Nine teams were within four shots entering the final round at Thorny Lea CC with Almeida-Cronin clinging to a one shot lead over Doherty-Figuerido. The final pairing exchanged blows through the first three holes then Doherty-Figuerido made bogey on 4th hole putting them two shots back. Things got worse for Doherty and Fig after making bogey on the long par 4, 6th hole putting themselves down three shots to the leaders. The DW Field dual bounced back quickly with birdies on 7 and 9 closing the gap back to 1 shot at the shack.

After both teams making par on 10, Doherty makes a birdie on 11 to move into a tie for the lead until Almeida made bogey on 12, giving Doherty-Figuerido their first lead of the weekend. Doherty and Figuerido bogied 14 but quickly got it back as Doherty made birdie on 15.Both teams made par on 16 before Almeida made bogey on 17, putting themselves 2 shots out with one hole to play. Figuerido made a great up and down on 18 to solidify the win.

“This was 30 years in the making” – Steve Doherty

Steve Doherty a look of relief  on his face entering the scoring room saying that is was 30 years in the making. The 58 year old, a regular on the Tour of Greater Boston has never won the fourball and started playing with 62 year old Figuerido about ten years ago until George lost his wife 5 years ago. Doherty went on to say at that point Figuerido lost the desire to play for a few years before hooking back up.  George developed the shanks last season and was not able to play so Doherty teamed up with Chuck Matheison who was his partner before Fig and they went on to finish 7th.. Figuredo gave his bag a makeover switching to all hybrid clubs right through his wedge which turned his game right around. The team shot a 62 on July 4th in the Aspacher Memorial Fourball at DW Field GC.

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The heavily favored team of Matt Parziale and Steve Tasho were expected by many to run away with the Brockton City Fourball title this weekend but team Carrozza/MacGovern had different ideas as they played the defending champions shot for shot in the opening round at DW Field as they both carded 9-under, 61′s on the 6000 yard track.

The plot thickened on day two at the Brockton CC as the final group did not sink their final putt until nearly 8:30pm in the twilight as they remained tie after both teams came in at -3. When it was all said and done the co-leaders 4 shot lead had dwindled down to one as the champs of 2008 , Lucas and Jones threw down a 5-under 66 closing the gap to just one entering the final round at Thorny Lea CC today.

“We just did what we needed to do”-Matt Parziale

Clearly the defending champs had an advantage playing at their home track and they didn’t let down the home crowd fans as they carded a 2-under, 68 today finishing with a 14-under 198 for the weekend. Parziale said that they didn’t really know where they stood until the 16th hole, commenting “we just did we needed to do”. Matt went on to say that it was a good tournament and was looking forward to Rhode Island in a couple of weeks. When I asked Steve Tasho about the few teams hanging with them, he said it was getting annoying that they couldn’t shake them.

Tom Lucas and Bill Jones hung tough but the birdies were not dropping for them like they did at the BCC as they managed just one birdie today. After talking to Tommy Lucas, he was disappointed in his finish and felt he choked down the stretch as he finished today with a 1-over 71. Lucas went on to say that it was his best three rounds in the fourball going 71-67-71. Bill Jones said he had not three putted any green until the 17th par 3 today which lead to their only bogey and costing them sole possession of second place with an 11-under, 201. Three other teams finished tied for second including the 2 day co-leaders of Carrozza-MacGovern, Gadles-McCabe and Jason and Joe Cook who did not make a bogey all weekend. Tomorrow I will have a full report on the field division.

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Parziale-Tasho and Carrozza-Mcgovern  went into today with a four shot lead and now it is one as they  have some company knocking on the door with both teams carded 3-under, 69 today.  Lucas-Jones carded a 5-under 66, thanks to Lucas throwing down 7 birdies. Lucas said he has never made 7 birdies at the BCC and was upset that they made bogey on two of the last three holes. Tom credited the excellent greens at the Country Club today for his success. Tying  Lucas-Jones  for low round today was  Gadles-McCabe. The top 5 teams are separated by just 3 shots setting the stage for Sunday’s final at Thorny Lea.

