Weekly Articles - Steve WenPetren Golf Academy

With the forecast in question only 11 players showed up for Event #7. The morning started without any rain and then midway through the back nine the skies started to drip and then the rain settled in. Players were scrambling for umbrellas and rain gear. Apparently the only one it did not affect was Jim Grow. In his second start of the season Grow who shot 55(+1pts) recorded his third career title. Scott Koval and Elmer Brown shot 60(-5pts) to finish tied for second. Brown’s strong showing boosted him into the “Elite Eight” of the Player of the Year Standings. Doug Schull also moved into the “Elite Eight” with a birdie/skin on hole 18. The only other skin of the day was made by Don Christenson on hole 6. The skins paid $55.00 each.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION: This week’s event is being contested on MONDAY MAY 31st @ 7:30AM.The hole-in-one jackpot is currently at $100.00. There are still a couple of spots left in the Match Play Event. This is a pilot event this year which we hope to turn into the second “Major” next year. It is only $10.00 and will be fun to test your game against the Tour’s top players. If you would like to participate send me an e-mail. Matches can be played during regular tour events.

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Event #6 May 8, 2010

ALBANESE LAPS FIELD By Scoop Johnson

by Scoop Johnson

Due to the Tiger Woods withdraw from the Players Championship, MRI reports and Hank Haney resigning from Team Tiger, I have not been able to finish my article on the Pro Skins Tour.

Well, here it is. A small but strong filed showed up to compete Saturday morning. And without the presence of Todd Murphy, Ken Albanese was obviously able to concentrate because he shot 51(+8) and tied the all-time Pro Skins Tour stableford record held by Steve Lamkin. He made five birdies on his way to a 9 point victory. Albanese also had two of those birdies hold up for skins to take a nice lead in the Player of the Year standings. The next closest competitor was Doug Schull who shot 57(-1) to have his best finish on the Tour, and also had his birdie on hole 12 hold up for a skin. Gary Dorman moved up the leader board with a two skin performance and Dave Bryant made the only par on Hole 7 to earn a skin.

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Event #5 May 2, 2010

HIGH WINDS, LOW BIRDIES By Scoop Johnson

Only 11 birdies were made Sunday morning and none were made by Co-Champion Steve WenPetren, or Ken Albanese. Both players had 15 pars and 3 bogies in route to 57(-3). This gave WenPetren his first win of the year and Albanese recorded his second. A very nice two birdie round for Tour rookie Elmer Brown, he shot 60(-4) to finish in 3rd place for his first in the money finish. This strong finished moved Brown into 7th place in the POY Standings.

Don Christenson finally broke through a 21 birdie streak without a skin by making birdie on hole #10. His last recorded skin was Week 15 of 2008. “It feels good to finally get paid” said Christenson. Christenson will try qualifying for the Tour Championship with skins alone. He has not entered a Stableford event since the heart breaking loss to Steve WenPetren in 2009 when he shot 53(+5); WenPetren had a 6 birdie performance that day to win by 1 point. Keith Schull added to his point total with his 3rd skin of the year and holds down 3rd place in POY Standings. Steven Ashburner and Todd Murphy both recorded their first skins of 2010.

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Event #4 April 25, 2010

YOU HAVEN'T HEARD? By Scoop Johnson

The bird is the word for Scott Davis. Davis made six birdies on his way to his second title of the year and four skins. This performance launched him to the top of the Player of the Year standings. He shot a great round of 52(+7) which was just shy of the all-time record of +8 held by Steve Lamkin. In the big shadow of Davis’s round was a fine performance by Scott Koval. Koval made three birdies on his way to an even par round (+3), a second place finish and one skin. The rest of the field should be embarrassed; the other 16 players could only muster four birdies amongst them. Which only two held up for a skin, Hole #3 by Todd LeDuc and Hole #12 by Elmer Brown both Tour rookies who are making their names known early in the season. Steve WenPetren 60(-7) and Keith Schull 61(-7) tied for third to round out the field. NEXT EVENT: Sunday, May 2, 2010 7:30 AM. NOTE TIME!

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Event #3 April 18, 2010

COLD WEATHER, COLD CASH By Scoop Johnson

Cold weather and blustery winds faced the large field on Sunday and Ken Albanese collected the cold cash. To be exact his round of 60(-5) second place finish paid him $30.00, but what really paid off were his two birdies. Albanese birdied hole # 6 and hole #11 both of which held up for skins and were worth $90.00 each. Albanese big day grossed him $210.00 and the single week earnings record of the five years of the Tour. Not overlooked was the excellent round Scott Davis shot to win the event, his 57(-3) earn him his first win of the 2010 season. Steve WenPetren shot 60(-6) and Gary Dorman shot 61(-6) to tie for third and rounding out the top five was Scott Koval who shot 61(-7).

For the second consecutive week the Tour has had record participation. 27 players showed up to claim their rightful piece of the $380.00 paid out. But with only 3 skins this week and Albanese getting two of them, that left only one piece of pie for the rest of the field and Larry Eppard was the only other player to get a piece of that pie and have a big payday, his lone birdie came on hole #18 and paid him $90.00.

