful salt marsh vistas, great people & then there is always Bogeys for some delicious food afterwards! Some aerial pics from my Buddy Drone! Only 3 miles off Interstate-95, Exit 6 in Georgia, just north of Jacksonville & the Florida State line. Come by sometime & tee it up, you will be happy you did! #IGolfI95 (Facebook Post with 30 Pics; Andy Reistetter; 10-29-18)
Another great golfing experience in South Georgia! You were right Tony Jr. Vizzie! Laurel Island Links Golf Club is a fun, challenging, & spectacular Davis Love III design! Salt marsh views on the first nine, pine trees embraced by honeysuckle on the second nine. Never felt more genuinely welcomed at a golf course than by owner Ron Tyre with Brendan & Pat in the golf shop, and Patty & Brittany in Bogeys, both a golfers & family friendly restaurant. Beer-battered fish was very tasty! Within 3 miles of I-95 Georgia Exit 6. Great way to break up a trip north or south on I-95 or visit from Jacksonville or Savannah! Maybe I should write an I-95 golf column? What would it take to entice people to take Exit 6 and play & experience Laurel Island Links & Bogey’s Bar & Grille? Thanks Ron Tyre for hosting Andy’s Golf & Travel Diary! PS Ron Ruckdeschel another good golfing opportunity in Georgia! (Facebook Post with 30 Pics; Andy Reistetter; 4-27-18; feeling fabulous at Laurel Island Links & Bogey’s Bar & Grille in Kingsland, GA) ·
Aerial Pics:
People & the Food of Bogey’s Grille Pics:
Golf Course Pics:
WGHOF Class of 2019. Photo Credit: WGHOF.
World Golf Hall of Fame Introduces Peggy Kirk Bell, Retief Goosen, Billy Payne, Jan Stephenson and Dennis Walters as the Class of 2019
Inductees to be enshrined into the World Golf Hall of Fame on June 10, 2019 in Pebble Beach the week of the men’s U.S. Open Championship 2019.
AUGUSTINE, Fla. (October 10, 2018) – Retief Goosen, Billy Payne, Jan Stephenson, Dennis Walters and the late Peggy Kirk Bell will officially join the ranks of the World Golf Hall of Fame as the Class of 2019.
These five new members will be enshrined at the World Golf Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony on Monday, June 10, 2019 in Pebble Beach the week of the men’s U.S. Open Championship. The ceremony will take place at the Sunset Center in Carmel-By-The-Sea, CA.
Following is a brief bio on each new inductee:
Peggy Kirk Bell, United States
Lifetime Achievement Category
Peggy Kirk Bell. Photo Credit: WGHOF.
Margaret Anne “Peggy” Kirk Bell took up the game as a teenager, making a name for herself as an amateur star. She went on to become a charter member of the Ladies Professional Golf Association in 1950 after winning the 1949 Titleholders Championship and participating on the winning 1950 Curtis Cup team. She received the PGA of America’s First Lady of Golf Award in 2007 and was an avid supporter of the game as a top 100 golf instructor, becoming the first woman selected into Golf Magazine’s World Golf Teachers Hall of Fame.
Retief Goosen, South Africa
Male Competitor Category
Retief Goosen. Photo Credit: Stacy Revere/Getty Images.
Known affectionately as “The Goose,” Retief Goosen sat within the Official World Golf Ranking’s top 10 for more than 250 weeks from 2001 through 2007. His 33 worldwide wins include two U.S. Open Championships in 2001 – the same year he was named European Tour Player of the Year – and 2004. Goosen led the European Tour Order of Merit in 2001 and 2002. He also played in six consecutive Presidents Cups from 2000 to 2011 as part of the International Team.
Billy Payne, United States
Lifetime Achievement Category
Billy Payne. Photo Credit: Fred Vuich /Sports Illustrated/Getty Images).
During his 11 years as Chairman of Augusta National Golf Club from 2006 to 2017, William Porter “Billy” Payne oversaw a number of significant achievements including the introduction of female members into the club’s membership. He originated the Drive, Chip & Putt National Championship with the USGA and PGA of America and established the Asia-Pacific Amateur and Latin America Amateur tournaments, each offering guaranteed Masters’ spots to the winners. Named the GWAA’s William D. Richardson Award recipient, Payne also received the Olympic Order after serving as president and CEO of the Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games from 1992 to ‘96. Continuing his legacy and involvement with the Olympics, Payne was a key figure in the successful return of golf to the 2016 Games.
