If the USGA was looking to add first-time participants to its U.S. Amateur Four-Ball Championship field, the Colorado qualifying site wasn’t the place to go this year.

Three teams qualified on Tuesday at The Broadlands Golf Course in Broomfield, and all three have participated in the best-ball national championship previously, even though it’s only been held since 2015.

Kyle Danford and David Johnson from Fort Collins, Alex Kephart and Kurtis Lucas from Colorado Springs, and Greg Carlin from Denver and University of Colorado golfer Wilson Belk all will advance to the U.S. Four Ball — and all have competed in the event at least once before. (Pictured from left are two of the qualifying teams from Tuesday: Danford and Johnson, and Kephart and Lucas.)

Danford and Johnson went in 2016, and Kephart and Lucas and Belk and Carlin both in 2017. In addition, Kephart also played in 2015 with a different partner.

But somehow it never gets old.

“It’s just special to play in USGA events,” said Danford, who will be going to his fourth overall. “If you think how many people try to qualify around the country or world, to get in there is an honor in itself. Hopefully we make (match play at the national championship) and then you never know what can happen. It’ll be a lot of fun.

“My wife is happy because the other three USGA events I’ve qualified for, she’s been pregnant. Now we’ve broken that little schneid so she doesn’t have to get pregnant any more for me to go to a USGA event.”

Danford/Johnson and Kephart/Lucas shared qualifying medalist honors Tuesday at The Broadlands with 10-under-par 62s, while Belk/Carlin posted a 64 despite never having seen the course before. The rewards are trips to the Bandon Dunes Golf Resort in Oregon, with the championship set for May 25-29.

The U.S. Four-Ball has been contested at some of the most prestigious courses in the country, with previous hosts including The Olympic Club in San Francisco, Winged Foot in New York and Pinehurst in North Carolina.

And 2019’s venue isn’t half bad either.

“Bandon Dunes, that’s pretty sweet,” Carlin said. “We saw that on the schedule and signed up.”

Johnson’s one previous USGA championship was the Four-Ball at Winged Foot, which is scheduled to host the 2020 U.S. Open.

“You’re just treated great (at the national championship),” he said. “Winged Foot was just absolutely brutal — in a great way. I think on 20 of the 36 holes I hit 5-iron or more into greens. I know I’m not long, but I’m not that short.”

And the Four-Ball is also about the camaraderie involved. For some teams, both the qualifying tournaments and, ideally, the national championship are about spending some time with good buddies.

“We’re best friends,” Kephart, a five-time USGA qualifier, said of himself and Lucas, with whom he attended high school and now plays about 50 rounds of golf a year. “We’ve played golf together since we were 8 years old. It’s the highlight of the year getting to play in this (qualifier) and it’s a bonus going to the tournament.”

Said Lucas, a Marine veteran: “You get to travel with your best friend. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with that.”

Noted Belk, regarding himself and Carlin: “I think it’s fun for us — his brother and my other brother in law caddied for us (previously in the U.S. Four-Ball) and Greg is my brother in law. It was just super fun to go. We couldn’t even try to qualify last year because I had a college tournament. It’ll be really fun to go back.”

On Tuesday, Lucas and Kephart highlighted their round with two eagles — one each — as did Belk and Carlin. Both teams played the four par-5s in 6 under par. Danford and Johnson, meanwhile, sprinkled 10 best-ball birdies through their round. Lucas shot a 66 with his own ball — including a 31 on the front nine — on Tuesday.

In all, 56 two-man teams were in the field on Tuesday.

Among the people on hand for the Four-Ball qualifier on Tuesday were two two-time Colorado Open champions. Brian Guetz competed with partner Alex Buecking, and Derek Tolan was caddying for the team of Jonathan Marsico and Tommy Hart, who have qualified for this event twice previously. Marsico and Hart shot a 65 on Tuesday, while Guetz and Buecking carded a 66. (Pictured above are Tolan, in red, and Hart.)
 

U.S. Amateur Four-Ball Qualifying
At Par-72 The Broadlands GC in Broomfield
ADVANCE TO NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP
Alex Kephart/Kurtis Lucas, Colorado Springs 30-32–62
Kyle Danford/David Johnson, Fort Collins 31-31–62
Wilson Belk, Greg Carlin, Denver 32-32–64
ALTERNATES (In Order)
Matt Call/Norton Rainey, Parker 32-33–65
Richard Bradsby/Brian Dorfman, Denver 31-34–65

For complete results, CLICK HERE.

Mark Passey had a long career before working full-time in the golf industry, but even way back when, he seemed destined to devote much of his life to the game.

