| Winner | Runner-Up | |||
| Player of the Year * – won tie breaker | M. Cook * | 141 | N. Williamson | 141 |
| Points Champion | M. Cook | 31.0 | S. Menzel | 27.5 |
| Scoring Champion | N. Williamson | 71.60 | N. Stachowicz | 72.00 |
| Pyramid Tournament | N. Williamson | 73 | M. Cook | 74 |
| Winners Tournament | S. Menzel | 65 | N. Williamson | 67 |
| Club Championship * – won tie breaker | M. Cook * | 44 pts | M. Hurst, N. Williamson | 44 pts |
| Low Gross Club Championship | N. Williamson | 77 | M. Cook | 78 |
| Valero Cup Tournament | M. Hurst | 68 | L. Campbell | 75 |
| Barbara Juris Award | S. Cook, D. Menzel | |||
| # 1 Ranked Golfer at the end of the year | N. Williamson | 14.11 | M. Cook | 13.90 |
| Most Tour. as the # 1 ranked golfer | J. Crumrine | 3 | ||
| K. Peck | 3 | |||
| Most Improved Handicap | M. Cook | 11.2-9.7 | N. Stachowicz | 14.0-12.7 |
| Most Improved Player | N. Williamson | M. Cook, M. Hurst | ||
| S. Menzel | ||||
| Most Tournament Wins | M. Hurst | 3 | S. Blotzer, L. Campbell | 2 |
| N. Williamson | 3 | M. Cook, S. Menzel | 2 | |
| Most Top 3’s | N. Williamson | 8 | M. Cook, M. Hurst | 6 |
| S. Menzel | 6 | |||
| Most Eagles | none | |||
| Most Birdies | N. Williamson | 5 | ||
| Most Long Drives | R. Butler | 3 | ||
| M. Katz | 3 | |||
| Most Closest to the Pins | M. Cook | 3 | ||
| F. Duggins | 3 | |||
| Number of Tournaments | 9 | |||
| Avg # of players per tournament | 17 | |||
| Different players winning 1st place | 13 | |||
| Different players winning 2nd place | 15 | |||
| Players eligible for the Winners Tournament | 19 | |||
2011 Highlights Notes; Achieved 375 Tournament Points – N. Williamson, 394.5 Achieved 275 Tournament Points – M. Hurst, 282.5 Achieved 225 Tournament Points – B. Simonson, 230.5 Achieved 225 Tournament Points – L. Campbell, 232.0 Achieved 200 Tournament Points – D. Menzel, 203.0 Achieved 200 Tournament Points – S. Menzel, 222.5 Achieved 150 Tournament Points – S. Blotzer, 162.0 Achieved 100 Tournament Points – M. Osada, 110.5.0 Achieved 50 Tournament Points - G. Campbell, 52.5
| Valero Golf Club records set or tied | Previous record or runner-up |
| Highest Total Ranking Points | |
| 206 – M. Cook, 2011 | 200 – R. Yarbrough, 2005 |
| Won the Career Major Grand Slam | (The Yarbie Slam) |
| 4 – M. Cook, 2011 | 4 – R. Yarbrough, 2005 |
| Course Record – Low Gross Score | |
| 77 – 6 over par, (par 71), N. Williamson, Foxtail-S, 2011 | 79 – 7 over par, (Par 72), M. Cook, Foxtail-S, 1998 |
2011 Highlights
The 41st Valero Golf Club season started out with the playing of the 26th annual Tom Stead memorial scramble at Green Tree G.C. on May 7th starting at 9am. Last year El Nino, this year La Nina which made for a very wet winter and essentially no spring. With a month of May date for our first tournament we expected good weather. We had temperature in the low 70’s but it felt much cooler due to a very strong westerly wind which blew for the entire round. We had 20 players sign up and play. The one 4 player flight was won by the team of Lori Bateman, Bob Boyer, Randy Butler and Matt Hurst with a 63. Finishing in second place two strokes back was the team of Mike Cook, Sandie Cook, Michael Katz and Rob Yarbrough. In third place was the team of Glenn Campbell, Larry Campbell, Debbie Menzel and Sonny Menzel with a 67. Recent aeration made putting difficult but the field did make 26 birdies. Mike Cook won the closest to the pin on the front nine for the second year in a row, the back nine CP was won by Randy Butler. Michael Katz won the longest drive on the front nine, Lori Bateman won the long drive on the back nine for the second year in a row. This year we raised $200.00 in contributions to the American Heart Association in “Tom’s” memory, this brought our total to date to $7536.00. Thanks again for your generous support.
