April continued…
A decade after winning his first Masters, Doug Vargas defeated Patrick Bird and Martin Witt in a sudden death playoff to become the 5th 2-time Masters champion. His 78 was his best score in his last 8 Masters appearances. The 10 years marked the longest stretch between wins in a tournament. Former 2-time champion John Mann withdrew after 5 holes in what would be his only start of the season.
1. Vargas
T2. Witt
T2. Bird
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“Best tee time ever.”
-Gerry Vaughan, single and with no kids, on the 1pm tee time for the Masters.
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“Now that we know it CAN be done, perhaps we can do it more often. Jesus would approve!”
-Patrick Bird, single and with no kids, on the 1pm Sunday tee time for the Masters.
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Doug: I can’t wait to use the restroom.
Marty: Yea, I gotta wipe.
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“No matter what, someone’s crying at my house.”
-P-Jay Fidler, father of 3 young girls, ages 6 and twins 3.
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“Looks like it got caught on your nub.”
-Martin Witt on Gerry Vaughan’s putt coming up short on 3
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“Congrats again Doug, it was well deserved! Great write up and photos Willy J, great time had by all! But not John Mann.”
-Martin Witt
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May…
Martin Witt (in the 80th start of his career) and Chris Moawad made good on their first time partnership, winning the Hooters Championship. The win was Witt’s record 5th (5 years after his last Hooters win) and Moawad’s 2nd in the last 3 years (10 years after his 1st at DeBell). The victory made Moawad just the 2nd Tour member to reach the 20-win mark.
1. Witt/Moawad
2. Vaughan/W. Vargas
T3. Crump/D. Vargas
T3. Frost/E. Quiroz
Golfers were shocked to find conditions at Little DeBell – host of 6 previous editions, including the inaugural in 2003 – in such disrepair. Sadly, not even the rich memories of tournaments past will be enough to entice the Tour to return.
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2013
2017
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June…
14-year Tour veteran Gerry Vaughan won his first major title after winning the Tour Championship at Westchester. He became the 7th different winner since the tournament’s expansion to a long course format in 2011. Patrick Bird, who had finished runner up in 2 of the past 3 editions, overslept and missed his start. The 5-man field was the worst attended edition of the MGM Tour’s “club” championship.
1. Vaughan
2. Moawad
3. T. Joe
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“You gotta be f’n kidding me!?? So players without kids get the shaft twice this weekend huh. Once because it’s moving to Saturday because it’s Father’s Day Sunday, and twice because the old man parents have to get up at 6AM. Fuggin A.”
-Patrick Bird on learning the first tee time was 7:48AM
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“Damnit! I was hoping Father’s Day would have knocked Chris out! Next time, we hold this tournament during the Super Bowl.”
-Defending champion Armen Grigorian following Chris Moawad’s confirmed attendance.
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“It’s about time.”
-Martin Witt after Chris Moawad flubbed a shot.
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“The only flag Gerry needs is the rainbow.”
-Martin Witt after Tim Joe asked Gerry Vaughan if he needed the flag.
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“Oh, he hit someone here [too]?! Oh dude he’s deadly.”
-Martin Witt after hearing that Doug Vargas once hit a golfer at Westchester. Witt was in Vargas’s group at this year’s Masters when Vargas’s tee shot on 13 hit another golfer in the forehead.
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“Walter would be so mad if he was here.”
-Gerry Vaughan after winning the Tour Championship with what some might consider a “generous” handicap.
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“I want to thank everyone who didn’t show, making this victory possible.”
-Gerry Vaughan
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July…
A year after carding a career worst score, Doug Vargas matched his 9-year old best round at Roosevelt to win his first Astronomer’s Monument trophy. The win moved him one step closer to completing the career slam (only the Charly Classic remains). Vargas ended the regular season winning 3 of his final 4 starts.
1. Vargas
2. Witt
3. Vaughan
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“I know!!!! But the Tour always schedules it when I am unavailable. I think they’re conspiring against me for this tournament.”
