Tuesday, February 17, 2015
ACE Group Classic-Champions Tour in Naples
Spectators were permitted to walk down the 18th fairway on the last round...until the playoff!
There were typical, somewhat nasty breezes pushing golf balls around the fairways at Twin Eagles Golf Course in Naples throughout the weekend. They did not affect Colin Montgomerie significantly, as he carded a five under par 67 to lead the field after the first round.
I spent the day following Rod
Spittle, Marco Dawson and Gene Sauers. Dawson played well, and finished at
three under, two strokes back of Montgomerie. Spittle bogeyed the first hole,
recovered to birdie the third. He also birdied the 11th, and
finished the day at one under par.
“I played pretty well today,” he told
me after the round. “Good, steady golf”. Several opportunities to birdie holes
fell just short, or rimmed the cup. These putts were not short ones, all outside
ten feet. But they were not dropping, and that affected the bottom line.
Harry R. Meek, Ohio State supporter of Rod Spittle
(Walked the entire course all three rounds.)
I believe he was in the sand but
once, and, on that occasion, chipped close enough to hole the putt to save par.
He plays methodically, as did his playing partners. In fact, many of the fans
observing these pros on the Champions Tour remark at how accurate they are. On
most holes it comes down to the simple game itself. Par four: drive, chip, two
putts, par.
Spittle ended the tournament with
three identical scores of 71 for each round. That placed him in a group that
included Fuzzy Zoeller, and they received $ 14 920 for their efforts. Dawson
finished at nine under par, and pocketed $ 54 400.
The tournament ended in a truly amazing
fashion. Lee Janzen trailed Bart Bryant by one stroke as they headed to the 18th
tee. The hole can be a real killer, as the pin was set near the edge of a nasty
water hazard. It is reputed to be the second most difficult hole to birdie on
the entire tour. Both players drove to the centre of the fairway. Janzen
chipped to with 12 feet. Bryant pared the hole, and Janzen, remarkably, sunk
his birdie putt. They headed back to the 18th tee for a playoff.
Lee Janzen, after sinking his playoff putt.
(Courtesy PGA Media)
Bryant chipped his second shot into
the drink, and Janzen won easily. It was an emotional win for Janzen,
understandably so. His last tournament win was the U. S. Open in 1998. Esteban
Toledo finished third, followed by Scott Dunlap and Colin Montgomerie. Bryant
tied the course record with his final round 62, which he began with an eagle on
the first hole.
Montgomerie is a true competitor. Wherever he plays, he plays to win. He is a very successful professional athlete, pocketing almost $ 10 000 000 last year, with three million coming from the game, the rest from endorsements. His itinerary almost defies logic. In the two weeks surrounding the ACE Classic, it reads something like this: Hawaii to L. A., California to Scotland, to Miami, back to Scotland, then on to Sydney, Australia, to the Middle East, then on to Arizona. "Ive got my season ticket on British Airways, I'm all right," he added. "The Commute is rather long...but well worth it".
I followed Spittle for most of the
tournament . He is surrounded by family, for the most part, on his rounds:
children, grandchildren, friends, in-laws, and his wife Anne. Even a few
supporters from Ohio State, his alma mater. Occasionally, a fan would holler,
“Nice shot, Chippewa,” Spittle’s home town. He marks his ball on the green with
a Canadian dime.
Stephen Ames
Two other Canadians were in the hunt.
Stephen Ames finished at four under par, while Jim Rutledge was three over,
finishing with a sparkling round of 68.
Fuzzy Zoeller fan, Yvon Guillemette, from Sherbrooke
(Zoeller signed several balls during the round)
It is great opportunity to see so
many of your favourite golfers, up close and personal: Curtis Strange, Ben
Crenshaw, Hale Irwin, Bob Gilder, Steve Pate, Jeff Sluman, Duffy Waldorf and
Mark O’Meara, just to name a few. The boys head to Arizona in a couple of weeks
to continue the tour. You can follow their exploits on the Golf Channel.
Yours truly with Rod Spittle
James Hurst
February 16, 2015
Sportslices.blogspot.com
# posted by James Hurst @ 9:52 AM 
