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Show Golf Association Changes Format 4 jC i . y ff I By DAVE WIGHAM The Utah Golf Association and their committee changed the format this year for qualifying for the State Amateur w hich will be held July 15-19 at Hidden Hid-den Valley in South Salt Lake. PRIOR TO this year the way to qualify was to be one of the first 120 golfers, with a handicap of 5 or lower, to write and apply for the event. Postmarks, rather than scores, were the deciding factor. This year however, they went to a different format. for-mat. They first divided the state into three sections. North. Central, and South. Each section then had their own little tournament. A golfer was placed in each section according to the club or course at which he had his handicap established. THE UGA sat down and tried to come up with a percentage of golfers from each sectional to qualify for the state event. They had 1 19 golfers show up to Wasatch in the Central section, so the UGA took a total of 42 golfers plus all ties. That meant the low scores from 41 golfers with a 77 would have been invited. In the Southern sectional, a total of 44 golfers howed up with 20 plus ties qualifying. THEN LAST week the Northern golfers headed to Valley View in Layton and teed it up. A total of 64 golfers were involved in this battle with 22 plus ties heading into the big event in a couple of weeks. That meant a total of 227 golfers tried to qualify for the State Amateur, as compared to 120 in years past. Also any golfer was allowed to participate and try to make the cut, there was no limit on the handicap. ACCORDING TO Todd Taggart, the UGA member mem-ber in charge of the State Amateur this year, there were 85 golfers with a 6 handicap or higher that tried. Of that group 15 of them made it. That means those 15 golfers get a shot at the big time this year whereas in years past they wouldn't have. As luck would have it, eight of those golfers over a five handicap qualified from the northern region, which is right here in Davis County. Tried to tell all you guys where the most sand was. now it's been proven. THIS NEW format has brought about some interesting in-teresting comments from both the UGA and the players. The biggest difference I found was that the players were talking about quality while the UGA was talking talk-ing quantity. SOME OF the players felt there were more quality players in the Northern sectional and that it would have been easier to qualify from another region. The UGA officials pointed out that percentage wise the three sectionals took the same amount of players. The Central section had the most players hence they get more qualifiers. PLAYERS CAME back with the argument about quality again. They indicated that 64 players went after those 22 spots in the North. They then said that up in the north there were about 15 of the top golfers in the state, and that they would qualify. They went on to add then that that meant the other 49 golfers were fighting it out for 7 spots. Whereas, they noted, in the Southern section there aren't that many golfers who were assured of the spot, maybe five at tops. That meant then the average 5 handicapper was fighting it out with 39 golfers trying for 15 spots. Hence the higher chance of making it. The golfers also indicated that some of the courses were tougher than others. Some felt they had a better chance of qualifying at Hobble Creek than they did at Valley View. MR, TAGGART answered that charge, "The only fair way then would be to hold all three sectionals at the same course and there is no course around that will tie up their course for three days." Personally, I like the new format simply because it gives more golfers a chance to make the Amateur. Also, if a 15 handicapper wants to try his luck at qualifying he now has that chance. AS FAR as the golfers go, maybe Dave Kearl, the assistant at Valley View summed it up best when he said, "The bottom line is the score. Shoot a 76 and you're in." Wise words from a wise golfer. Dave hit it on the head since the cutoff at Valley View turned out to be 76. Steve Poulsen of Bountiful led the parade of qualifiers with a fine 3 under par 69. Six other local golfers will be at the State event, Mel Duke, Kurt Bosen, Win Young, Kent Winegar, Jon Harris and Brent Fenstermaker. HATS OFF to the UGA for making a change when it would have been just as easy for them to sit back and wait for the first 120 applicants. They are trying to improve the game and doing a great job. |