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Post by PLAYTOURGOLF BOSS on Oct 29, 2021 13:36:25 GMT -5
Event 41 - 1970 Heritage Classic at Kiawah Island - Round 2
Overnight rain made the greens a lot slower, but the course longer, and those strong winds were still with us. Ian McKinley had a hand injury which didn't help him at all, but he soldiered through the round to finish with an 81. Mark Lipping also found the conditions hard to handle and a 79 was the result. Hans Kunok performed well and actually improved on his opening effort by shooting a respectable 73. Bob Fletcher was the surprise package as he surged through the course in 69 strokes, launching him into 8th spot and now just six shots behind the leader...
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Post by PLAYTOURGOLF BOSS on Oct 30, 2021 19:28:54 GMT -5
Event 41 - 1970 Heritage Classic at Kiawah Island - Round 3
Today's weather was the worst of the week. Very strong winds coupled with very fast, firm greens provided a test of endurance more than anything else. Mark Lipping (88) and Ian McKinley (86) both had rounds to give them sleepless nights, while the returning Charlie Roberts notched up his third successive 76 and Hans Kunok fought valiantly for a 75 - but all four now occupy the bottom four positions on the leaderboard so now just have personal pride to play for in the final round. Roger Instell carded a very good 69 but will be regretting his opening 81, while Bob Fletcher's fighting 74 sees him only five strokes behind the leaders, even though he is tied 20th, so he is the only guest with any chance of pulling off a win here...
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Post by PLAYTOURGOLF BOSS on Nov 1, 2021 7:26:24 GMT -5
Event 41 - 1970 Heritage Classic at Kiawah Island - Round 4
Finally the wind dropped a little which, theoretically, gave the players a fighting chance to record their best rounds of the week. That was the case for Charlie Roberts (75), Ian McKinley (75, matching his opening round score), and Randy Grant(77), while Mark Lipping could only put together an 81. All four still occupied the last four berths at the foot of the leaderboard to conclude a forgetable week. Hans Kunok hit a solid 70, his best of the tourney, but that was only good enough to lift him into a share of 51st place. Bob Fletcher began the day hoping for an unlikely win, but that hope was quickly dashed and he could only card a 71, although it still helped him finish in a commendable tie for 9th spot. The winner was tour pro Bob Goalby, who ended the week as the only player to break par!! That's how difficult Kiawah played for this event!
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Post by PLAYTOURGOLF BOSS on Nov 1, 2021 7:39:14 GMT -5
Randy Grant remains the favourite to win the Autumn Cup - but mathematically he can still be caught by Mark Lipping, who has already been confirmed as the top money-winner for the whole 1970 season. However, Mark will have to win the remaining two events, while hoping that Randy finishes way down the leaderboard in both tourneys!
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Post by PLAYTOURGOLF BOSS on Nov 4, 2021 6:35:10 GMT -5
Event 42 - 1970 Coral Springs Open Invitational at Copperhead, Innisbrook Resort - Round 1
And so we begin the penultimate tourney of the 1970 season! With Copperhead, what you see is what you get - a well-laid out course with very few frills, and a straightforward, fair challenge. However, you still have to plan your shots to score well and, in the main, the three guests who have played so far did just that. With relatively good conditions, albeit a little windy, Ian McKinley (68) and Hans Kunok (67) both began the week as they had hoped, near the top of the leaderboard. At the end of the day though, it would be Bob Fletcher who would be the happiest after a fine 66 saw him leading the field - but there's still plenty of time for things to go awry...
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Post by PLAYTOURGOLF BOSS on Nov 5, 2021 5:51:02 GMT -5
Event 42 - 1970 Coral Springs Open Invitational at Copperhead, Innisbrook Resort - Round 2
Today was a good opportunity to post a good score. A very manageable breeze and perfect greens made attacking the pins an exciting prospect. The only obstacle to grabbing birdies were the pins themselves, being set in positions that were a little problematic. Hans Kunok failed to take advantage and his 73 saw him tumble down the leaderboard. Ian McKinley was disappointed with his 70 which meant that he also lost ground on the leaders. Overnight leader Bob Fletcher, however, produced another solid round to register a very good 65, extending his lead to two strokes. We are going to have an interesting last couple of rounds I think...
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Post by PLAYTOURGOLF BOSS on Nov 7, 2021 10:05:54 GMT -5
Event 42 - 1970 Coral Springs Open Invitational at Copperhead, Innisbrook Resort - Round 3
Today was a question of surviving and staying in touch with the leaders. Conditions were quite brutal, strong winds raking across the course, with ultra-fast greens thrown in for good measure. Ian McKinley made too many errors and his 78 left him rock bottom of the field. Hans Kunok and Randy Grant battled gamely against the swirling wind and managed a pair of 74's, not too bad in the circumstances, but still leaving them both over par for the tourney and well out of contention. Bob Fletcher had led for the first half of the event but his scrambling 74 was not low enough to hold on to the top spot. Sharing that position at day's end were tour pro's Bill Garrett and Lee Trevino after they posted fine 68's. Bob is now two strokes behind the co-leaders and in a share of third position along with seven other pro's, so it's anyone's guess who will emerge victorious when the final round is over...
