Friday, September 30, 2011

Nine SkyCaddie Owners Win At Am Tour National Championship

The results are in, and nine of the 12 champions at the Golf Channel Amateur Tour National Championship are SkyCaddie owners and members! Once again, the #1 Rangefinder in Golf has played a role in providing amateur golfers with the same reliable information as the tour professionals receive from their caddies to win a championship. The 2011 winners include: Paul Erdman, Tim Williams, Bradley Bishop, Suneil Aggarwal, Bilal Jordan, Larry Krogness, Clifford Conover, Jeff Couch, and Mark Millard. Over the next few weeks we are going to feature each winner as the SkyCaddie Golfer of the Week so you can get to know them. First up, meet Jeff Couch, winner of the Hogan Flight in the Senior National Championship.

SkyGolf is proud of its SkyCaddie Members for dominating against a very strong field of amateur golfers and winning their flight at their National Championship. For their efforts, each winner will receive a staff program from SkyGolf. Our SkyCaddie Champions will be equipment with the latest SkyCaddie products along with logo headwear, shirts and golf bags. In addition to the winners, SkyGolf would also like to recognize SkyCaddie Members Darrell Wilson, Richard Naef, and Frank Wallace for their top 10 performance.

The Golf Channel Amateur Tour National Championship is a challenging four-day, 72-hole stroke play event where golfers compete on several outstanding championship courses in La Quinta, California, including the La Quinta Resort (Mountain Course) and Club and PGA West (Greg Norman Course, Nicklaus Tournament Course and TPC Stadium Course).

Please join SkyGolf in congratulating all SkyCaddie Members who successfully competed in the Golf Channel Amateur Tour’s 2011 National Championship.



National Championship 1st Place Winners



Senior National Championship 1st Place Winners


Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Champions Pictures

National Champions - SkyCaddie Staff Winners


The SkyCaddie Staff Winners* from the National Championship were:

Champ Flight
Paul Erdman
Palmer Flight
Frank Wallace
Hogan Flight
Tim Williams
Sarazen Flight
Bradley Bishop
Jones Flight
Suneil Aggarwal
Snead Flight
Bilal Jordan

Each winner will receive:

  • SkyCaddie staff golf bag
  • SkyCaddie logoed shirt and hat
  • The soon to be released SkyCaddie SGXW with a FREE 1-year Eagle Membership.

All winners will be contacted directly by SkyCaddie.

*To be eligible for the SkyCaddie staff package you must own and use a SkyCaddie unit.

We are the champions


By Jason Sobel
September 27, 2011 10:36 PM ET
LA QUINTA, Calif. – There are a few magic numbers in golf. Like 59 and 18 – and if you have to ask, you’re probably on the wrong website right now.


At this week’s Golf Channel Am Tour national championship, some other magic numbers were in play.

There were 570 total competitors in the open division flights. They played in temperatures that reached 100 degrees each day. Which meant there were 20,000 total bottles of water consumed and more than 4,000 iced towels distributed.

There was one more magic number, too: Six. That’s how many national champions were crowned on 

Tuesday. These are their stories:

Paul Erdman knows all about close calls.

“I’m probably the only guy who’s missed the U.S. Open by a shot, the U.S. Amateur by a shot, U.S. PubLinks by a shot and U.S. Mid Am by a shot,” the affable 43-year-old said. “I mean, losing in playoffs and stuff. It’s always been a shot here or a shot there.”

Not this time. Erdman parlayed a final-round 2-under 70 into a three-stroke victory in the Championship Flight, as he was the only player in the 65-man field to break par for the tournament.
Throughout the last day, he always knew what was at stake.

“The heart is pumping, breathing getting heavy – that’s something I’m not used to,” he said. “I haven’t had that much adrenaline going through me in a long time. That’s hard work dealing with that stuff.”
Erdman is no stranger to hard work. He founded the golf program at University of Maryland-Baltimore County, which is now defunct, then worked as a general manager and head professional before regaining his amateur status in 1999.

Now an insurance agent in Erie, Colo., this culminated a perfect season, as he won every single Golf Channel Am Tour event in which he competed – but it was the last one that meant the most.

“This is great, man,” he said excitedly. “I just won something that I’ve been thinking about for years and years.”





