The BGA

BGA veterans Mark Chester and Jim Frenette captained two 7-man teams in a Ryder Cup format (match play) over the weekend of Friday, November 1, Saturday November 2nd and Sunday, November 3rd at The Bridges in Abbottstown, PA. The teams are titled “Foot Wedge Crew” for the Chester team and “Back 9 Bandits” for the Frenette team.

Results

Friday Afternoon – Four Ball

Due to 7 players per team, the format of the first match is singles. The remaing matches are four ball.

	Foot Wedge Crew		Back 9 Bandits
	Pat Keough		Scott Lacey 3 & 1 – $20
	Chuck Petrilla Matt Clary 2 & 1 – $40 split		Brett Coffman Greg Robinson
	Tom Nelson Matt Schwam $20 split		Bob Hoff Dan Saylor $20 split
	Mark Chester Eduardo Urrutia		Jim Frenette Leon Anderson 4 & 3 – $40 split
	1.5 Points		2.5 Points

Highlight

On the 11th hole, Mark Chester hits a brilliant shot into the devilish 171 yard par 3 leaving himself a 3 foot birdie putt to even the match. Leon Anderson answers with a nice shot to about 12 feet beyond and right of the pin. Leon drains the putt for birdie and puts the pressure back on Mark who makes it to halve the hole. Then, “Back 9 Bandits” Jim and Leon, in addition to winning hole #10 to go 1 up, harness the momentum of Leon’s birdie on 11, do not lose a hole on the back winning 13, 14 and 15 to close out the match.

Saturday AM – Captains Choice

Due to 7 players per team, the format of the first match is singles. The remaing matches are captains choice.

	Foot Wedge Crew		Back 9 Bandits
	Jerry Green		Scott Lacey 2 & 1 – $20
	Chuck Petrilla Matt Schwam		Bob Hoff Brett Coffman 7 & 6 – $40 split
	Tom Nelson Eduardo Urrutia		Jim Frenette Dan Saylor 4 & 3 – $40 split
	Mark Chester Matt Clary		Leon Anderson Greg Robinson 1 up – $40 split
	1.5 Points		6.5 Points

Saturday PM – Alternate Shot

Due to 7 players per team, the format of the first match is singles. The remaing matches are alternate shot.

	Foot Wedge Crew		Back 9 Bandits
	Eduardo Urrutia		Dan Saylor 7 & 6 – $20
	Chuck Petrilla Matt Clary		Scott Lacey Brett Coffman 3 & 2 – $40 split
	Tom Nelson Jerry Green		Leon Anderson Greg Robinson 1 up – $40 split
	Mark Chester Matt Schwam		Jim Frenette Bob Hoff 5 & 4 – $40 split
	1.5 Points		10.5 Points

Beatdown in Abottstown, Back 9 Bandits close out Foot Wedge Crew on Saturday afternoon to win the cup.

All is not lost. Foot Wedge Crew isn’t just playing for pride on Sunday, there’s match and closest to the pin money still on the table.

Sunday – Single Matches

	Foot Wedge Crew		Back 9 Bandits
	Jerry Green $10		Brett Coffman $10
	Matt Clary 5 & 4 – $20		Scott Lacey
	Eduardo Urrutia 2 & 3 – $20		Greg Robinson
	Chuck Petrilla		Dan Saylor 5 & 4 – $20
	Matt Schwam 3 & 2 – $20		Bob Hoff
	Tom Nelson		Leon Anderson 6 & 5 – $20
	Mark Chester		Jim Frenette 3 & 2 – $20
	5 Points		14 Points

Highlights

Jerry Green rolls in a 25 foot putt on the last hole to halve his match against Brett.

In the captains match, Jim Frenette is 2 down against Mark Chester as they make the turn. Jim wins the next 6 out of 7 holes with a string of pars to close out his match on #16 for the Back 9 Bandits.

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Closest to the Pin

Friday
4	nobody
7	Chuck Petrilla	$10
11	Mark Chester	$10
16	Matt Schwam	$10
Saturday AM
4	Jim Frenette	$10
7	nobody
11	Matt Schwam	$10
16	Leon Anderson	$10
Sunday
4	Bob Hoff	$15
7	Dan Saylor	$15
11	Mark Chester	$15
16	Tom Nelson	$15

Don Drehoff congratulates 2019 SPAM Champion Frank Mejia

The 2019 Spam — A Story to Tell Our Children and Our Children’s Children …

We will tell stories to our children and our children’s children …

“Father, tell us about the man that landed on the moon …

“Pop, tell us what happened when the Berlin Wall came down …”

“Granddad, tell us why our youngest sibling looks like the mailman …”

And now … “Tell us about the great Frank Mejia …”

Ah. The great Frank Mejia. Born to an itinerate farmer in Puerto Rico. Raised harvesting the sugar cane. Toiled in the local spice factory, picking fly poop out of pepper while wearing boxing gloves.

Then one day — was it boredom?, was it fate?, was it destiny? — he fashioned the golf club he could not afford, attaching a conch shell to the end of a sugar cane stalk …

Well, that’s where the story we know begins.

From there to local caddy. From there to local club champion. From there to America, stowing away on a Pan Am jet — and to this day, he still claims he was actually employed by that airline of yesteryear.

From there to the BGA. From there to BGA major champion. From there to the Godfather of the BGA.

Still, there was something missing. Something food could not fill. Something drink could not quench. Something doctors could not cure. Something women could not soothe by saying, “that’s ok, Frank, I know your tired and had a long day, we can try again tomorrow …”

The Spam. Frank had never won the Spam. Frank’s only blemish on the greatest of BGA careers. He had not won the Grand Slam.

Until Sunday, June 23rd, 2019 … when he sunk a 15 foot putt on the final hole to make par … to win the last six holes for 18 points … to finish with 34 points … to win the 2019 Spam and complete the career Grand Slam.

Oh, I know where I was. In the group behind, watching the pandemonium on 18 from the fairway, knowing that grabbing five of the last six holes myself would not be enough (27.5 points).

Oh, I know where Mark Chester was. In the final group, finally not having to be “Buddha” to Don’s on-course histrionics through the first 48 holes … but folding like a cheap suit down the stretch, unable to pull off what would have been his 4th Spam title and first in nearly 20 years (22.25 points).

Oh, I know where Tommy Nelson was. In the final group., thinking “could this be my first major?,” only to have his hopes dashed by the surging Spaniard (17.25 points).

Oh, I know where Matt Schwam was. All alone in third place entering the final round, only to be frustrated over the last 18 holes, having to listen to Don belly-ache and complain (12.5 points).

Oh, I know where Pat Keough was. Playing, grinding, sweating, spoiling, solid off the tee, taking just enough points from everyone else to contribute to the miraculous (9.25 points).

Oh, I know where Leon Anderson was. Looking back at everyone from the fairway, almost every drive, longest in the field … but could not make a putt. Could Not Make A Putt :-(8.25 points).

Oh, I know where Chuck Petrilla was. Praying to the porcelain gods, not only for better health, but a Frank Mejia victory, too (hope you are felling better, Chuck).

But all of us were there — not only to watch history in the making — but the making of history, too (isn’t that saying the same thing?)

Anyhow, another story to tell our children and our children’s children: we were there when Frank Mejia won his first Spam to complete the career Grand Slam. Congrats!!!