Congratulations to the 2025 American Classic Golf League champions.
The popular Midway club hosts women’s and men’s leagues seasons each spring, using a two-member team scramble format. The women’s league began play March 31, with weekly contests every Monday. The men’s league began April 1, with weekly competitions every Tuesday. Both leagues fielded 18 teams for the 14-week season.
Jen Leonard and Lori Griggs won the women’s league, with Rick Ackerman and Bob Rabatsky winning the men’s league.
New online options
Delaware golf clubs are joining a national trend of increasing online marketing to their customers.
Here are two examples.
The Rookery just opened a new online store with 20 golf brands that go well beyond what can be found at the Milton course’s pro shop. The offerings include apparel, hats, accessories and high-end golf bags from companies such as Fairway & Green, Golftini and Jones Sports. The Rookery logo options are included but not required. Orders from different brands are shipped separately.
St. Anne’s Golf Links, home to this year’s DIAA state championship, now offers its own app in either iOS or Android versions. The free app offers daily specials on tee times, including a signup option for alerts, a GPS feature and golf giveaway opportunities. The daily specials can save from 15% to 25% off normal pricing, cart included.
No contest, IMHO
There is some chatter on Instagram sports sites about whether a male scratch golfer could effectively compete against a member of the LPGA.
I have watched both types of players for many years. With all due respect, I do not think this would be a real contest.
Most, if not all, LPGA players would have little or no problem beating a male scratch golfer.
Here is a routine example why I think this way, coming from the recent ShopRite LPGA Classic.
Sarah Kemp of Australia turns 40 later this year. She turned pro in 2006 after a great amateur career; she earned a spot on the LPGA Tour in 2008. She has yet to win an LPGA tournament but has a second-place and several other high-ranking finishes to her credit.
Last summer, she suffered a compound fracture in her right leg in a freak golf cart accident, sidelining her for several months. Kemp returned to action earlier this year, with starts on the LPGA and the Ladies’ European Tour.
For the first round of this year’s ShopRite Classic, Kemp joined Japanese player Yuna Nishimura and California teenage amateur sensation Asterisk Talley for their 7:26 a.m. start. Kemp began steadily, with a par on the first, bogey on the second, par on the third, and a fine birdie on the fourth. She parred the fifth and made a 22-foot birdie putt on the long par four sixth hole.
On the challenging par three seventh hole, however, Kemp’s tee shot took a detour to the right. Her ball bounced onto the gravel cart path about 20 yards right of the green, with the hole close to the right edge. It remained on the gravel, about a foot from its right edge.
To make matters worse, a mound of fescue and a bunker lay between her and the green. Thick branches from an adjacent tree hung perhaps 10 feet above the fescue, eliminating a high flop shot recovery attempt.
Kemp’s shot had all the signs of what experienced golfers call a PBFU, which for this column means post-birdie foul up.
Lisa Cornwell, a former Golf Channel analyst and Kemp’s current caddie/spouse, began chatting with Kemp about her options in taking complete relief from the cart path. Kemp followed the rules of golf and made a clean drop, making sure her stance would not put either foot back on the path.
After a few practice swings, Kemp hit a short, low punch. The ball skidded to a stop about 5 feet past the hole. Her effort earned a burst of applause from the crowd watching the group.
The applause increased in volume when Kemp made the par-saving putt.
Kemp ended the round with an even-par 71, despite giving up a fair amount of distance off the tee compared to her younger competitors. She made more greens in regulation than she missed, and had 29 putts for the day.
Kemp made the cut the next day and continued her steady, if not spectacular, play in the final round. She finished two-under for the tournament, earning $5,481.
At this point, Kemp is on the back nine of her pro career, on a tour where retiring in your mid-30s is not that unusual.
From my perspective, if Kemp played a 40-year-old male scratch golfer, I am sure she would find a way to beat him without much difficulty.
Local club competition results
The Mulligan’s Pointe Ladies played a scramble game July 1. Maxine Ansbach, Sue Ahern, Sue Cory and Debbie Pitts won first place.
Chris Bieleda, Karen Feuchtenberger, Terese Kane and Kay Monack took second. Marge Amodei, Pat Burk, Penny Hope and Kathy Marks finished third.
-
Fritz Schranck has been writing about the Cape Region's golf community since 1999. Snippets, stories and anecdotes from his columns are included in his new book, "Hole By Hole: Golf Stories from Delaware's Cape Region and Beyond," which is available at the Cape Gazette offices, Browseabout Books in Rehoboth Beach, Biblion Books in Lewes, and local golf courses. His columns and book reviews are available at HoleByHole.com.
Contact Fritz by emailing fschranck@holebyhole.com.