-Former 2-time champion Walter Vargas when told this was his 5th straight year of missing the tournament.
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“What are we, fizzling out? Well, it’s good to see the diehards here.”
-Chris Moawad reacting to the 6-man field, the worst in tournament history.
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“I believe [Doug’s] lost his mojo and clearly the passion is gone. No one should expect much.”
-John Frost at the start of the season
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7 years after winning his first Player of the Award, Gerry Vaughan added his name to the trophy for a second time. He finished the 2017 season with 2 victories, one of which was his first major title (Tour Championship), and led the Tour in top-3 finishes.
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“Thanks for not announcing on the last hole that I needed to make that putt. Otherwise, it would have been another Chris victory year. And nobody wanted that.”
-Gerry Vaughan after finishing ahead of Chris Moawad at the Griffith Observatory Championship to wrap up Player of the Year.
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December…
Ed Quiroz was victorious at the Tournament of Champions for the 2nd time in the last 3 years after defeating Martin Witt in a sudden death playoff. The playoff was just the 2nd in tournament history. Only 5 golfers qualified this year (4 of which played), a tournament record.
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1. Quiroz
2. Witt
3. Vaughan
Martin Witt confirming his participation:
Xmas golf! In!
Balls about to ring…
And shower Gerry’s back with nog.
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“That’s the only one he won, the little one? The worthless one?”
-Doug Vargas on learning Ed Quiroz’s 1 victory of the season was the Survivor Challenge.
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“Chrissy Moawad 0 to 1”
-Doug Vargas’s response to the “Vegas” odds for starters Vaughan, Vargas, Witt, and Quiroz.
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Ed: I need to take a leak.
Marty: Let me open my mouth.
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“It means nothing. I want to win player of the year.”
-Doug Vargas on winning 3 times this season in just 5 starts.
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“It’s been so long since I’ve been here.”
-Gerry Vaughan, whose last appearance was in 2010.
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“I have cobwebs on my bag.”
-Martin Witt at the first tee
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“Keep that club in your hand, Ger.”
-Doug Vargas after Gerry Vaughan’s bunker shot sailed across the green and into another bunker.
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“Is Gerry gonna be the sandman today?”
-Martin Witt
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“I always thought I should trump Crump. I do believe that I’ve claimed the mantle of the yellow ball now. Clint will just have to find another color.”
-Gerry Vaughan, who played the season with a yellow ball, when asked if his winning Player of the Year should trump Clint Crump as the official yellow ball user.
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“Fuck this game. I love it, but I hate it.”
-Ed Quiroz on 80
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“That made my peepee shrivel up.”
-Martin Witt on Ed Quiroz’s tee shot on 9.
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“I’m gonna try to come out as much as I can. He’s gonna be good, I know. He wants me to come out here and play.”
-New father Ed Quiroz when asked about 2018 and reminded how many a baby have taken down a number of Tour players.
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“Everyone plays golf so they can play at resorts like this. To have it be the prize at the end of the year for winning a tournament is perfect. It makes it worthwhile and it’s a great incentive.”
-Doug Vargas, playing in his 5th Tournament of Champions
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2017 Birdie Club
Doug Vargas (1) – Masters
Gerry Vaughan (1) – Devil Ball
Chris Moawad (1) – Charly Classic
Birdie Pool Earnings: Vargas ($10), Vaughan ($8), Moawad ($8)
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A Review and Salute to the Champions of 2017:
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Charly Classic: Gerry VAUGHAN
Match Play Invitational: Chris MOAWAD
Survivor Challenge: Ed QUIROZ
Devil Ball Shootout: Doug VARGAS
The Masters: Doug VARGAS
Hooters: Martin WITT/Chris MOAWAD
Tour Championship: Gerry VAUGHAN
Griffith Observatory Championship: Doug VARGAS0
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QUOTE COUNT:
Gerry, 11
Marty, 11
Doug, 8
Bird, 8
Wally, 8
Ed, 5
Chris, 4
Frost, 4
Clint, 2
Armen, 2
Mann, 2
P-Jay, 1
Rene, 1