PO Box 4306, Helena MT 59604-4306 (406) 458-3359 September 2015 - Volume 5, Issue 9 Spencer Williams’ Mid-Am Performance For the Ages September Tournaments Nick Dietzen, MSGA Communications Director September 1 The MSGA Competitions Committee voted to adjust the Mid- Labor Day Chapman Amateur age limit from 30 to 25 years of age. This switch does Livingston GC (Livingston) two things. It aligns with the USGA’s age requirement and, September 3 hopefully, will attract additional Legends Tournament Buffalo Hill GC (Kalispell) entries. September 3-20 vTour THE LAST BEST PLACE The Mid-Am’s age limit was enacted Register at www.msgagolf.org to provide some distance between the exceptional September 4-5 high school and collegiate talent, as well as those Kabinski Classic recently out of college, and provide another major tournament that those who Pine Meadows GC (Lewistown) may not have been in non-stop competition could enter and compete in. September 5-6 Coors Light 2 Person Challenge Spencer Williams, originally of Great Falls, and currently of Helena, would wel- Anaconda CC (Anaconda) come all challengers, regardless of age, after he turned in a performance for the September 5-7 78th Labor Day Tournament ages at Bozeman’s Riverside Country Club. Buffalo Hill GC (Kalispell) September 5-7 Williams’ final-round 63 (-8) not only tied the course record at Riverside, but Labor Day Classic also helped him break 200 for the three-day event, Butte CC (Butte) with a total of 199 (-14). September 6 Greenskeeper Billings golfer, Jerry Pearsall, led the tournament go- Signal Point GC (Fort Benton) ing into Saturday’s final round by one shot, but Wil- September 8 liams would manage to birdie an amazing 10 holes, RMSPGA (YC) Ladies Pro Am to go along with seven pars and the lone blemish, a Eaglerock GC (Billings) September 11 double-bogey on the par-3 sixth hole. Williams did Ladies Triad not go two holes without a birdie in his final round. Eaglerock GC (Billings) Jim Opitz (left) presenting September 11-13 trophies to Spencer Williams The 6,327-yard Riverside Country Club was in excel- Montana Open lent shape and yielded some low scores, including a Larchmont GC (Missoula) first-round, back nine, of 28 by Pearsall who made seven birdies in September 12 nine holes (par 35). Fall Classic Deer Park GC (Deer Lodge) Williams margin of victory was 10 shots and his 199 total was the September 12 lowest ever in the near half-century of the MSGA Mid-Amateur. Night Flyer Stillwater GC (Columbus) September 12 Pearsall and former professional Kyle Cianflone, of Hamilton, tied Seeley Lake Pond Hockey Fundraiser for second place at 209 and were the only other players under par Double Arrow Resort (Seeley Lake) for the tournament. Finishing in fourth ...Continued on the next page Jerry Pearsall September 12 WILLIAMS... from previous page World’s Toughest was Mark Houser of Bozeman at 213 (even par). Four shots back, Cabinet View GC (Libby) in a tie for fifth, were Chris Haas of Bozeman and Chris Hunter of September 12-13 Pepsi Gallatin Valley Open (RMSPGA) Billings at 217. Cottonwood Hills GC (Bozeman) September 13 Bill Roberts Golf Course of Helena retained the Cook Cup with Alice Open Williams and last year’s Mid-Amateur Champion, Parker Heller, Pine Meadows GC (Lewistown) having the combined low scores September 13 for a given club. The Elks Kyle Cianflone Polson Bay GC (Polson) Next August, the Mid-Amateur September 14 will be hosted at Polson Bay Golf PNWPGA (WMC) Pro-Am Course. Meadow Lark CC (Great Falls) September 14 RMSPGA (YC) Pro Am Parker Heller and Spencer Williams Hilands GC (Billings) September 17 Kalispell High School Invitational Williams’ Outstanding Achievements Buffalo Hill GC (Kalispell) George Geise, MSGA Board Member September 19-20 Canyon Cup When Spencer Williams fired an 8-under-par 63 at Riverside Big Sky Resort GC (Big Sky) Country Club in Bozeman in the final round of the State Mid- September 19-20 Amateur Tournament on August 16th, it was the lowest 18-hole Ladies Yellowstone County Amateur round ever shot at the 47-year-old event. Yellowstone CC (Billings) September 20 But it wasn’t the lowest round – relative to par – that Williams Bigfork High School Golf Classic has produced in his outstanding career. “I’ve had about five 63s, Eagle Bend GC (Big Fork) including a 9-under-par round here at Bill Roberts,” Williams said from Helena, September 20 where he now lives after growing up in Great Falls. Cowboy Hall of Fame Tournament Overland GC (Big Timber) September 20 Williams established a new Mid-Am tournament record with his 54-hole total Go Low 2 Person Scramble of 199. The previous record was 200, a total posted by