Local foursome fails to advance at Buick Scramble

The Buick Scramble is the world’s largest amateur golf tournament, with more than 80, 000 golfers participating annually in the event that boasts Tiger Woods as its honourary chairman.
A local foursome, along with Kitchen Creek’s club pro, was part of that group and represented Fort Frances well at the Buick Scramble Canadian Championships held Aug. 22.
They posted an eight-under net score, but failed to advance to the North American championships coming up Oct. 7-10 in Orlando, Fla.
Clarke Deacon, Colin Drombolis, John Gibson, and Greg Ste. Croix defeated 15 other teams at Kitchen Creek here June 20. Then with the help of club pro Steve Wood, they won the Ontario Northern Sectionals on July 29 to advance to the Canadian championships.
“Any time you get to compete in a national championship is an honour in the first place, and especially to represent Kitchen Creek,” said Wood, a CPGA pro in his fifth year at Kitchen Creek.
“Just to be there against some pretty good competition is always enjoyable,” he added.
“If you don’t bring your ‘A’ game, you’re not going to win,” stressed Wood, 33, who has been golfing for more than 20 years.
“It’s not that we played poorly, it’s just the name of the game out there is your putting,” he remarked. “Every team out there is good. It’s just a question of who’s better that day.”
The tournament, now in its 21st year, follows a “best ball” format in which, except for their opening shots, all five players hit from the best-positioned ball.
“Everybody hit the ball pretty solidly. It was a good tag team. We all teamed up pretty well,” said Wood. “And even if someone hits a bad one, it’s not really the end of the world because someone behind you can hit another one.”
Adding to the experience was playing on the famed Glen Abbey Golf Course in Oakville, which will be the home of the 2004 Bell Canadian Open early next month, where some of the top golfers in the world like Davis Love III, Justin Leonard, and Kenny Perry will be competing.
“We had a great time. We got to play a great golf course. Glen Abbey ain’t no slouch,” Wood remarked. “It was a great time to see a golf course almost tournament ready for the Canadian Open, so it was also exciting from that standpoint.
“The fairways are immaculate there and the rough is really punishing,” he noted. “Our score for 18 holes in a scramble was eight-under, and I can almost guarantee you that there will be someone who will shoot eight-under on their own.
“It really just goes to show you how good the best players in the world really are.”
This was the second year Kitchen Creek has been involved in the Buick Scramble, with 10 teams participating last year and 16 this year.
The event’s top two finishers (net and gross category) are crowned North America’s best amateurs and presented with the trophy from Tiger Woods himself.
Wood hopes to see more teams compete locally in next year’s tournament, and looks forward to playing again in an event that is gaining in popularity with each passing year.
“We knew that we were going to have a good time. And that’s my main focus, to make sure that they do have a good time,” Wood said. “Because otherwise, what’s the point in going?”