MGA Senior Amateur Four-Ball Championship

MGA Championship

Prestwick Golf Club | Woodbury, MN
September 11-12, 2012

Tournament Information

Entry Fees:

Deadline: Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Entry Fee: $200 per team

Entry is limited to the first 96 two-person teams to enter.

Players are encouraged to enter all MGA events online. Entry forms will not be accepted prior to Monday, April 2, 2012, but must arrive by the deadline of Tuesday, August 28, 2012, at the office of the Minnesota Golf Association. Entry is on a first-come basis, and the full entry fee must accompany the entry form.

Late or incomplete entries are not acceptable and will be returned. Entries submitted by telephone, email or fax are not acceptable. Time limit for entries means time of receipt by the MGA.

Entries with insufficient funds will be considered incomplete and will be withdrawn. The entrant is responsible for any fees incurred by the MGA for such payment and must pay such fees before entry into further MGA events is allowed.

Eligibility:

Entries are open to amateur golfers:

Who are currently Associate Members of the MGA at the club from which they are playing,
Whose club is a current Member Club of the MGA, and
Who must be at least 55 years of age prior to September 10, 2012.

All entries are subject to rejection at any time by the MGA Tournament Committee.

NOTE: Players do not need to be from the same club.

Additional Information

What started initially as an individual event, the MGA Senior Four-Ball Championship has had more makeovers than a Hollywood starlet.

The first change occurred in 1974 when the event became a two-player team four-ball (best ball) event with two age divisions - Senior (50-59) and Masters (60 & over). The changes continued in 1986 when a Grand Champion was crowned as the Overall Champion from both divisions. Later, the age divisions were increased to coincide with the USGA definition of a senior, thus there were net and gross competitions in the Senior (55-64) and Masters (65 & over) divisions.

Most recently (2008), a Championship Division was created for any team wishing to play for the title with a 36 hole, gross four-ball, stroke play format. The Masters Division still exists with a format like the Championship; however, both players must be at least 65 years old. For the higher handicap seniors regardless of age, there is the Net Division.

The team of Jerry Gruidl (Golden Valley G&CC) and Robert Leaf (Hazeltine National GC) have teamed up to win the title five times since 1999. However, that is only one more than the team of David Rovick and John Reichert (Interlachen CC). Rovick has a fifth title to his credit when he teamed with Bob Tickle in 1991.

In 2011 at the Highland National GC (St. Paul), a lightning-strike ending happened for the second year in a row. First it happened in 2010 when Jon Empanger holed a wedge shot on the last hole for an eagle 2 and the victory with partner Gary Johnson. In 2011, Randy Garber (Les Bolstad/University GC) holed his second shot on the last hole for an eagle 2 to give he and partner James Price (The Wilds GC) the victory. The eagle gave the duo a final round 64, low round for the Championship, and a 13-under par total of 131, good for a one stroke margin over Ray Sauer (Tianna CC) and 2011 MGA Senior Player of the Year Steve Whittaker (Pebble Creek GC).

The team of Rick Ehrmanntraut (Southview CC) and Rob Wight (The Minikahda Club) was in third at 133, while the Rush Creek GC team of Bill Riddering and Gary Jacobson were another stroke back at 134 in fourth. The Anderson brothers (Bill & Bob), the 2009 champions, were alone in fifth at 135. Empanger/Johnson finished tied for seventh.