Noting that he caddied periodically for Frank Beard on the PGA Tour in the 1960s, Passey said he learned he didn’t want to tote bags for a living. “But being inside the ropes is special,” Passey added in a recent phone interview. “I thought, ‘I’d love to work at the USGA sometime.’ The fact that it happened is a miracle.”

Indeed, after spending 19 years working for Smith’s Food & Drug in Utah, Passey was hired as the executive director of the Utah Golf Association in the mid-1980s. And for the last 27 1/2 years, he’s been a director of regional affairs for the USGA, with his region always including Colorado. But, as of the end of June, that will change as Passey — who recently turned 70 — is planning to retire.

The Highlands Ranch resident will work his 22nd U.S. Open — this one at Erin Hills in Wisconsin, which will conclude June 18 or 19 — then tie up loose ends for the remainder of that month before bidding adieu to his days as a USGA employee.

“I won’t like it,” Passey said when asked what his emotions will be as he leaves. “It’s very bittersweet. I’m not leaving because I don’t like (what I’m doing anymore). It’s just the right time. I’m 70 and I want time to be home with my family.

“But I’m going to miss my collegauges and the work. I’ve been blessed to do this job. It’s a real privilege. But I’ve thought about it for a long time. And I like to look forward, not back. There’s a lot of fun still left in life. I have an interest in a lot of things. I look at it as a new chapter.”

Besides retirement giving Passey more time to spend with wife Charlene and on (non-golf-related) travel and various others interests, he notes it makes sense from a work standpoint.

“A lot of big projects the USGA are working on are on 1-yard line: (major modernization of the) Rules of Golf, state and regional golf association changes (with the USGA streamlining relationships with SRGAs as part of the USGA’s new membership engagement model), and the worldwide handicap system. They’re all happening at once, so the timing was right.”

The CGA and CWGA have had a close relationship with Passey over his 27-plus years with the USGA as Colorado is one of nine states currently included in the Central Region, for which Passey is the USGA regional affairs director. Other states in the region are Utah, Wyoming, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Iowa and Missouri — and Passey has traveled to each at least annually. But that relationship is closer for the Colorado associations because Passey has been based in the state since 2006, when he and Charlene moved from Utah, his home for about 50 years of his life.

“Mark came into the golf industry after having had a previous career — and that’s unusual now,” said Ed Mate, executive director of the CGA. “Today’s generation of golf administrators are (mainly) P.J. Boatwright Interns right out of college and they go into it right from the beginning. But Mark was a grocer, got involved (with the Utah Golf Association) as a volunteer, which led to this. … So for 27 years, he’s been pinching himself that he’s been so lucky. He appreciates more than most what the real world is. He’s made the most of those 27 years.

“But the thing about Mark — and I wrote a letter to him and tried to sum it up — he’s really unique in his appreciation for the history for the game. He has great perspective on the game. He has a great loyalty to the USGA, but not blind loyalty; he’s critical at times when he disagrees, but he’s thoughtful. He doesn’t jump to the most popular, trending opinion on things. I have great respect for him and we’ve been very fortunate he’s been here in Colorado because we’ve gotten to see more of him than many of the other states he’s responsible for. We’re going to miss him for sure.”

Mate has known Passey since 1989. Laura Robinson has worked with him for a much shorter time — she became executive director of the CWGA in late 2015 — but she likewise appreciates the work he’s done. (At left, last summer Passey presented Robinson with a plaque from the USGA commemorating the CWGA centennial and honoring the association for its longtime service to the game.)

“Mark has done an incredible job for golf in Colorado,” Robinson said. “We’re going to miss him a lot and I hope he misses us equally.

“He’s helped roll out new programs, he’s a resource for both the CGA and CWGA to go to, he’s our point of contact with the USGA (and) he gives us a heads-up what’s happening. He’s just passionate about golf.”

State and regional golf associations like the CGA and the CWGA run many USGA qualifiers, are sanctioned caretakers of USGA course rating and handicap systems, serve as a clearing house for the USGA Rules of Golf, and share the USGA’s emphasis on outreach and developmental programs, particularly at the junior level. In the last decade, the USGA has provided generous grants to a couple of programs at the CGA-owned CommonGround Golf Course — $175,000 for the Kids Course and $10,000 for the Solich Caddie & Leadership Academy. The national association also funds Boatwright Internships which benefit the CGA and CWGA. In many ways, the CGA and CWGA have long served as unofficial franchises of the USGA.

