Collegiate golf returns to Cape Region
October 1, 2004
Kings Creek Country Club once again hosted The Rehoboth Beach Invitational college golf tournament on Monday, September 27, with ten teams participating from nine schools from the East Coast and the Midwest.
The 36-hole event is recognized as a good test among the Mid-Atlantic college golf contingent. Kings Creek is a tight, target-style golf course, which frequently challenges the patience of the typical young long ball hitter. One golf coach once told me that he wished more of their matches were played on layouts such as Kings Creek, because it emphasizes ball-striking and golf course management skills.
George Washington University’s golf coach and host Ron Allen should be justifiably proud of his team’s performance. His A team took first place and his GW B team took third place overall. Even better, GW sophomore Jack Tyler (right) fired an even-par 144 (75-69) to win the event on a match of cards against Drexel’s Jeffery Michner (70-74=144). Tyler shot 6-under over his last 22 holes to overtake the rest of the competition. GW junior Andrew Gallo came in third with a 147 (76-71).
University of Delaware freshman Mike Strasburg scored 76 in the first round and 75 in the second round to place tied for sixth in his collegiate debut. He led his fellow Blue Hens to a ninth place team finish. The Delaware contingent also included sophomore Joe McLister, who shot 156 (80-76) to place 19th. UD junior and former Cape High standout J.J. Oakley placed 24th with a 157 (79-78). Junior Devin Milowe was 51st with a 168 (82-86), and sophomore Matt Grobstein was 54th with a score of 176 (80-96).
Here are the final team standings: 1. George Washington – 596; 2. Drexel – 602; 3. George Washington B – 618; 4. Monmouth – 621; 5. Delhi (NY) – 626; 6. Duquesne — 627; 7. Youngstown State and Iona – 628; 9. Delaware – 630; 10. Fairfield – 639.
The top 10 individuals finished as follows: 1. Jack Tyler (GW); 2. Jeffery Michner (Drexel); 3. Andrew Gallo (GW); 4. Anthony Campanile (Monmouth) & Alvaro Tapia (GW B), 74-75=149; 6. Joe April (Drexel), 78-73=151, Bob Rohr (GW B), 75-76=151, Scott Dizel (Drexel), 80-71=151, and Mike Strasburg (Delaware), 76-75=151.
A hole-in-one, and only thirty years in the making
Jay Reed has played golf since he was a teenager, and never had a hole-in-one.
The 46-year-old Milford resident finally broke that mythical barrier last weekend, and the circumstances were pretty special.
Reed watched his par-3 ninth hole tee shot roll in during the first round of the Shawnee Country Club Championship.
The hole was set up in Reed’s second flight group at 147 yards. That’s normally an 8-iron shot for Reed, but he says he used a 7-iron for him because he hadn’t been hitting as well as he liked. “I hit it off the toe,” Reed said.
“The pin was set with a trap in front of it, and all I was trying to do was get it over,” Reed explained. “I saw the ball clear the bunker, bounce once, and it just rolled in. I was shocked.”
Before making the shot, Reed was four strokes behind his fellow 11-handicap competitor, Cape Region golfer Ron Raver, who had played the first 8 holes in level par. “In all the excitement, though, Ron took a 6 [on that hole],” Reed said.
Raver recovered, however, and ended up winning the second flight championship over Reed by a single shot on the next day.
Golfers quickly began placing drink orders at the Shawnee bar, part of the standard ritual for holes-in-one at Shawnee and most other golf clubs.
For several years Reed paid into the hole-in-one club that helps cover the cost of “sharing in the good fortune,” as some might put it. Earlier this year he decided not to make the modest investment. “I figured that if I made a hole-in-one, I’d just enjoy it. And I am,” Reed laughed.