Valero Golf Rankings, to start the year off Kevin Peck held the # 1 spot, Glen Campbell # 2, Steve Blotzer # 3, Michael Katz # 4 and Randy Butler # 5.
The first regular tournament of the year was held at Paradise Valley GC on Saturday, May 21st starting at 08:24 am. Winter would not go away, it rained 3 days prior to the tournament but we lucked out and played on a beautiful day. Temperature in the mid seventies with a slight westerly wind, the wind did pick up towards the end of play. We had to start the tournament on the par 5 tenth hole which led to some very high scores, the field averaged a double bogey 7 on the opening hole. Matt (it’s been a while) Hurst won the first flight with a net 72. Don Scribner was second one stroke back. The trio of Randy Butler, Neal Stachowicz and Nemon Williamson took third with net 75’s. Defending Points Champion Floyd Duggins with a net 66 won the second flight for the second year in a row. Bob Boyer was second with a 68, Steve Blotzer third with a net 70. The CP’s were won by Floyd Duggins and Steve Blotzer. Matt Hurst and Glenn Campbell won the LD’s. Matt Hurst starts off the year with the tournament points lead, Floyd Duggins the scoring average lead. The greens were faster than they looked and combined with some tough pin placements limited the field to a minuscule 2 birdies, one each by Matt Hurst (a chip in) and Bob Simonson. Randy Butler had a gross 39 on the front nine. In the first round of the Pyramid Tournament it was Michael Katz over Casey Walker, Bob Boyer over Steve Blotzer, Neal Stachowocz over Glenn Campbell. Sandie Cook and Matt Hurst tied in their match. The Rankings were changed slightly, Kevin Peck remains at # 1, Steve Blotzer moves up to # 2, Glenn Campbell slips to # 3, Floyd Duggins moves up to # 4 with Randy Butler still holding the # 5 spot.
The 10th annual Menzel Classic best-ball tournament was held on Saturday, June 11th at Rancho Solano GC starting at 8:40 am. Last year at this time we had 90 degree temperatures and a strong north wind, not so this year, it was cool with a early strong westerly wind blowing. Matt Hurst and Nemon Williamson teamed up to win the first flight with a best-ball score of 65. The team of Mike Cook and Michael Katz took second place with a net 67. Last years winners Kevin Peck and Rob Yarbrough took third place with a 71. Steve Blotzer and Rick Morgan won the second flight with a 65. In second place was our tournament hosts, the team of Debbie Menzel and Sonny Menzel with a 68. One stroke back was the team of Sandie Cook and Don Scribner who finished third. The greens were inconsistent in speed, lots of 3 putts were made by the field. The birdie shooters were Gary Beckman, Steve Blotzer, Floyd Duggins, Michael Katz, Debbie Menzel, Sonny Menzel and Don Scribner. Net Eagles were made by Gary Beckman, Steve Blotzer, Floyd Duggins, Debbie Menzel, Sonny Menzel, Rick Morgan and Don Scribner. Michael Katz shot a gross 39 on the front nine and a great 79 in tough conditions. The CP’s were won by Floyd Duggins and Sandie Cook. The LD’s were won by Michael Katz and Matt Hurst. Matt Hurst with his second win in a row maintained the points lead. Rick Morgan took over the scoring average lead. Debbie and Sonny not only handed out very nice gift card prizes to all the third place finishers in the first and second flights but also awarded generous cash prizes to the overall 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th place finishers. The shot of the day went to Steve Blotzer who mishit his shot on the 17th hole unto a balcony and had to face a very irate lady, she didn’t give him his ball back! In first round Pyramid play it was Sonny Menzel over Floyd Duggins. Kevin Peck maintained his # 1 Ranking, # 2 was Steve Blotzer, Glenn Campbell the # 3 position, Floyd Duggins at # 4 with Michael Katz moving up in the rankings in the # 5 spot.
