Ana Corey
Everything came out Black and White in the end, as they were the winners of the 2024 annual RRWGA Match Play Tournament. Six teams consisting of 12 golfers (four men and eight women) in pairs according to flights started the event on Monday morning, June 17. The weather was a bit overcast with a breeze, making for a nice day to hit the links. Players were assigned a team and a partner in a blind draw according to flights on the Friday prior to the event. On day one, nine holes were played as a two-person scramble. Once that match was finished, another nine holes were played against a pair from another team in the alternate shot format. As is the case in match play, the winning pair in each round is determined not by total score, but by the number of holes won.
As the rounds were completed on Monday, all the teams felt confident moving into day two. However, day two is all about player against player. The team with the most holes won by each pair would most likely be victorious. Again, the weather was nice, with a bit more wind. If the winds were in your favor on some holes, it could blow back at you on another. Those players who blew hot air (as in trash talking) starting the day might have felt the sting of the wind in their face by the end of the day. In the end, three teams came out on top.
First place: Black and White with a score of 21-1/2: Greg Hajdyla, John Gauthier, Ruth Lowe, OkCha Cummings, Malinda Hall, Staci Brown, Dan Murphy, Dennis Stewart, Diane Bent, Linda Phillips, Donna Phillips, and Cheryl McCally; second place: Red with a score of 20-1/2: George Cummings, Doyle Hicks, Tim Anderson, Lea Ann Kirby, Val Bottoms, Candy Mikulik, Cindy Sterling, Dan Tomasek, Jackie Williams, Chris Rood, Donna Slater, and Pat Sands; third place: Pink with a score of 18: Bob DiFonzo, Tom Thompson, Kerri Kay, Marlene Womack, Darlene Lamb, Paula DiFonzo, Mike Miloser, Tony Riela, Connie Griswold, and Becky Kendall.
A hole-in-one is normally a rare occasion, but not for Lea Ann Kirby. Lea Ann shot her sixth hole-in-one on June 17 during match play. No doubt that led to her team’s second-place finish. Also with a hole-in-one on Tuesday was Mark Shaffer!
Special recognition was paid to a true golf matriarch, Sallye Ortiz. Sallye was one of the founders of the Robson Ranch Women’s Golf Association and started the Match Play Tournament 18 years ago. Sallye recruited Susan Miloser to help her with the tournament the following year. The pair ran the event together for another eight years. Then Gale Hicks joined Susan, and they have been running the event for the past nine years. Sadly, these ladies have said, “no more.” A special thanks was given to these ladies with flowers and a round of applause. Susan and her husband Mike have graciously hosted the pairing party in their home for the past several years. While all good things end, new beginnings are always exciting. So, we look forward to another hotly contested Match Play Tournament next year!