As winner of the Palmer Flight two years ago, Patrick Polzin had some words of advice for 54-hole leader Kyle Zeitz prior to the final round.


“It’s tough playing in the lead,” Polzin said from experience. “I let him know that last night. I also told him this is the course I shot 68 on and that he was going to have a hard time sleeping.


“I told Kyle, ‘You know, buddy, I hope I have an opportunity to put some heat on you early and see what you’re made of. I want to make you earn it. If you win and you beat me, I’m fine with that.”

It didn’t happen. Zeitz posted four double-bogeys in his final six holes to turn a five-shot lead into a six-shot loss.

For his part, Polzin, a 45-year-old sheet metal worker from Indian Head Park, Ill., just played solid golf as his playing partner flailed, taking his second title in three years.


“I didn’t think he was going to crumble,” Polzin said, “but I planted the seeds in his head last night. That’s fair game.”





As a golfer, Tim Williams calls himself a “competition freak.” As a solution architect for Dr. Pepper Snapple Group, he calls himself a “geek.”


Great combination, huh?


“Actually,” Williams said with a laugh, “not really.”


The Hogan Flight’s self-described freak-and-geek needed to make a par on the final hole to win his first national championship title.


“I tried not to let the pressure get to me,” said the 43-year-old from McKinney, Texas. “On the outside, you wouldn’t  know I was under pressure, but on the inside, I was just in knots. This is one of the first times I’ve ever felt pressure like this.”


After the round, Williams appeared more tired and relieved than triumphant, but maintained it was just a result of all the mental energy he used up on the course.


“It wasn’t a very difficult course, but I made it difficult,” he explained. “I said to myself, ‘This is it. Last group. Let’s just step on the pedal.’ And that’s what I did.”




For a guy who had never played the Golf Channel Am Tour prior to this year, Brad Bishop didn’t realize how nervous he could get. 


“I joined it just for the competition. I never imagined coming here, but I qualified, so I came,” he explained. “But from the first tee shot all the way through the round, I was pretty nervous.”


Coming down the stretch in the final round of the Sarazen Flight, Bishop led by just a single stroke with two holes to play, but extended that differential to four en route to the victory.


After opening rounds of 89-85, the Alden, N.Y. closed 80-81 – not far off from his career best of 77.

“Everything went my way, I guess,” said the 31-year-old residential painter. I just kept saying I wanted to hit the fairways and the middle of every green – and I think I only missed one fairway today.”




Just after closing out his Jones Flight victory by a single stroke, Suneil Aggarwal was posing for photographs while kissing the crystal trophy. 


“I like the way that sounds,” he said with a laugh.


The sound should be familiar. Aggarwal, 39, successfully defended last year’s title in wire-to-wire fashion, though he needed to make a five-foot bogey putt on the final hole to clinch the victory.


“I can’t say it feels better this year,” explained the Alpharetta, Ga., resident, who works as a vice president of sales for a technology company, “but it does, a little bit.”


Consider this one validation, as last year’s final round was rained out, giving Aggarwal a weather-shortened three-round triumph.


“This puts to rest a lot of people who were questioning whether I could hold it together for four days,” he said. “I know I was questioning whether I could hold it together for four days.”





Bilal Jordan just started playing golf in late-2007. It quickly turned from a hobby to a passion to an obsession.

How much of one? Since qualifying for the Snead Flight national championship in early August, the Houston-based physician and insurance company owner traveled to the Jim McLean Golf School in Palm Springs three separate times to work on his game.


The extra effort paid off, as he posted the best score of the final round – an 88 to secure the title by four strokes.


“I want to get better. My goal is to continue to get better,” said Jordan, 32. “I put in some additional work and it paid off. Hard work pays off.”


It should be noted that he is the first player in quite a long time to win while decked out in a red shirt, black pants and a TW-logo hat.


“I had to represent the Tiger red today,” he said with a laugh. “I had to put on the red and black.”

Golf's a kid's game

By Jason Sobel
September 27, 2011 11:36 AM ET

LA QUINTA, Calif. – Charlie Reiter isn’t quite sure how many golf trophies he owns. Maybe 60 or 70. Lots of medals and other sorts of celebratory trinkets, too. Somewhere in the neighborhood of 150 or so.
Hey, it makes sense. He can’t even keep track of his wins. His father, Michael, thinks he won 18 times in a 24-start span in “either 2009 or 2010.” His instructor, Tom Anton, maintains that he claimed 30 titles in 35 total events last year. This year he’s taken “about 15 or 18 or 20 – somewhere in there,” says his dad.