Winter would not go away, it rained midweek before the tournament but we ended up playing on a beautiful day, warm to start with but a slight cool breeze came up on the back nine, temperature in the low 90’s at the end of play. The date was July 2nd starting at 9am, the course was Foxtail – South for our first major championship of the year, the 16th Club Championship. To say it was a close finish would be a understatement, Mike Cook and Nemon tied for 1st place in the 1st flight, Brittany Hurst took 1st in the second flight, all three players had 44 points. Using the # 1 handicap hole to break the tie, Mike Cook won the Club Championship, Nemon second and Brittany third. Mike tied his father Boyd as the oldest player to win a major at age 69. Mike also achieved the “Yarbie Slam”, winning all 4 career majors. Don Scribner won second place in the first flight, Matt Hurst took third. In the second flight Jerry Crumrine took second, Sandie Cook won third place. Nemon Williamson won the low gross Club Championship breaking his own (shared with Mike Cook) course record with a gross 77, Mike Cook was second with a 78. Glenn Campbell (his first) and Brittany Hurst won the CP’s. Michael Katz (his 20th) and Brittany Hurst won the LD’s. Matt Hurst maintained the points lead for the year. Brittany Hurst took over the scoring average lead. Matt Hurst shot a 39 on the front nine, Mike Cook had a 37, Nemon Williamson a 38 matched by a 39 on the back nine. The back nine is where most of the players had problems, only 2 players in the field shot better on the back, Randy Butler and Floyd Duggins. Randy Butler, Mike Cook and Nemon Williamson each had 3 birdies apiece, Glenn Campbell and Bob Simonson had one each. Some major changes took place in the golf club rankings, Kevin Peck dropped out, Jerry Crumrine went from 6th to 1st, Nemon Williamson went from 10th to 2nd, Floyd Duggins went from 4th to 3rd, Mike Cook went from 11th to 4th, Steve Blotzer slipped from 2nd to 5th. In first round Pyramid play it was Brittany Hurst over Don Scribner, Mike Cook over Jerry Crumrine and Nemon Williamson over Debbie Menzel. In second round play it was Sonny Menzel over Bob Boyer.
Saturday the 23rd of July was the date for the Franklin Canyon Tournament starting at 9:00 am. The weather was cool to start with, the normal afternoon prevailing wind was already with us at the start of play, the temperature was only in the low seventies at the end of play. Neal Stachowicz won the first flight shooting a net 68. Mike Cook took second place two strokes back. Glenn Campbell had a net 72 for third place. Debbie Menzel shooting a excellent gross 87, net 63 won the second flight. Rick Morgan and Mike Osada tied for second place with a net 70’s. Jerry Crumrine and Bob Simonson tied for third place with net 74’s. Mike Cook and Debbie Menzel won the CP’s, Brittany Hurst and Bob (the brute) Simonson won the LD’s. In the “never give up” catagory three players stood out, Jerry Crumrine after taking a 10 on the first hole came back to almost make a hole in one on the tough 11th hole (did make his birdie) and finish third, Glenn Campbell took a 9 on the 16th hole but finished par, bogey for third place and Rick Morgan with a 12 on the 9th hole and a 9 on the tough 13th hole pared the last 3 holes to take second place. The usually tough par five 9th and 13th holes were played a little better by the field this year, Denzil Storbeck birdied the 9th, Mike Cook and Brittany Hurst were the only players to par the 13th. Mike Cook tied Matt Hurst for the points lead for the year. Brittany Hurst maintained the scoring average lead for the year. Again this year the greens were somewhat slower than normal. The field only made 6 birdies, birdie shooters were Jerry Crumrine, Debbie Menzel, Rick Morgan, Mike Osada, Kevin Peck and Denzil Storbeck. In first round pyramid play it was Rick Morgan over Bob Simonson and in their rematch it was Matt Hurst over Sandie Cook by one stroke. The rankings changed with Kevin Peck coming back in at the # 1 position, Jerry Crumrine moved to the # 2 spot, Nemon Williamson at # 3, Neal Stachowicz with his win moving up from # 9 to # 4 with Mike Cook holding the # 5 spot.
The next tournament was played at Cypress Lakes GC starting at 10:00 am on Saturday, August 13th. Perfect weather conditions, temperature in the high 80’s with essentially no wind however the course was very wet, it played long and putting was difficult on the spongy greens. Home course player Larry Campbell won the first flight after shooting a net 71. AJ Jones was second with a net 75 followed by Don Scribner in third with a net 76. The second flight was won by another home course player Bob Brown (his first tournament win) and Sonny Menzel both with net 69’s. Alex Tegenkamp won second place with a net 71. Matt Hurst was third with a net 74. Mike Cook and Sonny Menzel won the CP’s. Michael Katz and Sonny Menzel won the LD’s. Matt Hurst took the tournament points lead by himself. Bob Brown took over the scoring average lead. The field had an anemic 3 birdies. Floyd Duggins, Matt Hurst and Sonny Menzel had one apiece. In second round Pyramid play it was AJ Jones over Neal Stachowicz, Michael Katz and Rick Morgan tied their match and will play again. In the Rankings; Jerry Crumrine retook the top spot, Kevin Peck slipped to # 2, Neal Stachowicz moved up to # 3, Nemon Williamson slipped to # 4, Mike Cook maintained his # 5 spot. Player of the Year top 10 standings; Matt Hurst, Nemon Williamson, Mike Cook, Rick Morgan, Sonny Menzel, Don Scribner, Neal Stachowicz, Jerry Crumrine, AJ Jones & Michael Katz.
