I failed to advance to the Final Stage of the Champion’s Tour Qualifying Tournament by two shots, yesterday. Fourteen players, from this site advanced to the Finals in Coral Springs, FL. They will play week after next for 5 full time spots, 5 conditional and 30 spots in the Monday qualifiers for the 2009 Champion's Tour season.
http://www.pgatour.com/2008/s/11/04/qschool.calif/index.html
I had EVERY opportunity to advance, but absolutely could not stay out of my own way. I just made too many mistakes with EVERY part of my game. And I won’t bore you, nor sicken myself with the details. At times I played real well and at times, more poorly than I can even imagine. I’m more disgusted wth my inconsistency, than disappointed with the result.
I'd like to put a positive spin on this but it leaves me with no good competitive golf options for next year. I would have to play in a pre qualifier to get into the Monday qualifiers and I’m just not going to do that.
I really appreciate everyone’s interest and enthusiasm in my golf career and will talk to you down the line.
Thanks again for all the encouragement.
Scott.
Saturday, November 8, 2008
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Mizuno MP-62 Irons
I just got a new set of Mizuno MP 62 irons. A beautiful and great feeling set of irons.
http://mizunousa.com/equipment.nsf/0/7836721EC7221791852574880050B1B9?opendocument&div=golf&cat=irons
http://mizunousa.com/equipment.nsf/0/7836721EC7221791852574880050B1B9?opendocument&div=golf&cat=irons
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Seattle Qualifier
Seattle Boeing Classic Qualifier
I failed to get into the Champion’s Tour event in Seattle on Monday at Druid’s Glen Golf Course in Covington, WA. I shot 74 and it took 70 to get in.
I really had a good chance, was 2 under after 8 holes, but made a couple of bad swings on #9 with an iron, #14 with a driver, and cost myself 3 strokes. It was a reasonable day for Seattle, it rained off and on all day, so at times made it difficult. Both mistakes I made were during hard showers of rain. I’m really playing well, just frustrated that I can’t seem to put it together. I just seem to have to make a couple of mistakes that kill me.
On another note, I did get a chance on Saturday to play Chamber’s Bay www.chambersbaygolf.com in Tacoma, where they will play the 2010 US Amateur and the 2015 US Open. This is a totally treeless link’s style of course, right on the Puget Sound, with ONE type of grass throughout the entire course. The tees, fairways and greens are all brown-tipped fescue. The fairways are fast and the greens severe but slow, so it will be interesting to see howthe course evolves with the USGA guidance the next 7 years. My guess is the greens will be replanted in bent grass. I just don’t think that they will be major championship speed.
The course was designed by the Robert Trent Jones, Jr. Design Group (same group that designed Osprey Meadows @ Tamarack www.tamarackidaho.com ) and there are a lot of similarities in the green complexes. It is interesting to see a mountain course and seaside course with similar traits. And I played Tamarack with my Dad and another friend, last week and the course is in fabulous condition, just gets better every time I play it. Late August and September are beautiful months in the mountains of central Idaho.
Thanks again for all the encouragement and support, I will continue to work at it.
Scott.
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Some golf swing video, from Tamarack
Warning, just a home video from tamarack.
http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=paul+nagy&emb=0#
Idaho Golf
Golf Magazine - September 2008
Top 100 Course You Can Play
Please find attached Golf Magazines list of the "Top 100 Courses You Can Play".
The very exciting news is that in the top 100 courses, three spots belong to prize courses in the Gem State!
- #69 Coeur d'Alene Resort
- #79 Osprey Meadows at Tamarack Resort
- #93 Circling Raven Golf Club
ALSO, in the same issue of Golf is the list of "The Best Courses Near You". This ranking is a state-by-state ranking of public access courses.
- #1 Coeur d'Alene Resort
- #2 Osprey Meadows at Tamarack Resort
- #3 Circling Raven Golf Club
- #4 Sun Valley
- #5 Whitetail Club
Idaho is a golf destination!!!!
