It was a finish you might expect from two talented golfers who have faced each other on more than one occasion. After 36 holes on the tough Links of Lawsonia, in Green Lake, Wisc., Cliff Martin of Los Angeles, and Jeremy Moe, pro at the Hardscrabble Golf Club in Fort Smith, Ark., each had carded a 151. Moe settled the matter with a solid par on the 217-yard par 3 10th.
More than 80 players entered the ninth edition of this premier hickory golf championship of the United States, including 16-year-old Grayson Giboney of Des Moines, Wash., who finished tied for eighth. The championship includes both open and net divisions for the Open title, a Senior title (60 and above), and a Super Senior title for players 70 and older.
In the Open championship, Moe and Martin were tied going into No. 16, a 435-yard par 4. Martin’s three-putt from 15 feet was an unforced error that appeared to hand the tournament to the three-time defending champion Moe, a man whose swing and demeanor put you in mind of Byron Nelson.
Moe returned the favor on the par 4 17th when his bold approach caught the bunker, and Martin stiffed it to 4 feet. Two bunker shots later, Moe had a 10 footer for 5, but ran the uphill putt 4 feet past. Martin buried the birdie putt to tie, but Moe managed the quick downhill slider for a 6. Both players avoided the back right corner pin on 18, two-putted, and it was off to a playoff.
Martin’s tee shot, though on beautiful line, came up just short of the green. Moe hit safely into the middle. The devious 10th green requires an uphill/downhill putt, which Martin left 5 feet short. Moe’s approach stopped 3 feet away. Martin’s effort slipped by the low side. Moe took a steady stance, eyed the putt and stroked it sure for his fourth victory in four years.
It may not make the radar of golf’s high lords and media cognoscenti, but Moe’s four-peat is not to be sneezed at. Any low score against a tough field with wooden clubs from years past takes a bit of doing.
In the Senior division, Tom Tracy’s miracle recovery shot from deep grass on the signature par 3 “boxcar” hole, helped him maintain a two-shot lead over nearest competitor Mike Harding. Tracy chipped in for par on 17, while Harding 3 three-putted to give Tracy a 3-shot lead he did relinquish.
A tie also resulted Super-Senior Division ended with a tie and playoff, which Micheal Shiff won with a difficult 2-putt.
Net champions were David Guerard in the Championship Flight; Mark Larson in the Senior Flight; and Tad “Selma” Moore in the Super Senior field.
Organizer Ernie Ernst and his Wisconsin Hickory Golfers are to be congratulated for the effort they put into preparing for the event. The staff at Lawsonia had the course in excellent shape despite 5 inches of the rain the previous two days. The course played longer, but those greens “make you feel like a bad putter,” Ernst said. “Everyone was super cautious, leaving putts well short of what they would have wished.” Still, the famous Lawsonia greens were lauded by the contestants for their excellent condition.
“Our committee thanks all of the volunteers and contestants for coming to Wisconsin, and we hope everyone can make it to Del Monte in Monterey, California in for the 2017 USHO,” Ernst said.
For full results, click here.
Click here to see the playoff and an interview with Jeremy Moe.
The tournament information page can be accessed via the following link:
Tournament Information Page: HERE
Pairings information is on the tournament information page (TIP), and can also be linked to from here:
For a YouTube video interview with Jeremy Moe, click here.
For a gallery of photos taken by Jennifer Koss Hansen, click here. Then, click on Memory Captures; then 2016 Event Showcase.
Jeremy Moe, left, and Cliff Martin following their playoff at the 2016 USHO. Moe won with a clutch birdie putt.