• COURSE: Roosevelt, Par-33
• CHECK-IN TIME: 8:35 [Sunday, July 16]
• FIELD WATCH: A tournament-low 7 golfers are expected to tee it up Sunday, including defending champion Patrick Bird. Former 2-time champion Walter Vargas will miss for the 5th straight year. Handicaps: Bird (17), Witt (19), Vaughan (16), Mann (15), Moawad (10), T. Joe (19), D. Vargas (12)
• COURSE RECORD: 38, P-Jay Fidler (2010)
• LAST YEAR: Patrick Bird claimed his first Astronomer’s Monument trophy after carding a Roosevelt career-best 48. Chris Moawad, who finished 2nd, carded 5 pars to set a new tournament record.
• STORYLINES: The MGM Tour will conclude its 15th season Sunday, and this tournament could decide Player of the Year. Current #1 Gerry Vaughan has his sights set on a 2nd Player of the Year award (2010). Chris Moawad, 4-time and defending Player of the Year, is aiming to finish Tour #1 in consecutive years for the 2nd time in his career (’12-’13). He’ll need to finish ahead of Vaughan in varying scenarios to usurp the #1 spot. Both Moawad (who shot a career best 42 last year) and Vaughan (who has just 2 pars in 8 career starts at Roosevelt) have never won the Griffith.
• APPROACH SHOTS: Patrick Bird had never broken 50 at Roosevelt (7 previous starts) before winning last year… There has not been a repeat winner of this event… Tim Joe and Doug Vargas will be making their tournament record 10th starts… Tour charter members have won their first Griffith the last 4 editions… Both Chris Moawad and Doug Vargas count the Griffith as 1 of 2 tournament victories needed for them to complete the career slam… $10 birdie pool money has rolled over from the Tour Championship… Chris Moawad, Tim Joe, and Gerry Vaughan will become the only golfers this season to play in all 8 tournaments… Tie breaker will be cumulative gross score on holes 7 and 8. If still tied, then 7,8, and 2; then 7,8,2,9
2017 Defending champion Patrick Bird
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PAST CHAMPIONS:
2015, Martin Witt
2014, John Frost
2013, Clint Crump
2012, Travois Gordón
2011, Walter Vargas
2010, Travois Gordón
2009, P-Jay Fidler
2008, Armen Grigorian
2007, Walter Vargas