Stoneage Ramblings

By John R. Stone

Every now and then something happens that gives a person hope for mankind.

 On a recent Sunday I was watching the finals of the Tour Championship, the final event of the PGA golf season held in Atlanta with an $18 million top prize and in which the top five players would win at least $1 million.

Golfer Scottie Scheffler started the day with a six-stroke lead but didn’t seem to have his best stuff on that Sunday. Golfer Rory McIlroy was six strokes behind Scheffler and in the same twosome.

It was a battle down to the final hole, which Scheffler needed to birdie to tie McIlroy and send the match into extra holes. He didn’t and McIlroy won the event.

Scheffler congratulated McIlroy and McIlroy patted Scheffler on the back and then headed to the scoring tent to turn in his scorecard.

On his way he stopped and hugged a man and later the woman with him. I didn’t know who they were right away and neither did the commentators.

It turned out it was Scheffler’s parents.

McIlroy said he was sorry to Scheffler’s father for spoiling what had been Scheffler’s best season on the tour. Scheffler’s father said there was no need to apologize.

He congratulated McIlroy and so did Scheffler’s mother, who also said there was no need to apologize.

I didn’t understand what happened until later when the press figured it out.

What a grand gesture after a sporting event and what a classy thing for McIlroy to do. It was one of those things that gives a person hope!

While Scheffler didn’t win he tied for second place. Second place and third place money was then split between Scheffler and Sungjae Im. Each still got $5.75 million.

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Speaking of golf I spent a few hours Tuesday watching the Minnesota PGA event held at Minnewaska Golf Club Monday and Tuesday.

It was fun to see what good golfers can do on our local course and it was also interesting to see that they had some of the same troubles we have on occasion.

Jonathan Reigstad of Keller Golf Course in Maplewood was the winner while Scott McDonald playing from Minnewaska Golf Course took second. Reigstad won $6,000 while McDonald won $4,000.

Over 100 golfers started the event.

The 9th and 18th hole greens are side by side so one can watch both almost at the same time. Nine is a par three while 18 is a par five.

It was interesting to watch a pro take a nine on nine. He put two tee shots in the ravine in front of the hole and his third shot landed in the rough near the green. He chipped onto the green and two putted for a nine. That one hole alone would ruin a round of golf. 

On 18 it was interesting to see golfers reach the green in two. And some didn’t, landing in the ravine in front of that hole. But there were some really great shots to that green.

Several entrants had local ties. McDonald once was the top pro at Minnewaska and Barrett Boe also held that job before moving on. He is now at Bluff Creek. Bob Miller of the Minnewaska staff also played.

Merle Wagner introduced me to Grant Williams who came to this event from Arizona where he knows Merle’s daughter and son-in-law. He came because his grandfather is the late Art Troness, an optometrist and Minnewaska Golf Club member.

The course got good reviews from the pros and Minnesota PGA staff. This was a regional qualifying event, the top eight can move on to a national event in New Mexico.