Thursday, August 7, 2008
Sunday, August 3, 2008
Chiming Bells
From the Shrine of the Sun that interrupted Hale Irwin's opening tee shot on Friday were turned OFF on Saturday. The MAN has spoken!
Saturday, August 2, 2008
US Senior Open
I failed to make the cut in the US Senior Open at the Broadmoor by 4 shots. I shot 79-73 and missed by 4 strokes.
I got off to a miserable start on Friday, making bogey on each of my first 6 holes. But I played pretty well on in and actually was one under (and 8 over for the tournament) after 8 holes on Friday and had a chance to play in even par and make the cut. But it is a tough back nine and I wasn’t able to.
The Broadmoor is an interesting course in that the front nine is much easier than the back. The front is par 36 and 3425 yards, where the back is par 34 and 3750 yards. The back nine is a brute. Two par 4’s of over 500 yards and a third that is 493, so it is LONG and tough.
The crowds were HUGE, I don’t know what the attendance was, but I understand that the event is sold out, and I believe it.
But on Friday, I saw three things that I’ve never seen on a golf course before.
The first incident was a good sized black bear that ran across the fairway through the group of Hale Irwin, Tom Watson and Bernhard Langer on the 13th hole. It was running right at Dottie Pepper who was doing the color for ESPN. Our group was on the tee and it was the most bizarre thing I’ve ever seen. This bear was on a mission, and it reminded me of the joke’s punchline, “I don’t need to run faster than the bear, just faster than YOU!”. But 25,000 or how ever many people and a big black bear, is probably not a great combination. The bear ran into some bushes between the 11th and 13th fairway and climbed a tree.
The second thing was on the first tee. Hale Irwin hit is first tee shot FIFTY FEET and straight left. Straight above the golf course is a bell tower and it rings every quarter hour. And for some reason the sound carries more at some times than other. At the top of Hale’s backswing, the bellgoes GONG and Hale tries to stop his swing. But he barely ticks the ball. He asks for a ruling that he had not intended to hit the ball, and it was like inadvertently knocking the ball off the tee. The officials tell him he has to play it. He chops it down the fairway, knocks it on the green and makes the putt for an easy par on a 443 yard par 4.
The third thing happen in my group on the fourth green. The two guys that I’m playing with both miss the green and are chipping. Each thinks he is away and they play at the same time. The balls cross and barely miss each other as they cross. I’ve not seen many instances in a major championship with two balls moving on the green at the same time.
I’ve had a good time, just disappointed that I’m not playing the weekend.
Thanks for all of your support.
Scott.
Monday, July 7, 2008
Ross Design Will Test Players
July 3, 2008
By Art Stricklin
Colorado Springs, Colo. – Players arriving at the historic Broadmoor East Course for this year’s U.S. Senior Open will find a traditional Donald Ross design that has confounded golfers for decades.
While Ross designed more than 400 courses in the U.S. after emigrating from Scotland, highlighted by Pinehurst No. 2, he only did a handful of courses west of the Mississippi River.
The Senior Open, held July 31-Aug. 3, will be the first time the championship will be played on this Ross classic. It will also feature a traditional, challenging design with crowned poa annua greens that will actually be slowed down for the championship.
“We’ve had a lot of senior players come out here to see the course and get in some practice rounds, and almost every one has commented on how much they enjoy playing a true traditional course with nothing tricked up,” said Broadmoor Director of Golf, Russ Miller.
“From 100 yards off the tee box, you can see almost everything that is out there on the holes.”
Just because almost all the Ross hazards are present and accounted for, it doesn’t mean they will be easy to overcome. At 7,253 yards, it will be the longest layout in Senior Open history.
Two of the par 5s at The Broadmoor, No. 7 and 11, have been converted to par 4s. No par 5s are on the back nine. But there are five par 4s measuring more than 450 yards along with the par-3 12th (240 yards) from the back tees.
 |
| Will Tom Watson finally realize a Senior Open title this year on the Ross design? (John Mummert/USGA) |
Because conditions can vary during the championship, USGA officials have the opportunity to change the hole length between rounds, offering a 100-yard overall difference depending on tee placement.