And Charlie? Well, he just shrugs and shakes his head in bewilderment.

After all, that’s a lot of math for a 12-year-old.

The preteen from nearby Palm Desert is competing in an otherwise adult field at this week’s Golf Channel Amateur Tour national championships, which would be remarkable if not for his past achievements at this event. Two years ago, he easily triumphed in his flight.

And no, it doesn’t take any complicated math to realize he was just 10 years old at the time.
“We’re trying to teach him about context and how to play. That’s why he’s playing with the adults,” says Anton, who has worked with Charlie for four years. “I want him comfortable in crowds. I want him comfortable so if he’s a rookie and he’s playing with Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson, it will be like he’s 12 years old and playing with the adults.”

That’s right. Despite being just 5-feet tall and 82 pounds “if he eats a large pizza,” his dad jokes, Charlie is already thinking big. Currently playing to a 7.1 index, he makes no bones about his long-term dreams and desires.

“I want to get onto the PGA Tour,” he boldly states, “and I want to win a lot.”

There is no foolproof method for reaching the sport’s most elite level, but Michael is attempting to draw up the blueprint for his son. Charlie plays golf every single day and often travels hundreds of miles to compete in tournaments on the weekends. During the summer months, they hike a nearby mountain every morning at 6 a.m. And just this year, he started working with noted putting guru Dave Stockton, Jr. on his short game.
If that sounds more like the schedule of a seasoned professional than a kid in middle school, well, there’s good reason for that. It’s all about the end result.

“I’m right along there for the ride,” explains Michael, who was once a scratch player. “I worked at it hard and never quite got there, but Charlie’s got the opportunity. He’s got the talent, he’s got the swing. But you’ve got to have mental toughness out there. I mean, those PGA Tour guys are tough. … But if that’s what he wants to do, I’m backing him all the way. I think he can do it. No doubt about it.”
At such a young age, though, it’s no certainty, either.

“Right now, he’s 12. He’s an adolescent. He hasn’t gone into puberty yet,” Anton says. “The brain chemistry in his brain hasn’t changed yet. So when all that’s happening, the reinforcement that he’s getting is about course management, self-management, expectations. How good do I think he can be? I think he can be as good as he believes he can be.

“I’m just barely smart enough to know to stay out of his way. This kid is wonderfully skilled and talented. He is a prodigy in as much as I show him once how to hit a shot and the next time I see him, he’s mastered it like he’s been doing it all his life.”

While it may seem like Charlie eats, breathes and sleeps golf, he owns plenty of other interests, as well.
“He likes to play his Wii and skateboard and bicycle. He’s on a baseball team,” says his mother, Susan Conti. “He is very mature at certain times, but then he pulls back to being a typical 12-year-old. I think he can relate to more mature people and he can relate to children his own age.”

It’s been easy to spot Charlie on the course this week – and not because he’s the only kid in the field who’s barely taller than a belly putter. His heroes in golf are Ben Hogan and Payne Stewart – he’s watched old videos of each – and he’s mimicked their sartorial style ever since first playing competitively, donning a Tam o’ Shanter and knickers whenever he plays.

Not coincidentally, Anton was very good friends with the late Stewart, who once gave him the hat he wore during Round 3 of the 1999 U.S. Open Championship as a gift. The instructor paid the gesture forward two years ago, rewarding Charlie with that hat when he won the Am Tour championship.

That’s one trophy of which he’ll never lose count.