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Post by PLAYTOURGOLF BOSS on Nov 8, 2021 6:32:23 GMT -5
Event 42 - 1970 Coral Springs Open Invitational at Copperhead, Innisbrook Resort - Round 4
Rain and wind greeted the players as they arrived for the climax to this event. The course will play longer and the greens will be slower and a little more receptive, so a good score was not out of the question. Newcomer Rich Urban has a steep learning curve in front of him but the early signs are that he will be up to the job. Round 3 was the killer round for him, as it was for mostly everyone, and as soon as he completed his round of 77 he was seen heading straight for the practice ground.
Ian McKinley signed off with a 73 to complete one of his worst preformances of the season, while Hans Kunok's level par 71 left him over par for the tourney. Randy Grant finished in style with a sparkling 66, his best round of the week, which lifted him up to a tie for 25th, while a shot ahead was Charlie Roberts in a share of 17th after a solid enough 68. The season's leading money-winner, Mark Lipping, notched up another top 10 when his closing 67 elevated him into a tie for 7th spot. Bob Fletcher started the day with a very real chance of grabbing his second win of the year, but his game just wasn't there and he could only register a 69, which was still enough to claim a respectable share of 3rd place. The winner was tour pro Bill Garrett who fought off Bob Murphy's late charge to prevail by one shot.
So we now head off to the Bahamas for the final tournament of the season and cocktails on the beach under the coconut palms in the gentle, warm breeze - lovely...
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Post by PLAYTOURGOLF BOSS on Nov 8, 2021 15:43:13 GMT -5
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Post by PLAYTOURGOLF BOSS on Nov 11, 2021 6:06:25 GMT -5
Event 43 - 1970 Bahama Islands Open at Punta Espada - Round 1
Well, we finally made it to the final event of the 1970 season!! And I want to say a big thank you to everyone who has taken part to make this such a fun experience for Ian and myself, and hopefully for most of the 'guest' players. Ok, now you've all dried your eyes I'll continue with the report! As far as I recall we haven't had one tour round without any kind of wind - until today. It ceertainly took Bob Fletcher by surprise and he had an absolute shocker of a round, posting an embarrassing 83. Even new boy, Rich Urban, outplayed Bob to card an 82. Roger Instell, winner of more than one tournament this season, also struggled as he returned to the scorer's tent with a 76 under his belt. Ian McKinley had to settle for a level par 72, while top money-winner Mark Lipping rediscovered something of his mid-season form to shoot a 68. But this opening round had one more surprise in store - Randy Grant put on his best performance of the year on his way to a sublime 62, and he leads the field by 4 strokes! Can he maintain his red-hot form though? That is the question...
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Post by PLAYTOURGOLF BOSS on Nov 12, 2021 6:20:36 GMT -5
Event 43 - 1970 Bahama Islands Open at Punta Espada - Round 2
At last we had some semblance of a breeze today, but that was counter-balanced by a less difficult set of pin positions and slightly less quick greens. Rich Urban played well for his 73 and seems to be improving with each round he plays. Bob Fletcher put his opening round behind him to shoot a decent 68, while Roger Instell was left still trying to find his A-game after his lacklustre 73. Ian McKinley moved into the top 10 courtesy of a solid 68, but is still 10 shots off the pace. Hans Kunok improved on his opening 67 with a fine 66, sliding him threateningly into 3rd spot and ready for a weekend charge. Overnight leader Randy Grant failed to recapture the same stunning form that he displayed yesterday and his subsequent 70 saw him ousted from the top spot. That position is now held by Mark Lipping who matched Randy's first round 62 to burst into the lead by 2 strokes. So at halfway it's looking like a three-horse race - who's your money on...?!
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Post by PLAYTOURGOLF BOSS on Nov 14, 2021 11:07:38 GMT -5
Event 43 - 1970 Bahama Islands Open at Punta Espada - Round 3
The wind got stronger today but it didn't prove to be too problematic and good scoring was still possible. Rich Urban's learning process continued as he battled his way around in 76 strokes. Bob Fletcher's best effort of the event so far, a 67, made him upwardly mobile on the leaderboard, but still with a lot to do to gain a respectable finishing position. It now seems clear that the guests will end the season with a win as they occupy the top 4 places on the leaderboard with one round left. Hans Kunok's 69 was his worst score of the week and leaves him 9 shots off the lead. Ian McKinley produced the round of the tournament when he hit top form to record a sizzling 61, putting him one stroke ahead of Hans. Randy Grant shot a 67 when perhaps something lower was required, rendering his winning chances somewhat slimmer. Overnight leader Mark Lipping extended his advantage over Randy from 2 to 6 shots when he carded an impressive 63, and it will take something remarkable to deny him another victory...
