Feimster & Dixon Win ASGA 4-Ball in Playoff

Wagons Ho could have been the call as five-teams and spectators headed to the 15th tee on the Park Course Sunday afternoon for the playoff to determine the ASGA 4-Ball Champs. Matt Feimster (left) and Chris Dixon (center) recorded the only birdie and receive the Creekmore/Allison Trophy from Tim Zimmerebner (right), PGA Golf Professional at Hot Springs Country Club. Feimster/Dixon shot 66-71 for a seven-under par total of 137. Others in the playoff included six-time champs Stan & Louis Lee (69-68); defending champs Matt Wait & David Dyer (69-68); Mike Satterwhite & Drew Nichols (67-70); and Chris & Nick Rogers (65-72). First round medalists Russ Cooper and David Shirey struggled Sunday to miss the playoff by one stroke (64-74) as did Michael Chaney & Steven Dixon (65-73). The wind blew a constant 20-25 mph Saturday and Sunday's temp never climbed out of the low 50s with overcast conditions and breezy.

2003 Champs Cooper and Shirey Lead by One!

The 2003 ASGA 4-Ball Champions Russ Cooper of Hot Springs and David Shirey of Camden lead by one stroke after the first round of the 2010 ASGA 4-Ball at Hot Springs Country Club. The duo recorded 8 birdies and 10 pars on the Arlington Course in steady winds of 20-25 mph with gusts of up to 35 mph.

Two teams - Michael Chaney of Bentonville/Steven Dixon of Fayetteville and Nick Rogers/Chris Rogers, both of Fort Smith - fired rounds of 65. Chaney/Dixon had 5 birdies, 2 eagles, 2 bogies and 9 pars while Rogers/Rogers had 8 birdies, 1 bogie and 9 pars.

Defending champs Matt Wait and David Dyer opened with a 69, as did six-time Champs Stan Lee and Louis Lee of Heber Sprinngs.

The final round will be played today on the Park Course as temps have fallen into the upper 40s/low 50s following the storms that blew thru Hot Springs late Saturday afternoon.

The Creekmore/Allison trophy will be presented to the winner for the 25th time!

David Dyer & Matt Wait Defend ASGA 4-Ball Title

Dayid Dyer (left) and Matt Watt (center) defend their 2009 ASGA 4-Ball title this weekend at the Hot Springs Country Club.

Dyer and Wait shot 68-63 for a 13-under par total of 131 to win over the Park & Arlington Courses last year.

A full field of 56 teams will compete. Also shown is PGA Professional Barry Howard, who serves HSCC as Director of Golf and General Manager.

Interviews Conducted Saturday; More Monday

Interviews for the newly created position Director of Junior/Women's Golf were conducted on Saturday, March 20 and more are scheduled for Monday, March 22. The ASGA seeks to expand its junior program, which has been strong for years but never had a person dedicated specifically for the job; and create new opportunities for women to enjoy competitive individual golf. The ASGA is hosting its inaugural Women's and Senior Women's Stroke Play Championship at Hot Springs Country Club July 19-21 and is adding four new "Designated" tournaments in Fort Smith, El Dorado, Pine Bluff and Russellville. The ASGA will also be crowning its first-ever women's and senior women's player of the year at the ASGA Golf Awards Banquet October 28 at Chenal Country Club.

The members of the ASGA Interview Committee include myself, Dennis Young, President; Cippy Smith, Treasurer and Chairman of the Women's Committee; Kathe Parson, a member of the Women's Committee; and Chester Lowe, Chairman of the Junior Committee. Once the position has been filled, the name of the successful applicant will be released.

Second Day of Spring? Really?

As snow covers most of northwest Arkansas, and parts of western Arkansas - and it is 39 degrees in the capital city of Little Rock - is today really the second day of spring? The old saying about Arkansas weather: if you don't like it, stick around for 30 minutes it will change. How true. I played golf late Friday afternoon in a short-sleeve shirt - while some played in shorts. Most Arkansans that like to chase this little white ball have been waiting for spring and here it is. Good news is warming weather by next weekend and KATV predicts the high to be 70 on Saturday, just in time for the ASGA 4-Ball!

On another note, long-time friend and one of Arkansas' best journalist has written a wonderful column about Tiger Woods and his return to the Masters which pretty much sums up my thoughts too.

http://arkansasnews.com/2010/03/17/get-to-the-golf-already/

I am ready for spring, the ASGA 4-Ball and The Masters - and warmer (and drier) weather!

ASGA 4-Ball Has Full Field

The 25th ASGA 4-Ball has a full field of 54 teams at Hot Springs Country Club March 27-28 - and the tournament is more than a week away. This just proves to me that Arkansas golfers are ready to put this bleak, dreary and unusually wet winter behind us, get to spring and play some golf. In fact, we have a couple of teams on the waiting list.

Teams will play the Arlington Course on Saturday and the Park Course, formerly known as the Majestic Course on Sunday. Matt Wait and David Dyer are the defending champions.

Tee times for the silver anniversary can be found on the ASGA website and they have been emailed to all teams!

