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Communication
Breakdown |
Rookie
claims title at Communications Putt-Putt Championship |
By
Greg Smith
Manager of Media Relations
With Canon Cup, one of the AJGA’s most unique tournaments
about to begin, the AJGA Communications Department decided to
conduct its own truly-unique golf experience: the Communications
Putt-Putt Championship.
The product of a dream of Chief Communications Officer and Tournament
Chairman Rob Coleman, the Communications Putt-Putt Championship
needed a first-class venue to host the event. Coleman, a father
of four and saavy miniature golf veteran was able to secure
one of the top facilities in North Georgia to host the championship.
So on Aug. 4, 2005, the AJGA Communications staff headed to
The Oaks. Nestled in the dense forest of Oakwood, Ga., the par-50
course is truly a hidden gem. The 18-hole track features a number
of challenging holes, including the par-3 fifth which features
a two-tiered green at which players must putt up a steep ramp,
navigate around two “trap holes” and several large
rocks to reach the hole. As many of the communications staffers
can attest, No. 5 has trouble written all over it (and now that
the event is over, plenty of snowmen).
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| Egnot,
overwhelmed by the fact that he won his first trophy at
age 23, can't help but stare in awe at his award for hours
on end. |
Besides
the first-rate facility, the Communications Putt-Putt Championship
featured a format unlike any other. A round of stroke play was
followed by a skins competition, with a round of match play
deciding the champion.
With the rules established and pairings set, the Communications
staff set out for what was a truly impressive display of miniature
golf. Here is a complete recap of the action.
Stroke Play
Flight A, consisting of John Egnot, Amanda Woolley and defending
champion Steve Ethun was the first group on the course. Despite
setting a blazing pace of play for the pairing, Ethun was unable
to find the magic of his 2004 campaign. Instead, he just found
himself racking up a substantial amount of putter tosses, although
to his credit, he never tomahawked the flat stick. The ever-unflappable
Egnot maneuvered through the course with ease, securing the
top spot in Flight A.
Flight B featured Coleman, along with Greg Smith and Patricia
Thomason. Thomason, clad in a dress to combat the 90-degree
heat, was unable to make many birdies, and the battle came down
to Coleman and Smith. Both players went stroke-for-stroke throughout
the round. When Smith made his second hole-in-one of the round
on the par-5 No. 17, it appeared that the match was over. Coleman,
however, was able to card an improbable ace on No. 18 and a
hiccup (a.k.a. choke job) by Smith forced the match into a playoff.
After firing impressive 3-under-par 47s, Coleman and Smith both
made par on the first two playoff holes, but Smith made sure
the match would go no further than No. 3. With Coleman’s
first shot only inches from the hole, Smith carded an ace, and
with it stroke play medalist honors.
Flight C saw underdog Matt “Carbondale” Crouch emerge
victorious over Dave Buer and a struggling Tung Lee. Crouch,
who was sweating profusely throughout the match took the top
spot in the bracket and advanced to the second round as the
No. 3 seed.
Participating in his last Communications Putt-Putt Championship
before moving on to graduate studies at Southern Illinois University,
Crouch was riddled by flu-like symptoms all day long. His impressive
performance is one that will not be forgotten. In fact, it brought
Buer to tears.
Skins Competition
A form of competition normally reserved for professional golf’s
“Silly Season” was anything but that at the Communications
Putt-Putt Championship. The winners from the top two brackets
would meet in the match play finale.
The skins competition was not very friendly to most of the staff,
as Amanda Woolley earned an easy victory in Flight C, salvaging
whatever shred of dignity she held onto after her stroke play
debacle. In the A Flight, Egnot made easy work of Smith and
Crouch, capitalizing on a number of “lucky breaks”
and Crouch’s heat exhaustion.
It was Flight B that provided the most excitement in the second
round. Coleman, Buer and Ethun would need extra holes to decide
the victor. With a total of 13 skins on the line, Buer was able
to claim victory on the second extra hole. He became the first
player on the day to utilize the “shortcut hole”
on the treacherous par-3 No. 2.
With the final pairings set and a championship yet to be decided,
the tournament committee (Coleman) was faced with a dilemma.
The final round would have to be played the next day, due to
staff scheduling conflicts. This meant that a new championship
course would have to be constructed for the final match between
Buer and Egnot at the AJGA Headquarters at Chateau Elan.
Armed with a putter, a couple of golf balls and a slew of tees,
Coleman ventured to the practice putting green and constructed
a six-hole masterpiece. The competitors, as well as the gallery,
were amazed by Coleman’s design capabilities. Don’t
be surprised if you someday see his name alongside the likes
of Fazio, Jones and Tillinghast.
Match
Play
So, the moment everyone had been waiting for finally arrived.
Buer vs. Egnot, 12:15 p.m., Friday, Aug. 5, for all the marbles.
On paper it appeared to be a classic David vs. Goliath showdown.
Egnot with his four years of Division I golf experience behind
him against the relatively unknown and very unpolished putting
skills of Buer.
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| After
his loss in the championship match, Buer spends most of
his work day practicing on the third floor. Some day,
your time will come Dave...some day. |
The pair took to the newly-constructed design on the practice
putting green behind Chateau Elan Golf Club. The six-hole finale
was everything the spectators (all three of them) came to expect.
Buer stormed out of the gates, winning the first hole to gain
an early advantage. The combatants halved Nos. 2 and 3. On the
fourth, Buer had an opportunity to all but end Egnot's run at
the title. A two-foot putt separated Buer from a 2-up lead with
two holes to play. However, the underdog's nerves got the best
of him, and Buer failed to capitalize on his golden opportunity.
In a fitting conclusion to the grandest of putt-putt championships,
Egnot battled back from a severe case of the yips and an early
deficit and claimed victory on the second playoff hole.
The ever-stoic and well-composed Egnot did very little celebrating
following his win. Instead he retreated back to his cubicle
where he posted the official tournament bracket and continued
serving as manager of media relations for the AJGA.
Buer kept hold of his putter and has been practicing religiously
on the AJGA Headquarters’ third floor, trying to forget
about what might have been.
While eight members of the Communications Department were left
with the sour taste of defeat, the 2005 edition of the Communications
Putt-Putt Championship will forever be remembered as two days
of terrific miniature golf on two of North Georgia’s finest
putt-putt courses. Much like Canon Cup that gets underway this
week in Atlanta, the Communications Putt-Putt Championship was
a display of the game’s top performers competing at the
highest level in one of golf’s most unique events. |
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