Sights and Sounds from the Third Round of the National Championship

California, Kentucky, North Carolina, Florida and Georgia Players Hold Leads

California, Kentucky, North Carolina, Florida and Georgia Players Hold Leads
Heading into Tuesday’s Golf Channel Am Tour National Championships Final Round

Newport Beach Resident Jimmy Butler Extends Lead in National Championship Flight to Three

Four Past National Champions Within Striking Distance in Championship Flight

Alpharetta, Ga. Resident Suneil Aggarwal Poised to Defend Jones Flight National Championship with Four-Shot Lead

12-Year-Old Charlie Reiter Recovers From Opening Quintuple Bogey to Shoot 84, T-17 in Palmer Flight

Former MLB Pitcher Mark Mulder Turns in Low Round of the Day with a 1-Under-71, T-17 in Championship Flight


LA QUINTA, Calif., (Sept. 26, 2011) – Storylines are aplenty as the 2011 Golf Channel Am Tour National Championships approaches the final day of competition Tuesday in La Quinta, Calif.
In the Championship Flight (handicap 3.9 or less), Newport Beach, Calif. resident Jimmy Butler tied for the low round of the day Monday with a 1-under-par 71 at the TPC Stadium Course at PGA West.  Butler holds a 3-stroke lead heading into Tuesday’s final round, scheduled at PGA West’s Nicklaus Tournament Course.  Trailing Butler are four past national champions who are within eight shots of the lead – Jeff Hunter (2006, Rancho Santa Fe, Calif.), Pete DeTemple (2009, Callaway Md.), Ken Larney (2007, 2009 and 2010, Orland Park, Ill.) and Don O’Connor (2010, Carlsbad, Calif.).
Alpharetta, Ga. resident Suneil Aggarwal is looking to go wire-to-wire in the Jones Flight (handicap 16-19.9) and successfully defend his 2010 championship in the same flight.  Aggarwal currently holds a four stroke lead.
570 competitors representing 42 U.S. States, Canada and Puerto Rico are competing for national championship honors in the season-ending event for the 2011 Golf Channel Am Tour.  The 72-hole national championships, broken up into six flights and taking place on four La Quinta-area golf courses headlined by PGA West, concludes Tuesday.
Former St. Louis Cardinals and Oakland A’s pitcher Mark Mulder continues his climb up the leader board in the championship flight, turning in the low round of the day with a 1-under-par 71 to stand T-17 in the 62-player championship flight.  Former New York Yankees pitcher Orlando “El Duque” Hernandez followed up his first two rounds of 82 with an 83 at the Nicklaus Tournament Course at PGA West to sit at T-37 in the 118-player Palmer Flight; and 12-year-old Charlie Reiter Palm Desert, Calif.), the youngest competitor in the field and 2009 national champion, recovered from an opening quintuple-bogey 9 on the first hole to record an 84, finishing T-17 in the Palmer Flight.
Information on the third round leaders in the six flights appears below:
Championship Flight (<3.9)
                   
1   Jimmy Butler   Newport Beach, Calif.    72-70-71--213 -3 
2   Paul Erdman    Erie, Colo.                    68-77-71--216 E  
3   Jeff Hunter      Rancho Santa Fe, Calif.   70-74-73--217 +1

Palmer Flight (4-7.9)

 1    Kyle Zeitz       Louisville, Ky.           72-74-77--223 +7   
 2    Patrick Polzin  Indian Head Park, Ill. 80-70-78--228 +12  
 3    Michael Eagle  Roseville, Calif.         76-82-73--231 +15  
 
Hogan Flight (8-11.9)
 
1    Adam Krueger   Costa Mesa, Calif.  83-77-79--239 +23   
2    Tim Williams    McKinney, Texas   78-86-76--240 +24   
3    Brook Lister      Tulsa, Okla.          84-78-83--245 +29  
 
Sarazen Flight (12-15.9)
 
1    Ed Lewis                  Currie, N.C.     85-91-77--253 +37     
T2   Bradley Bishop         Alden, N.Y.       89-85-80--254 +38     
T2   Christopher Nelson   Stuart, Fla.        87-84-83--254 +38    
 
Jones Flight (16-19.9)
 
1   Suneil Aggarwal       Alpharetta, Ga.    80-88-89--257 +41    
2   Darrin Howard          Longview, Texas    95-78-88--261 +45    
3   Joseph McWhorter    Brooksville, Fla.      89-84-90--263 +47
 
Snead Flight (20+)
 
1   Jordan Jones  Okeechobee, Fla.    95-84-95--274 +58     
2   Bilal Jordan    Houston, Texas      91-92-92--275 +59     
3   Jason Nogin   Oceanside, N.Y.      90-95-91--276 +60    

