Good luck Mike.
The main objective, besides helping Mike offset the considerable costs of the trip, was to have fun and having to play the 11th with a driver of opposite dexterity, attempting to double their money by hitting the green at the 8th, and trying to put their tee shot inside Mike's at the 13th (which Mike played with all 26 groups) meant everyone had a good time. Indeed, many of the members remarked they hadn't enjoyed a tournament so much and said the event and format should become a tradition.
"I was totally floored by the spirit of the club and how they came together to support a single cause," says Montgomery. "I believe we can use this template to raise funds for future causes or club needs and feel the positive spirit of community while doing it." Players received a tee prize, enjoyed lunch and cocktails on the course, and feasted on a salmon dinner after the golf (there was a tie for first place with the teams of Matt Cowell, Scott McBeath, Erick McAllister, Tom Follis, and Ben Mummy, and Tyler Wong, Glenna Bellamore, Jim Gruett, and Kristi Gruett both shooting 56). In all, $4,500 was raised to help Mike meet his tournament and travel expenses. "I feel very humbled by our members’ response and have never been the recipient of such generosity and support," he says.
The West Course at Hesrshey CC was the venue for the 1940 PGA Championship won by Byron Nelson. This week, the Maurice McCarthy design will challenge the field of 312 alongside the newer East Course (designed by George Fazio and opened in 1969) which will be used for the final 36 holes. The top 70 and ties following the first two rounds will progress to Tuesday and Wednesday. James Hawley will be carrying Mike's bag and hopefully will find some time, outside of his many duties, to blog for us.
BellinghamGolfer wishes Mike the best of luck.
Congratulations to Western's Dylan Goodwin who ws recently named a Division II PING West Region all-star by the Golf Coaches Association of America. Goodwin, a sophomore, finished the season with an average score of 72.9, his team's and the Greater Northwest Athletic Conference's leading average. He was the GNAC Player of the Year and won the GNAC Player of the Week Award four times.
In May, senior Xavier Dailly was named to the Capital One Academic All-District college division men’s at-large first team thanks to a 3.80 grade point average and (Economics and Business Administration degrees) and a scoring average of 74.1 that also earned him first-team GNAC all-star honors for the second straight year. Earlier this month, Dailly was also named to the College Sports Information Directors of America Capital One Academic All-America college division men’s at-large second team (bit of a mouthful, but a considerable achievement nonetheless), having also been named Western's Male Scholar-Athlete for 2010-2011.
First major win today? Probably.
