SMGA Chair Steve Kartsonis (right) hands off the trophy to MPMGA Chair Dennis Marchand (left). (Photo by Tom Swikoski)
Dennis Marchand
The annual Javelina Cup was played with the teams of the men’s clubs from SaddleBrooke One (SMGA) and SaddleBrooke TWO (MPMGA). On Jan. 5, 92 golfers met to play on day one at the MountainView Golf Course, home of the MPMGA. Forty-six two-man teams played two nine-hole matches for one point per hole, for a total of 18 points. At the end of the first round, the MPMGA held the home course advantage by gaining a lead of 228.5 to 185.5, a 43-point lead. Sizeable but overwhelming, since there were still 414 points available on day two, played on Friday, Jan. 6, at the home course of the SMGA.
On day two, true to form, the SMGA won the day with a 210.5 to 203.5 closely fought victory on round two. However, it was not enough to overcome the day one score, as the SaddleBrooke TWO team from the MPMGA garnered their ninth straight win with a very tight 432 to 396 victory.
Afterwards, all the players gathered at the Vistas at SaddleBrooke One for a great lunch and the awarding of the Javelina Cup. Both clubs had some standout performances over the two days. The SMGA team of Fred Pilster and Peter Wright gained the most points on the team with a two-day total of 22.5 points, followed by the teams of Larry Crum/Alan Culley and John Morales/Lindsay Nicholson with 20 points.
On the victorious MPMGA squad, the team of Larry Scott and Bill Messick gained the most points of the entire tournament by netting a whopping 24 points, followed by the team of Jim Donat/Mark Gingerich who garnered 23 points.
The weather cooperated, and it was a great event between the two communities that always ends with some great stories of the shots that got away. A job well done by both communities.