The GCAT National Championships are divided into two events – the Senior National Championship (age 50+), which took place Sept. 18-21, and the Open National Championship, Sept. 24-27.  PGA West’s Jack Nicklaus Tournament Course, Greg Norman Course and TPC Stadium Course join La Quinta Resort & Club’s Mountain Course as host golf courses. La Quinta Resort will serve as the tournament headquarters and host resort for the national championships.  The courses hosted the Golf Channel Am Tour National Championships in 2009 to rave reviews.
            Four players are defending their 2010 national championship titles this week:
  • Don O’Connor, Carlsbad, Calif. (Championship Flight)
  • Gio Swann, Lauderhill, Fla. (Palmer Flight)
  • Mark Perfetuo, Cary, N.C. (Hogan Flight)
  • Suneil Aggarwal, Alpharetta, Ga. (Jones Flight)
Also included in the roster of past champions are six golfers from the 2009 GCAT National Championships contested at PGA West, including the youngest competitor in the field: 12-year old Charlie Reiter from Palm Desert, Calif.  At 10, Reiter became the youngest competitor in the history of the GCAT to win a national championship, defeating fellow competitors more than twice his age.
As the largest amateur golf tour in North America with more than 5,000 members, the Golf Channel Am Tour is open to the public and provides the most professional tournament experience for players of all ages and abilities, as well as offering unparalleled access to some of the most renowned and challenging golf courses across the country. For more information about the Golf Channel Am Tour National Championships, including scores, visit www.gcamtour.com

Monday, September 26, 2011

Championship Week Pictures

Casino Night Benefitting Troops First Foundation - Winners





The 2nd Annual "Casino Night" was another success raising over $3,000 for Troops First Foundation.  Below are the winners from the raffle and again THANK YOU to everyone who participated in Casino Night!




--- Casino Night Winners ---
  • Set Of Callaway RAZR Irons (Ticket: 423596)
    • Winner: Tom Kass
  • $500 Southwest Gift Card (Ticket: 423670)
    • Winner: UNCLAIMED
  • Callaway RAZR Hawk Driver (Ticket: 25124)
    • Winner: UNCLAIMED
  • $250 Marriott Gift Card (Ticket: 591305)
    • Winner: Jimmy Butler
  • $250 Best Buy Gift Card (Ticket: 423557)
    • Winner: Kevin Harold
  • Callaway RAZR Hawk Fairway Wood (Ticket: 423936)
    • Winner: Heath Albright
  • Paid Entry Free in to a 2012 Major (Ticket: 186337)
    • Winner: Randy Bryant
  • Odyssey Putter (Ticket: 591319)
    • Winner: UNCLAIMED
  • Callaway Jaws Wedge (Ticket: 423303)
    • Winner: UNCLAIMED
  • $100 AMEX Gift Card (Ticket: 186364)
    • Winner: Randy Bryant
  • Oakley Player Prize (Ticket: 423468 & 423687)
    • Winner: Ed Lewis & UNCLAIMED

-- “Beat The Pro Long Drive Contest” Presented by Golf Galaxy --

1st – Nathan Strand                      361.47 yards
2nd – Borthland Murray                  347.05 yards
3rd – Matt Hawn                           343.93 yards

Top three winners all received a custom Nickent Hybrid fit to your specifications by Golf Galaxy

All prizes can be picked up at nightly scoring at the Skins table

Sights and Sounds from the Second Round of the National Championship

Sunday, September 25, 2011

Newport Beach Resident Jimmy Butler Holds One Stroke Lead in Championship Flight


California, Pennsylvania, Georgia, Florida and Kentucky Competitors Hold Leads Midway through Golf Channel Am Tour National Championships

Newport Beach Resident Jimmy Butler Holds One Stroke Lead in Championship Flight

Illinois’ Patrick Polzin (2009 National Champion) Climbs 30 Spots to Second Place Following 2-Under-Par 70 in Palmer Flight