Passey, who was the Utah Golf Association’s executive director from mid-’80s until the USGA hired him in 1989, was inducted into the Utah Golf Hall of Fame two years ago. He’s one of six regional affairs directors who serve as liaisons between the USGA and SRGAs and as facilitators for USGA programs at a local level, sharing best practices and helping make sure those programs run successfully. Passey also attends Rules of Golf workshops and the USGA annual meeting, among many other events.

Although the Texas Golf Association is no longer part of Passey’s regional territory, it originally was. And he takes some pride in his role in helping the TGA improve and grow dramatically as an organization to the point that it’s now one of the largest state and regional golf associatons in the country.

More generally, Passey is also proud of how the USGA has “really raised the bar” in recent decades regarding improving USGA qualifying tournaments — largely run by state and regional golf associations — and implementation of USGA programs “where the rubber meets the road,” as he once said.

In addition to his role regarding regional affairs per se, Passey is highly regarded for his work at USGA championships. Over the years, he’s worked roughly 140 of them — with the U.S. Amateur Four-Ball at Pinehurst and the U.S. Open at Erin Hills this spring marking the last of his run as a USGA employee. That 140 includes quite a few in Colorado, including two U.S. Amateurs that Cherry Hills Country Club has hosted. In fact, his first USGA championship as an employee was the ’90 U.S. Am won by Phil Mickelson, marking Mickelson’s only USGA title to date. (Passey is pictured at left, in white, at the 2012 U.S. Amateur at Cherry Hills.)

At those championships, he’s had a variety of different roles, including scoring and Rules of Golf-related work, player registration, staff person in charge or an assistant. But his work overseeing the large scoreboards at many events has often drawn the most attention.

“Mark is probably most known for his incredible skills doing scoreboards — and not just the calligraphy part but the mathematical part,” Mate said. “He’s really a savant. He can spell the name of every player in the game of golf. Every year at the U.S. Open he’ll sit there at check-in and he has this great curiosity and he knows the etymology of names.

“He has this acronym for scoreboards called ART. A scoreboard is accurate, readable and timely — and they’re all important. I don’t care how pretty it is; if it’s not accurate it’s no good; if it’s so pretty you can’t read it, it’s no good; and if it goes up 10 minutes after the tournament is over, what good is it? It needs to be timely. That’s going to be his legacy, I think.

“That’s a skill that’s no longer really being used. Everybody says there’s TV, mobile devices and real-time scoring — and that’s true. But there’s no way, even with technology, you can have one display that has every piece of information on it more efficiently than a hand-done scoreboard. You can get every data point you need. And the phone is more cumbersome. It’s all there but it’s harder to get to.

“(Also), his ability to add up a scorecard in his head is just incredible. Everything is (based off of) 4s, so it’s plus and minus (from) 4s. But he’s so beyond that. If he sees a 3 and a 5 he knows that’s 8 so he doesn’t even see those. The most amazing thing to watch is when he does a scoreboard for the U.S. Amateur — which is 312 players at two sites. He’s not sitting down all day. Everything he’s doing is by hand and it’s amazing.”

In fact, Passey is so adept with scoreboard paper and scoreboard pens that he’s created some golf-related artwork with them that are good enough that two or three of his pieces are displayed in the USGA Museum and he’s given many others away to people who originally requested to buy them. In retirement, Passey said he may do some fine-art versions of golf course landscapes.

Other things that Passey thinks are possibilities in retirement for him are doing some golf course architectural consulting, possibly contributing to a book, and traveling to places he hasn’t been before.

“I’ve traveled everywhere in the U.S., to the point that I can (drive around many) cities without a map,” he said. “But I haven’t been to Europe. … I’m fascinated by the world.

“One thing I’m trying really hard not to do is plan every day. At every championship that I’ve worked, you’re up at about 4:30 a.m. and you don’t get back until about 10 p.m. I’ve done a lot of that for a long time.”

But Passey is not quite done yet — even at significant championships held in Colorado. In fact, he plans on serving as a rules official at the men’s Pac-12 Conference Championships that Boulder Country Club is hosting April 28-30.

And even after retiring, Passey said he and Charlene will continue to live in Colorado.

“I’ve been fortunate to go to such great places,” said Passey, who has two grown daughters in Utah and Pennsylvania, along with grandchildren. “I’ve gone everywhere in America. I asked myself, ‘where would you rather live (than Colorado)?’ I can’t think of anywhere.”
 

With Wednesday’s joint announcement by the two governing bodies about detailed proposed changes to the Rules that are planned to go into effect on Jan. 1, 2019, Mate could provide an insider’s perspective on the overhaul process that’s taken place.

After all, the CGA executive director — along with former CGA staffers Thomas Pagel and (just recently) Pete Lis — serve on the USGA Rules of Golf Committee, which is on the ground floor of the proposed changes that were announced on Wednesday.