Jan Stephenson, Australia
Female Competitor Category
Jan Stephenson. Photo Credit: WGHOF.
In her first season on the LPGA Tour in 1974, Jan Stephenson was named LPGA’s Rookie of the Year. She went on to lead an impressive career with 20 professional victories, including 16 on the LPGA Tour. She is a three-time Major Champion with wins at the 1981 du Maurier, 1982 LPGA Championship and the 1983 U.S. Women’s Open. Her impact on the game extends outside of her play as one of the founders of the Women’s Senior Golf Tour. She is involved with golf course design and has made many charitable contributions including being an honorary chair of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. Stephenson was also honored with the Order of Australia Medal in 2018 for her contributions to the game of golf.
Dennis Walters, United States
Lifetime Achievement Category
Dennis Walters. Photo Credit: WGHOF.
Dennis Walters is an elite golfer who was paralyzed from the waist-down at the age of 24 following a golf cart accident. He has since dedicated his career to sharing life lessons and inspiring fans and disabled golfers of all ages through golf clinics and special performances at more than 3,000 worldwide appearances. Former spokesperson and national ambassador for The First Tee, his message is to always continue hoping and dreaming. He is one of only 11 honorary lifetime members of the PGA of America. Walters was also honored with the 1978 Ben Hogan Award and was a 2018 recipient of the USGA’s Bob Jones Award.
These five Inductees will bring the total number of World Golf Hall of Fame Members to 160.
“The 2019 Induction Class is one of the most well-rounded groups we’ve had to date,” said Jack Peter, President of the World Golf Hall of Fame. “It is our honor and privilege to welcome Peggy Kirk Bell, Retief Goosen, Billy Payne, Jan Stephenson and Dennis Walters to the World Golf Hall of Fame family. We are excited to begin working with them as we gear up for the Induction Ceremony in Pebble Beach this June.”
The Class of 2019 was elected by the Hall of Fame’s Selection Commission, which debated a group of 15 finalists. The Inductees each passed the required 75 percent voting threshold – approval by at least 12 of the 16 members.
The Selection Commission was Co-Chaired by Hall of Fame Members Nancy Lopez, Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player and Annika Sorenstam and included the members of the World Golf Foundation Board of Directors and a mix of institutional and at-large seats.
The finalists were vetted by the Hall of Fame’s Selection Sub-Committee. The Sub-Committee vetted every candidate that met the qualifications of the Hall of Fame’s four Induction categories.
About the World Golf Hall of Fame & Museum
The World Golf Hall of Fame & Museum celebrates golf and preserves the legacies of those who have made it great. The Hall of Fame & Museum, located at World Golf Village in St. Augustine, Florida, serves as a steward of the game through engaging, interactive storytelling and exhibitions featuring artifacts, works of art, audio, video and photography significant to the history of golf and its members. The Hall of Fame is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit institution and is allied with 26 national and international golf organizations, including The European Tour, LPGA, the Masters Tournament, PGA of America, PGA TOUR, The R&A and USGA. To learn more about the World Golf Hall of Fame or to lend support, visit www.WorldGolfHallofFame.org.
Editor’s Note: Prior WGHOF Announcement on October 2nd, 2018 identified 15 Finalists for the Class of 2019. Six (in bold) were chosen, nine were not chosen, as WGHOF Inductees:
Lifetime Achievement: Peggy Kirk Bell, Billy Payne, and Dennis Walters.
Female Competitor: Susie Berning, Beverly Hanson, Sandra Palmer, Dottie Pepper, and Jan Stephenson.
Veterans: Jim Ferrier, Catherine Lacoste, and Calvin Peete.
Male Competitor: Retief Goosen, Graham Marsh, Corey Pavin, and Hal Sutton.
WGHOF Members:
Twenty (20) WGHOF Members Inducted through the Veterans Category: Tommy Bolt, Jack Burke, Jr., Donna Caponi, Sir Bob Charles, Leo Diegel, Doug Ford, Hubert Green, Marlene Bauer Hagge, Jock Hutchison, Kel Nagle, Christy O’Connor, Sr., Willie Park, Jr., Willie Park, Sr., Henry Picard, Judy Rankin, Allan Robertson, Denny Shute, Hollis Stacy, and Marlene Stewart Streit.