National Championships Round Two Recap Video


LA QUINTA, Calif., (Sept. 25, 2011) – Halfway through the 2011 Golf Channel Am Tour National Championships, competitors hailing from California, Pennsylvania, Georgia, Florida and Kentucky hold leads in their respective flights following Sunday’s second round of play in La Quinta, Calif.
570 competitors representing 42 U.S. States, Canada and Puerto Rico are competing for national championship honors in the season-ending event for the 2011 Golf Channel Am Tour.  The 72-hole national championships, broken up into six flights and taking place on four La Quinta-area golf courses headlined by PGA West, concludes Tuesday.
In the Championship Flight (handicap range 3.9 or less), Newport Beach, Calif., resident Jimmy Butler turned in the low round of the day with a 2-under-par 70 at the Greg Norman Course at PGA West.  Butler takes a one-stroke lead over 2009 national champion Pete DeTemple (Callaway, Md.) heading into Monday’s third round. 
The biggest climb of the day occurred in the Palmer Flight (handicap 4-7.9).  Patrick Polzin (Indian Head Park, Ill.) – who started the day T32 after an opening round of 80 – climbed 30 spots with a 2-under-par 70 Sunday at the La Quinta Mountain Resort Course to sit in second place.  Kyle Zeitz (Louisville, Ky.) leads the Palmer Flight at +2 for the tournament, followed by three-time Olympian Todd Eldredge in third place at +9 for the tournament, after leading the opening round. 
Information on the second round leaders in the six flights appears below:
Championship Flight (<3.9)
1   Jimmy Butler          Newport Beach, Calif.            72-70--142 -2 
2   Pete DeTemple       Callaway, Md.                        69-74—143 -1 
3   Jeff Hunter             Rancho Santa Fe, Calif.          70-74—144 E

Palmer Flight (4-7.9)
1   Kyle Zeitz                          Louisville, Ky.            72-74—146 +2   
2  Patrick Polzin                      Indian Head Park, Ill. 80-70—150 +6
3 Todd Eldredge                     Estero, Fla.                  72-81—153 +9  

Hogan (8-11.9)
T1 Matt Hawn                        Littlestown, Pa.           82-77—159 +15  
T1 Ben Burney                        Amarillo, Texas           77-82—159 +15  
T3 Adam Krueger                   Costa Mesa, Calif.      83-77—160 +16  
T3 Mark Lohrding                  Fairview Heights, Ill.  75-85—160 +16

Sarazen (12-15.9)
1 Michael Rivera                     Murrieta, Calif.           86-84—170 +26
2 Christopher Nelson              Stuart, Fla.                  87-84—171 +27 
3 Shawn Whitaker                  Lewisville, Texas        88-85—173 +29 

Jones (16-19.9)
1 Suneil Aggarwal                  Alpharetta, Ga.           80-88—168 +24  
2 Keith Varney                       Port St. Lucie, Fla.      89-83—172 +28 

Snead (20+)
T1 Jordan Jones                      Okeechobee, Fla.        95-84—179 +35
T1  Jose Carlos Linares           Charles Town, W.V.   88-91--179 +35 
3 David Hawks                       Northridge, Calif.       91-89—180 +36 

The GCAT National Championships are divided into two events – the Senior National Championship (age 50+), which took place Sept. 18-21, and the Open National Championship, Sept. 24-27.  PGA West’s Jack Nicklaus Tournament Course, Greg Norman Course and TPC Stadium Course join La Quinta Resort & Club’s Mountain Course as host golf courses. La Quinta Resort will serve as the tournament headquarters and host resort for the national championships.  The courses hosted the Golf Channel Am Tour National Championships in 2009 to rave reviews.
            Four players are defending their 2010 national championship titles this week:
  • Don O’Connor, Carlsbad, Calif. (Championship Flight)
  • Gio Swann, Lauderhill, Fla. (Palmer Flight)
  • Mark Perfetuo, Cary, N.C. (Hogan Flight)
  • Suneil Aggarwal, Alpharetta, Ga. (Jones Flight)
Also included in the roster of past champions are six golfers from the 2009 GCAT National Championships contested at PGA West, including the youngest competitor in the field: 12-year old Charlie Reiter from Palm Desert, Calif.  At 10, Reiter became the youngest competitor in the history of the GCAT to win a national championship, defeating fellow competitors more than twice his age.
As the largest amateur golf tour in North America with more than 5,000 members, the Golf Channel Am Tour is open to the public and provides the most professional tournament experience for players of all ages and abilities, as well as offering unparalleled access to some of the most renowned and challenging golf courses across the country. For more information about the Golf Channel Am Tour National Championships, including scores, visit www.gcamtour.com

Low expectations

By Jason Sobel
September 25, 2011 2:01 PM ET  

LA QUINTA, Calif. – Mark Mulder has traded pinpointing strike zones for pummeling fairways. He has given up trying to avoid the long ball for encouraging it. His wild pitches are now accompanied by awkward bellows of, “Fore!”