The 10th “Boyd Cook Memorial Classic” was held at the Napa Golf Course (Kennedy) on Saturday, September 3rd starting at 9am. It was a cool and foggy start but the sun finally broke through halfway through the front nine, the temperature at the end of play was in the high 70’s with essentially no wind the entire round. The course played long from the blue tees with only two players under net par. Mike (orange ball) Cook won his 3rd Classic with a net 71 to win the first flight, Sonny Menzel was second two strokes back, Nemon Williamson was 3rd with a net 75. Mike Osada won his second Classic at Kennedy to win the second flight with a net 71. Sandie Cook shot a net 73 to finish second and qualify for the Winners Tournament. Bob Brown continued his good play finishing third with a net 75. Floyd Duggins and Nemon Williamson won the CP’s, Steve Blotzer and Bob Brown won the LD’s. Mike Cook took over the points lead for the year, the absent Jerry Crumrine took over the scoring average lead. The birdie drought continued, two for the field, Sonny Menzel and Nemon Williamson managed one apiece. Mike and Sandie Cook passed out gift cards to the 1st, 2nd & 3rd place finishers along with cash bonuses. In second round Pyramid play (@ Blue Rock Springs – West) it was Michael Katz over Rick Morgan by one stroke in their rematch. It was Nemon Williamson over Brittany Hurst by forfeit. Mike Cook advanced to the third round by forfeit. In the rankings Jerry Crumrine continues at # 1, Mike Cook moves up from # 5 to # 2, Neal Stachowicz holds at # 3, Kevin Peck slips from # 2 to # 4, Nemon Williamson slips from # 4 to # 5. Player of the Year top 10 standings; Mike Cook, Nemon Williamson, Matt Hurst, Sonny Menzel, Neal Stachowicz, Don Scribner, Jerry Crumrine, Rick Morgan, AJ Jones & Michael Katz.
Our final regular tournament of the year was played on Saturday, September 24th starting at 09:06 am at Wildhorse G.C. It was strange weather, high clouds and a humid feel with a mid 80’s temperature at the end of play. This was the last chance to qualify for the Winners Tournament but no one claimed the last spots. We did however end up with a large field of 19 players eligible. In the first flight it was Larry Campbell first with a net 67 for his second win of the year. Mike (orange ball) Cook at 68 took second place, Nemon Williamson was third with a 72. In the second flight it was Steve Blotzer first (his 10th career win) with a net 67, Matt Hurst second with a 71 and Sonny Menzel and Bob Simonson tying for third with 72’s. Mike Cook (his 60th) and Don Scribner (his 10th) won the CP’s, Randy Butler and Neal Stachowicz won the LD’s. Mike Cook and Steve Blotzer shot gross 39’s on the front nine, Randy Butler and Larry Campbell had gross 38’s on the tougher back nine. Mike Cook maintained the points lead for the year, the absent Jerry Crumrine maintained the scoring average lead for the year. The greens at Wildhorse had many many unhealed ball marks making putting a real adventure. The field did managed to squeak out 8 birdies led by Glenn Campbell with 3, other birdie shooters were Steve Blotzer, Larry Campbell, Mike Cook, Matt Hurst, and Bob Simonson with 1 each. It’s a tough finish at the course, the 18th hole (according to Wildhorse) is the toughest finishing hole in the valley. The field averaged a double bogey 6 on it, only Randy Butler and Debbie Menzel managed to par it. In a second round pyramid play it was Rob Yarbrough over Matt Hurst by one stroke @ Green Valley CC. In third round play it was Nemon Williamson over AJ Jones and Sonny Menzel over Michael Katz. Low net money in the pyramid first round goes to Brittany Hurst and Don Scribner. In the second round it goes to Rob Yarbrough and Matt Hurst. The rankings had some changes with Mike Cook taking over the # 1 spot, Jerry Crumrine slips to the # 2 spot, Nemon Williamson moves up from # 5 to the # 3 spot, Kevin Peck holds at # 4 with Neal Stachowicz slipping to the # 5 position. In the Player of the Year race top ten it is Mike Cook, Nemon Williamson, Sonny Menzel, Matt Hurst, Neal Stachowicz, Jerry Crumrine, Don Scribner, Rick Morgan, Sandie Cook and Steve Blotzer.
