CLUB NEWS
4.17.2010
NEW STARS SHINING BRIGHT ABOVE CINNABAR HILLS
SAN JOSE, Calif. - In the trophy room of Cinnabar Hills Golf Club on Saturday evening, the Dragons gathered after a great day of golf to drink wine, grab a bite, catch up with each other, and share a good laugh.
Club Captain Wes Chong loved it. "It's as if we picked up right where we left off," he said.
Indeed, the new year began the same way the previous had ended, in more ways than one. Wes, the defending Dragon Cup champion, began the 2010 season with a 78 on a firm and fast Cinnabar Hills track. He won the Flight A low gross title and established himself among the early leaders in this year's Dragon Cup race.
 Fuzzy Pourahmadi and Jens Jaeger on the 18th hole. |
But the battle has been joined, particularly by the new faces, the class of '10. The rookies swept the net finishes in the A Flight, as Carter Mau shot 87/net 70 to win, with Tammy Lee (87/net 76) and Eric Mosbrooker (90/net 76) close behind. Another rookie, Jens Jaeger, battled to finish with an 85, despite an opening triple bogey, to take second low gross in the A Flight. Jens also ripped a 4-iron through the wind to 19 feet on the 220-yard Par 3 17th for possibly the best KP of the year. Lawrence Ma's 91 edged Ken Lum (92) for third low gross in the A flight.
The story was the same in the B Flight, as rookie Paul Lee won first low gross with a 92. Dr. Thomas Leung, who had only one start last season, begins this one with a 94 for second low gross. Angie Wong finished third low gross with a 98, and swept the KPs in the B Flight. Xiao-Ming Chen (90/net 72) won B Flight net, with Tim Lohse (94/net 74) and Rob Dang (103/net 75) finishing second and third, respectively.
 Thomas Leung's approach on #11. |
And so, the Dragon Cup points list after one tournament finds Carter atop, with 165 points on the strength of his fine net finish, including 6 net birdies and a net eagle. Xiao-Ming Chen (150 points) and Thomas Leung (135) are second and third, respectively. Tim Lohse and Rob Dang are tied for fourth with 130 points.
The top four in the Dragon Cup standings have also qualified to represent the Dragons in the 2010 NCGA Associate Club Championships. The 4-person team event will begin on June 2 and 9 with local qualifying rounds and regionals in July, culminating in the finals at Spyglass and Poppy Hills in late August. Club Captain Wes Chong will contact the qualifiers and alternates to organize the squad.
In the skins game at Cinnabar, Thomas Leung racked up three skins. Wes Chong, Martin Chang, Karen Fong and Ken Lum each won a skin. Jon Chong drove all the way from Tucson for the Season Opener, and took a KP in the A Flight on the fifth hole. Karen, Tammy and Carter each also had a KP.
The beautiful Mountain and Canyon nines at Cinnabar Hills were challenging for all, with multiple forced carries and hazards everywhere. Scores were not surprisingly on the high side.
Thus by the time the last group had made it to the trophy room, no less than eight bottles of wine were opened and the members were feeling less pain. The Bring-Your-Own-Wine reception was well under way, with Fuzzy Pourahmadi pouring the fine wine brought by fellow members. Buffalo wings and pinot noir made an odd pairing, but plenty of both were consumed.
The good times continued at the post-tournament dinner. A dozen Dragons fired up three charcoal pits at the Spring Korean in Santa Clara, drank a few bottles of Hite (we can't order the other Korean beer, called "O.B."), and enjoyed the BBQ.
The next Dragons tournament will be at Shadow Lakes in Brentwood on Sunday, May 16. Registration remains open until May 1 for a field of 40, with the first tee time at 10 AM.
