Continuing a 15-year tradition, the BMC’s annual 2021 Ed White Shoot-Out was held on Sunday,
September 26. As always, this event featured our most active members, based on the number of Ed
White points they accumulated over the course of the season. Points are awarded for participation in
BMC leagues and events and various volunteer activities.
This year’s Shoot-Out was coordinated by Steve Tanner, with Mark Schmidt serving as event marshal.
Greg Wright and Tim Nord had both qualified, but Greg had to withdraw because of injury and Tim was out of town, so their slots were filled by Rick Windham and Denny Russell..
This competition features a unique format: all ten players start out together on the first hole, and, based
on net scores, one player is eliminated on each hole until only two players are left to play the ninth. On
any hole, if there is a tie for high net score, an immediate play-off is held among the affected golfers.
The marshal identifies a common starting point and then officiates a putting or chipping competition,
with the player finishing farthest from the hole bowing out.
Weather for the event was ideal, especially for late September. Under sunny skies, the temperature
hovered around 80 degrees at the start, drifting lower as the evening progressed. A light breeze wafted
over the links from the southwest.
As always in this event, the first tee offers a rare sight, featuring the spectacle of a ten-some—and
leaving golfers approaching the ninth green understandably scratching their heads. This year, Mark
Schmidt, as event marshal, got things off to a great start with his enthusiasm and respect for this
popular BMC tradition. Before each player’s opening tee shot, Mark delivered a spirited introduction for
that golfer, detailing his contributions to the Club over the past year as well as years gone by.
You don’t often see ten players marching (or riding) down the first fairway. And this year, as play
proceeded in methodical (but by no means breakneck!) fashion, it surprised no one that pace of play
would prove a challenge– notwithstanding prodding from the marshal. With a 4:00 tee time and a 7:06
sunset, could nine holes be completed before dark?
To add to that challenge, seven of the competitors finished the first hole with net bogeys and proceeded
to compete in the most populated play-off in Shoot-Out memory. By the time play on the first hole was
completed, some of our faster players could probably have finished the front nine.
Play plodded on as the sun continued its inexorable descent. The players hit some impressive shots and,
in some cases, managed some Houdini-like escapes. If you get a chance, ask our eventual winner how
he survived the fourth hole! But throughout, with unbridled energy, Mark continued to heard the stray
cats, continually announcing the order of play, offering non-stop encouragement, helping look for lost
balls, keeping score and officiating rules disputes. Unsurprisingly, but, to the undisguised
disappointment of some, balls were in fact required to be played from where they lay (even from bad
lies).
On the eighth green, as the sun was setting, the three remaining golfers putted out. Needing only
bogeys to move on, the last two left standing were Steve Tanner and Marty Weber. But on the ninth
tee, in near darkness, neither player could see his tee shot descend, so both players were left guessing
where to find their drives. Fortunately, with the aid of flashlights, both tee shots were located,
approach shots were struck into the tenebrous gloaming, and eventually, in almost complete darkness,
both players were able to hole out. To his credit, Marty completed the ninth with a textbook par, and so
won the hole, the match, and bragging rights for the ensuing 12 months. Congrats, Marty—our 2021 Ed
White Shoot-Out Champion!
Marty Weber, our 2021 Champion, with Steve Tanner, 2021 Runner-Up
Special thanks go out to Steve Tanner as event coordinator and to volunteers Bob and Joanne Teese and
Judy Tanner, who served as forecaddies and gallery– but most especially to Mark Schmidt, without
whose ebullience and attention to detail the event would just not have been the same.
BMC Members: Start planning ahead to garner those Ed White points in 2022– and you too could be
part of this fun tradition!