Now all we need is some warm weather and no rain - PLEASE!

Travelling Lad Attracting Media Attention

Holly Sonders of KATV Channel 7 interviews Dylan Dethier about his journey to play at least one course in the 48 continental states today at Rebsamen Golf Course in Little Rock. Following the interview, Sonders, a 2-handicapper and former collegiate player at Michigan State & Dethier (pronounced Da Chair), an 18-year-old with a 4-handicap, had a brief challenge on the driving range. The interview is scheduled to air tomorrow (Thursday) on KATV and will be linked to this blog as soon as it is available. Special thanks to George Earls, facility supervisor at Rebsamen, for not only allowing the interview and challenge match to take place on the driving range, but allowing Dylan to see experience the challenging Rebsamen layout along the banks of the Arkansas River and the new Champion Bermuda greens. I imagine if you check out Dylan's blog at www.eighteeninamerica.blogspot.com, in the near future you might see a photo of the signature 13th hole at Rebsamen - with the city skyline in the background. Earlier today, Bob Steel interviewed Dylan on KARN and he has also been featured in USA Today and on a Jacksonville, FL television station - all linked to his blog. Thursday the journey continues into Oklahoma!

27 States Down - 21 More To Go!

Dylan Dethier graduated from high school in Williamstown, Massachusetts in 2009 and was immediately accepted into college. He decided to put college off for a year, and with the help of his older brother, convinced his parents to allow him to travel America playing golf. So the 18-year-old loaded up his Subaru and set out on a journey most of us can only dream about. He arrived in Arkansas at the start of the week - his 27th state out of 200 days on the road - and on Thursday, March 18, the journey takes him down I-40 West into Oklahoma, with other golf courses lined up including Muskogee Country Club where former Arkansan Sam Meredith is the PGA Professional. He is picking up a friend at the Tulsa airport to "share the road" with him for a few days, including a trip to the 2nd round of the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament in Oklahoma City Saturday. Since he has been in Little Rock and heard all about the UALR Lady Trojans (and actually watched the NCAA Women's Selection Show at the Fox house), he might even take in Sunday night's first round women's game between UALR and Georgia Tech in Norman, OK. Early next week it is on to Colorado, then Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri, Tennessee and Kentucky and states farther east. The journey is scheduled to end June 1st, allowing a little receovery time before college this fall. He won't leave Arkansas empty handed with an ASGA logo shirt, hat and towel - and enough snacks, bottled water and soft drinks to get him a little farther down the road! Read about his journey at www.eighteeninamerica.blogspot.com

Hot Springs Village is our First Stop!

John Paul, Director of Golf at Hot Springs Village (far left) offered to host Dylan (third from left) on his journey across America and Rick Ross (second from left), Professional/Supervisor at Magellan Golf Course not only played with Dylan and I - but also promptly birdied the first two holes! It was a cold day to me (high 50s/low 60s and partly cloudy) but not to Dylan. By the time we started, he was in shorts and a short-sleeve golf shirt (must have seemed like a Massachusetts summer day!) Despite the wet conditions, Magellan was in great shape and was the only remaining Village course that had not been aerified - so it was the natural choice. Like any 18-year-old, Dylan is often unkind to the ball going at his driver full-force on every swing, often out driving me by 40 to 50 yards. There was one hole though (#15) where I snuck it by him by cutting off the corner on a dogleg par-5 (I am not sure he is over that yet). Dylan is a good player - an admitted 4 handicapper and wound up with a 77 (playing the ball down). It was a fun day and glad I was a small part of it!

Eighteen in America Journey Arrives in Arkansas

A few weeks ago my good friend Steve Foehl, Executive Director of the New Jersey State Golf Association, asked me to help a friend of a friend who was travelling through Arkansas on almost a year-long journey through the continental United States. Dylan Dethier (pronounced Da Chair) arrived in the capital city Monday night and my wife and I welcomed him into our home. Dylan is shown with his Subaru Outback and estimates sleeping in his car in rest areas, etc. on as many as 80 of the 200 nights he has been on the road. Read all about his journey at www.eighteeninamerica.blogspot.com - he is a talented writer and storyteller!

Joe Foley: Champion Golfer and Coach

Joe Foley (right) shown with his father, Buck at an ASGA Monk Wade Father & Son in the late 1980s, has turned the UALR Women's Basketball Program around in a big way. Normally, you will see a golf blog in this space and in a small way, this is still a golf blog. Joe Foley started at UALR seven years ago and today had the Trojans on the brink of its first NCAA bid losing a 70-68 OT heart-breaker to Middle Tennessee in the Sun Belt Finals at the Summit Arena in Hot Springs. Maybe the Trojans impressed the selection committee enough to receive an at-large bid. If not, the Trojans will take their 26-6 record, including 21 straight into the Women's NIT. And if you recognize his father - maybe ole Buck has written you a ticket for speeding as a former Arkansas State Trooper in Harrison and Melbourne - or just because he is the father of quite possibly the best basketball coach ever in Arkansas - men or women! Way to go Joe - you will always be a Champion in my book!