All eyes should be on the Summit Invitational

Aug 4, 2023

By Ken Love

For the Mirror

The Summit Invitational best-ball tournament is being played this weekend, and there will be particular interest to see if the dominant local duo of Artie Fink Jr. and Anthony DeGol can keep their current winning streak alive.

Last year’s event saw Fink and DeGol capture their sixth consecutive Summit title. The two great friends turned in consecutive scores of 64 and 63 last August en route to notching yet another solid victory.

One of the highlights of this impressive streak includes the pair’s amazing performance in 2020.

After a first-round score of 68 that year, Fink and DeGol found themselves several shots back of the leaders.

That quickly changed on Sunday as birdie after birdie began piling up. When their round ended, Fink and DeGol had scored an amazing 14-under-par 58 on the final day to cap a remarkable comeback win.

This weekend’s play will reveal if Fink and DeGol can win their seventh Summit title in a row.

Rangefinders

Thailand’s Natthakritta Vongtaveelap was inopportunely disqualified at the recent U.S. Womenís Open when her caddie used a rangefinder during the tournament’s opening round of play.

Currently, the Rules of Golf allow for individual events to determine whether or not these yardage devices can be used, and the results have caused unfortunate confusion in more than this case alone.

Rangefinders are currently banned during regular PGA Tour events but are curiously allowed at the PGA Championship.

They are allowed on the Women’s Asian Tour but not the U.S. Women’s Open. The list of inconsistencies goes on and on.

I’m typically old school when it comes to any golf rule, but using rangefinders, at any level, seems like a no brainer to me.

Every local club tournament I’ve played in over the past 20 years has allowed them without any issue.

Some critics say that using the devices at the professional level might slow down play, but I can’t see how that argument holds any water.

I really think it’s time to eliminate all the confusion and allow rangefinders at all levels, at any time.

Albatross

Brandon Traficante of Altoona made a double eagle albatross on the par-5 No. 4 at Park Hills, holing a 4-hybrid from 215 yards.

His playing partners were Andy Miller, Randy Green and Alex Elliott.

The albatross is considered more rare than a hole-in-one.

Congratulations to Brandon.

Barneywood rewind

Last week I mentioned playing the wonderful Barneywood course (operated by the Barnhart family, available to NPC employees and by invitation) and the course’s beautiful little par 3, through the woods and over a small pond.

Mistakenly, I referred to this hole as No. 7, but it’s actually Barneywood’s fifth hole. Any hole this good deserves to be referred to correctly.

85 years ago

During the first week in August of 1938, golfing legend Byron Nelson played an exhibition match at Blairmont Country Club in Hollidaysburg.

A crowd of several hundred spectators watched as Nelson played the nine-hole course twice around, to an 18-hole total of 70, even par.

After the round, “Gentle Ben” gave an exhibition of iron shots, sand shots and putts to the large, enthusiastic crowd.

Ken Love covers local golf for the Mirror. He can be reached at [email protected].

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