If anyone had the chance to watch this great event on television, you were surely impressed with the beautiful surroundings as the 30 top players from the Champions tour played their first individual round of golf.
At the end of the day, defending champion Jay Don Blake shot a 6 under par 64 to grab the lead. The two players with enough points going in to secure the Schwab Cup are Bernhard Langer and Tom Lehman, with Roger Chapman having a long shot at the cup. Langer is 211 points ahead of Tom Lehman and 657 points in front of Chapman.
The highlight of the Pro-Am event played yesterday was the appearance of eleven former champions heading up teams. These eleven players have an impressive 147 PGA TOUR titles to their credit.
Desert Mountain has outdone itself in insuring the Cochise golf course is in pristine condition. As I watched the coverage on television, I found it hard to believe that a course set in the Sonoran Desert can look so lush and green. It’s also been interesting to watch some of the aerial views of a course I’ve personally played over the last 16 years as a member at Desert Mountain. I don’t even recognize some of the tee boxes the professionals play from ….. they are way back from my red tees!
Golf matches are not always considered a social event, but in this case, Desert Mountain has gone all out to insure that everyone attending the tournament has an outstanding and enjoyable experience. Numerous hospitality tents have sprung up surrounding holes 16, 17 and 18 – and the Cochise Clubhouse has been turned into a gathering place with refreshments and booths.
The Cochise Clubhouse lends itself to events like this with a beautiful stone porte cochere that can turn into a social gathering place with ease. Add the beautiful breezeway that leads down to the bar and dining room, and you can’t help but enjoy all the activities associated with the event.
The beautiful real estate available within the gates of Desert Mountain is being promoted as well as golf related clothing and equipment. One of the more interesting items on display is a new item for practicing your putting called Dream GreenTM. It comes in 5 or 6 sizes that can be easily adjusted to change the break and is so realistic, a number of the PGA professionals are purchasing them for at -home practice. It is great for a golf club or at home, whether you are a professional or a novice. People were standing in line to try it out – very innovative and it was developed by a local Scottsdale company.
The warm and sunny weather has encouraged a lot of people to come out to watch the tournament unfold. We’re expecting another day of temperatures in the mid-80’s and the good weather is scheduled to continue through the weekend.
I’ll be back soon with some photos and more news about the tournament.
