Final 2009 ASGA Junior Tourney at Texarkana CC

Historic Texarkana Country Club, where the legendary Byron Nelson once hung his hat as golf professional, hosts the final ASGA Junior Designated Tournament of 2009 this week. The ASGA Mountain Valley Junior Boys and Girls Stroke Play is August 4-6 and 54 holes will determine both player of the year titles. Hunter Smith and Colby Benton are neck-and-neck in the boys race and Katie Webb leads Summar Roachelle by a narrow margin in the girls race. Last year's junior girls stroke at Pine Bluff CC went 54 holes - and then 6 more in a playoff between Taylor Fisher and Roachelle. Fisher won the tournament and the ASGA Junior Girls Player of the Year. It is unknown at this point what will unfold at TCC, but one thing is clear: Superintendent Ken Sawyer has the course in great shape (he always does) even after 8 inches of rain recently. Tee times are 8:00 - 9:30 off #1 & #10 first two days. Players are repaired for Thursday's final round. I apologize for not "blogging" recently - five days at the US Junior Am in NJ and a week in Ardmore, OK for the Big I National Championship - I will catch up and hope to blog everyday from TCC this week. Stay tuned.......more excitement to follow!

The Future of Golf is in Good Hands!

The future of this wonderful game is in the hands of our young players - and these three players are true gentlemen of the game. Shown, from left, Trent Burroughs, 11 of Donaldson; Zach Leming, 11, of Malvern; and Logan DePriest, 10 of Marshall. I was lucky to draw these fine young players in my group today at the Arkansas PGA Chapter Junior Tour State Finals at Burns Park. Trent qualified to go to Oklahoma with a fine round of 41, while Logan had a 44 and Zach a 46. It was not only their golf skill that impressed me - THEY ACTED LIKE GENTLEMEN - and that should make their families very proud! Check out the winners photos at www.asga.org

Good Luck to All in PGA Junior Tour

Congratulations and good luck to all the boys and girls participating in the Arkansas PGA Chapter Junior Tour State Tournament this week.

The younger boys and girls will play Burns Park on Wednesday and the older boys and girls will play Greystone (Cypress Creek Course) on Thursday. The low qualifiers in each age division will advance to the South Central PGA Section Tournament later this month.

Special thanks to all members of the Arkansas PGA Chapter who hosted regional tournaments and to Steve Ralston, PGA Professional at Burns Park and Dustin Ralston, PGA Professional at Greystone for hosting the state tournaments. I have been invited to play and appreciate the invite and look forward to playing with the juniors both days. A number of PGA Professionals from across the state will also be playing.

Please check the ASGA website - www.asga.org - as we hope to have photos of the winners!

Ball on Putting Green - Do You Have to Putt?

An interesting rules situation happened at the ASGA Mountain Valley Junior Match Play at Foxwood G.C. in Jacksonville. Lane Hulse's ball came to rest on the front left of the 14th green and the hole was on the upper tier. The contour of the green made it almost impossible to putt and being the talented player he is, he took a sandwedge and chipped the ball over the fringe. Note that his caddie, Wilson Anthony is attending the flagstick because the ball is on the green. Hulse did not take a divot, instead sweeping the ball off the turf and went on to make par! So the answer is no, you do not have to putt - sometimes you have to chip a ball on the green!

What Powers ASGA Champions - Chocolate Milk?

Whew! I can finally catch my breath. June was a busy month for the ASGA. We crowned Champions in the Men's Stroke, Mid-Senior Stroke, Junior Boys Match, Junior Girls Match and Monk Wade Father & Son.

I was cleaning off my desk, looking at some of the hundreds of photos the ASGA staff takes during tournament season and this one caught my eye. Micah Radler, our Junior Girls Match Play Champion and her brother/caddie Sawyer drinking Chocolate Milk during play at Foxwood - not Gatorade, Powerade or Vitamin Water. That's their Dad, Hug, catching some shade in the background!

Radler Wins Mountain Valley Junior Girls Match

Micah Radler of Fayetteville won three of the first five holes agaubst Libby Croom of Russellville and cruised to a 6&5 victory in the finals of the ASGA Mountain Valley Junior Girls Match Play Championship at Foxwood Golf Club in Jacksonville. Radler received custody of the Mary Perrin Trophy from Foxwood PGA Professional Rick Jenkins. Perrin won numerous state championships back in he 1950s and is a member of the Arkansas Golf Hall of Fame.

At the closing ceremony Jenkins congratulated both players and said they will remember this day their whole life. He also shared a story about the 1976 ASGA Junior Match Play where this blogger defeated Jenkins in the semi-finals and Rick said he still remembers lots of things about that match. I lost in the finals to Donny Davis of Fort Smith.

Nick Zimmerman of North Little Rock faces Ethan King in the boys finals Thursday at 8:30 a.m. Zimmerman won the 2008 ASGA Mountain Valley Junior Stroke at Pine Bluff Country Club and has the chance to complete the "Zimmerman Slam." The winner will receive the Fred Gordy trophy. To see either bracket, scroll down at www.asga.org

Medalists Eliminated in Junior Match Play

Co-medalist in the ASGA Mountain Valley Junior Boys Match Play, Richard Zimmerman of Mountain Home, was eliminated by Tim Netherton of Conway 2&1 in the round of 32 this morning at Foxwood Golf Club. "We just ran into a buzz-saw," Lang Zimmerman, father of Richard, and managing partner of Big Creek Country Club in Mountain Home, said. "Tim played great and made a bunch of birdies." Zimmerman did not leave Foxwood empty handed and was presented the medalist trophy by ASGA Intern Josh Wright. Big Creek hosted the ASGA Match Play earlier this year.

The other co-medalist, Andrew Flesher of Little Rock, survived a scare winning 1-up over Austin Eoff of Benton.

The medalist in the ASGA Mountain Valley Junior Match Play, Katie Webb of Heber Springs, was eliminated 1-up by Madison Talley of Clarksville. Defending champion Summar Roachell cruised into the semi-finals with a 6&5 win over Little Rock's Grace Grubb. Micah Radler of Fayetteville also advanced to the semi-finals with a 7&6 decision over Stephanie Leake of Little Rock The girls finals will be Wednesday morning at 8:45.