To a Tee

McCandless cruises to MDC win on May 8

Jeff “Scooter” McCandless cruised through a wind-swept Needwood Golf Club May 8 to win the weekly Monday.com tour low-net event by four strokes.
Starting on the wooded back nine, players were sheltered from much of the gusty winds that blew stronger on a wide-open front nine, where scores were generally higher. The course was in excellent condition despite the weekend rains and the greens rolled true and straight.
McCandless, who specializes in long, low-rolling drives and “up-and-down” pars, played steady golf through 18 holes as he scored a net 66 in a field of 21 players. He also fired a low gross 40-41-81 without a single birdie, but he didn’t need any.
“I was able to keep my drives under the wind with a pretty good roll today,” McCandless said. “I don’t hit the ball long off the tee, so I have to play an accurate short game to have a chance for birdies and pars.”
Tied for second with net 70’s were Ron Claxton and Wolfie Fraser.
Fraser held a two-stroke lead over both Claxton and McCandless after the first nine holes with a gross 38, but slid on the second nine, scoring only two pars.
Claxton’s front nine 40 included a birdie on the par 3 No. 17, but he was unable to keep pace on the last nine holes.
Three players tied for third with net 72’s. They were Bill Croke, Doug Pratt and Paul Kim, who posted a birdie on par 3 No. 15.
Robin Boisvert scored a birdie on No. 15 on his way to the second low-gross 83 (net 73), missing MDC points by one stroke.
Mike Ferris dropped a birdie on the long 175-yard par 3 No. 7.
McCandless won 45 points in the MDC Cup standings. Claxton and Fraser earned 22.50 points each. Croke, Pratt and Kim were awarded five points for the MDC Cup.

— Reported by MDC Chairman Mike Grace

Sheridan-Shin win MDC team low-net on May 1

Robert Sheridan and Hyun Shin played through gusty winds to win a 2-Man Combined Low-Net format in a field of nine teams in the Monday.com (MDC) tour at Laytonsville Golf Club on May 1.
Sheridan and Shin combined for a net 131 for a two-stroke victory over Wilfred “Wolfie” Fraser and Richard Dali.
Sheridan posted a strong gross 81 and Shin added an 84 to carry the pair for the win. They scored 11 strokes below their combined handicaps. Sheridan putted a birdie on the par 4 No. 8 to finish the front nine in 39. Shin dropped a birdie on par 3 No. 3.
The Fraser-Dali team made a bid to catch the eventual winners on the back nine, but fell short with a combined low-net 133 despite back-to-back pars on No. 17 and No. 18 by Dali.
Fraser shot a gross 81 that included a birdie on par 4 No. 9 and Dali finished with an 87, four strokes below his handicap.
“The biggest difference in my game today was putting,” Sheridan said. “Solid putting saved my score because I had a triple and a double on the back nine and still had a 42.”
Robin Boisvert and Jim Casey went into the clubhouse a distant third with a combined net 142. Boisvert, one of the top golfers on the tour, fired a gross 38-40 for a 78 that included birdies on par 5 No. 4 and par 4 No. 13.
Low-gross score of 77 was shot by Paul Kim, who returned to the tour after a two-week absence. He smoked the front nine in 39 and an even lower 38 on the back. His score included a birdie on the long, uphill par 3 No. 16 when his shot hit the pin and dropped a few feet from the hole.
Mike Grace had a scorching 39 on the front nine after opening with double bogies on the first two holes. He had six pars and drained a 30-foot putt for a birdie on the par 4 No. 8., but he faltered on the back nine to finish with an 87 as he and his teammate, John Heyob, fell out of contention.
Bill Croke scored birdies on par 3 No. 7 and par 4 No. 13 on his way to an 87.
Chris Canonico dropped a birdie on the uphill No. 4 to finish with 89.
In MDC Cup points, Sheridan and Shin earned 22.5 points each, Fraser-Dali added 12.5 each, and Boisvert and Casey received 10 points each.

— Reported by MDC Chairman Mike Grace