After 15 years we returned to the Boundary Oak GC for the “41st” annual Winners Tournament. It was the sight of the 1975 W.T. (Gary Beckman), the 1983 W.T.(Clar Reyes) and the 1989 W.T.(John Ortiz). Play took place on Saturday, October 15th with a 10:00am start time. The weather conditions were okay, high clouds the entire day with temperatures in the high 70’s and very little wind. The course was not in the best condition for playing the Winners Tournament, the fairways were fuzzy and the greens had just been aerated that week. A good turnout, fourteen of the nineteen eligible players played plus one ineligible for a total of fifteen. Sonny Menzel won his first Winners Tournament and 3rd major. Sonny shot a gross 85 net 65. Nemon Williamson took second place with a gross 79, net 67. Two players tied for 3rd place with net 69’s, Steve Blotzer and Neal Stachowicz. Randy Butler, Neal Stachowicz and Nemon Williamson shot gross 38’s on the front nine. Mike Cook (his 9th) won the Points Championship for the year. Randy Butler and Larry Campbell (his 15th) took the CP’s. In another very competitive year 12 different players won a CP, Mike Cook and Floyd Duggins had 3 apiece for the year. Both LD’s were won by Randy Butler. We had 10 different players claim a LD during the year, Randy Butler and Michael Katz led the way with 3 each. Nemon Williamson won the Scoring Average Championship (his second) for the year. Birdie shooters were Neal Stachowicz with back to back birdies, Steve Blotzer, Randy Butler, Larry Campbell, Rick Morgan and Nemon Williamson with one apiece. Nemon Williamson was the birdie leader for the year with 5. In third round pyramid play it was Mike Cook over Rob Yarbrough (@ Paradise Valley). Mike Cook maintained first place in the Valero Golf Rankings, Nemon Williamson moved up to the second spot, Neal Stachowicz moved up to the # 3 spot, Steve Blotzer moved up to the # 4 spot with Jerry Crumrine slipping to the # 5 position. In the Player of the Year race top 10 it’s Mike Cook, Nemon Williamson, Sonny Menzel, Matt Hurst, Neal Stachowicz, Don Scribner, Rick Morgan, Steve Blotzer, Sandie Cook and Jerry Crumrine.
The 35th Pyramid Tournament finals were held at Paradise Valley G.C. on Friday, October 21st at 10:24 am. The course was in very good shape, the greens had not been aerated yet, the temperature was in the low 80’s with essentially no wind. The three players in the finals were Mike Cook, Nemon Williamson and Sonny Menzel the current # 1, # 2 and # 3 ranked golfers from this year. Mike Cook and Nemon Williamson were even but both players had to give Sonny 8 strokes for the match. On the par 5 opening hole Nemon hit his approach shot on the green about 8 feet from the hole, Mike’s approach shot was short, a chip and 2 putts for a bogey 6. Sonny’s approach went long over the green left, with a lot of tough shots left he ended up taking an 8. Nemon just missed his birdie but made a par 5. On the par 4 second hole Mike and Nemon both hit good tee shots, Sonny hit his drive into the right side hazard, had to drop and then hit his next shot left and short of the hazard in front of the green. Mike and Nemon both hit the green Mike short and Nemon long. Sonny hit his approach shot long just off the back of the green, but then putted the ball in the hole for a good bogey 5. Mike and Nemon both 2 putted for pars. On the par three 3rd hole Sonny hit the green and just rolled off, Nemon hit the left side bunker, Mike hit his tee shot into the rightside lateral hazard and after a futile search had to hit his 3rd shot from the ball drop area. Nemon hit the green and 2 putted for a bogey, Sonny 3 putted for a bogey, Mike 2 putted for a double bogey 5. On the par 5 fourth hole both Nemon and Sonny hit good tee shots. Mike’s tee shot went right towards the hazard but short of it. Mike had no shot and had to hit a low runner just to get back into play. Sonny hit the green in 3 and 2 putted for a par 5. Nemon went long on his approach shot, some chips and putts he ended up taking a 7. Mike’s third shot went a little right, hit the back of the greenside bunker and careened into the lateral hazard. He ended up with a triple bogey 8. On the par 4 fifth hole Sonny hit his tee shot left but OK, Mike and Nemon both hit drives down the middle. Nemon hit the green in 2 and 2 putted for a par, Mike hit the green in 2 and after missing a very short putt 3 putted for a bogey, Sonny was on in 3 and 2 putted for a bogey. On the par 4 sixth hole both Mike and Nemon hit good tee shots, Sonny went right and into the lake. Sonny dropped and