44 qualify for the 2006 Crystal Springs Golf Shootout; Hamburg's Vick Tandon wins

Hardyston - The 2006 Crystal Springs Leaderboard Golf Shootout is the culminating event for golfers who competed for a place on the Resort’s Leaderboard and to qualify for the Leaderboard Championship. The Resort’s Leaderboard Program listed the 20 golfers who recorded the low net and gross scores on Crystal Springs Golf Resort Courses and the 25 low gross golf scores achieved by golfers playing the Minerals Golf Course. Those golfers who achieved this goal qualified for an invitation to a championship shootout at the Great Gorge Country Club to determine the 2006 Crystal Springs Golf Resort Leaderboard Shootout champion. The Leaderboard Shootout Championship, sponsored by the Crystal Springs Golf Resort and hosted by Joe Galan, the Great Gorge Country Club Course General Manager, divided the pool of golfers into four divisions, two divisions based on net golf scores and two divisions based on gross golf scores. The four divisions competed following a modified shootout format playing on the Quarry and Railside Great Gorge Country Club courses. The top performers in each division then met for an additional nine holes of golf on the Lakeside course to determine the 2006 Crystal Springs Leaderboard Champion. To qualify for the shootout tournament golfers playing the Crystal Springs Golf Resort Courses during the 2006 golf season submitted their best score cards to the course pro shop. Those golfers with the lowest net and gross scores were listed on the Resort’s Leaderboard which was posted on the Resorts web site http://www.crystalgolfresort.com/. By season’s end the Leaderboard included the names of the top 20 golfers with the lowest scores in three categories, low gross (score without handicap), low net (score less handicap) and the 25 lowest net scores achieved on the Minerals Golf Course. Prior to the Great Gorge Country Club’s Leaderboard Shootout Championship, the 25 golfers listed on the Minerals Golf Club Leaderboard were invited to a qualifier shootout hosted by the Minerals Golf Course and the Club’s General Manager Helene Reinsma to determine the two golfers who would go on to the Shootout Championship. At the Mineral’s qualifier shootout Leaderboard golfers teed off on the first hole and on each hole the golfer with the highest score was eliminated. The event came down to three golfers, playing the Minerals picturesque par-three 4th hole over the water. Two golfers, Pat McVeigh and his playing partner hit their balls into the water. The third, Buffy Whiting, the only women in the event, hit her ball on the green. Hitting from the fringe of the green, McVeigh chipped in for a score of four while Buffy Whiting pared the hole with a three. This made McVeigh and Whiting the two Mineral’s Leaderboard qualifiers to go on to the finals at the Great Gorge Country Club. McVeigh was eliminated in the four division shootout but Whiting went on to compete in the championship round as the only female in the field. With the air growing colder and darkness approaching, the field of competitors was reduced at each holed. Whiting missed a short put on the Lakeside par 3 hole to be eliminated from the finals taking 7th place in the overall competition. The 2006 Leaderboard Champion was decided on the par 4 9th hole on the Lakeside course. With conditions almost enveloped in total darkness, Sparta resident and 11th ranked gross division golfer, Tom Hennessy found himself facing a four foot put to tie the hole and force a chip off to determine the Champion. The top ranked gross division golfer, Vic Tandon was the other golfer remaining in the competition. Hennessy missed the putt leading to the crowing of Tandon as the 2006 Leaderboard Champion. A dinner and awards ceremony followed the Leaderboard Shootout held in the Great Gorge Country Club Clubhouse. Prizes were awarded to the top 8 finishers in the event. The top finishers were, #8 Bill Matthews, #7 Buffy Whiting, #6 Joe Ianetti, #5 Wayne Waleck, #4 Robert Dacey, #3 Chad Lamoreaux, #2 Tom Hennessay and 2006 Crystal Springs Golf Resort Leaderboard Shootout Champion Vick Tandon. Top finishers were awarded premium drivers, irons, the 2nd place finisher, Tom Hennessay, a weekday Crystal Springs Golf Resort 2007 membership and the Champion, Vick Tandon, won an unlimited 2007 Crystal Springs Golf Resort Membership. The day’s competition was photographed by Dr. John T. Whiting, the photographer for Golf Event Photos, and a photo presentation was played for the golfers as they ate dinner and as prizes were awarded. Golf participants had the option to obtain photographs of themselves and their fellow competitors a CD of all of the photographs taken of the event. To view the photographs of the 2006 Crystal Springs Golf Resort Leaderboard Shootout you can visit the Golf Event Photos web site at www.golfeventphotos.com.