Chuck Veltri and his son Eric win PCMGA Member/Guest Match Play event

Howie Tiger

Chuck Veltri and his son Eric were the overall Match Play Format winners of the 2018 PebbleCreek Men’s Golf Association 23rd annual Member/Guest tournament. The tourney was held on Thursday, April 26 at Tuscany Falls and on Friday, April 27 at Eagle’s Nest. Immediately after regulation play was concluded on Friday, the overall winners were determined in a playoff.

The Match-Play Format consisted of five 9-hole matches. There were three groups within each of the three flights. Each group consisted of six two-man teams. Over the two days, every team played against each of the other five teams in their respective group. A point was awarded for each hole won. Highest number of accumulated points for all five matches wins their group.

Group Winners

Flight A: Group 1, Dave Green/Mike Schafer; Group 2, Chuck Veltri/Eric Veltri; Group 3, Wayne Gearig/Scott Gearig

Flight B: Group 4, Mike Daubenmier/Gregg Petersen; Group 5, Cort Wyss/Larry Mickelson; Group 6, Jerry Myers/Doug Oberbillig

Flight C: Group 7, John Abercrombie/Sean Kim; Group 8, Ken Schumacher/Charlie Compton; Group 9, Jack Engelbert/Dale Pfeifer

The nine group-winning teams met on hole no. 9 of the new nine at Tuscany Falls to determine the overall winners using an alternate-shot format. Bill Barnard and Jason Whitehill conducted this playoff. Two different tees and hole placements were used. The first hole played as a 350-yard par 4 and the second hole as a 150-yard par 3.

Initially, the three group-winning teams in each flight competed in a two-hole shootout. The winning team from each flight then advanced to the finals to compete in another two-hole shootout to determine the overall winner. In the finals, if tied after two holes, then an 80-yard par 3 would be used to determine the ultimate winners.

Chuck Veltri and Eric Veltri advanced from Flight A. Mike Daubenmier and Gregg Petersen advanced from Flight B. Jack Engelbert and Dale Pfeifer advanced from Flight C.

On the first hole of the finals, the teams of Veltri/Veltri and Daubenmier/Petersen made a par. The Engelbert/Pfeifer team made a double bogey and was eliminated. On the second hole, both remaining teams made a par. A sudden death playoff then took place from the 80-yard par 3. Gregg landed his tee shot about 20 yards short of the green leaving his partner Mike a tough second shot. Meanwhile, Eric hit a fantastic tee shot just past the pin and spun it back to about nine feet from the hole. Mike putted from the fairway and left it also about nine feet from the hole. In match play it is critical to determine who plays first. Jason used a tape measure and determined that Gregg was away (103” vs 101”), so he had to putt first. He made a great attempt but missed his par putt. All Chuck had to do was cozy it near the hole, which he did successfully. Eric tapped in for par and the exciting win.

Congratulations to all the group winners and especially Chuck and Eric!