hit his next shot back into the lake etc and would end up taking a 10 on the hole. Nemon was on in 2 and 2 putted for a par, Mike was left of the green but pin high, chipped across the green and 2 putted for a bogey 5. On the par 4 seventh hole Mike and Nemon hit good tee shots, Sonny topped his tee shot, then hit his second shot into the right greenside bunker. Some bunker problems led to a 6 for Sonny. Mike hit the green but missed a short birdie putt but made par, Nemon also hit the green but 3 putted for a bogey 5. On the par 3 eighth hole with a blue pin left Sonny’s tee shot went left of the cart path, Mike hit the green but on the very right side, Nemon hit the shot of the day, a 200 yard shot straight at it landing about 7 feet below the pin and then rolled in the putt for a birdie 2. Sonny’s approach shot went into the bunker which led to a 6 on the hole. Mike facing a 80 to 90 foot putt 3 putted for a bogey 4. On the par 4 ninth hole Nemon hit a long tee shot left center, Mike was right center and short, Sonny’s tee shot hit the driving range net but came back into play. Sonny hit his third shot long and 3 putted for a 6, Mike hit the green in 2 missed another birdie putt but made par, Nemon hit a very good shot about 3 feet from the pin and made his second consecutive birdie. At the end of the front nine Nemon was up by 7 strokes over Mike and 9 strokes over Sonny. On the par 5 tenth hole Nemon hit a good tee shot down the middle, Mike’s tee shot was way right, Sonny hit the left fairway bunker. Mike mishit a fairway wood, then had to lay up to the ditch with an iron, Nemon hit a good layup shot, Sonny was out of the bunker but his next shot was short of the green left. Mike was on the green in 4 way below the hole, Nemon was on in 3 but above the pin, Sonny was on in 4 but again above the pin. Mike 2 putted for a bogey, Nemon and Sonny 3 putted for a bogey for Nemon a double for Sonny. On the par 4 eleventh hole Mike’s tee shot was short right, Nemon was long down the middle, Sonny’s was left but OK. Mike hit a 3 wood just short of the green on the left side, Nemon hit his second shot on the green center, Sonny’s shot was long left of the green and facing a near impossible chip shot to the back left blue flag. His chip shot hit thr fringe above the hole and stopped there. He then calmy putted the ball into the hole for a par 4. Mike chipped his ball across the green to 3 feet and made the putt for a par, Nemon 2 putted for a par. On the par 3 twelfth hole Mike hit the green about 4 feet from the pin, Sonny was short right, Nemon went long left ending up on the downslope of the grass bunker. Some chipping and putting problems led to a double bogey 5 for Nemon, Sonny got it on and 2 putted for a bogey, Mike left his short birdie putt short and made par. Mike moved to 5 down for the match. On the par 4 thirteenth hole Mike hit the center of the fairway, Sonny was long right but OK, Nemon was long right but managed to reach the lateral hazard and lose his ball. Mike hit a fairway wood on the green about 18 feet above the pin, Sonny’s shot was left of the green, Nemon after a drop hit his next shot short left. Sonny chipped on a 2 putted for a bogey, Nemon got on and 2 putted for a double bogey 6, Mike lipped out his long downhill putt but did make a par 4. Mike moved to 3 down for the match, Sonny was 8 down. On the short par 4 fourteenth hole Mike layed up and hit the fairway, Nemon hit his driver long left of the green, Sonny hit the large right side bunker. Mike badly mishit an iron short right of the green, chipped up and 2 putted for a bogey 5. Nemon had chipping problems and also wound up with a bogey, Sonny had a triple bogey 7. On the par 3 fifteenth hole, Mike hit the green about 8 feet from the pin, Nemon just missed the green, Sonny had lake problems and was essentially out of the match. Nemon chipped on a 2 putted for a bogey 4, Mike again left his birdie putt short and settled for a par. Mike was now 2 down for the match. On the par 5 sixteenth hole Mike hit his tee shot down the center, Nemon was long left center. Mike hit two fairway woods to reach the green and was about 10 feet below the hole. Nemon was just off the green pin high in 3 shots, chipped down and made the putt for a par 5, Mike 2 putted for a par 5 also. Mike was still 2 shots down in the match. On the par 4 seventeenth hole Mike hit his tee shot down the middle, Nemon’s went right towards the lateral hazard. Mike hit a fairway wood just through the green and ended up in the back fringe. Nemon’s ball had found the hazard. Nemon had to