Air Force pilot Ben Leest- Bridger Creek GC (Bozeman) ma at Meadow Lark CC in Great Falls back in 2011. That was one year before September 20 Williams won his first State Mid-Amateur in Missoula. Prostate Cancer Awareness Scramble Buffalo Hill GC (Kalispell) After earning 150 points for his Mid-Am victory, Williams now ranks fourth on September 23-24 the MSGA points list, with 245 points. He trails leader Ryan Porch of Kalispell Idaho Open (RMSPGA) (585), young Ryggs Johnston of Libby (425), and veteran Craig Hurlbert of Teton Springs Resort (Victor, ID) Hamilton (257.5). The top three in the points standings as of Aug. 1, 2016, are September 26 Fore Fun eligible to represent Montana at the USGA Team Championships, to be played Signal Point GC (Fort Benton) in Indiana in September 2016. September 26 Granny Lueck Charity Scramble Williams plans to play one more event on the MSGA points circuit this year Madison Meadows (Ennis) when he returns to Bozeman for the Gallatin Valley Open, to be played Septem- September 26-27 ber 12-13 at Cottonwood Hills Golf Course. That’s the same weekend that the Mens Yellowstone County Amateur Montana Open will be contested at Larchmont Golf Course in Missoula. Hilands GC (Billings) September 28-29 Williams’s second Mid-Amateur victory also qualified him for induction into RMSPGA (YC) Championship the MSGA Hall of Fame in 2016. Also being inducted next year will be Brandon Riverside CC (Bozeman) McIver of Billings, a University of Oregon golfer who won State Amateur cham- Do you want to see pionships in 2013 and 2014. something in the newsletter? Contact Nick Dietzen at: Geise is a retired Great Falls Tribune sports editor who writes a weekly column during the golf [email protected] season. He also serves on the Board of Directors of the Montana State Golf Association, and (406) 459-3459 contributes columns for this newsletter. He can be reached at [email protected]. - 2 - What Do The Letters Mean? Emily Hulsey, MSGA Handicap and Website Coordinator Have you ever wondered just what those letters mean on your score record or next to your handicap? Here’s a quick review: Big Sky Country Open PARTICIPATION PRIZES: SCORE RECORD Lewis Gundlach, Yegen GC If you are looking at your score record (online, course kiosk, or Roger Amundson, Marian Hills GC smartphone app), you will see a letter on the right side of each Brad Martens, Canyon River GC Tim Keating, Laurel GC score line. These indicate either the score type or method posted. Gene Garrison, Buffalo Hill GC H = Home score Joe Rossman, Valley View GC A = Away score (score played on a course other than your own) John Brewer, Bill Roberts GC I = Internet score (posted online) Mary Bryson, Green Meadow CC AI = Away score, posted online Joan Culler, Indian Sprgs Ranch GC C = Combined score (two 9-hole scores) Susan Zeeck, Polson Bay GC CI = Combined score, posted online Melissa Anderson, Lake Hills GC T = Tournament score Laura Wikstrom, Glacier View GC TI = Tournament score, posted online Kathy Siegfried, Village Greens GC P = Penalty score (posted by the handicap committee) Rocky Mountain Showdown HANDICAP INDEX or TREND HANDICAP PARTICIPATION PRIZES: Sometimes you will see a letter next to your Handicap Index or Trend Handicap. Dan Gaughan, Bill Roberts GC Troy Stiles, Yellowstone CC This could indicate that your handicap is restricted in some way. Dave Whisenand, Eagle Rock GC Pete Peterson, Judith Shadows GC L = Local Use Only – All Trend Handicaps will have an “L” next to them, Mitch Rasmussen, Larchmont GC because they are not an official handicap until the next revision. The MSGA Guy LaVoie, Village Greens GC revisions are calculated the 1st and 15th of each month. Sometimes you will see Pam Kaufman, Lake Hills GC an “L” next to an official Handicap Index. This is usually because it exceeds the Cathy Burnham, Valley View GC maximum USGA Handicap Index of 36.4 for Men or 40.4 for Women. Any- Carol Bennett, Madison Meadows GC thing over this can only be used at your Home course, and only if allowed. Tess Lind, Larchmont GC Susan Jerke, King Ranch GC SL = Short Course, Local Use Only – Per USGA guidelines, handicaps calculat- Tracey Whisenand, Whitefish Lake GC ed using Par 3 scores cannot be mixed with handicaps calculated using regular course scores. This is because a Par 3 handicap is calculated using a different USGA formula. It’s like comparing apples to oranges. For this reason, a Short Course handicap is NOT portable and can only be used at the home course, or at another Par 3 course. R = Restriction – A Handicap Index is displayed with an “R” (ex: 10.4R) because two or more tournament scores are affecting the handicap calcula- tion.