Eagle Ridge Golf League News
Charlie, Charlie, Charlie, You
Did it Again!
On Tuesday 9/10/2019, on a beautiful evening, perfect for golf, there was league play. It was a fun time. Two teams played in the match play format. The team captains were the Hon. John Chaffin and James Chaffin. I do not have the results, so I don’t know which team won, but it was just for fun anyway.
Also, contemporaneously with the match play of the league, the foursome vying for the title were also playing. This foursome played together, split into twosomes: Ronnie Wellman and James Chaffin were one twosome, and the other was Judge Jason and Charlie Curnutte. It was a very close match among the four, going into Sunday’s final nine holes. The match started on the easier back nine. The scores were close, and all the contestants were in the running. The following are the scores for the first nine of the championship.
- Ronnie Wellman 31
- Charlie Curnutte 33
- Judge John Chaffin 35
- James Chaffin 36
There were three birdies among the players and a total six three-putts. The three-putts had varied among the four, from zero to three. Only five points separated the players, and now they were due to play the treacherous front nine. The front nine on Eagle Ridge is a very demanding nine holes. There is no room for error, and it is unforgiving. Five strokes can be lost easily on just one hole. The four would finish this match on Sunday, September 15, at 2 o’clock.
Sunday started as a bright, sunny day. Another beautiful day for golf. By 2 o’clock it’d gotten rather hot, but there was a breeze that kept the weather comfortable. No excuses.
Everyone had butterflies. How do I know? I’ve been there, and regardless of what you are playing for, you are nervous on the first tee. And it showed because no one had a par.
After the first hole, things settled down, except for Ronnie Wellman. On number two he had 4-putts. Ronnie Wellman never had-4-putts in his life! After four holes James Chaffin and John Chaffin were tied, and both had picked up two strokes from both Ronnie and Charlie. Essentially, after four holes, that match was even. Over the next three holes, Judge Chaffin lost a shot on each hole, essentially leaving him in the running for second place. Through 17, James, Charlie, and Ronnie were all in striking distance. This included the lead that Ronnie and Charlies had built up on the front nine, played on the previous Tuesday. Hole 18 would be the difference-maker.
On Hole James and Judge Chaffin put themselves out of the running because each hit a ball out of bounds. With those hits, both lost their chances.
On the last hole Ronnie attempted a rally, needing both a birdie and some help from Charlie. Ronnie got a par and Charlie got a bogey, but that was not enough help. With his bogey, Charlie the league champion for the third time, which is a record. There has been only one other person who has captured the league championship more than once, and that was Drew Waller.
The final scores for the championship are as follows:
- Charlie Curnutte 68
- Ronnie Wellman 70
- James Chapin 73
- Judge John Chapin 74
Charlie Curnutte is the 2019 league champion.
Ronnie Wellman is a is a 2019 runner-up
Judge John Chaffin is the 2019 Most Improved Golfer of the Year.
This is the first year that we have had an 18-hole playoff. It appears to be an improvement over the nine hole method previously used, as it tests the golfers over the entire course. This probably will be a rule that is adopted in the future.
Another first for 2019 is a new league course record, set by Lanie Hughes. He also tied the low gross records for both the front and back nine. Remember these scores are calculated without handicap. It is likely that these records will stand for a very long time. Also, in setting these records, Laine shot these scores in back to back weeks. The records are:
Front nine 31
Back None 31
Total 62
Those scores are extraordinary!
REMEMBER. Thursday at 5:00 PM, the annual banquet will be held at the pro shop.
See you next year. This will be my last posting for 2019.
Bill Jackson
Submitted: September 18, 2019