drop but had no shot towards the green because of low hanging trees, he chipped out to the fairway. Nemon got on in four and 2 putted for a double bogey 6. Mike was pin high to the blue flag but had to putt through 6 feet of fringe to reach the green. The pin was on a severe downslope. Mike putted the ball just through the fringe, it crept unto the green and very slowly made it’s way to the hole stopping just a few inches away, Mike tapped in for a par 4. The match was now even going to the 18th tee. On the par 4 eighteenth hole Mike hit a good drive right center, Nemon went somewhat left but good. Mike mishit his fairway wood, Nemon hit his second shot just left of the green. Mike’s pitch shot from 60 yards went right at the pin but long landing about 20 feet above the red pin. Nemon chipped on the green but left his shot 8 feet above the flag also. Mike putted down the hill but misread the putt and ended up 6 feet above and off to the right side of the hole. Nemon putted down the hill, missed the putt and went by about 4 feet. Mike missed his putt and tapped in for a double bogey 6. Nemon makes his putt and wins the 35th Pyramid Tournament by one stroke. For Mike it was groundhog day all over again as he lost the finals match one year ago on the same hole by the same score. Nemon Williamson will have his name engraved for the second time on the “Tom Stead Trophy” as the winner of the 35th Pyramid Tournament, his fifth major ($90.00). Finishing second (for the 26th time in a major) was Mike Cook ($46.00). Finishing third was Sonny Menzel ($28.00). Low net money went to Rob Yarbrough ($22.00), Brittany Hurst ($18.00), AJ Jones ($14.00), Matt Hurst ($12.00) and Don Scribner ($10.00). After the Pyramid Tournament Nemon Williamson took over the # 1 spot (by 0.02) in the golf rankings, Mike Cook at # 2, Neal Stachowicz at # 3, Steve Blotzer at # 4 and Jerry Crumrine at the # 5 spot.
The 25th Silver Anniversary Valero Cup tournament was played at Eagle Vines G.C. on Friday, November 18th starting at 9:18 am. The Valero Cup was previously played there in 2004 (Ken Dorsey) and 2005 (Dave Pearce). The weather was awlful, temperature in the low 50’s, a very strong westerly wind and intermittent rain showers were with us the entire day. The greens were very good and very fast. At the end of the front nine Matt Hurst led the way with a net 35, Neal Stachowicz at net 36 and Larry Campbell at net 37. After shooting a net 33 on the back nine Matt Hurst wins his 4th Valero Cup and 6th major championship. Larry Campbell finished second 7 strokes back. Neal Stachowicz and Nemon Williamson tied for 3rd place with net 78’s. Matt won the $80.00 winner takes all Valero Cup prize money. Shots of the day went to Larry Campbell who layed up to position “A” on the short dogleg par 4 fourth hole, only to hit his next shot into the right greenside bunker, leave it in the bunker on his next shot but then hole out his next bunker shot for a par 4. The other shot of the day went to Neal Stachowicz on the par 3 sixth hole island green. The wind was blowing very hard left to right, Larry Campbell’s tee shot went right at the flag but was blown right, hit the side of the green and then bounced into the water hazard. Neal hit his tee shot at the flag but was able to hold the line and stop 4 inches from the cup. Only two birdies were made, Mike Cook and Neal Stachowicz had one apiece. Other top eight players included; Steve Blotzer, Mike Cook and Sonny Menzel, only 7 of the top 8 players played. Nemon Williamson maintained the # 1 ranking, Mike Cook at # 2, Sonny Menzel at # 3, Neal Stachowicz at # 4, Matt Hurst with his win moved up to the # 5 position
The # 1 position in the Valero Golf Club Rankings was held by Kevin Peck to start the year off. Kevin maintained it through the Paradise Valley and Rancho Solano tournaments. Jerry Crumrine took over after Foxtail – South. Kevin returned to # 1 after the Franklin Canyon tournament. Jerry retook # 1 after Cypress Lakes and held # 1 through the Kennedy tournament. Mike Cook took # 1 after Wildhorse and held it through the Winners Tournament at Boundary Oak. Nemon Williamson after finishing first in the Pyramid Tournament at Paradise Valley took over the # 1 position and ended the year as the # 1 ranked golfer.
By finishing 1st in Tournament Points, 3rd in the Scoring Average Championship for the year, and 2nd in the Pyramid Tournament, Mike Cook was the Valero Golf Club’s “Player of the Year” for 2011 (his 8th). Mike tied for first with Nemon Williamson but won the first tie breaker, most tournament points.