Thanks to Ross’ challenging greens and the USGA’s graduated rough, which begins at 1 1/2 inches just off the fairways and rises up to 4 1/2 inches for those seriously off line, the big hitters won’t have a huge advantage atthe East Course.
“If I was picking a winner, I’d look at somebody who is a straight driver of the ball and somebody who putts well,” said Miller. “Length isn’t the huge advantage you would think it would be.”
Because the Broadmoor sits at 6,000 feet elevation above sea level, the ball flies typically 8 percent farther than normal.
While Colorado Springs offers prime wintertime skiing, the summer time can be very dry. It’s ripe for sudden storms and lightning, fostering firm and fast conditions.
“I think the firmer it is, the more difficult it will play,” said Miller. ‘When it’s moister, it becomes much easier.”
While Ross designed the course in 1917 and opened it a year later as the grandest resort in the Rocky Mountain Region, it has seen changes over the last 90 years due to tens of thousands of rounds played and changes in ownership and course care.
To bring the East Course back to prime Ross condition, the Broadmoor owners hired restoration expert Ron Forse, a member of the Donald Ross Society, to return the course to original Ross form.
“We had some bunkers which had been covered over and we moved them back to where they were a real challenge for the players,” said Miller. “We also had green encroachment and we moved the greens back to their original size.
“It was really a matter of getting back to the tradition of great golf at the Broadmoor.”
This will be the sixth USGA championship held at the Broadmoor.
The East Course has the reputation of bringing out some of the greatest champions. Jack Nicklaus won the first U.S. Amateur held here in 1959, and Annika Sorenstam notched her first major in the 1995 Women’s Open.
Miller feels the formula could hold true for this year’s Senior Open, selecting champions Fred Funk, Jay Haas, Bernhard Langer and Loren Roberts as players to watch.
While none of the aforementioned has won a Senior Open, each has multi Champions Tour victories. Haas and Roberts grabbed season-ending Champions Tour awards.
That doesn’t discount defending champion Brad Bryant, who staged the second-largest rally in Senior Open history to win last year at Whistling Straits. Other players to watch are two-time Open champion Allen Doyle and three-time runner up Tom Watson.
There isn’t much of a home-course advantage in only the second Senior Open ever played in Colorado.
Two-time Open Champion Hale Irwin was an All-Conference defensive back at the <?XML:NAMESPACE PREFIX = ST2 />University of Colorado, but lives out of state and doesn’t play or practice here. Both Mark Weibe and Dale Douglass live in the Denver area, an hour away, and have already made multiple scouting trips to check out the public resort that annually hosts 30,000-40,000 rounds.
While the West and Mountain courses will still accommodate public play, the East Course closes to the public July 14.
That’s where history, tradition and a restored Ross layout should combine to produce a memorable magic mountainside championship.
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Senior US Open Qualifier
1 July 08
I qualified today for the Senior US Open that will be played at The Broadmoor in Colorardo Springs, CO 31 July through 3 August.
The qualifier was played at Dragon Ridge CC in Henderson, NV. There were 39 players for one spot, and I won the spot by shooting even par 72 and winning a three hole playoff.
The day was a bit of a marathon, to say the least. Dragon Ridge CC is quite hilly (and has US Open quality greens that are hard and fast), the temperature was 108 degrees when we finished and the USGA does not allow carts. I would dare say that we were the first group to EVER walk the course! I was two under after four, but made some mistakes on the back nine, then made a 6 footer for birdie on #18 to get into the playoff. I then made a six footer to stay in the playoff on the second playoff hole and a nice 4 footer on the last hole to win the playoff. Since I have not played much competitively this year, it was nice to be able to handle the pressure.