Almeida-Cronin(137) are hanging on to the top spot in the field by one shot over Doherty-Figuerido(138). Just like the seeded division, the field tightened up today with four shots separating the top 9 teams. The cut line for the field is five over par with 30 teams advancing to Thorny Lea.

See the full scoreboard here

See Sunday’s tee times here

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One side note, an Oliver Ames class ring was found on the course today and the owner can pick it up at the Brockton CC.

Hot and windy conditions made scoring tough for most, leaving some big names on the outside looking in as the tournament moves to the Brockton Country Club on Saturday. Mike Calef felt they played well hitting most greens but couldn’t sink any birdies. Calef-Hall finished with a 1-over 71 today and will miss the cut. Johnson-Tempesta had a bad break on the second hole as Tempesta could not find his ball in the thick rough right of the green, leaving Johnson on his own as he made a double which lead to a 3-over 73.

The field division is very tight with just 7 shots separating the 37 teams moving on to BCC. Almeida-Cronin (-4) hold a two shot lead over four teams who carded 68 and five teams who shot 69 today. After talking to several golfers about the conditions today, most agree that the greens rolled well but lag putts fell off the hole. The chatter after the round was how so many putts came up short and most felt the cups were crowned on the spongy greens. Some of the pin placements in some unusual spots giving this old track a different look with a couple of generous ones as well. The tenth hole pin was in the front middle and 13 was front left , a very generous spot on the two-tiered green.

Round two moves to the Brockton Country Club starting at 7:30am.

See the full scoreboard here

See Saturday’s tee times here

A year ago Matt Parziale-Steve Tasho took the seeded division by 2 shots over John Hadges-Ray Richard and by 4 shots over Mike Calef-Matt Hall  giving Thorny Lea the one-two punch on Sunday. The Seeded division will be more competitive than ever with the new editions to this years event but the hands on favorites are still the defending champs. Ray Richard has some thinking to do tonight as partner John Hadges  has advanced to the final in the Mass Open and will not be able to play tomorrow at DW. Hadges has the option of finding another partner, playing on his own ball or withdrawing from the tournament.

Last years field champion team of Nick Tempesta and Tom Johnson Jr. got bumped up to the seeded division this year after going wire to wire with their 5 shot victory over Stack and Regan. This team will have no problem adjusting in the seeded division since just 6 teams beat them last year, look for them to contend with the big boys. One of the favorites in the field would be Figuredo-Doherty who thew down a 62 in the Aspacher on July 4th at DW.

The first round of the Brockton Fourball opens at DW Field Golf Course tomorrow with the first tee time at 8:30. The forecast for the opening round is hot and in the mid 90′s. The course is playing hard and fast and the greens are rolling the best I have seen them in a long time. Look for some really low scores in both divisions.

The first thing you need to do before purchasing new or used equipment is evaluate your game and goals as a golfer. There are so many choices in drivers, woods, irons, wedges and balls that it can get confusing for some and I will try to simplify things for those of you that are having a hard time making a decision.If you are a golfer that plays on average 2-3 times a week, than getting fitted for clubs and balls is not a bad idea but if you are happy smacking it around with a few buddies with a bag full of “Bud-dies” than, just find something that fits your budget. So lets start with, what is your handicap?

Your probably asking, what does my handicap have to do with buying equipment? Well if you are an 18 handicap and want to rush out on Monday morning to spend over $1200 on a set of TP R-9′s because Paul Goydos shot a 59 that weekend, you need to get your head examined. The truth of the matter is that those sticks will probably hurt a bogey golfers game. I am not saying to run to Walmart and get your next set, what I am saying is that you need to get clubs that fit your game. Blade irons are very difficult to hit and are recommended to the low single digit players. Get yourself a nice set of cavity back irons like Ping or Callaway. They are very forgiving and easy to hit.