2011 was the tenth year for the Valero Golf League. Play continued at Blue Rock West on Wednesday’s. Farm League play was held on Thursday’s. The League continued to be nine hole team play starting officially at 4:30 pm every Wednesday. The League ran from mid April through September. Steve Duff continued as the League President. 2011 was arguably the most competitive season ever between the six teams. The 2010 league finals playoff teams the Seadlings and the Rovers started off the year tied for first place in week # 1, the Seadlings took over 1st for week # 2, Birdies – R -Us took first place in week # 3, then the Seadlings in week # 4, this switching back and forth between the Seadlings and Birdies- R-Us continued until week # 9 when the Mulligans took # 1 spot and held it through week # 10. The Rovers took over first place in week # 11 and held it to week # 12. In week # 13 the Mulligans retook first place and held it through weeks # 14 & 15. In week # 16, end of the regular season the Rovers took first place with the Mulligans second and the Seadlings third. At the end of the regular season the first place team ( The Rovers ) received a bye, the second place team, the Mulligans and the third place finisher the Seadlings played off on August 17th to determine who would play the top team. The Mulligans and the Seadlings tied their match 4.0 to 4.0 and went to the low aggregate net score tie breaker to determine the winner. The Mulligans won the tie breaker 153 to 163 and advanced on to play the Rovers on August 24th. As it was in 2006, 2008, 2009 & 2010 the Championship match was very close coming down to the final foursome on the final hole with the Mulligans and the Rovers tying by a score of 5.0 to 5.0. The low net agragate tie breaker was applied but the two teams tied again 184 to 184. The second tie breaker, match play on a hole by hole basis starting with the # 1 handicap gave the edge to the Rovers 3 to 1. This gave the Rovers their fourth league championship. Mike Cook shot video of the match showing play on the first, fourth and ninth holes. The first place team, the Rovers consisted of Steve Blotzer, Randy Butler, Susan Cortez, Steve Duff, Rick Morgan, Chad Rollans and team captain Jim Rollans. The Mulligans finished second, the team consisting of Bob Boyer, Mike DeHart, team captain Rick Hastings, Chris Hom, Joe Muehlbauer, Eddie Pereira and John Quigley. The Seadlings finished third, the team consisted of Rick Carr, John Endicott, Ken Gibson, Michael Katz, captain Neal Stachowicz, Gene Stangel and Casey Walker. Birdies-R-Us finished in fourth place, the team consisted of team captain Glenn Campbell, Doug Comeau, Jerry Dower, Andrew Estrada, Sue Gustofson, JD Johnson and Alex Tegenkamp. The Hackers Unlimited finished in fifth place, the team consisted of Gary Armstrong, AJ Jones, Brad Martin, Debbie Menzel, team captain Sonny Menzel, Chris Wilburn and Pat Young. Team Albatross finished in sixth place, the team consisted of Lauren Bird, team captain Matt Hurst, Ben LaFountain, Kevin Lassahn, Mike Osada, Glenn Overman, Terrence Vallely. Year long individual honors went to Eddie Periera with a new record low gross of 37 in the regular season, a new record low net of 27 in the regular season went to Casey Walker. In the playoffs the low gross went to Eddie Periera who tied Dave Pearce’s record with a 37. Eddie Periera had the most improved handicap for the year. In the league individual rankings Michael Katz started the year in the # 1 position and then achieved a perfect ranking of 10.00 in week # 4. Michael held the # 1 ranking through week # 9. Chad Rollans held the # 1 spot from week # 10 until the end of the regular season and through the playoffs. Randy Butler tied the medal point winning percentage record in the regular season. Glenn Campbell tied the runner-up record for the most match points won in the regular season. Ken Gibson set new runner-up records for the match point winning % in the regular season and total points winning % in the regular season. John Quigley tied the runner-up record for the low net score in the regular season. In post season tournament play; in the two person scramble it was Jim Rollans and Chad Rollans teaming up for the win. In the stableford points + handicap tournament it was Mike DeHart winning. Jerry Dower won the 2 – Club tournament. The two person best-ball tournament was won by the team of Todd Lopez and Chris Wilburn. The final tournament was the low net which was won by Debbie Menzel. This was followed by awards, food and drinks provided by League President Steve Duff. The Valero Golf League had another good year.
This golf year came to a close following the Valero Cup tournament. This year we continued the players sponsoring tournaments, thanks to all the sponsors. Thanks go out to Matt Hurst for doing an outstanding job as our Tournament Director in a tough year healthwise. The Valero Golf League had another good year with the Rovers winning their fourth League Championship. Thanks to Steve Duff for continuing to run the Valero Golf League as League President this year. Thanks also Mike DeHart, Treasurer & Matt Hurst the Membership Coordinator, Jim Rollans who was again the league statistician and Jon Shallenberger who was the farm league statistician. As always we’re looking forward to next year.
Mike Cook