CLUB NEWS
7.14.2010
THE ODD COUPLE AT THE RENO INVITATIONAL
RENO, Nevada - It was an intimate gathering at the 24th Oakland CGC Invitational in Reno this week, as just about 60 competitors came from all corners of the Federation to take on D'Andrea Golf Club and Somersett Country Club.
 Ken Lum is happy with this opening round at D'Andrea Golf Club. |
With a smaller than usual field, the tournament had just two men's flights and one ladies flight. Thus, president emeritus Ken Lum found himself in the Championship Flight with the current club boss Lawrence Ma. Both Dragons were in contention after a very warm Day One at D'Andrea Golf Club, where in 95-degree heat Ken shot 86/net 72 while Lawrence scraped together a round of 78/net 69. Two members of the Sacramento CGC opened the tournament with net 63s (including the low gross round of 71), and the work was cut out for everybody to catch them.
The next day, high winds came down the Sierra Nevada, making a difficult Somersett CC that much more challenging. For the two Dragons, who play their golf in the cool coastal air of San Francisco, there is also the matter of adjusting their yardages to the 4500-feet elevation and the dry heat. The target-oriented desert course with numerous water hazards and speedy greens, under these conditions, spared no one, as nobody in the Championship flight broke 80.
 Ken Lum teeing off on the 14th at Somersett Golf Club. |
In the end, Lawrence finished 2nd Low Net with a second round 85/net 76, for a net total of 145. He was actually tied for 1st with a competitor from the LACGC, but lost the card-off to the 15-handicapper. Ken struggled to a round of 97/net 83 -- a day marred by the dreaded "other" on the scorecard -- and finished 6th in the net division. No one caught the Sacramento CGC members, who walked away with field low gross (152) and field low net (134).
 |
Thus, with his 2nd low net finish at a Federation Inviational, Lawrence earned 100 Dragon Cup points, and now ranked fourth with 390 points, behind Thomas Leung (420), Paul Lee (605), and Wes Chong (645). An outright 1st low net finish in Reno would have gotten Lawrence 200 points and into 3rd place on the points list, but that's how it goes. A missed putt there, a dropped shot here, oh well, lesson learned, better luck next time.
The host club put on a wonderful event, headquartered at the Silver Legacy in downtown Reno. At the Sunday night welcome reception, competitors received goodie bags loaded with Cal-Berkeley alumni paraphernalia, including their song book, much to the chagrin of Lawrence, a proud UCLA Bruin and a casual Stanford man. Donations have already been made to Martin Chang's 2010 Dragons Holiday Banquet raffle inventory.
 Lawrence takes home a trophy and a bottle of Merlot. |
At the banquet raffle, Ken continues the Dragons' winning tradition with loads of sweets -- following Paul Lee and Rita Leung's two pounds of See's Candy in Sacramento, Ken won a big tin full of Mrs. Fields Cookies. Not that he needs them. He also shouted down everybody in Golf Trivia, winning multiple gift cards to Golfsmith. Lawrence was content with winning a bottle of Ferrari-Carrano Merlot.
The Dragons will resume regular club tournament action at The Presidio on July 24th, with a summer BBQ and The Weekender team draft at Joe Kwok's house to follow. The final Federation Invitational on the schedule is Victoria, B.C., the registration deadline for which is coming up on July 16.
