WEST GOLF COLUMN: Tough first round for Bailey at Baylor

Published 12:41 pm Tuesday, September 15, 2015

PN-G ex Braden Bailey will be looking to rebound this week at Olympia Fields in Chicago after a rugged start to his collegiate career at Baylor.
Bailey lost a ball in high rough on his first hole, made four double bogeys on the opening nine and struggled to an 81 in his first tournament round. He bounced back with rounds of 77-74 to help Baylor finish T3 in the University of Minnesota’s Gopher Invitational at Windsong Farm Golf Club in Minneapolis.
With Baylor playing in the Fighting Illini Invitational Friday, Saturday and Sunday at Olympia Fields, Bailey will have some local knowledge in his favor.
He played at Olympia Fields three weeks ago in the U.S. Amateur . . .
It was also a tough start for new Lamar University golf coach Jessie Mudd last week.
LU placed 11th in a 12-team field in the College of Charleston’s tournament on the difficult Ocean Course at Kiawah Island. The Cardinals finished with a 54-hole total of 917, which was 44 shots off Georgia Southern’s winning total
of 873. Eason Wage led Lamar with a 15-over-231, which was good for a T42. Zander Gous was close behind at 233, followed by Gregory Wiggins at 234 and Sydney Marunka at 236. Next tournament for Lamar is the Windon Memorial Sept.
27-28 in Glencoe, Ill . . .
Michael Arnaud, Andrew Landry and Dawie van der Walt will be hoping for better results in week two of the Web.com Tour playoffs at River Run Golf Club in Davidson, N.C. In last week’s opening event at Sycamore Hills GC in Fort Wayne, Ind., Arnaud finished T64 with an even par 288, Landry was T74 at 293 and Van der Walt missed the cut. All that matters in the Web.com playoffs is how much total money a player wins in the four events. Landry and Van der Walt already have their PGA Tour cards for 2015 and are playing for positioning. Arnaud, who is guaranteed a Web.com Tour card for next year, needs to finish in the top 25 in the four playoff events – not counting the top 25 players from the regular season — to make it to the PGA Tour . . .
The team of Gary Whitfill, Ronnie LaSalle, Marc Petry and Malcolm Tiller scored a sweep in the Senior 50 Plus Game at Babe Zaharias. Whitfill’s team, competing in a two best ball format, finished minus 7 on the front and minus 2 on the back . . . The Super Saturday Game at The Babe was also played in a 2 best ball format. The team of Paul Flores, Larry Stansbury and Ed Holley won the front in minus 4, while the foursome of Cap Hollier, Gerald Huebel, Gary Hanan and Pete Reobroi took the back with minus 3 . . . The Senior Game at The Babe was played as a four-person scramble and ended in a two way tie at minus 11. Sharing the top prize was the team of Roddy Weatherly, Thad Borne, Charlie Huckaby and Gary Anderson and the fivesome of Bob West, Don MacNeil, Bob Frazier, Larry Rogers and Dwayne Morrison. Closest to the pin winners were West (No. 2) and Adam Noel (No. 12) . . . PGA teaching pro Kurt Picard and PGA Apprentice Mitch Duncan will be conducting Golf 101 classes for ladies Oct. 8, Oct. 15, Oct. 22 and Oct. 29 at Babe Zaharias. Classes will include instruction on full swing, pitching and chipping, putting and rules and etiquette. Cost for the four sessions is $175. Included are
range balls, cart fees, wine, cheese and fruit at each session. Classes sizes
will be limited to 12 students. Call 409 549-1757 or 409 344-0205 for more
information . . . The First Tee of the Golden Triangle is hosting its annual Tournament of Champions fundraiser Monday, Oct. 12 at Beaumont Country Club.
Openings are still available in both the morning and afternoon shotguns and
sponsorships can still be purchased. More details can be found at
www.tftgt.org . . . Navy Seal Marcus Luttrell is hosting the Red, White and
Blue Long Survivor Foundation Golf Classic Oct. 2 at Brentwood Country Club.
Entry fee for the four-person scramble is $300. Proceeds go toward the Lone
Survivor Foundation Retreat at Crystal Beach. To enter or get more information, call Damon Garcia at 409 835-2666. Background can also be found
at www.lonesurvivorfoundation.org.
Golf news should be e-mailed to rdwest@usa.net.

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About Gabriel Pruett

Gabriel Pruett has worked with both the Port Arthur News and Orange Leader since 2000. A majority of the time has been spent covering all aspects of Southeast Texas high school sports. Pruett's claim to fame is...being able to write his own biographical information for this website.

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