KOALAS AND KANGAROOS won’t take center stage this weekend in favor of what may be a rejuvenated Tiger as the biennial Presidents Cup competition visits Australia starting today.
And for once I don’t have to feel bad for telling North Olympic Peninsula golfers to go watch golf rather than to go out and play it: all the televised live rounds will begin after or just before darkness settles here on the West Coast.
So take advantage readers: there are ample golfing opportunities available on the North Olympic Peninsula this week before the live coverage begins.
I will return to the Presidents Cup later in the column but first, the Peninsula golf news.
Hilltop Open
The annual Hilltop Open, the last“Major” of the year at Port Townsend Golf Club, was a huge success with a full field of players and great scores, according to Port Townsend assistant pro Gabriel Tonan.
The event was Nov. 5 and golfers actually lucked out weather-wise with no frost delay or rain but just enough of a breeze to make things more interesting and challenging.
Following play of the tournament, the players gathered at the Hilltop Tavern for some of Judy’s “World Famous Lasagna” and drinks while the results of the tournament were announced.
Winners of the gross division were Tonan and Chris Holloway with a 59; Scott Maxwell and Ken Radon were first in the net division with a 49.5 and Patsy Caldwell and Judy Lundgren shot a 56 in the net mixed division.
All you can play, $10
Port Townsend Golf Club is also letting players enjoy $10 Tuesdays with golfers paying $10 for the ability to play as much golf as they can manage.
Turkey Shoot Scramble
Port Townsend Golf Club will host its annual Turkey Shoot Scramble this Saturday.
The event offers participants the chance to bring home a turkey for Thanksgiving dinner.
Phone the course at 360-385-4547 for details on the turkey shoot event.
Turkey at Disco Bay
If you are left out in the cold at Saturday’s PTGC Turkey Shoot Scramble, Discovery Bay Golf Course has a chance for you on Sunday with their annual Turkey Shoot.
The event has a $10 buy-in with the top 50 percent of the field winning. Players must have a handicap.
Food drive slated
Sunday also marks Discovery Bay’s annual food drive.
Players and the public can drop off nonperishable food items at the clubhouse and with each item donated you will receive a shot at one of several raffle items such as range punch cards and rounds of golf.
Skins games continue
Winter golfers can continue to come out for Saturday and Sunday skins games at Discovery Bay.
All are welcome to play, so long as you have a handicap.
Holiday gathering
The Discovery Bay Men’s and Ladies’ clubs will co-host their annual holiday gathering on Friday, Dec. 2.
All golfers, their children, significant others and friends are welcome to this convivial event.
For more information, phone Discovery Bay at 360-385-0704.
Two for Tuesday
Two-for-one Tuesday continues through the winter and into spring.
Two players can play for$22. In addition, on Saturday and Sunday two players can play 18 with a cart for $48.
Work off that meal
SkyRidge Golf Course will hold a Post-Turkey Day Scramble and Best Ball Tournament on Friday, Nov. 25.
Players will tee off from the green tees in the scramble portion on the front nine before switching to the silver tees for nine holes of best ball play.
Tourney tee-off is set for 8:30 a.m. (barring frost.)
Cost is $60 per team and there is a $20 team honey pot.
An optional horse race scramble will be held after the tourney for $5.
Presidents Cup
The American team for the match play event is Tiger Woods, Bill Haas, Jim Furyk, Hunter Mahan, David Toms, Bubba Watson, Phil Mickelson, Nick Watney, Webb Simpson, Dustin Johnson, Steve Stricker and Matt Kuchar with Seattle’s Fred Couples serving as team captain.
The International team, comprised of everyone but European golfers, is made up of Jason Day, Adam Scott, Robert Allenby, Aaron Baddeley, Ryo Ishikawa, Y.E. Yang, Ernie Els, Geoff Ogilvy, Retief Goosen, Kim Kyung-tae, K.J. Choi and Charl Schwartzel.
Today consists of six matches of foursomes with six four-ball matches set Thursday, five matches of foursomes on Friday and 12 singles matches on Saturday.
Golf Channel will have both live and tape-delayed coverage of the event, starting live at 6 p.m. tonight.
Other live coverage times on the Golf Channel include 4:30 p.m. Thursday; noon Friday and 3:30 p.m. Saturday.
NBC will show tape-delayed coverage from 5 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday.
After having long-time caddie Steve Williams leave Tiger Woods for Aussie Adam Scott, I wouldn’t be surprised to see them matched up during the event, probably during the singles portion on Saturday.
Woods played well at last week’s Australia Open, finishing in third place.
I caught a little of the final round of that contest between college football games on Saturday night.
As Elton John said, Saturday night is alright for fighting but its also pretty solid for watching golf.
Based on the makeup of the teams and the Australian location, I have to give the edge to the International squad.
Their team is made up of better players, who for the most part have had a better season.
But you can’t just show up and expect a victory.
Ask the Arizona State University football team about that, losers of a 37-27 Connor Halliday-led triumph by Washington State.
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Golf columnist Michael Carman can be reached at 360-417-3527 or at pdngolf@gmail.com.