Twenty-eight (28) WGHOF Members Inducted through the Lifetime Achievement Category: Peter Alliss, Judy Bell, Deane Beman, Sir Michael Bonallack, George H.W. Bush, Joe Carr, Frank Chirkinian, Neil Coles, Bernard Darwin, Pete Dye, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Hisako “Chako” Higuchi, John Jacobs, Dan Jenkins, Henry Longhurst, Charles Blair Macdonald, Alister MacKenzie, Mark McCormack, Harvey Penick, Ken Schofield, Carol Semple Thompson, Charlie Sifford, Marilynn Smith, Karsten Solheim, A.W. Tillinghast, Ken Venturi, and Herbert Warren Wind.
One hundred and fifty-five (155) WGHOF Members by Country (United Kingdom and 16 Countries):
ARGENTINA (1): Roberto De Vicenzo
AUSTRALIA (6): David Graham • Kel Nagle • Greg Norman • Peter Thomson • Walter Travis • Karrie Webb
CANADA (2): Charles Blair Macdonald • Marlene Stewart Streit
FIJI (1): Vijay Singh
GERMANY (1): Bernhard Langer
IRELAND (2): Joe Carr • Christy O’Connor
JAPAN (4): Isao Aoki • Hisako “Chako” Higuchi • Ayako Okamoto • Masashi “Jumbo” Ozaki
MEXICO (1): Lorena Ochoa Reyes
NEW ZEALAND (1): Sir Bob Charles
NORWAY (1): Karsten Solheim
SOUTH AFRICA (3) Ernie Els • Bobby Locke • Gary Player
SOUTH KOREA (1): Se Ri Pak
SPAIN (2): Seve Ballesteros • José María Olazábal
SWEDEN (1): Annika Sorenstam
UNITED KINGDOM (35): Peter Alliss • Willie Anderson • Tommy Armour • John Ball • Jim Barnes • Sir Michael Bonallack • James Braid • Dorothy Campbell • Neil Coles • Harry Cooper • Sir Henry Cotton • Bernard Darwin • Dame Laura Davies • Sir Nick Faldo • Harold Hilton • Jock Hutchison • Bob Hope • Tony Jacklin • John Jacobs • Robert Trent Jones, Sr. • Henry Longhurst • Sandy Lyle • Alister MacKenzie • Colin Montgomerie • Tom Morris, Jr. • Tom Morris, Sr. • Willie Park, Jr. • Willie Park, Sr. • Allan Robertson • Donald Ross • Ken Schofield • J.H. Taylor • Harry Vardon • Joyce Wethered • Ian Woosnam
UNITED STATES (92): Amy Alcott • Judy Bell • Deane Beman • Patty Berg • Tommy Bolt • Julius Boros • Pat Bradley • Jack Burke, Jr. • President George H.W. Bush • William C. Campbell • Donna Caponi •
JoAnne Carner • Billy Casper • Frank Chirkinian • Fred Corcoran • Fred Couples • Ben Crenshaw • Bing
Crosby • Beth Daniel • Leo Diegel • Jimmy Demaret • Joseph C. Dey • Pete Dye • President Dwight D.
Eisenhower • Chick Evans • Raymond Floyd • Doug Ford • Herb Graffis • Hubert Green • Ralph Guldahl
ZIMBABWE (1): Nick Price
The par-4 9th and par-4 18th encircle one of three lakes on The Lakes! Very scenic golf course!
Found another golfing gem in SE Georgia, less than an hour from Interstate 95! One of the best State Park golf courses in the nation! With Okefenokee Swamp Park & the Laura S. Walker State Park adjacent to the course, this is definitely a nature & golf travel destination. My golfing experience was made even more special teeing it up with the beautiful & spirited Merri Daniel! Less than an hour from I-95, check it out next time you are crossing the Florida-Georgia border. I golf Interstate-95, do you? #IGolfI95 Thank you to Head PGA Golf Professional David Sikes, Wesley, & the fishing lady for hosting Andy’s Golf &Travel Diary! See you again sometime soon! (Facebook Post with 30 pics; Andy Reistetter; 10-7-18)
From the Lakes at Laura S. Walker Golf Course website:
Another spectacular & enjoyable round with Merri Daniel. Hosted by Head PGA Golf Professional David Sikes!
