Two teams hit 3 under par in Can-Am Golf scramble

  • Published
  • By John Parker
  • Tinker Public Affairs
TINKER AIR FORCE BASE - Okla. --  One-hundred and 13 golfers battled wind gusts in the high 30s last Friday during the annual Can-Am Golf Tournament, but that didn't stop the event from being a success, the lead organizer said.

"We had a great time," Royal Canadian Air Force Capt. Thys Hoedeman said. "We're thankful to be here as Canadians and to be able to work so closely with all the Americans. It's a lot of fun to put these events on and it builds up camaraderie."

Two teams tied for first place in the four-player scramble tournament, earning 69s on the par 72 Tinker Golf Course. Judges determined the winner by a play card countdown to determine the first hole where one team scored lower than the other.

Taking first place was the team of Sylvain Levigne, Mike Gagnon, Bryce Hardt and Jason Giordano. Second place went to Mickey Malone, Ken Brothers, Doug Matney and Jack Hale.

Those teams beat par despite heavy winds and slightly chilly temperatures that wreaked havoc on tee shots. Hoedeman said the gusts sometimes exaggerated his tendency to slice by 40 to 50 yards off normal.

"We had guys who would normally drive it in around 300 yards, but it would just get up in the air above the trees and stop and fall down," Hoedeman said.

Door prizes included $800 worth of scuba/snorkeling gear and lessons from Frank's Underwater Sports and Travel in Edmond. Other prize donors included GolfTEC, FNB Community Bank and Tinker Federal Credit Union.

No players hit the five opportunities for hole-in-one prizes, including a $5,000 shot. "I'm going to go ahead and guess that the wind didn't help anybody that day," Hoedeman said.

The high wind added to the tournament's already quirky challenges. The first hole required golfers to drive with hockey gloves on and putt with a hockey stick.

The Canadians also set up a hole based on the "Trailer Park Boys," a hit Canadian sitcom that follows the misadventures of fictional trailer park residents.

One of the characters, Bubbles, is known for his thick, eye-magnifying glasses. That's exactly what players had to wear while putting on the hole.

"Everybody was golfing just a little bit blurry on that one," Hoedeman said.

"The tournament fills up every year," he said. "The feedback that we get is that it's a lot of fun. It's different than most tournaments just because of the funny little rulebook that we have. It throws some interesting twists in there, and from my experience people like being a part of that."