Mondays With Matthews: Lima City Golf Preview
By AARON MATTHEWS
Error, group does not exist! Check your syntax! (ID: 15)The 90th Lima City Golf Men’s Tournament begins this week. For me personally, it’s one of the busiest weeks that I have all year, and truth be told, I love it and wouldn’t have it any other way.
Let’s start with numbers. There are 120 players this year, which is up from last season. 35 players each in the Championship and Open Flights. There’s also 50 players in the Senior Flights this year.
All seven winners are back this year. B.J. McPheron won the first flight last year, this year he will try for a Championship Flight title. It’s kind of an unwritten rule that if you win the first flight then you bump up to the championship flight the following year.
In the championship flight, the most intriguing group of the opening round is the pairing of two former champions in the group with Phil Trueblood and Josh Hollar. Joining those two are Spencer Stubbs and Gary Karch. Hollar won the 2015 title, while Trueblood is looking to become a three-time winner and take his first title since 2014.
There’s a good bit of youth in the tournament in 2017. Ian Friesner who plays at UNOH, Spencer Stubbs at Lourdes, and Chance Campbell at Heidelberg are all playing again this year. They’re being joined by James Riepenhoff, who plays at the University of Findlay and James Harrod in the Championship Flight. Ethan O’Connor is playing in the Open flight this year. O’Connor is more known for his basketball and football career in high school at Lima Central Catholic.
There’s also a new course in the rotation for 2017 as The Oaks will host the first set of match play, with the open flights on Thursday. Colonial is hosting the first round of Senior play Wednesday, while Hidden Creek is hosting the Open Flight Wednesday, and then the Championship Flight Thursday. All flights will move to Shawnee Country Club Friday through Sunday.
Everyone is hoping the weather holds off, too. The last few years have seen mother nature wanting a turn at the tee box. Let’s hope she skips out on this year’s tournament.
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