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Post by PLAYTOURGOLF BOSS on Nov 15, 2021 6:36:34 GMT -5
Event 43 - 1970 Bahama Islands Open at Punta Espada - Round 4
For the final round of the season we faced very strong winds blowing in from the Atlantic Ocean, and the greens were dry and quick. Rich Urban finished up with a fighting 81 but I'm expecting his scores to drop in the early weeks of the 2000 season as he continues to learn. Bob Fletcher just about achieved his aim of a respectable position by carding a 70 to leave him in mid-leaderboard. The harsh conditions proved to be too much for Randy Grant's game and his disappointing 77 dropped him down into a tie for 7th. Hans Kunok concluded the tourney as he had started it, with a fine 67, and his consistent play was rewarded with 3rd spot. Ian McKinley also fired a 67 to fend off Hans' challenge, and he finished one shot ahead to claim the runner-up position. Mark Lipping has been in sensational form this week, and he kept the pedal to the metal right to the end, recording an amazing 63 today to complete a seriously impressive 12-stroke victory!! There will be more about Mark's exploits in the soon to be released 'A Review of the 1970 PGA Tour Season', a PLAYPGATOUR publication...
And so the 1970 PGA Tour season comes to a close - but there is only a one-week gap before we embark on another golfing adventure in the form of the 2000 PGA Tour season, so get those clubs cleaned off, buy some new balls, and get ready to 'TAME THE TIGER'!!
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Post by PLAYTOURGOLF BOSS on Nov 15, 2021 16:08:08 GMT -5
The 1970 PGA Tour Season Review
The first 10 events of the season constituted the Winter Trophy, to be won by the top money-winner, but it was also a period where I tried to set conditions which would see the original pro scores and the current ‘guest’ scores reach a similar level. It took me until the 4th event to get it right, Jack Nicklaus winning the San Diego Open by 1 shot from guest Terry Baldwin, and the rest of the guests spread out through the final leaderboard. In the tourneys that followed I think I got the conditions right most of the time, which reassured me that this concept could work.
The climax of the Winter Trophy came in the very last tourney, Event 10, the Monsanto Open. Les Souter had all but clinched the trophy, but hadn’t anticipated the efforts of Hans Kunok. Hans pipped Les by 1 shot with a final round 64 to win the Monsanto and, in the process, he also edged out Les to claim the Winter Trophy by the slender margin of $611. Both players had won 2 events and this series of tournaments also saw Mark Lipping make his season’s debut in Event 7, the Texas Open.
The next 10 events made up the Spring Swing, during which we had our first Major, The Masters. Mark Lipping made his intentions clear when he won 3 of the first 5 tourneys. As for The Masters, Bob Fletcher’s green jacket had already been taken out of the wardrobe, but fate had other plans. Needing only a bogey or better on the 72nd hole to register a famous win, Bob 4-putted to finish tied 3rd with Gary Player, and he continues to have therapy to this day. The guests fared well during this series of events, winning 6 of the 10, including Ian McKinley winning his first trophy in the Houston Champions International, but Mark Lipping’s 3 early successes meant he won the Spring Swing trophy easily.
Halfway through the season several players had come and gone, probably for several different reasons - the occasional severity of the conditions, the game settings, the lack of a birdie-fest, and possibly others too. Ian and I tried our best to make sure everyone could be competitive by tweaking our own handicap system which, I have to say, has worked extremely well, and for that I am very grateful to Ian for the hours he has put in working on it. Anyway, a hardcore of players stayed with us, and to those players I offer my huge thanks.
The Summer Bowl, the prize for the top earner in events 21 to 30, included the US Open and also the Open Championship. The guests drew a blank in the American Major, but Ian McKinley had a superb win at St Andrews. Ironically, Ian’s tournament winnings were the third lowest of the season, I suspect because of the lack of a sponsor for the event. Bob Fletcher’s win at Quail Hollow, one of his favourite courses, in the Kemper Open, helped place him in pole position to win the Summer Bowl, but the eventual winner was not decided until the final event, the Westchester Classic. As it turned out, the tourney was won by Barney Buss who pocketed $50,000 for doing so. Bob finished in a lowly share of 32nd, but his winnings of just $1,325 meant his total earnings exceeded Barney’s by $657, thereby allowing him to claim the Summer Bowl prize.
The top money-winner for the last 13 tournaments was awarded the Autumn Cup, but there was also the prize for being the top money-winner for the whole 1970 season. Mark Lipping had built up a substantial lead by this time, however, and he remained the hot favourite. But Randy Grant had other ideas, winning 3 of the first 7 events, including the Dow Jones Open Invitational for which he banked a massive $60,000. However, after that Randy’s challenge petered out, although he did have the consolation of securing the Autumn Cup. Mark Lipping won a total of $330,081, but he only added one more win and that was in the season’s last event, the Bahama Islands Open. The 4th Major, the PGA Championship, once again proved elusive for the guests, but over the whole year they grabbed 26 wins out of the 43 tournaments, including the one Major.
All in all, Ian and I are very happy with how the season, and the whole concept, panned out. We hope the current group of players stay with us to enjoy the challenges ahead in the 2000 season! And once again, a big thanks to everyone who played and contributed over the past year!!
[Written by Rip Snorter, Golf Reporter Extraordinaire, in conjunction with Bob Fletcher]
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Post by PLAYTOURGOLF BOSS on Nov 15, 2021 19:44:18 GMT -5
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