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Golf

Another successful Lett’s Play Golf Scholarship Tournament

August 2, 2013

Despite the punishing heat of a late July Cape Region weekend, more than 116 golfers competed in this year’s sold-out edition of the Lett’s Play Golf charity golf tournament at Kings Creek Country Club.

Named after Stephen R. Lett, a past president of Kings Creek and the originator of the scholarship organization, the tournament is the fund’s major fundraiser, and supports four years of stipends for each recipient.

The tournament format encourages scoring from each member of the foursomes, with a best ball net of 2, 1, 1 (2 best balls for the par 3, and single best ball for the par 4s and par 5s). This year’s tournament winners were Walter Jones, Bill Manning, Hayden Evans and Bernie Genevish, who posted a combined net 63 on the challenging par 71 course.

Kings Creek head golf professional Kevin Wiest said, “Over 116 players competed vigorously in this fun best-ball format. While the record heat was daunting, their commitment to this important event was impressive, and the level of golf play was very high. The tournament was sold out this year, and we raised over $30,000 in scholarship funds.”

Kings Creek members or employees of the club nominate the students seeking the stipends. The nominees do not have to be otherwise affiliated with the club, and can live in other states.

An independent selection committee is made up of two scholarship fund board members, and three outside community and education leaders, who review the applications and select a single recipient each year.

This year’s winner is Jacob Martin of Ocean View, a 2013 graduate of Indian River High School.

Past winners include Patricia Conlon, a Cape Henlopen grad entering her senior year at High Point University in High Point, N.C.; Tyson Mayers Jr. of Rehoboth Beach, now attending Clemson University in Clemson, S.C., and Ethan Robinson of Wilmington, also attending Clemson and receiving his second annual stipend.

Lett said, “With the high cost of a college education today, we are pleased that our tournament attracts so many players and sponsors who want to make a difference in a young person’s life. It’s a great tournament for a really good cause.”

For more information about the scholarship fund, visit www.lettscholarshipfund.com.

Local club competition results

The Kings Creek Country Club 18 Hole Ladies Golf League played a low net tournament July 25.

Marilyn Hewitt took first place in the first flight, followed by Luanne Zabytko in second and Trisha Ritthaler in third. Kathy Casey won first place in the second flight, with Pattie Magee taking second and Barb Hines coming in third.

Hewitt also won closest to the pin, with a shot ending 20 feet from the eighth hole.

The Kings Creek 9 Hole Ladies group played July 29, in weather they described as delightful.

Nancy Barlow came in first, with Evelyn Vanderloo finishing in second place and Kathy Nave taking third place overall. Sue Eisenbrey won the closest to the pin contest for the day.

Don’t just sit and rotate

The allegedly simple option of lining up your golf ball on the putting green is in fact a potential trap for the unwary.

The United States Golf Association discussed this potential penalty in a recent Ruling of the Day at the organization’s website.

A golfer turns his ball on the putting green to use the ball’s trademark logo as an aiming line for his next putt. Before doing so, however, he didn’t mark the ball’s position with a marker, or lift the ball, or even change its position on the green.

Nonetheless, the failure to mark the ball before rotating it adds a penalty stroke under Rule 18, for touching the ball other than as permitted under the rules.

Lifting, touching or rotating the ball can only be done after first marking its position, which makes sense given the potential opportunity for inadvertent or intentional improving of one’s chances, as it were.

If the golfer had simply marked the ball first, there would be no penalty.

This and similar risks are why I usually keep four ball markers in my pocket during a round, for myself and any playing partners who might have forgotten their own marker.

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