Despite high winds gusting up to 30 mph and a damp course soaked by eight days of rain, Thompson House hosted its second annual Senior Pro Invitational and 16 tenni-golf aficionados showed up for the 10:45 am tee time this past Sunday. An all-day extravaganza, the event featured a slightly lengthened front nine and a much-developed back nine, adding up to a whopping 1,955-yard course with six grueling par fives and par threes that “will break a heart of stone,” according to former Thompson House Pro Alex King ’05. “In real golf terms, that’s approximately 10,327 yards,” former course marshal, scratch golfer, and current History teacher, Chris Gurry was heard to say of the enhanced course length, shaking his head in wonder as he drove by after the first foursome of Luke Cahill ’06, Jeff Bakkensen ’06, Dan Taylor ’06 and Justin Yi ’06 began the day. The north-south design of the course made for dramatic shots, as the players were hitting directly into the wind or with it. Justin Yi aced the par-three 5th hole “on the fly” and tournament winner, Owen Remeika ’06, crushed his drive on the 18th hole, the ball hitting the “cup” some thirty-five feet “above the stump.” Luke Cahill drove through the dog leg on “Huck’s Turn,” the nasty par five 12th, but the drive of the day may have been Sam Cartmell’s ’06 ferocious stinger, clearing the dunes of the par five 8th, as his 3 iron flew the dugout and sat up nicely for a shocking albatross across Mundra’s Way. Dubbed “Tea in the Sahara,” the eighth is a judgment call for most players who elect to drive into the “The Pitcher’s Pit,” the fairway on the 7th. “Cartmell’s drive was just crazy,” observed Andres Bobadilla ’06, whose smashmouth front-nine 27 put him way out in front at the turn. “I nearly had an accident when I saw what he was going for,” he added. Andres Bobadilla may have had the best streak of the day on the front nine with an astounding three eagles on the 4th, 8th, and 9th holes, respectively. At the turn, during which everyone paused for a Herculean barbecue, the leaders were Bobadilla (-9), Yi (-6), Cahill (-5), and Remeika (-5). On the other end of the spectrum, Dan Taylor did things to a tennis ball that are illegal in some southern states and Gabe Worgaftik ’06 developed a nearly sensual relationship with the number 5, the regulation par for each hole notwithstanding. Nick Bowen ’06 enjoyed much more success with his camera than his club. Will Sherrill ’07 proved decisively that size does not matter in golf, not at all, not even a little bit. But perhaps the most striking turn around occurred on the back nine with a dramatic switch taking place between Bobadilla and Remeika. Cahill and Yi toughed out decent scores to keep themselves in the money, Simon Keyes ’06 came on strong to finish -5, Derek de Svastich ’06 racked up three eagles on the back nine to finish -2, but Bobadilla logged in the highest round for nine of the day, having tied for the lowest round for nine on the front. “I could hear Owen’s footsteps,” confessed the frustrated sharpshooter.” “You mean you sensed that he was tearing up the par fives on the back nine?” asked this reporter. “No I mean, he had like three hamburgers at the barbecue, so that I could feel his footsteps on the fairways behind me, like the earth was vibrating and stuff and it messed up my flow,” elaborated the visibly shaken Bobadilla. The day ended with Yi receiving the medal for the best ace of the day and Remeika receiving the statuette for the tournament championship. More importantly, Remeika’s torrid 27 on the back nine plus his 31 on the front added up to a new course record of 14 under par, smashing the record previously held by Justin Cahill ’04.