A veteran of nine Major League Baseball seasons, the former pitcher is no weekend hacker. He carries a 0.3 index at prestigious Whisper Rock Golf Club in Scottsdale, Ariz., where he often competes against some of the world’s best players.

As a former professional athlete and scratch golfer, Mulder must give some of the elite pros a run for their money, right?

“Uh, no,” the two-time all-star said with a laugh. “Pat Perez is one of my best friends. I’ve probably played 100 rounds with Pat and never beaten him. That’s with me having career days and him playing in flip-flops.
“But I’m lucky because I get to play with these guys. Most people don’t understand the pressure that those guys are under and how good they do and how well they perform. They play with me and shoot 65 with their eyes closed. That’s what people don’t realize. When the pros miss a shot, they miss by five yards and they’re mad. If I hit the green, I’m like, ‘Sweet!’”

Mulder is hoping to hit plenty of greens this week, as he competes in the Championship Flight of the Golf Channel Amateur Tour national championships.

Competitive golf is nothing new to him, either. Last year, Mulder qualified for this event, but was forced to withdraw when he also reached the U.S. Mid-Amateur on the same week. He’s also played in the last four editions of the American Century Celebrity Golf Championship in Lake Tahoe, finishing in a share of 23rd place this year.

Despite such an advanced golfing pedigree, he came into this week’s event with low expectations. Mulder is splitting time these days between his Arizona home and Bristol, Conn., where he serves as a television analyst for ESPN’s baseball coverage – which doesn’t leave much time for teeing it up.

“It’s been awful for a few months now,” he said of the current state of his game. “I’m doing this because I want to have fun. I have a few other buddies who are playing and it’s a good time no matter how bad I play. But my expectations aren’t very high. I’ve never taken a lesson in my life and when I’m down like right now, I don’t know how to fix it.”

A member of the 2006 World Series-winning St. Louis Cardinals, Mulder believes there are similarities between playing golf and pitching, though they have less to do with technicalities like mechanics and footwork and more to do with the mental side of each pursuit.

“To me, it’s more the mindset,” he said. “In baseball, nothing can happen until I throw that ball; everything is on me when it comes to that pitch. It’s the same in golf. Everything is on me. If you think about it, those are the only two places in sports where you can think too much. Everything else is a reactionary thing, but pitching and golf are the only two things where you can overthink it. They’re different than anything in any other sport.”
Despite that correlation, don’t expect Mulder to follow his pitching career with a pursuit toward an occupation in professional golf anytime soon.

“You know, when I played baseball, I always thought when I was done playing, I’d try to make the senior tour,” he said. “But to be honest with you, now that I’m done, I realize the game is a getaway. It’s my time away.

“I played a professional sport and worked out and trained at the highest level. I don’t care to do that again. I know the work that I put in for baseball and there’s no chance I ever want to put in that work for golf.”
Mulder will enjoy epitomizing “amateur” in Golf Channel Amateur Tour this week. And even if his game doesn’t improve soon, he’ll still be smiling when it’s over.

“If I took this game too serious,” he said, “I wouldn’t enjoy it.”

Nightly Scoring Party Raffle and Closest to the Pin Winners

The first nightly scoring party was a great success with many of the National Champions eager to see where they placed after round one of the competition.  We also had some great prizes raffled off as well as a closest to the pin contest on the PGA TOUR aboutGolf Simulators.  

Below are the winners:

Closest to the Pin Contest on the PGA TOUR aboutGolf Simulators: 

  • 1st – 2.58 ft – Doug Monroe
    • Won: Entry to Winter Championship + $200 Southwest Airlines gift card
  • 2nd – 2.84 ft – Robert Simpkiss
    • Won: Callaway Octane Driver + $100 Best Buy gift card

  • 3rd – 3.04 ft – Paulus Frett
    • Won: Callaway Fairway Wood + $50 Golf Galaxy Gift Card

 


1st Nightly Raffle Winners

  • Two Am Tour Logoed ClubGlove Travel Bags
    • Winner’s – DeRell Durr & Don Risner


All prizes can be picked up at the nightly scoring at the Skins table