Shock and Awe Storms Shaker
for TEA Crown
Heading into the 2003 TEA, Shock and
Awe were giving so many strokes to the field that it looked like
they were going to Lebanon, Ohio on a relief
mission. When the rains started falling about an hour
before the start of the tournament, the only things coveted by
the field more than those strokes were Gore-Tex rainsuits.
Shock and Awe didn't have a rainsuit between them. For the
Troops, it looked like a bad day to launch an offensive.
But the pesky precipitation turned out to work
to Shock and Awe's advantage. The steady rain lengthened
the course, rewarded conservative play and in effect neutralized
the advantage that the field had on Shock and Awe in handicap
strokes. It was if Mother Nature was flying a mission for
the Troops, carpet-bombing the course with water.
The day started according to the battle plan,
with both Fry and the Commash firing a pair of gross 39's on the
first nine. A birdie 3 for a net 2 on the sixth hole by
the Commash and a 25 foot birdie bomb by Fry on the ninth for a
another net 2 were the big blows. A net 31 in the
best ball turned out to be the low net nine hole score of the
tournament, giving the Troops an early lead and a healthy supply
of confidence.
The lead was a slim one however. The
Mayers of Cronyville kicked off their campaign by surging in the
polls with a net 32 on the first nine. They were matched
at 4 under by Rob-n-Wood. After Andy Shaffer carded a low
gross 38 on the initial nine, Vulgeraghty headed to the second
nine only 2 strokes back.
On the second nine, a couple of teams made their
move. The rain continued to fall, but it didn't cool off
Vulgeraghty. A gross 2 under 34 converted to a net of
31.53, the low net score of the second nine. Tiger
rebounded from a disappointing net 35 on the first nine to post
their own 2 under gross 34 for a net 31.54, a scant .01 behind
Vulgeraghty for top honors in the scramble portion.
Meanwhile the Troops were battling to maintain the lead.
After the Commash found the water with his tee shot on the 18th
hole, Fry put one in the middle of the fairway, then stuck a 7
iron to 10 feet. The Commash drained the putt to give the
Troops a one under gross of 35 and a net of 33.45 in the
scramble. The birdie allowed Shock and Awe to maintain
their lead, but it was shrinking.
The Mayers' hope of becoming elected TEA champ
took a devastating hit when they could muster only a 43
for a net 39.27 in the scramble. Likewise, Rob-n-Wood
stumbled to a 3 over 39 for a net 36.2. Vulgeraghty jumped
ahead of both teams into second, only .08 behind the
Troops. Tiger pounced into third place 2.09 strokes
back. Although Shock and Awe was technically in the lead
after 18 holes, it was nothing to get too excited about.
Once handicaps for the third nine were applied, Vulgeraghty was
at 58.87, while the Troops were at 61.14 and Tiger was at
61.58. With no other teams within striking distance, it
looked like victory would be Vulgeraghty's if they could keep within
two strokes of those two teams on the third nine.
On the decisive third nine, the rains finally
stopped, but Shock and Awe kept bombing away, orchestrating
solid pars on the opening three holes in the modified
alternating shot format. Vulgeraghty's two stroke cushion
quickly evaporated with bogies on the 20th and 21st holes.
Meanwhile, Southie and Ozzie were unable to get it going during
this pivotal stretch. After a bogey on 19, a double-bogey
on 20, and a bogey on 21, Southie and
Ozzy started looking for the cart girl. Vulgeraghty
approached the 22nd hole with a slim .27 lead over the Troops.
On the 22nd hole, the Troops looked as if the
fuel supplies might be getting dangerously low. With the
Commash facing an uphill 175 yard shot out of the wet rough for
the team's third shot on the long par five, the Troops were in
danger of giving one back. But the Commash responded just
how he had all day, hitting a solid four iron to the middle of
the green. Then Fry responded just as he had all day, by
draining another 20 foot bomb for birdie, this one a slippery
downhiller that was
leaning hard to the right when it dropped dead center on the
bottom of cup. Shaffer missed from ten feet out to save par and
suddenly the Troops were back in the lead.
It was lead they would only build on from
there. A bogey on the 23rd hole did no real damage to the
cause. Pars on the 24th, 25th and 26th holes made it near
impossible for anyone to gain on them. The crowd that had assembled
on the 27th green watched as the Commash nearly
holed his chip shot for birdie. Fry made the three-footer
for par.
Each member of the winning team credited his
partner for the win. "My partner showed up to
play," said Fry. "He made everything he looked
at." "We hammed and egged great today,"
said the Commash. "Danny made some bombs out there
that really were the difference for us." Obviously,
coming into the event with the lowest combined team handicap,
both players had to play well for them to win. Their gross
score of 36 on the third nine was five shots better than the
second best gross of 41 posted by both Vulgeraghty and
Rob-n-Wood. The total net score of 97.04 was 2.83 shots
ahead of second place Vulgeraghty. Shock and Awe wins the
2nd Touch 'Em All Tournament with a record score of 10.96 under
par (97.04), bettering the old record of 8.3 under par set by Rob
Burkley and Dan Sadd last year in the inaugural TEA.
Congratulations to Shock and Awe!
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The Commash lines up his chip shot on the
final hole.
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Fry seals the deal for Shock and Awe with a
par putt on the final hole, as Shaffer and Geraghty try to catch
their breath after being exposed to chemical weapons a few holes
earlier.
.jpg)
Dan Frieburger and Greg May dry off in their
Winner's Jackets, and contemplate the endorsement deals that are
certain to roll in after each won his first major Saturday at
the 2nd Touch 'Em All Tournament at Shaker Run Golf Club in
Lebanon, Ohio.
2003 Touch 'Em All Tournament
Final Results
1. Shock and
Awe
31 / 33.45 /
32.69
97.04
2. Vulgeraghty
33 / 31.53 /
35.54
99.87
3.
Rob-n-Wood
32 / 36.2 /
35.09
103.29
4. Mayers of Cronyville
32 / 39.27 /
34.31
105.58
4.
Tiger
35 / 31.54 /
39.04
105.58
6. K.C. Webbsterpiece
36 / 33.73 /
36.69
106.42
7. Hosebel
35 / 35.94 /
37.56
108.46
8. Saddretariat
38 / 32.7/
38.63
109.53
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