“It’s exciting to finally have the duct tape off my mouth because I’ve been sworn to secrecy the last two years,” Mate said on Wednesday. “This is a lot of fun and pretty cool.”

The initial stages of the Rules modernization project predate Mate joining the USGA Rules of Golf Committee in 2015, but he’s been intimately involved in the process since then.

Among the changes that are proposed for 2019 implementation: searches for a lost ball would be limited to three minutes rather than the current five; players could drop a ball from any height rather than the current shoulder height; a caddie would no longer be allowed to line up a player; there would be no penalty if a ball you hit struck you, your caddie, or your equipment; also, no penalty would result for a ball — struck on the putting green — hitting the flag in the hole; spike marks and almost all other damage on a green could be repaired; a club could be grounded and loose impediments removed in a penalty area; loose impediments could also be moved in a bunker; there would be no penalty for accidentally moving your ball while searching for it or for accidentally moving your ball or ball marker when it’s on the putting green.

For more detail and specifics, CLICK HERE.

“The overriding theme is that we were hearing from golfers at all levels that the Rules were just complex (and) they were hard to understand,” said Pagel, the USGA’s senior director of rules and amateur status. “We are listening. The Rules have become dense and, for many, too confusing.”

Mate likewise welcomes the whole Rules modernization effort.

“I just think it’s really exciting,” Mate said. “This is historic. It’s never happened where the USGA and the R&A have come out and said, ‘What do you think?’ Never has there been a more cool opportunity because the game needs to be more approachable. What better way to do it than say, ‘We want your input.’ The USGA is looking for your feedback — good, bad or otherwise.”

By midday on Wednesday, Mate had already talked to numerous golfers about the proposed changes.

“The excitement people have and the passion they have to know that the Rules are really going to be more approachable … Those people are more engaged,” he said. “It will be interesting to see how much confusion there is over, ‘All right, when do these take effect?’ This is a long time (until 2019). This isn’t (the same as the process that led to the banning of) anchoring. Everybody knew that it was probably a fait accompli that anchoring was going to go away, but it was a way to ease people into it. This is the opposite. (People may think) ‘I don’t want to ease into these; I want to start now.’ So it’ll be interesting to me to see how much pressure the USGA and the R&A get to move up that date from 2019 to 2018. In the meantime maybe what will end up happening, rather than that, is clubs will start adopting them right now. They’ll say, ‘We’re playing by the 2019 Rule book.'”

Overall, what was announced on Wednesday “is unprecedented and it’s in step with the times,” Mate added. “The term ‘modernization’ is a great global label to put on this project. It’s also modern from the standpoint of giving the game a new face. The new USGA (is) more player-friendly and actually cares what you might think. Instead of keeping these things under wraps — secrecy and ivory tower — they’re being brought down to you, every golfer in America. So it’s really cool.”
 

Powered by Golf Genius Software, USGA Tournament Management improves efficiency and enhances the golfer experience by helping golf professionals and association staff better manage a wide array of competitions ““ from leagues to charitable outings, club tournaments to championships.  

As a partner of the USGA in Colorado, the CGA will be responsible for helping CGA clubs transition to the new software and training them on it throughout 2017. 

The new suite includes three product versions ““ Club, Club Premium and Association ““ and was rolled out to the State and Regional Golf Association (SRGA) community late last year. SRGAs will begin offering the Club version this month to GHIN-subscribing customers, with the opportunity to upgrade to the Club Premium edition at preferred rates. 

“We’re leveraging advanced technology to deliver a modern product that makes it easy for golf professionals to develop and produce engaging events,” said Sarah Hirshland, USGA senior managing director for business affairs. “The Golf Genius platform has been used by club managers for several years and is scalable, portable and dynamic. The response from the golf community has been overwhelmingly positive.”

The USGA began a pilot program with six SRGAs last year, working directly with Golf Genius to meet the tournament management needs for both clubs and SRGAs. The product provides all the tools needed to set up and run golf events, leagues and outings, including roster management, round management, customizable scorecards, live scoring, customizable event websites and GHIN integration. It also provides comprehensive support for tournament and scoring formats ranging from single-round gross events to complex multi-round net events.
 
“We’re honored and excited to have the opportunity to work with the USGA to bring our capabilities to thousands of GHIN clubs,” said Michael Zisman, Golf Genius CEO. “Golf Genius has evolved its products over many years by applying modern cloud-based technology, listening to customers and employing golf professionals who have a deep understanding of customer needs.”
 