Welcome to The Lakes at Laura S. Walker
The Lakes Golf Course was designed by Steve Burnes and features native sand for the many bunkers and waste areas. This coastal Georgia course has three large lakes and is very close to the Okefenokee Swamp. Popular for great course conditions and mild weather. Voted the 2011 “Hook A Kid On Golf” Best New Site of the Year in the Nation. Voted 2009 Best Municipal Golf Course in Georgia by Golf Digest.
It’s not every day that a friend of yours writes a book. Nor is it every day that the subject of the book that your friend wrote is someone who you have admired all your life and that your father had admired since his childhood.
I have to tell the story of how I met Chris Rodell because it leads to the story of how I met Arnold Palmer which leads to my wholehearted and immense recommendation that you purchase and read this new book which has been published with the full blessing and support of the Palmer family. Hard to believe that it has been over two years since Mr. Palmer’s passing on September 25th, 2016.
Me in the knickers and Chris in Latrobe…
Way back in 2012, Chris and I met on a golf travel writers’ fam trip to Mississippi. A ‘fam’ trip is a ‘familiarization’ trip whereby golf travel writers, in this case, were invited to come to Mississippi to be educated, to experience, and to write about golfing in Mississippi. While I do remember becoming familiar with golf in Mississippi, I especially remember meeting Chris!
Chris at the time had written a book called Use All The Crayons and had a blog called Eight Days to Amish. The crayon book was about transforming one’s life, using all the crayons, and contained five-hundred tips on doing so. I am still not sure what the blog is about but it is interesting!
So anyone that knows anything about me and what I have just told you about Chris would quickly surmise that we would become friends and indeed we did!
Me and The King!
Fast forward three or four years and staying in touch, Chris invited me to stop by Latrobe and meet Arnold Palmer. Which, of course, if you know anything about me, I did! If meeting Chris was a transformative experience, and it was, then after meeting Mr. Palmer one could say I was over-transformed to the outer reaches of tranquility and serenity. Truly a life course-altering experience!
So the upshot here is that I met Chris Rodell and then I met Mr. Palmer because Chris was a friend of Mr. Palmer. How can you meet Mr. Palmer?
Sadly you cannot meet Mr. Palmer as I did, but by reading this book—Arnold Palmer; Homespun Stories of the King—you can indeed meet Mr. Palmer in a way that even most folks that have met him can meet him in a way they never did before—even more up-close and personal!
The author Chris Rodell with Mr. Palmer and Mr. Palmer’s right-hand guy (even though Chris is between them!) Doc Giffin.
As a freelance writer living next door to the great Arnold Palmer in his lifelong hometown of Latrobe, Pennsylvania, Chris was the go-to-guy for golf publications and non-golf publications, when it came to getting a story on Mr. Palmer. This book comes from more than 100 interviews that Chris conducted with The King. Plus, living in Latrobe and raising a family in Latrobe he knows Latrobe which means he knew Arnold Palmer like Arnold Palmer knew himself.
“Which do you remember more clearly: your first ace or your first kiss?”
Enough said, intimate conversations make intimate books! Chris is an insightful and talented writer and this is a great book for the golfer and non-golfer alike!
It is Americana same as apple pie and yes, crayons too! Maybe even Eight Days to Amish too!
Enjoy meeting Mr. Palmer and say hello for me too!
Denny McCarthy strolls up to get his trophy after winning the Tour Championship by 4 strokes!
Here is how the week at Atlantic Beach Country Club unfolded with a picture album at the end:
Here’s a recap of the 2018 Web.com TOUR season… and a quick guide to who’s IN and who’s OUT for the fifty 2018-19 PGA TOUR cards at stake!#WebTourChamp #TourBound (Facebook Post with link; Andy Reistetter; 9-19-18)
2018 Web.com Tour… on the way to the FINALS and the Tour Championship!
Good start to the 2018 Web.com Tour Championship! Round 1 is in the books! Morning 63 by Ben Silverman was matched in the afternoon by Cameron Tringale and 2-upped by Chris Paisley’s 10-under 61! Sure to be an exciting Round 2 tomorrow! #WebTourChamp #TourBound (Facebook Post with 25 pics; Andy Reistetter; 9-20-18)
What an exciting Round One! Looks like it was shoot 64 or better to open and move into position for a 2018-19 PGA TOUR Card! Six players did just that… who were they? #WebTourChamp #TourBound (Facebook Post with link; Andy Reistetter; 9-21-18)
Paisley 61 to Open in Round One; Six Players IN and Six OUT of FINALS Top 25!
