The BGA

November 4, 2007, Ijamsville, MD — In his BGA debut, Ed Urrutia shoots 82 in the final round winning his first ever BGA event. On the final nine, down by 7 points and in 4th place, Ed post 78 points on the back nine, taking full advantage of the double points to come from behind and win by 11 points. Ed’s first round was also filled with excitement. On the par 5, 10th hole, measuring 480 yards – A driver, 6 iron to within 6 feet nets an Eagle for the long hitting Spaniard.

There was also great food, hospitality and some descent golf from 2nd place finisher and tournament host
Don Drehoff who made an eagle on the par 4, 5th hole at Whiskey Creek in the final round. Don’s “course management” prevailed despite Frenette’s Drive to within 25 yards of the green (he only walked away with a par). Don using a 4 iron off the tee and a 9 iron approach shot that took a bounce, hop and then fed right 10 feet into the cup. Jim Frenette made a charge on the back after being struck by an errant shot in the tummy compiling 50 points on the final 6 holes. What won’t kill him, made him stronger.

Sunday

Final Results

	Score	Back 9 Points	Total Points
Urrutia	82	78	161
Drehoff	87	60	150
Frenette	89	62	146
Mejia	88	46	127
Trusheim	94	40	124
Olds	97	38	102
		Front 9 Points	Total Points
Drehoff		30	90
Frenette		25	84
Trusheim		26	84
Urrutia		31	83
Mejia		32	81
Olds		18	64

Round 2, 10:30 a.m.,
Whiskey Creek Golf Club, Ijamsville, MD. Weather: 50-60 degrees, partly cloudy but
breezy.

Front 9, First Group:
• Frank Mejia, Vince Olds, Ed Urrutia

Front 9, Second Group:
• Don Drehoff, Jim Frenette, Mark Trusheim

Back 9 *, First Group:
• Frank Mejia, Vince Olds, Ed Urrutia

Back 9 *, Second Group:
• Don Drehoff, Jim Frenette, Mark Trusheim
  * double points (18/3 per hole)

Tournament Format: Modified “nines“

First three nines: 9 points per hole per threesome divided based on match play result. i.e., If all three
players halve the hole, each gets 3 points. If 2 players halve the hole, they get 4
points each, the remaining player losing  the hole gets 1 point. If no one halves
the hole, lowest score gets 5 points, next lowest 3 points, and then 1 point for the
highest score.

Final nine – double points (18 per hole), and in the spirit of the Mulligan Memorial,  mullies are assigned based on the players handicap. The defending champion regardless of handicap only gets 1 per
round.

Saturday

First Round Scores/Points
	Mulligans	Score	Points
Drehoff	4	82	60
Frenette	1	85	59
Trusheim	2	87	58
Urrutia	3	86	52
Mejia	5	89	49
Olds	18	96	46

Round 1, 12:00 p.m., Musket Ridge Golf Club, Myersville, MD. Weather: 50-60 degrees, sunny but windy.

Front 9, First Group:
• Vince Olds, Mark Trusheim, Ed Urrutia

Front 9, Second Group:
• Don Drehoff, Jim Frenette, Frank Mejia

Back 9, First Group:
• Don Drehoff, Mark Trusheim, Ed Urrutia

Back 9, Second Group:
• Jim Frenette, Frank Mejia, Vince Olds

October 2007 — In one of the weakest major fields ever assembled, Don Drehoff emerged as “the tallest midget” to win the 2007 SPAM and complete the overall BGA career “Grand Slam.”

Mark Chester, a three time SPAM winner and soon to be native of Colorado (based on being newly-evicted from Northern Virginian after losing his day worker rights), was given carte blanche to pick a field of players to celebrate his send-off. And instead of assembling a multitude of BGA players, thus mathmatically reducing his chance to win – he chose instead to focus on a smaller and less talented field, one which he knew he could beat: Don Drehoff, many years past any prime he might have ever had; Chuck Petrilla, the “BPNTHWABGAM;” and (name), a BGA rookie, playing in his first major, and only the 7th round of golf in his middle-aged life.

After choking once again on the TCP Sawgrass replica par-3 13th (have played Renditions probably 10 times and have NEVER hit that darn green in regulation), Drehoff got up and down with a nifty chip on the 14th to close out the championship early – which also included holing out from about 100 yds for birdie on the famous Augusta National 13th – and finished with an 84 to win. Chester, trying to keep the match close, while at the same time fighting a pronounced left to right ball flight (anything he ever learned from that female golf coach of his, at least wrt the golf swing, seemed to be a distant memory) – finished with a respectable 88. Petrilla, who actually got back in the mix and had a chance to win after parring the Sawgrass 13th, kept his title of Best Player Never To Have Won A BGA Major” by finishing with a 92. And the guy that Chester brought along, really good guy as a matter of fact, I think broke 100. In fact, if the weather had been a bit warmer and the course a bit dryer – he could have played without his oxygen tanks and walker, and might have broken 90.

Mark, you should be applauded for doing everything humanly possible to guarantee yourself a final major victory and 4th SPAM before your send-off. If only the golf gods had cooperated. Still, the dinner, drinks and fellowship after the round were both fun and memorable. Marko, keep in touch and let’s figure out a way to have some sort of major at the USAF Academy soon, ok (or another boondoggle to Bermuda? You will be missed by all!