Associations and clubs will also enjoy the tool’s robust product support features, including a comprehensive online knowledge base, an event setup wizard and step-by-step guides for setting up popular event formats. It is fully integrated with the GHIN system, giving users direct access to Handicap information as they plan their events.

The new technology suite replaces the Tournament Pairing Program designed by the USGA and first offered to its member clubs in 1995. It was one of the first computer-based tournament management programs developed in the United States and is still in use today. 
 

M.J. Mastalir turned 70 years old earlier this month, and on Thursday he received a belated birthday gift that certainly was worth waiting for as he was voted into the Colorado Golf Hall of Fame.

The Denver resident is a former CGA president who spearheaded the acquisition of a CGA-owned golf course — now known as CommonGround Golf Course — on land that had long been the site of Lowry Air Force Base. Also in a volunteer role, he served on the powerful USGA Executive Committee, eventually becoming a vice president of the association.

On Thursday, the Colorado Golf Hall of Fame Board of Directors selected Mastalir to become the lone person enshrined in the 45th class of inductees. That induction will take place May 21 at the Santuary in Sedalia.

“It’s a nice honor — and humbling,” Mastalir said in a phone interview. “I’ve been really fortunate. I’ve worn a lot of different hats in golf, I’ve met a lot of nice people and gone to a lot of nice places.” (Mastalir is pictured above in blue, flanked by two current Colorado Golf Hall of Famers, Kent Moore and the late Jim English.)

Also honored at the May 21 dinner will be three Colorado Golf Hall of Fame award winners: the new Junior Golf Alliance of Colorado, Jennifer Kupcho of Westminster, and Rick Polmear of Greenwood Village. The JGAC will receive the Distinguished Service Award, Kupcho the Golf Person of the Year Award, and Polmear the Lifetime Achievement Award. (See details about those honorees below.)

Mastalir will become the 139th inductee into the Colorado Golf Hall of Fame, an organization which honored its first class in 1973, when Babe Zaharias, Dave Hill and Babe Lind were inducted.

Mastalir served on the CGA Board of Governors from 1986 to 2007, including a three-year stint as president starting in 1997. It was in his role as the chairman of an ad-hoc golf course committee that he arguably left his most lasting legacy in golf. With the closing of Lowry Air Force Base in 1994, he met with the Lowry Redevelopment Authority and convinced the rest of the CGA board to compete for the acquisition of the Lowry course. Over a period of years, the CGA and CWGA gained ownership of the course, which was then known as Mira Vista. An entirely new course — the Tom Doak-designed CommonGround layout — was constructed at the site and opened in 2009, with a myriad of CGA community outreach and youth development programs continuing to take root there.

Over a decade-long period, Mastalir estimates he devoted more than 2,000 hours to the CommonGround project that became very close to his heart.

“I was leading the charge, so it’s been very gratifying” watching CommonGround develop, Mastalir said. “They’ve really created a place for programs for people. They’ve done a marvelous job.”

In his early days as a CGA board member, Mastalir was likewise a member of the USGA Executive Committee, a 15-person group of volunteers that makes policy for one of the most powerful golf organizations in the world.

During Mastalir’s time on the Executive Committee (1986-93), the USGA laid the groundwork for the “For the Good of the Game” grant program that promoted projects that helped make golf much more accessible to juniors, minorities, people with disabilities, etc. The USGA also established the P.J. Boatwright Jr., Internship Program, which effectively funded an internship position for state and regional golf associations throughout the country.

Mastalir also served as chairman of the USGA Rules of Golf Committee — a very powerful and influential force in the game — from 1988 to ’93.

In addition to trying to expand and improve the game in Colorado and beyond, Mastalir was a fine golfer in his own right. He played a season of golf at the University of Colorado, where he was sixth man during a season the Buffs (as a five-man team) won the 1968 Big Eight Championship and placed eighth in the NCAA Championships. Mastalir went on to compete in two U.S. Amateurs, the first U.S. Mid-Amateur and two British Amateurs.

Mastalir’s time on the CU golf team came immediately after Hale Irwin’s, but caddying for Irwin as he won the 1964 CGA Amateur at Hyland Hills was the event that sparked Mastalir’s own love for the game. He’s long been a member at both Denver Country Club at the Royal & Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews.

Mastalir retired in 2010 after spending the last 22 years of his career financing golf courses.

Next year will mark just the second time the Colorado Golf Hall of Fame has inducted just one person in a given class, with Paul McMullen in 1985 setting the precedent.

As for the Colorado Golf Hall of Fame award winners, here’s the rundown:

— Junior Golf Alliance of Colorado (Distinguished Service Award): A combined effort of the CGA and the Colorado PGA, with the CWGA serving as a contributing partner, the JGAC proved a big success in its inaugural year. The idea of the alliance is to streamline, improve and expand the junior golf experience in Colorado, and it hit the mark in 2016.

