TRGA Returns to Valley High

Conditions for the TRGA's season-opening event were very good and less than ideal.   Valley High Golf Club was in great condition for the 51 players who all started and finished the 18-hole event.   The weather was an entirely different story.   Players battled cold temperatures (45 degrees) and non-stop rain for most of the day.  

In the men's championship division, Bret Richert seemed to play better the harder it rained.   Richert was four over par through 13 holes, then birdied 3 of his last five to finish in first place with a 74.   Richert was one stroke better than runner-up Casey Bablitch, who birdied two of his last three holes to finish with a 75.   John Anderson and Troy Dobbe tied for third at 77.   Jeremy Leis was fifth with a 79.

Doug Hageness shot an 85 to win the first flight by one stroke over Robert Burns who finished with 86.

Mike Feldner was waterlogged and happy when he finished his round in the second flight.   Feldner's 82 was one stroke better than Robert Burns.

Paul Jackson was as steady as the rain.  His recorded an 84 thanks to 42 on the front nine and 42 on the back nine.  Paul Finch finished second with an 86.

Steve Crogan won the first TRGA playoff of the year.   He and Nick Kleifgen finished with 88.   Crogan won the fourth flight playoff on the second hole.  "I was very strong mentally all day" said the winner. 

John Frei was the winner in the men's fifth flight, which is a net division.   Frei's net score of 63 was eight shots better than Rick Wall and Bob Luce who finished with 71.  

And Chelsea Dunnum, the 2015 Player-of-the-Year won the women's flighted division with a net 71.

"It's good to be back at Valley High" said TRGA Executive Director Jim Socha.  "The players really had a good time in spite of the weather.  The golf course is a lot of fun."TRGA golfers will have a matter of hours to dry out and warm up.   The TRGA's second event of the year is scheduled to start at 9:00am Sunday at Fox Hollow Golf Club.  It's the first time the TRGA has played regular season events on back-to-back days in its 21-year history.