This and that about Cape Region golfers
August 1, 2008
This week’s column discusses a few different Cape Region golfers.
Robinson makes the grade
Former Worcester Prep and Rehoboth Junior Open standout Julia Robinson continued her development as a fine golfer, in her first year of competition at Brown University during the 2007-2008 season.
Her collegiate efforts, both on and off the course, did not go without notice.
Recently the National Golf Coaches Association named Robinson an All-American Scholar, joining two other Brown Bear teammates in earning this prestigious award.
The minimum qualifications for the designation are certainly stiff enough. College golfers must maintain a minimum 3.50 grade point average, and also be good enough to play in at least 50 per cent of their team’s regularly scheduled competitive rounds during the season.
According to the sports information folks at Brown, Robinson was the Bears’ second leading scorer at the Yale Tournament, Princeton Invitational, and the Dartmouth Triangular. She was also Brown’s third leading scorer at the Ivy League Championship and the Dartmouth Invitational.
More recently, Brown volunteered at the scorer’s board during this year’s Rehoboth Beach Junior Open, held in mid-June at Rehoboth Beach Country Club.
Her experience might help inspire other Cape Region juniors to work on their game, as well as their studies.
Sussex Pines and Prospect Bay compete in first Delmarva B League Match
Blasé Gavlick is an affable, highly qualified wealth manager for his clients at Wilmington Trust, and a welcome volunteer for Sussex County cultural centers such as the Possum Point Players and the Rehoboth Beach Film Society.
He’s also really keen on competitive golf, and a member of Sussex Pines Country Club in Georgetown.
Gavlick and a few of his fellow golfing buddies recently formed the Delmarva B Golf League, as part of their efforts to promote inter-club golf contests.
For each match, teams of six players from each club travel to their counterpart to compete in the fourball format, also known as better ball of partners. Six more players stay at the home course to host six golfers from the other club.
They are called the B teams because a verified six is the lowest permitted handicap for the players. If their handicaps were any lower, those players would definitely be on any Cape Region club’s A team.
Teams from Sussex Pines CC and Prospect Bay Country Club in Grasonville, Maryland competed in the inaugural match on July 13. Prospect Bay won the first match.
At Sussex Pines, Rob Harig and Rene Duvall of Prospect Bay defeated Frank Tusso and Bud Townsend, 2-1. Stu Warner and Bert Bigelow of Prospect Bay defeated Harry Gonyer and Neal McCauley of Sussex Pines, 3-0, and Bill Duvall and Tom Phelps defeated Bob McVey and David Quinn of Sussex Pines, 2-1.
The Sussex Pines traveling squad fared a little better at Prospect Bay. Tom Bowen and Jim Walls of Prospect Bay defeated Kris Scott and Sam Moncure, 3-0, but Gavlick and Ron Lewis halved their match against Dave Taylor and John Woodall. Lee Peters and Fred Dean won for Sussex Pines against Ky Orlinski and Julian Orlinski, 2 ½-1/2.
Gavlick and his Sussex Pines gang are seeking to add new teams from other private and semi-private golf clubs for their B Team league, with a potential wintertime meeting to set up a schedule for next spring. If you or your club is interested, contact Gavlick through the Sussex Pines pro shop, at 302-856-3363.
Oakley enjoys his July overseas
The Rookery’s Director of Golf, Pete Oakley, enjoyed his European Senior Tour rounds in July, after a busy but erratic series of tournaments in June.
The 2004 Senior British Open champion took fifth place in the Russian Seniors Open in Moscow July 4-6, winning 21,525 Euros for his four-under par finish.
Oakley then tied with Bill McColl for 68th place in challenging conditions in this year’s Senior British Open, held July 24-27 at Royal Troon in Ayrshire, Scotland.
At this point, Oakley is in 29th place on the European Tour’s Senior Order of Merit, and looking to improve his standing on the money list in the season’s remaining events.