Jim Grosjean
Phil Gray has blown away the competition in the 2025 Presidents Cup. He traversed The Preserve and MountainView courses over two days with a net score of -7, leaving the field in the dust. I’m wondering if Gray, a respected rules official throughout the southwest, hasn’t found some obscure rules to help lift him to the top of the field. He won the fifth flight by an astounding 17 strokes. I hope he signed a correct scorecard.
The other flight winners can’t brag too much when they compare scores with Phil. They included Greg Ames in the purple-green flight, Kevin Conway in the first green tee flight, Rick Fernandez in green flight 2, Doug Zink in green flight 3, and Larry McNamee in the red flight. Jim Hardwick and Doug Anderson actually tied for first place in their flights but were beaten in scorecard playoffs. We have no sympathy for them.
Meanwhile, David Jones made an ace at the challenging 4th hole at The Preserve with a gap wedge from 100 yards out. For those heroics, he receives $100 from the MPMGA. If the money is in the form of Pro Shop credit, that brings the value of the award down to $2.65. You may remember that Dave won the McDivot award recently by hitting himself with a rock on the 6th hole at The Preserve. That’s a classic case of going from the outhouse to the penthouse.
Speaking of the McDivot award, recently, Tom Winch and Jim Donat were ashamed to receive the booby prize as a duo. They were playing in a mixed tee event that required players to play 12 tee shots from tees they were not familiar with. Unfortunately, they quickly forgot the rules and played from an incorrect tee and garnered a two-stroke penalty after reteeing from the correct tee. So much for their tournament round. Since Mr. McDivot only stays with the winner for a month, Tom and Jim will have to share custody.
My favorite part of any of our numerous “major” events is the luncheon served at the MountainView ballroom, especially when it includes beer. What better way to celebrate a well-played round of golf or to drown your sorrows than with lunch and beer. The perks for MPMGA members never end, and by emailing davidquesnell77@gmail.com, you can apply for membership!