Viva Las Vegas!

The intramural golf tournament finished Sunday evening at the Finkbine Golf Course with two students winning an all-expenses-paid trip to Las Vegas to compete in the National Collegiate Golf Championship.

With a score of 7 under, juniors Robin Donegan and Bob Groody emerged victorious over the 22 other pairs competing in the tourney, and they can’t wait to see the “Welcome to Las Vegas” sign when their plane touches down.

Donegan said he had a dream that partially foreshadowed the results of the tournament.

“I was telling Bob that I actually had a dream last night that one of us hit a hole in one on the last hole to win this thing,” Donegan said.

Although the two didn’t ace the final hole, the duo relied on a 30-foot chip to birdie to finish the round at 65 for a one-shot victory.

The pair breezed through the course with solid drives, nice chips, and smooth putts through most of the day. Sitting at 5 under with four holes to play, Donegan said an ill-timed bogey on the 10th hole almost cost him and his partner the tournament.

“No. 10, we 3-putted and made a bogey,” Donegan said. “That was when we were playing well, so we thought that might of killed us.”

Donegan looked at his partner after the poorly-played hole and said they had to birdie the last three holes to have a shot at victory. And that’s what they did.

Going into the clubhouse with their scorecards illustrating a fantastic round, they had to wait for nearly two hours before being congratulated for their victory.

Groody said that although the two didn’t play for three weeks before the tournament, he spent almost his summer on the greens.

“We love golf … During the summer I played just about every day,” he said. “I’m on a golf course every day, and I play three times a week.”

Assistant golf coach and Finkbine head pro Adam Kaufman said he was satisfied with the tournament. He thought the golfers dealt with the blustery weather and the pace of the tournament well, he said. The tourney lasted just over five hours.

“Winds were a little tough with the winds gusting, but I mean, it sounds as if it went well,” he said. “Hopefully, the pace of play wasn’t too slow for them.”

Besides the tournament itself, other contests were offered to the competitors, such as longest drive, longest putt, and shot closest to the pin events. All participants received golf store coupons and T-shirts.

Additionally, raffle opportunities were offered to the golfers. Prizes included golf balls, hats, T-shirts, and free food.

Intramural graduate assistant Daniel Payne, the tournament director, and said he loved running this tournament. Although, the hours were long, the weather was comfortable, he said, despite the winds.

“It’s a lot of fun, and it’s a long day, but worth it,” Payne said. “The weather is worth it, and that makes such a difference when you’re playing golf.”