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Event #2 April 11, 2010

HISTORY MADE By Scoop Johnson

The largest field in the history of the Pro Skins Tour (25 players) showed up for the beautiful weather and a chance at claiming a victory in Event #2. Ken Albanese posted four birdies on the back nine to shoot 55(+3) and record his first win of the 2010 season. The 2009 Tour Champion rode his hot putter to victory over Ralph Brasington and 2008 Tour Champion Steve WenPetren. Albanese also had one of those birdies convert to a skin to place him second in the Player of the Year Standings. Brasington shot 57(0pts) to finish comfortably in second place and also had his birdie on the 18th hole hold up for a skin. WenPetren made two birdies on his way to a third place finish. Unfortunately neither birdie held for a skin. Keith Schull and Jong lee both shot 60(-4pts) to finish fourth. Lee’s birdie on the 3rd hole gave him his first skin of the year. But the story of the day was the resurgence of Keith Schull’s game. The former Club Champion has been struggling on the Tour for the past two seasons. His two birdies along with his solid Stableford performance placed him atop of the POY leader board. Schull’s said following the round “I guess practicing does work”. Todd LeDuc, Stan Matelski, and Tim Murphy each recorded one skin to vault all of them into the top 10 of POY running.

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Event #1 March 28, 2010

KOVAL STRIKES AGAIN By Scoop Johnson

by Scoop Johnson

Welcome back players the season is underway. We also welcome back our Tour sponsor the Steve WenPetren Golf Academy, they will be posting that $500.00 cash bonus to the Tour Champion once again. Most of the regular tour players took this week off due to the weather forecast. So, Scott Koval coming off the 2009 season with a Tour leading 7 wins took advantage of the small field and picked up right where he left off. Koval shot a 57(0pts) with four birdies and lapped most of the field to capture the first title of the year. His birdie on the ninth hole held up for one of the tournaments two skins. Koval commented after the round You can't win all of the tournaments unless you win the first one. Scott Davis shot a solid 59(-4pts) to snag a second place finish. He tallied two birdies during his round, but neither one converted to a skin. Doug Schull made his return to the Tour after a two year hiatus to retool his swing. Schull finished third place with respectable 62(-8pts). And finally, Tour Rookie Elmer Brown birdied hole #7 to record the only other skin of the day, which placed him in second place for Player of the Year honors.

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2009 Past Articles

2009 CHAMPIONSHIP WEEK
ALBANESE WINS CHAMPIONSHIP
By Scoop Johnson

2009 Season comes to end with top seed Ken Albanese surviving the field of eight to win the 2009 Steve WenPetren Golf Academy Cup and Pro Skins Tour Player of the Year honors. The first nine holes found all the players pretty tight and the scoring was not at a premium. Jim Grow led at -3 points, Ken Albanese was in second at -5 points, Scott Koval limped in after starting with two early birdies with -6 points and Tom Taylor got in through the backdoor with -6 points after 2008 Tour Champion Steve WenPetren three putted from fifteen feet.

Scott Koval the Tour leader in wins in the 2009 season could not pull it together on the back nine and found himself in fourth place and eliminated. Tom Taylor was also eliminated but collected $100.00 check for finishing in 3rd Place.

Ken Albanese and Tour Rookie Grow advanced to the final nine holes. The match took a huge turn on hole #5 when an errant shot by Albanese stayed in bounds. He took an unplayable lie and proceeded to get up and down for a bogey. While Jim Grow three putted for a double bogey. This extended Albanese’s lead to three points. And although, Jim Grow bounced back with a birdie on hole #6. Albanese had enough of a cushion to hang on the final three holes and claim the $500.00 first place prize. Jim Grow second place finish earned him $200.00 and Rookie of the Year honors.

We should all thank the Steve WenPetren Golf Academy for the 2009 Sponsorship. Mr. WenPetren wants to thank all the players that participated this year on the Tour. I hope the format was fun, exciting and improved your game. The reason the Tour was started was to give players a competitive setting week-in and week-out. The 2009 season has been the most competitive year and after talking with several players, they are already looking forward to next year.

There is talk about a Winter Series. Please e-mail if you are interested in a Pro Skins Tour Winter Series.

Week #20
FIN
by Scoop Johnson

The final day of the Pro Skins Tour did not disappoint. Nineteen players signed up to play Sunday. Some had hopes of making the Tour Championship; others had expectations of moving into a higher seed for the Championship and a few just wanted to make a few quick bucks. Six players still had hopes and dreams of moving into the elite eight. They needed a good showing in the Stableford Event and/or a Skin to make that move. Although there were some great efforts no one was able to crack the top eight. The course only relinquished two skins on the day. Steven Ashburner recorded a skin on hole #5, but he fell 1.7 points short of qualifying for the Tour Championship. A double bogey on hole #7 and three straight bogeys on the green mile ended any hope for Ashburner’s season to continue, but he walked away with a nice payday. Steve WenPetren laid claim on the other skin with a birdie on hole #16 and then followed it up with a birdie on #17 to take a one point lead over Gary Dorman who was in the club house hoping to record his first win of the season. WenPetren made par on the final hole to earn his fifth victory in ’09 and move into third place in the Player of the Year standings. Gary Dorman shot 56(0pts) to finish second and showed he will be a force to be reckoned with his second appearance in the Tour Championship. Ken Albanese shot 57(-2 pts) to finish third and reclaim the number one spot in the Tour’s point standings. Stan Matelski’s solid fourth place finish left him only 4 points out of the Championship. He said “I got my first Tour win this year; I am already looking forward to next year and making the Tour Championship”.

As I Scoop Johnson, covered the Tour this year I have seen some very competitive golf played week in and week out. Here are some of the most interesting moments on the Tour in 2009...

5. Players earned over $5000.00 this year on the Tour.
4. Steve WenPetren recording six birdies in one round, and did not win a skin.
3. Don Christenson did not win a skin all year. Better luck next year.
2. There were 330 rounds played on the Tour in 2009. Participation was awesome!
1. Scott Koval won seven times.

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