Membership in the JGAC is up about 16 percent from what it was for the CJGA in 2015, and tournament participation jumped 23.5 percent, not counting PGA Junior League Golf and the Drive, Chip & Putt events.

Kids playing in Colorado-based Drive, Chip & Putt competitions increased almost 15 percent from 2015. For the PGA Junior League Golf in Colorado, the number of kids, teams and facilities participating roughly doubled in 2016 compared to 2015. And if fall projections prove accurate, almost 28 percent more kids will be reached this year than last through the Colorado PGA Golf in Schools Program, with the total for 2016 expected to be 10,101.

Even with some spring events canceled due to the weather, there were more than 80 junior tournaments that the JGAC oversaw in 2016, highlighted by the four major championships for both boys and girls.

— Jennifer Kupcho (Golf Person of the Year): The 19-year-old from Westminster, the CWGA Player of the Year in both 2014 and ’15, took another big step in 2016.

She finished sixth individually in the women’s NCAA Championship finals and qualified for the U.S. Women’s Open, arguarbly the top women’s golf tournament in the world. Kupcho also swept the CWGA Match Play and Stroke Play titles, becoming the first player to do so in 12 years. In winning by huge margins in 2016 (12 and 10 in the Match Play final, and by 19 shots in the Stroke Play), she became the first golfer since the 1980s to win three straight CWGA “majors”. And earlier this month, the Wake Forest sophomore won her first individual title at a college tournament, breaking a Demon Deacons’ women’s program record with a 15-under-par 201 total at the Ruth’s Chris Tar Heel Invitational, where she prevailed by six strokes.

— Rick Polmear (Lifetime Achievement Award): Polmear, a University of Michigan Evans Scholar alum who has lived in Colorado since 1981, has long been a tireless supporter of the college scholarship for caddies. But he took that support to a new level as the volunteer project manager for the $6 million University of Colorado Evans Scholars house renovation and expansion project, which was completed early this year.

Polmear estimates he devoted about 1,000 hours to the project over the course of three years. The end result is a house almost totally redone on the inside, the addition of roughly 2,000 square feet of finished space (bringing the total to about 18K), and a nifty new outdoor area behind the house that features a combination lighted basketball/volleyball court and a congregating area with brick pavers that Polmear refers to as a “plaza”. All in all, it’s been a huge upgrade for the 50-plus current CU Evans Scholars.

Polmear has served as a volunteer director for the Western Golf Association — which administers the Evans Scholarship nationwide — since 1990.
 

Our team at the USGA has seen and heard a great deal of discussion and debate about the ruling on Dustin’s ball moving during the final round of the 2016 U.S. Open Championship at Oakmont Country Club. In addition to the explanations we offered upon the conclusion of the final round, we add these comments.

Upon reflection, we regret the distraction caused by our decision to wait until the end of the round to decide on the ruling. It is normal for rulings based on video evidence to await the end of a round, when the matter can be discussed with the player before the score card is returned. While our focus on getting the ruling correct was appropriate, we created uncertainty about where players stood on the leader board after we informed Dustin on the 12th tee that his actions on the fifth green might lead to a penalty. This created unnecessary ambiguity for Dustin and the other players, as well as spectators on-site, and those watching and listening on television and digital channels.

During any competition, the priority for Rules officials is to make the correct ruling for the protection of the player(s) involved and the entire field. In applying Rule 18-2, which deals with a ball at rest that moves, officials consider all the relevant evidence – including the player’s actions, the time between those actions and the movement of the ball, the lie of the ball, and course and weather conditions. If that evidence, considered together, shows that it is more likely than not that the player’s actions caused the ball to move, the player incurs a one-stroke penalty. Officials use this “more likely than not” standard because it is not always apparent what caused the ball to move. Such situations require a review of the evidence, with Decision 18-2/0.5 providing guidance on how the evidence should be weighed.

Our officials reviewed the video of Dustin on the fifth green and determined that based on the weight of the evidence, it was more likely than not that Dustin caused his ball to move. Dustin’s putter contacted the ground at the side of the ball, and almost immediately after, the ball moved.

We accept that not everyone will agree that Dustin caused his ball to move. Issues under Rule 18-2 often require a judgment where there is some uncertainty, and this was one of those instances. We also understand that some people may disagree with Rule 18-2 itself. While we respect the viewpoints of those who disagree, our Committee made a careful and collective judgment in its pursuit of a fair competition played under the Rules of Golf.