What I have noticed with drivers is that players are buying them based on looks versus performance.  This is the one club in the bag you absolutely need to demo and get fitted for. If you can’t get off tee,  your day is ruined from shot #1.Pay attention to the loft and stiffness of the shaft, there are several factors in purchasing a that new big dog. For instance, most Titleist drivers have a very small “sweet spot” and if you don’t hit it on the screws, you will be screwed. The Taylormade Burner seems to be one of the most forgiving drivers out there.

When it comes down to choosing a putter, handicap doesn’t come into play as much, comfort and feel are the two major factors not to mention name recognition like Ping, Titleist, Taylormade, Odyssey and Nike just to name a few. You need to feel comfortable standing over that 3 foot putt. I have a whole putters buying guide on this site that you can view for more options.

The last thing we need to talk about is golf balls. Just like all the other items I have talked about, there are low end balls and high end balls. Obviously if you are a single digit handicap, you will most likely be hitting Pro-V’s, Callaway Tours or Bridgestone B330′s because you can control the spin as well as drawing or fading your shots where the lower end balls don’t allow that. I am not saying a bogey golfer should be hitting say Top Flites at 5 bucks a bushel but you really don’t need a $3 ball either. There are plenty of mid-priced balls like the NXT or Warbird that will suit you just fine.

The bottom line is buy the equipment that fits your game and don’t go trying to fit your game into that set of clubs you can’t live without. The reality is that a good golfer can hit any set of clubs regardless of the price and be successful. I have seen 5 handicap players, swinging TopFlite Irons and knocking around any ball they found on the previous hole. Get what you can afford and have fun using what ever you purchase.

The US has averaged over 350 deaths a year (1979- 2003) with close to 50% being elderly.

We have approached the peak of the summer heat and it is time for me to remind you of how important it is to stay hydrated while on the course. Here are a few tips and guidelines to keep you safe while playing golf.

First off the obvious…drink plenty of cool fluids.

Heat stroke happens when your body can’t release heat fast enough. Sweating is how the body compensates for that but with a price. You lose salt and minerals through sweating and you need to replace them through drinking cool fluids(increase your fluid intake by 16-32 oz. an HOUR) to compensate for the heat. Here’s the bad news, although we all love a cold beer or an iced coffee while playing a round of golf….. alcohol, caffeine and high sugar drinks are not good in this weather, they all dehydrate you.

Signs of heat stroke

** High body temperature

** Red, hot and dry skin ( no sweating)

** Rapid pulse

** Throbbing headache

** Dizziness, Nausea, or Confusion

** Unconsciousness

If you are experiencing any body with these symptoms cool the victim down immediately externally i.e a cold shower or hose and call an ambulance. Do not give the victim anything to drink as this could cause choking or vomiting.

The bottom line

If your heart starts pounding and leaves you gasping for your breath, stop all activity and get some help. We want to keep you around for a while so use some common sense. The course will be there tomorrow although I can’t guarantee you the honeydew list wont be there in the heat I guess that  you  will have to pick the lesser of two evils and be safe!

Unlike previous years where golfers had to be a resident or past resident of Brockton to play in this prestige event, the Brockton Golf Association has decided to open the event to any player with one catch. Players that have not qualified in the past with the residency rules, will be placed in the seeded division regardless of their handicaps. With round 2 of the Fourball being played on the 9 hole course of The Brockton CC, the BGA is only allowing 45 teams in each division on a first come- first serve basis by postmark only. The maximum 9.0 index has not changed for this event.

The other big change for this season will be a raffle and get together  held on Wednesday July 14th , 6:30pm at Brockton Country Club. This is the first time that the BGA has held a social event before the Fourball and they are looking to raise a little money for the BGA raffle tickets are being sold for $20 each with plenty of fabulous prizes available.

The Brockton City Fourball begins on  Friday July 16 at DW Field GC where both the field and seeded divisions will be cut separately. Round 2 is at Brockton CC with the final round on Sunday at Thorny Lea CC.

