Golf gamer ... errrr ...'matcher?'

Kind of a silly angle, but figured it was better than something boring. Hopefully it worked, to some extent.



By JME
SportsJournalists.com

In an offer more rhetorical than serious, Bob Buttgereit promised to buy his son a new cellphone if he managed to win the Virginia AAA Northwestern Region golf championship yesterday. It wasn't much of a risk: Joe Buttgereit had been posting uncharacteristically high rounds lately and, in a drastic move, completely overhauled his swing two days before the tournament.

"I didn't think it would be an issue," the elder Buttgereit said.

Well, calling his son won't be one from now on, either.

Joe Buttgereit easily outclassed the field at sun-soaked Forest Greens Golf Club in Triangle, shooting an even-par 72, earning a championship trophy and a mobile device to be named later. The sophomore from Forest Park employed a closer-in, more heavily arched swing in official play for the first time, shooting 36 on each nine and beating the next-best performer by three strokes.

"I was a little worried [about using the new swing] on the first tee, but I hit the ball pretty well, stuck with it, and did pretty good," Buttgereit said.

The Forest Park team, seeming poised for its first state tournament berth, finished in fourth place after one golfer was disqualified for an illegal drop. Without the disqualification, the Bruins would have tied for second and participated in a playoff.

Forest Park Coach Babette Overman disagreed with the ruling, arguing that the foursome agreed that the golfer should drop a new ball, rather than head back to the tee, and that since they had come to that decision together, he shouldn't have been disqualified.

But after the round, another coach approached the tournament organizer and informed him of the violation. The ruling meant another heartbreaking loss for Forest Park, which missed a state berth -- the top two teams advance to states -- by three strokes a year ago.

"We're dealing with high school golf, not professionals. We don't have a rules professional at every hole," said Overman, who was watching when the drop occurred, but by rule could not say anything.

"The young men [came] to the decision together. When they came to the decision, that's how it stayed."

 

Mr E,

The first rule of dramatic structure:

If there is a cellphone in the first act, he must ring in the third.

You have the cellphone at the top and don't ever come back to it. You should. At least once directly near end. Allude metaphorically to it somewhere in the middle.

YHS, etc

 

Good point. I think I may have gone back to it, but the story was too long. Not positive though. I didn't have a lot of space.

 

i don't think you've got to end with the phone, especially since the story moves away from the kid and on to the team competition. sometimes a story should just end--no need to feel obliged to use a call-back every time. (tho i would have liked to hear the kid say something about the phone.) i'm a little curious as to how the foursomes were comprised. i'm guessing it's two sets of two teammates. if there were kids from a rival school in the group, it makes the argument that they got hosed on the ruling a little more interesting.

on the whole, tho, i think it works.

 

All four from different schools.

 

This has nothing to do with your structure, but could be string for another story on ethics in (high school) sports.. or golf, which on this level of few rules officials, is determined even more by honor.

You wrote:

The coach's reaction to the illegal drop: " since they had come to that decision together, he shouldn't have been disqualified.... "We're dealing with high school golf, not professionals. We don't have a rules professional at every hole," .said Overman, who was watching when the drop occurred, but by rule could not say anything.
"The young men [came] to the decision together. When they came to the decision, that's how it stayed."

So... As long as you all agree to change the rule, then it's OK? That's exactly what parents, teachers and coaches shouldn't be telling teenagers. Did this coach get any grief for her stance?