Here is an article the Michael Donovan, the Head Nut of the Golf Nuts Society of America wrote. He is a member of Dragon Ridge, and was very helpful in allowing me to practice on the course on Monday morning. Golf Nuts
I’m really looking forward to Colorado Springs and I have a perfect place in Tamarack Resort Tamarack Resort to practice my ‘mountain’ golf. I’ve not made it to the resort yet this year, but have heard that the course is in wonderful condition. I’m probably heading up there this weekend to get out of the heat.
Appreciate all your support and interest and will talk with you down the line.
Scott Masingill
Monday, May 26, 2008
Saturday, May 17, 2008
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Birmingham Qualifier
I failed to get into the Birmingham tournament. I shot 73 and 70 played off.
I wasn't planning on playing in this event, but my game is starting to show some signs of life and so I thought I would give it a whirl. We played a course in Sylacagua, AL called Farmlinks. It is an interesting concept in that the course is used as a research and training site for different seed and fertilizer applications. So the course has some 23 different strains of grass used on the fairways and tees. It is a beautiful course, in the MIDDLE of NOWHERE. And a boy from Idaho knows NOWHERE when he sees it.
The course probably didn't suit my game perfectly, it played 7303 yards, had rained hard the day before and the fairways are 100 yards wide. But I made one error that cost me two strokes or I would have been right there. I had a ball pick up a bunch of mud in the middle of a par 5 fairway. The mud was right on the bottom of the ball and I thought that it would fly straight, so I tried to knock a three wood on the green. The shot went straight right, I lost a ball and made a double on the easiest hole on the course. Live and learn......
I'm putting and chipping well and that is a great start. Des Moines is in a couple of weeks, I'll just keep trying to tighten things up and get in there.
Thanks for the support. I appreciate it.
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Austin Qualifier
29 April 08
FedEx Kinko’s Qualifier
Austin, Tx
I didn’t get into the tournament today, shot a 72 at the Lakeside Course at Barton Creek, and 70 played off for the last spot. Leaderboard
I bogied the first two holes (three-putted #10 and hit a bad tee shot on #11) and dug myself a hole, and just couldn’t make up enough ground. I birdied my #13 and #14 holes to get back to even, but knew that I needed to be under to have a chance and just didn't get it done.
There are parts of my game that are good and there are parts that need a lot of work. The weather in Idaho has been just lousy this spring and I just haven’t had the time to prepare, but I’m going to continue to play in some qualifiers later in the year. The next one will be in Des Moines, toward the end of May.
I have renewed my endorsement contract with Tamarack Resort, and even though it has snow on it, the course will open 23 May (it may have a little snow on it, but we can play around it!). I’m sure they are looking forward to spring just like the rest of us. But it was a great ski season!
Thanks again for the support.
Scott.
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Statesman Article
Treasure Valley golfers set to kick off pro seasons
Nampa's Tyler Aldridge is a rookie on the Nationwide Tour and Payette's Scott Masingill will play in Champions Tour events. Both begin this week.
BY CHADD CRIPE - ccripe@idahostatesman.com
Edition Date: 01/21/08
Tyler Aldridge and Scott Masingill will test their golf games against some of the world's best beginning this week in Panama and Hawaii.
Aldridge, 23 of Nampa, is a rookie on the Nationwide Tour who has almost no experience playing at that level. He opens the season Thursday in the Movistar Panama Championship.
"My main goal is to get on the PGA Tour," he said. " I'm going to work harder than anyone. I want it really bad. I'm willing to do whatever it takes to achieve that."
Masingill, 56 of Payette, will have to endure Monday qualifiers to get into Champions Tour events under second-year rules that prohibit players from earning a tour exemption through the Qualifying School.
He finished 104th on the money list with less than $50,000 as a Champions Tour member in 2006. He decided to give the tour another try after a year away in 2007 and is entered in the Monday qualifier for this weekend's Turtle Bay Championship on Oahu.
"Because I failed so miserably in 2006, I just didn't want to quit on that note," he said. "I still think I can be a better player and I still think I can compete at this level and the only way for me to prove that to myself is to get out there and compete."