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DW Field GC is now on Facebook, become a fan here.

This week, some of these players took a break from the southern based tour to come home and play the 101st Massachusetts Open at the Wellesley CC . The 150 player field was cut to 41 after two rounds with the final round being played on Wednesday. The final round proves to be competitive as just 10 shots separates the top 40 spots. The door is open for a new champion this year with the 2009 champion, Rob Oppenheim playing on the Nationwide Tour.

Entering the final round today, Jim Renner shared the lead with Scott Hawley at 8-under par after two rounds. Renner (-4)  had a mental lapse during round two as he had to take a 2-shot penalty for playing the wrong ball, costing him the out right lead. Jim’s unfortunate luck carried into today’s final round as he carded 6 bogeys, twice as many as he made in the first two rounds. Scott Hawley(-4) made two double bogey’s in the final round, making it anybody’s race.

James Hazen (-6) out of Miller Place, NY carded a 3-under, 68  today to capture the 2010 title. Hazel cashed in for the top prize of $15,000 with his second career victory.   Jimmy Lytle (-4) was the only other player in the red today as he carded a 2-under, 68 giving him a piece of a four way tie for second. Brockton’s, Matt Parziale and Quincy’s, Michael Welch both finished +1 today and even par for the three day event, good enough for a top ten finish.

Brockton County Club’s Mike Calef continued his success as an amateur as he also carded a  + 1 today and an even par week as he captured the top spot in the amateur field. See all of the final results here.

See the complete photo gallery here.

For those of you that are not privileged to golf in a private or semi-private course, you will relate to this. Playing at a municipal course has it’s pros and cons just like everything else. The pro being that locals can get a seven day permit for just over a grand which is a bargain anywhere but that comes with a price.

A city owned course does not have the budget to fully staff an eighteen hole course and there is  just four full time workers maintaining this 6000 yard track. Obviously conditions will not be perfect and with the price tag, golfers realize that…well most do and there is a local rule in place where you are allowed to play the ball up in your own fairway. This rule is fair since the course can not be marked like most and there is a lot of play on this public track but the local association tried to take it a step further. A rule was implemented that you can rake and place your ball when in a bunker because people do not rake them.

33-8. Local Rules

a. Policy

The Committee may establish Local Rules for local abnormal conditions if they are consistent with the policy set forth in Appendix I.

b. Waiving or Modifying a Rule

A Rule of Golf must not be waived by a Local Rule. However, if a Committee considers that local abnormal conditions interfere with the proper playing of the game to the extent that it is necessary to make a Local Rule that modifies the Rules of Golf, the Local Rule must be authorized by the USGA.

I am not trying to bash the officers of the association since their intent was good considering that the bunkers are in rough shape here but a bunker is a hazard, period. Even on the best courses, there will always be those lazy, ignorant golfers not raking the traps plus if you allow those golfers to rake and place then there wouldn’t be a reason to rake them in the first place. Needless to say the Pro did not allow this change and things are back to normal which brings me to another point that most people are unaware of, local rules can only be made by the rules committee with the approval of the course Pro.

As long as we are re-writing the rules of golf for courses that are not up to par.. I have a few for consideration:

* if your ball is tracking into the hole on the green and gets knocked off line.. you should get the putt

* if a fire engine or police siren gets in your back swing.. you should get a mulligan

*if your ball rolls in the woods and your afraid to get poison ivy..free drop, oh hell why not in the fairway

*if you sail the green into the woods and know there is coyote or any other wildlife there, just place your ball on the green

*if you are inside 50 yards and the muddy runway  is preventing you from a bump and run..move it to your liking (true story-a friend of mine tried to sell that a few years back)

The bottom line is that we should be enjoying the 4-5 hours in the sun and not stressing over the little things. Golf is a really simple concept; you address the ball, you hit the ball, you find the ball and repeat the process until it’s in the hole.

Have an idea for a story? Drop me a line at sinktheputts@gmail.com