In keeping with our commitment to excellence in all aspects of our work on behalf of the game of golf, we pledge to closely examine our procedures in this matter. We will assess our procedures for handling video review, the timing of such, and our communication with players to make sure that when confronted with such a situation again, we will have a better process.

We at the USGA deeply appreciate the support of players, fans, and the entire golf community of our championships and our other work for golf – and we appreciate your feedback as well. We have established an email address (comments@usga.org) and phone mailbox (908-326-1857) to receive comments. We thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts.

We all share an abiding love of this great game. Let us continue to work together for its good.

That was apparent long before Wednesday, when Saint John’s Cathedral in Denver was at near capacity for the service for Nicholson, one of just three Coloradans to have served as a president of the USGA.

Nicholson, a former chairman of the Rules and Competitions Committees at the Masters and for the last 43 years a board member for the CGA, passed away on May 28 at the age of 87.

In the wake of Nicholson’s death, CBS’ Jim Nantz paid tribute to him during the network’s coverage of Jack Nicklaus’ Memorial tournament on Sunday.

And on Wednesday, a who’s who of golf from Colorado and beyond bid Nicholson a fond farewell. Among the hundreds who attended the service at Saint John’s Cathedral were Judy Bell, the Colorado Springs resident who was the first female president of the USGA; 1958 PGA Championship winner Dow Finsterwald; CBS Sports golf producer Lance Barrow; Fred Ridley, the former U.S. Amateur champion and USGA president who succeeded Nicholson as chairman of the Masters Competition and Rules Committees; executive directors of the CGA (Ed Mate) and the Colorado PGA (Eddie Ainsworth), George Solich, who originally funded the Colorado Golf Foundation for which Nicholson served as the first chairman; former USGA Executive Committeeman M.J. Mastalir; CGA president Joe McCleary; numerous members of both the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame (along with its president and CEO, former CGA president Tom Lawrence) and the Colorado Golf Hall of Fame.

The list could go on and on.

Obviously, there was no shortage of people upon whom Nicholson had an impact over his 87 years. It’s little wonder why he was honored as the Colorado golf Man of the Century last fall during the Century of Golf Gala at The Broadmoor.

As Ridley noted when he eulogized Nicholson on Wednesday, “When Will spoke, everyone listened.”

(Nicholson is pictured above, at left, in a USGA photo while at the 2015 USGA Annual Meeting.)

For an earlier story about Nicholson’s life, CLICK HERE.
 

While Lynn Zmistowski insists she never viewed herself as a volunteer in what she’s done for the game of golf, let it never be said that she was anything but dedicated to the task at hand when a duty was given to her.

Case in point: When she chaired the CWGA Course Rating Committee in the late 1970s and the early 1980s, the USGA created a “Slope” rating system in which golf courses would be rated according to their relative difficulty for players of varying ability. The CWGA and CGA were tasked to rate all of Colorado’s golf courses in accordance with the new Slope system.

In order to get the job done right — and consistently — Zmistowski felt she personally had to participate in every course rating the CWGA conducted. So over the course of less than five years, she played every hole of every golf course in Colorado at the time, giving her a distinction not many people can claim. The state had about 120 golf courses at that time, so that was no small feat.

“For consistency, I made it my mission to go on all the ratings,” Zmistowski said this week. “It was a lot of work, but a lot of fun. I’d play one week in Rangely, the next in Lamar. We had a great committee and always thought being on the committee was an honor. We loved being able to travel together and see the beautiful state of Colorado.

“I think you have to play the course to understand the course, and you have to understand the course to rate it. Colorado was a leader in the whole (Slope rating process). Most of the other states were looking to (the CWGA and CGA).”

It’s that dedication that earned Zmistowski a remarkable honor on Feb. 27 at the CWGA annual meeting — that of CWGA Volunteer of the Century.

With the CWGA leadership wanting some suspense for its centennial celebration at the annual meeting, Zmistowski didn’t find out she had received the award until the day of the event. She was competing in a couples club championship at her home course of Alta Mesa in Mesa, Ariz., that weekend, but had seen the program on the eve of the event. She noticed “Volunteer of the Century” by her name, “but I thought there must be a typo,” she said. But during the annual meeting, fellow Colorado Golf Hall of Famer Kim Eaton texted Zmistowski the news.

“The shock was amazing,” said Zmistowski, who now splits her time between Colorado (Boulder specifically) and Arizona. “I said to my husband (Bill), ‘You’ll never believe this.’ It’s obviously an amazing honor. I never thought of myself as a volunteer. I viewed anything I did related to golf as a passion. It’s just a way to give back to the sport that has given me so much enjoyment.