Treasure Valley golfers rarely qualify for the major tours, much less make a significant impact.
And starting out, Aldridge and Masingill have the typical Idaho handicap - the weather. Aldridge did most of his prep by hitting balls into indoor nets; Masingill did his during spare time on business trips to warmer places.
Aldridge will play the first two events, in Panama and Mexico, then skip the events in Australia and New Zealand - giving him two months to adjust before the tour begins its U.S. schedule in late March in Louisiana.
"The first two events, I'm going to kind of see what parts I need to work on and develop, and then work on that for about a month," he said.
Aldridge earned his Nationwide Tour card by surviving three preliminary qualifying events and finishing tied for 74th in the six-round PGA Tour Qualifying Tournament.
It was his first attempt at the dreaded Q School - and just his second start in a PGA Tour-sanctioned event. He missed the cut at the 2006 Utah Energy Solutions Championship on the Nationwide Tour.
His first season on tour will be an adjustment, he knows - particularly with a pregnant wife at home. Their baby is due in August.
"I kind of know what to expect," he said, "but traveling is going to be the hardest thing to adjust to."
While Masingill has valuable experience on the Champions Tour, he faces a challenge designed to keep players like him off the tour. Masingill qualified for the 2006 Champions Tour through Q School, but the next year the rules were changed.
The top 30 players at Q School (Masingill finished seventh late last year) receive exemptions into the Monday qualifiers, along with some Champions Tour and PGA Tour veterans. The traditional open qualifier is held at least one day earlier and awards a maximum of six spots in the Monday qualifier.
Masingill expects about 60 players to tee off in each Monday qualifier, with a maximum of nine spots in that week's field available (it drops to five spots beginning Sept. 1).
Nobody was able to use the system to make a significant amount of money last year, Masingill said. Weekly qualifiers must finish in the top 10 to earn a spot in the next event, or they're back in the Monday qualifier.
"It's a hard process," Masingill said. "Some guys got into seven or eight tournaments. Two guys out of that process got into the top 75 on the money list. It's so hard to get into a string of events."
Masingill will play a limited schedule - he already plans to skip the Florida swing - because he still holds a regular job in the trucking business.
"I'm just viewing it as strictly the challenge to try to see what I can accomplish," he said. "If I make some money at it, good. It can't be something I do full time and it can't be my only source of income."
He says he's more confident in his game this time than in 2006 because of a change to his swing. He has adopted the Stack and Tilt technique that removes the weight shift to the back foot and has become a hot topic in golf circles.
"My golf game doesn't scare me as much as in the past," he said. "I'm not as wild and inconsistent. I just know that I'm good enough, if I play well, to compete with these guys - and that's all I really want to do."
HOWLAND RETURNS TO FUTURES TOUR
Meridian High graduate Janell Howland, 30, is back on the Futures Tour, the developmental tour for women's golf owned by the LPGA.
Howland won a tournament and finished 12th on the Futures Tour money list last year. She missed the cut at the LPGA Qualifying Tournament.
The Futures Tour begins play in mid-March.
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Turtle Bay Qualifier
I didn't get into the Turtle Bay Championship on the North Shore of Hawaii. I shot 71 and lost in a 9 man playoff for the last 5 spots.
I started off poorly on a real windy day. I bogied the first two holes, but didn't make another bogey, and birdied the last two holes to get into the playoff. I was pleased with the way I got it around, and made a clutch putt on 18, when I pretty much knew I needed it. And I had a 10 footer for birdie on the first playoff hole, didn't make it and then made a terrible swing on the 211 yard, par 3 second and ended up making a double bogey. It was a disappointing finish to say the least.
Laurie and I are back in Idaho, we were greeted 'warmly' by the cold. And I will probably not compete again until California in March, the Tour goes to Florida in February and that will be difficult for me to prepare for.
Thanks again for the support, I appreciate it.
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