The Happy Graduating Class celebrating their tour cards!
WOW this Web.com Tour Championship at Atlantic Beach CC has quickly grown into a FUN, entertaining, & extremely well-organized & well-run event! Great to see Mary & Bill Price and that rock star??? Come out this weekend & have a blast! #WebTourChamp #TourBound (Facebook Post with 30 pics; Andy Reistetter; 9-21-18)
Great Comeback Story in progress by Lucas Glover! #WebTourChamp#TourBound (Facebook Post with link; Andy Reistetter; 9/22/18)
Glover’s Pair of 64s Leads Web.com Tour Championship; The Six IN/OUT of FINALS Top 25!
Straka Leads Web.com Tour Championship but Anything Can Happen Come Sunday!
Atlantic Beach CC is the host venue for the Web.com Tour Championship!
What an exciting weekend at the Web.com Tour Championship! Congratulations to Denny McCarthy who shot a Sunday 65 to win and earn an all exempt PGA TOUR card and all the FINALS Top 25! Good luck on the PGA TOUR! #WebTourChamp #TourBound (Facebook Post with 30 pics; Andy Reistetter; 9-23-18)
Exciting week, exciting finish at the Web.com Tour Championship! Denny McCarthy won and five golfers went INTO the FINALS Top 25 and got their PGA TOUR cards and five golfers went OUT… Who were they? Find out right here on Andy’s Golf & Travel Diary! Play well where ever you play next year!#WebTourChamp #TourBound (Facebook Post with link; Andy Reistetter; 9-24-18)
Denny McCarthy Wins Web.com Tour Championship; FINALS Top 25 Get Tour Cards!
Denny McCarthy Wins Web.com Tour Championship; FINALS Top 25 Get Tour Cards!
Denny McCarthy strolls up to get his trophy after winning the Tour Championship by 4 strokes!
Denny McCarthy, with the confidence of knowing his PGA TOUR card was secure coming into the week at No. 11, was ‘Mr. Consistency,’ and won the Web.com Tour Championship by four strokes. By doing so he ascended ten spots into the No. 1 position of the FINALS to bump that regular tour card into one that is all-exempt for the upcoming 2018-19 season.
Sungjai Im has one of those all-exempt cards as well having earned it by being No. 1 on the Combined Regular Season and FINALS Money List. Having sewn up that distinction coming into the Tour Championship he elected not to compete this week at the Atlantic Beach Country Club.
McCarthy, with his precise and lengthy drives, made his move on the back nine with birdies at Nos. 13 and 14 while his competitors in the final group—Sepp Straka, Curtis Luck, and Lucas Glover—faded a bit in the heat of the day and the moment.
The next wave of 50 new golfers on the PGA TOUR has arrived!
Glover shot even par on the front nine, stumbled with a double bogey on the par-4 11th hole but recovered with four birdies on the final seven holes to finish solo second. He rose from No. 40 to No. 7 in the FINALS and has a tour card for next year in addition to his medical exemption from June knee surgery.
Sepp Straka, the leader by one stroke going into the final round, had it 3-under through No. 10 but suffered a triple bogey on the difficult par-4 16th hole to shot and even-par 71. Though he slipped to a T3 finish he went from No. T80 to No. 20 in the FINALS and earned his tour card for next season!
Australian Curtis Luck was running out of luck towards the end of Round Three and the start of the Final Round. Bogeying the 16th and 17th though saving par after hitting into the water near the 18th green on Saturday. He started with three bogeys today. However, his Sunday 71 and T8 Finish maintained his rock solid spot at No. 16 to earn his card for next season!
It was a 5-way tie for third in the Tour Championship as Chase Wright (64), Cameron Davis (66), Ben Silverman (68), and Cameron Tringale (69) joined Straka.
Atlantic Beach CC is the host venue for the Web.com Tour Championship!
Wright had already earned his tour card in the regular season. Davis improved his FINALS position two slots to No. 5. Silverman and Tringale, were rockets in the final week of the year to secure their tour cards. Silverman from No. T85 to No. 22. Tringale from No. T83 to No. 21.
Fabian Gomez (68-68-69-63; T17 Finish; from No. 29 to 24) was the fifth player to gain entry into the FINALS Top 25 joining Glover, Straka, Silverman, and Tringale in achieving tour cards for next season.