“I never thought my name would come up under ‘volunteer.’ There are a lot of people who have been outstanding volunteers. I guess I just did it for more years. And I’ve enjoyed it.”

Zmistowski has been a golf volunteer for more than 40 years — ever since Joan Birkland called her in 1975 and asked her to join the CWGA’s Course Rating Committee. Birkland, a standout in both golf and tennis, is a longtime Colorado Sports Hall of Famer. For her part, Zmistowski is a member of the Colorado and Minnesota Golf Halls of Fame, and the Rochester (Minn.) Sports Hall of Fame.

Zmistowski’s volunteer duties have included 30 years on the CWGA Course Rating Committee, including five as chair; more than 25 years on the USGA handicap procedures committee, for which she received the Ike Grainger Award in 2009 (left); six years as the first captain of the Colorado Girls Junior Americas Cup team and working on the GJAC handbook. Zmistowski took her daughter, Kim, on all the Junior Americas Cup trips, and still remembers her doing cartwheels on the practice range.

As recently as last year, Zmistowski volunteered to answer handicap-related questions that the CWGA received. And for the last eight years or so, she’s served on the handicap procedures committee for the Arizona Women’s Golf Associaton and has been the handicap chair for Alta Mesa Golf Club and helps run a major women’s invitational at the course.

“I have all this knowledge and can be helpful to people,” Zmistowski explained. “I feel I can contribute.”

As CWGA Centennial Committee co-chair Nancy Wilson said of Zmistowski at the annual meeting, “It certainly shows her dedication to this organization and to the game of golf. … Lynn Z, as she is affectionately called, has performed each task that she accepted with focused dedication and is very deserving of the Volunteer of the Century award.”

But the Volunteer of the Century wasn’t the only honor Zmistowski was awarded at the CWGA annual meeting. She was also one of nine outstanding players in the history of the association, all of whom have won at least five major CWGA individual championships. Zmistowski, who earlier had claimed titles in two CWGA Match Plays and two Senior Stroke Plays, last year at age 70 earned the senior championship at the 100th CWGA Match Play. (Above, finalist Kathy Malpass congratulates the champion.) In all, Zmistowski has captured 15 individual state amateur titles in Minnesota, Colorado and Arizona.

Zmistowski was the only person to be included on both the CWGA’s “Notable Volunteers” of the century and the “Outstanding Players” of the century.

Overall, Lynn Z has many fond memories of her years in Colorado and volunteering for the CWGA. Here are a couple:

— On the first time she met former longtime CWGA executive director Robin Jervey, with a group at a Denver Nuggets game:

“I had laryngitis and could not say a word,” Zmistowski said. “Robin got the impression I was pretty quiet but once I got my voice back she said, ‘Lynn never shuts up.'”

— On meeting Birkland as the two squared off in the 1971 CWGA Match Play at Denver Country Club, where Zmistowski would go on to earn the title:

“After we teed off and were walking down the first fairway, Joanie said to me, ‘Well, Lynn, who are you and where did you come from?’ We proceeded to play the next 17 holes chatting so much that on the 17th green I said to Joanie, ‘How does our match stand?’ and Joanie said, ‘You’re 1 down.’ We have been very close friends ever since.”

Zmistowski, who considers Willis Case in Denver her home course in Colorado, calls the late Katie Fiorella, a fellow Colorado Golf Hall of Famer and a longtime fixture at Willis Case, her best friend. Fiorella served on the CWGA Course Rating Committee for more than two decades.

“Katie loved every last thing there was to love in Colorado, and she passed that love to me,” Zmistowski said.

(Above, Zmistowski is pictured with Birkland, center, and Fiorella.)

Harding (left), the 2014 CWGA Volunteer of the Year, and Nancy Dofflemyer of Ocean Pines, Md., will be given the Nancy Oliver Founder’s Award on April 23 during the EWGA 25th Anniversary Celebration and Golf Experience in Colonial Williamsburg, Va. Among those expected to be hand are former LPGA Tour standouts Nancy Lopez and Jan Stephenson.

Named for EWGA founder Nancy Oliver, the award recognizes members who display exceptional long-term volunteer leadership and service to the association and exemplify the spirit and mission of the EWGA — enriching women’s lives through the game of golf.

Harding joined the EWGA’s Northern Colorado Chapter 14 years ago and served as chapter president in 2006-07. Since 2008, she has helped adminster and conduct the EWGA’s national tournaments.

“Volunteers are the lifeblood of EWGA,” said CEO Pam Swenson. “These two outstanding women exemplify the dedication, commitment and passion that thousands of EWGA Chapter leaders and national volunteers contribute to our on-going success to connect women through the game of golf.”