On the other side of the equation, the five players who dropped out of the FINALS Top 25 in the fourth and final event were: : Brian Campbell, Aaron Baddeley, Joseph Bramlett, Scott Pinckney, and Lanto Griffin.
FINALS Top 25 Bubble Watch:
The Happy Graduating Class celebrating their tour cards!
The five players that moved INTO the FINALS Top 25 at the Web.com Tour Championship were: Lucas Glover (64-64-68-69; 2nd Finish; from No. 40 to 7), Sepp Straka (65-66-64-71; T3 Finish; from No. T80 to 20), Cameron Tringale (63-67-67-69; T3 Finish; from No. T83 to 21), Ben Silverman (63-68-67-68; T3 Finish; from No. T85 to 22), and Fabian Gomez (68-68-69-63; T17 Finish; from No. 29 to 24).
The corresponding five players that moved OUT of the FINALS Top 25 at the Web.com Tour Championship were: Brian Campbell (69-68-69-69; T46 Finish; from No. 25 to 28), Aaron Baddeley (68-67-CUT; from No. 20 to 30), Joseph Bramlett (71-68-CUT; from No. T21 to T32), Scott Pinckney (71-71-CUT; from No. 24 to 34), and Lanto Griffin (69-72-CUT; from No. T21 to T32).
Others near the cut off No. 25 point:
No. 20: Sepp Straka (65-66-64-71; T3 Finish; from No. T80 to 20)
No. 21: Cameron Tringale (63-67-67-69; T3 Finish; from No. T83 to 21)
No. 22: Ben Silverman (63-68-67-68; T3 Finish; from No. T85 to 22)
No. 23: Michael Thompson (66-68-64-71; T21 Finish; from No. 18 to 23)
No. 24: Fabian Gomez (68-68-69-63; T17 Finish; from No. 29 to 24).
No. 25: Jim Knous (67-69-70-71; T57 Finish; from No, 17 to 25)
No. 26: Justin Lower (68-66-66-69; T21 Finish; started and stayed at No. 26)
No. 27: Henrik Norlander (67-67-67-68; T21 Finish; started and stayed at No.27)
No. 28: Brian Campbell (69-68-69-69; T46 Finish; from No. 25 to 28))
No. 29: Matt Every (64-68-70-67; T21 Finish; from No. 30 to 29)
No. 30: Aaron Baddeley (68-67-CUT; from No. 20 to 30)
Tringale put it all in perspective with his comment on Saturday—“Yeah, I was hoping last year was my last time here.”
Hopefully this is the year the Top 25 from the Regular Season and the FINALS Top 25 make it for good on the PGA TOUR!
Play well!
Straka Leads Web.com Tour Championship after Three Rounds but Anything Happen come Sunday!
The Web.com TOUR Championship- the finale of the FINALS!
On Moving Day, Sepp Straka shot a Saturday 64, to keep his dream alive of capturing one of the twenty-five 2018-19 PGA TOUR cards! His would be a meteoric rise to the FINALS Top 25 projected No. 3 position from T80 at the start of the week.
The pressure is mounting—low scores are still possible—but the low round of the day has progressively increased as the pressure and reality of ‘Do-or-Die Sunday’ becomes overbearing to those on, above or below the bubble. Additionally there is extra ‘Do-or-Die’ pressure to finish high atop the leaderboard for guys like Straka, Lucas Glover, Cameron Tringale, Chris Paisley, and Ben Silverman who have come from oblivion to contending for one of the twenty-five coveted tour cards.
Round One Thursday low round was a 61 by Paisley, Round Two was a 62 by Peter Malnati (who was safe as No. 3 starting the week), and Round Three was a Paisley Encore, this time a 63!
Atlantic Beach CC is the host venue for the Web.com Tour Championship!
Paisley (61-74-63) was out starting the week, in after Round One, out after Round Two, but made the cut, and is now No.33 after Round Three. The Englishman still has a chance to make the FINALS Top 25 with a strong Sunday finish!
Glover (64-64-68) has risen from No. 40 to No. 12; Curtis Luck (67-65-64) is safe beginning the week at No. 16 and now projected No. 7; Denny McCarthy (64-65-67) also is safe beginning at No. 11 and now projected No. 5.
On Friday Cameron Tringale followed a Thursday a 63 with a Friday 67, good enough for solo 3rd, two strokes back of Glover. The 2017 FINALS Graduate was also a FINALS pole vaulter this year going up 68 spots from T83 to T15. In 26 PGA TOUR events this year he had only one Top-25 and finished No. 195 in the FedExCup Points Standing. In the first three FINALS events he has gone CUT-T56-CUT so he needs a big week at Atlantic Beach CC.
Starting on the back nine on today, Tringale birdied his first hole and then added two more birdies before bogeying the 18th. But he bounced right back with a birdie on the first and then one more on the 4th hole. “Had a lot of good looks and none of them fell. Kind of wish I had a couple more chances out there, but I’m pleased with my position. I didn’t force this round, just kind of let it come,” commented Cameron after the round.
“Well, it’s why we’re here. It would mean a lot. It’s been a long year and I’m excited about golf for the first time in a while, to be honest. So that has kind of fueled my vigor this week and kept—has given me some perspective on just what this week is and really just to let it happen,” added Tringale.
The CUT fell at 5-under with 66 players making the cut. Notable names to miss include Ricky Barnes, Aaron Baddeley, and defending champion Jonathon Byrd,
Tringale put it all in perspective with his final comment—“Yeah, I was hoping last year was my last time here.”
FINALS Top 25 Bubble Watch:
The FINALS Top 25 golfers will be the next wave to the PGA TOUR!
The five players that have moved INTO the FINALS Top 25 after Round Three relative to the start of the week are: Sepp Straka (65-66-64), Lucas Glover (64-64-68), Justin Lower (68-66-66), Henrik Norlander (67-67-67), Cameron Tringale (63-67-67).
Ben Silverman (63-68-67), Matt Every (64-68-70), and Ben Crane (64-69-74) were in after Round Two but now stand OUT as Nos. 26, 27, and 32 respectively.
The corresponding five players that have moved OUT of the FINALS Top 25 after Round Two relative to the start of the week are: Brian Campbell (69-68-69), Aaron Baddeley (68-67-CUT), Joseph Bramlett (71-68-CUT), Lanto Griffin (69-72-CUT), and Scott Pinckney (71-71-CUT).
Wes Roach (67-67-68) was out after Round One but became the ‘Bubble Boy’ at No. 25 going into Round Two and now sits at No. 23!
Jim Knous (67-69-70) was out after Round Two but is now the new ‘Bubble Boy’ at No. 25.
Others near the ‘Bubble Boy’:
No. 20: Justin Lower (68-66-66)
No. 21: Dylan Frittelli (65-72-68)
No. 22: Henrik Norlander (67-67-67)
No. 23: Wes Roach (67-67-68)
No. 24: Cameron Tringale (63-67-67)
No. 25: Jim Knous (67-69-70)
No. 26: Ben Silverman (63-68)
No. 27: Matt Every (64-68-70)
No. 28: Brian Campbell (69-68-69)
No. 29: Aaron Baddeley (68-70-CUT)
No. T30: Joseph Bramlett (71-68-CUT) and Lanto Griffin (69-72-CUT).
Michael Thompson (66-68-64) was out after Round Two but is now in again at No. 17 after a Saturday 64.
Sure to be an exciting Sunday finish at the 2018 Web.com Tour Championship at Atlantic Beach CC!
Let’s see what happens tomorrow!
With Frank at the ‘old’ JAX Beach Muni in September 2017…
Be like Frank!!!
I want to be like my friend Frank Rubino!
At age 92, today he shot a 91!
But more importantly, Frank is a great guy… warm & friendly, and FUNNY! I am thinking he will be shooting in the 90s well into his 100s!
God Bless Frank, a one-of-a-kind, but the right kind of unique spirit! TROML Baby! #BeLikeFrank
(Andy Reistetter; Facebook Post with 1 Pic; 9-22-18)
Boy Wonder & Birdie Machine Frank Rubino shoots 91 at age 92 in September 2018!
Great round of golf & fellowship with my golfing & YMCA buddy Frank Rubino & his two buddies Pat & Keith.
All together they have 78 years more life experience than me, so I watched & listened closely.
Frank was the first guy I played golf with when I came here 10 years ago. Love the JAX Beach Muni design and it is in pretty good shape. Can’t beat the $10.33 walking 18-hole rate for Super Seniors 65 and older!
What a day! TROML Baby!
(Andy Reistetter; Facebook Post with 30 Pics; 9-6-17)
Pics from our round of golf at the “old” JAX Beach Muni in September 2017:
