I sort of figured Mr. Golf in 2011 Francesco Ruffino would not play again this high school season.

Ruffino Will Skip the Rest of the 2012 MHSAA Season

     At the Oakland County Championships a few weeks ago, Marty Gallaher, the Lake Orion ran a nice tournament at Pontiac Country Club and Novi won the team honors and Brad Kozinski won the medalist honors. Gallaher paired last years State Medalists Max Kollin, (Division 1), Aaron Knudson (Division 3) and Griffen Smith (Division 4) in the same group. He also added Zack Preuss, the Division 4 Champion from two years ago in the same tee pairing and while not placing in the top 15, they represented themselves well. What was obviously missing was a spot for Francesco Ruffino, Mr. Golf in 2011.

   Ruffino missed that tournament and at least four others before and since that date and it wasn't due to injury but because of a MHSAA rule where he is only allowed to play in two- non MHSAA events during the season and Ruffino has already played in the Horton Smith Tournament at Detroit Golf Club and the Michigan Amateur qualifier at Plum Hollow Country Club.

   I had heard that he played in a out-of-state AJGA tournament but the two just mentioned puts him on the line. Reporting rumors is not something to do to anyone let alone a high school student athlete who appears to be a good kid. He plans on playing in one more event in June at Dunham Hills at the Publix Link Qualifier at Dunham Hills in Highland next month before the State finals. If I was a full-time reporter I would have persued this story but as a stringer do not have the resources but am glad that the Observer and Eccentric newspapers wrote this story. Please read it and my comments will follow.

MHSAA rule causes conflict for Ruffino

 

It wasn't an easy decision, but Franceso Ruffino, the reigning Mr. Golf in Michigan, has quietly left the Birmingham Seaholm High School boys golf team.
Michigan High School Athletic Association rules allow golfers to compete in two non-high school events during the season. The rule leaves Ruffino in a tough position as he continues to push his game to the highest possible level.
“I love high school golf and it is a lot of fun playing for the high school team,” said Ruffino. “But, with the MHSAA rules, it was a tough situation for me. It was a rough decision because I really enjoy playing with my teammates.”
Ruffino recently participated in the Michigan Amateur Qualifier at Plum Hollow Country Club in Southfield and the Horton Smith Tournament at the Detroit Golf Club. He tied for eighth at the Horton Smith tourney which attracts some of the state's top amateurs.
Participating in any future events would have exceeded that two-event limit for Ruffino.
As for the high school schedule, Birmingham Seaholm begins play this week in the state tournament and Ruffino will not be teeing it up with the Maples.
“Francesco Ruffino has decided to pursue non-high school opportunities for his golf career,” said Seaholm head coach Leon Braisted.
As a freshman at Seaholm, Ruffino finished second overall at the Division 2 state tournament. Last spring, Ruffino capped an excellent season with a third-place finish at the Division 1 state meet.
Ruffino last year became the first sophomore to ever win the prestigious Mr. Golf Award as presented by the Michigan High School Golf Coaches Association. The award recognizes the state's top high school golfer.
He will not have the opportunity to win the award this season.
“Winning Mr. Golf was not my main goal this year,” said Ruffino. “Definitely my main goal was to help the team win the state championship. That was more important to me than winning Mr. Golf.
“That's why it was a real tough decision for me to leave the team,” he said.
Ruffino's next tournament is the U.S. Public Links Qualifier June 11 at Dunham Hills. The talented southpaw also plans to continue playing in a number of amateur tournaments throughout the summer.

Henry Do Also Skipped this Season Entirely
to Play Against Top Flight Competition

     What I find interesting is Ruffino said his main goal was not to win Mr. Golf this year and I can respect that. What I find interesting is he said his main goal was to help his team win the State Championship. If that is really the case, why chase the individual honors during the season when you want to help your team? There is really nothing wrong with chasing your dreams. Henry Do is possibly the State's best junior golfer but he is chasing his dreams and is playing in many of the same tournaments as Ruffino. The difference is he never teed up this year with his teammates and doesn't have to explain his decision to his coach and fellow players. They already know the reason he is not playing.  Now Seaholm has to scramble and they will play with the players who want to play for the Maples. I'm not sure who is advising Francesco but I do hope that he succeeds if this is what he wants.

If his goal is to play college golf, there is no I in team and coaches may take notice of that. Quitting on your team is somthing they look at.

A Dumb PGA Tour Rules Violation and Golf Outing Insurance Ripoff

     The USGA and PGA Tour need to come to some sort of resolution about stupid rules but we all know that is not going to happen and here is a good example.  Graeme McDowell felt the bite of a golf rule where a good round was turned ugly when he was the victim of a two shot penalty where  he was not the cause of what happened on the course.

     The bizarre scenario revieled itself when McDowell was playing at the BMW PGA Championship on Thursday when he approached his ball after hitting it into the bushes and he went into the brush to retrieve it. The ball was lying on a bed of branches and moved slightly before he was set to hit the ball. He took the penalty (it was not his fault) and then he didn't replace his ball and lost a second stroke. He finished with a triple-bogey eight and a 2-oover 74. McDowell handled the moment as best as he could. ''The rules of golf are very precise and in-depth - it's impossible to know every idiosyncrasy of them,'' McDowell said. Experienced players like Lee Westwood, who was in the same three-ball as McDowell, and Ernie Els were also left dumbfounded.

     ''These rules are funny,'' Els said. ''I've been a professional since 1989 and I should know the rules better than any of these youngsters, and I still ask for a ruling for the simplest things.''
Westwood added: ''I've never heard of that one. I have sympathy for him.''

        Players in no sport play well when they are looking over their shoulders and according to McDowell said players were becoming ''scared'' because the rules were so complicated.
''Looking back, I'm not sure what I could have done,'' he added. ''The ball was perched until I got 10 feet from it, and at that point it was too late. It's one of those freak scenarios in golf.''

     Chalk that rule as stupid. Any weekend golfer has had that happened and common sense should prevail.
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Man aces hole-in-one contest, but doesn't get Paid

     We have all played in a golf outing or two and get an extra jump in our step when we see that at least one golf hole is being insured and usually it is a par-3 and acing it means winning cash or a car. That is what Troy Peissig thought when he aced a 170 yard hole in a Montana golf outing.

     His reward was cash and the  $18,000 hole-in-one contest at a charity tournament started with euphoria and ended up with bitter disappointment now that he hasn't been paid a dime nearly two years after making the 170-yard shot.

Montana state authorities are intervening, and issued an arrest warrant last week against the operator of an insurance company they say failed to pay up on a policy purchased by the Missoula tournament.

Peissig, a scratch golfer, said it is a case of "how a good situation can go bad quickly."

The Montana commissioner of securities and insurance said Kevin Kolenda of hole-in-won.com has been unresponsive in the case and now faces felony charges. The insurance premiums are pricey and are based on the yardage distance and slope factors and look good on paper but rarely pay off.  You can insure hundreds if not thousands of these before paying a winner like Peissig but while he didn't get paid, Kolenda could do serious jail time if convicted. It turns out Kolenda also has failed to pay in other cases around the country, and continues to operate the scam without a license to sell insurance even though he has been sanctioned by regulators in Alabama, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Nevada, North Carolina, and Washington.

     Montana commissioner Monica Lindeen's office said it is highly uncommon to file felony charges — with an arrest warrant — against an insurance company. Usually disputes on unpaid claims are handled with fines or other administrative actions. But the Montana regulators said they moved aggressively in order to stop Kolenda from selling the insurance all over the country, despite not holding a license to do so.

"We want to make sure these companies aren't getting a gimme when it comes to paying these claims," said Lindeen, who suggested people check first with regulators that sellers of such insurance are licensed and registered with state authorities. Kolenda did not return a call Tuesday from The Associated Press seeking comment.

In a letter Kolenda sent to the tournament sponsor denying the claim, he claimed the hole was too short and violated the 165-yard minimum in the policy contract. Kolenda referenced the 130-yard length noted on the Missoula Country Club's standard score card. That is really a pack of lies. Anyone who has ever paid a premium on this insurance knows that the operator has a data base of pretty much any course in the country or could go online and look it up and offer a quote. Kolenda simply got caught in a fraud scheme.

     Peissig had previously hit three hole-in-ones prior to stepping to the tee box on the 12th hole at the Missoula Country Club in August 2010. He had even aced that hole on one previous occastion.

The 30-year-old former golf teacher said there were "some ace rumblings" in his group before he hit the 7-iron shot — which landed a couple feet in front of the hole, checked up and rolled in. "When I made that ace, I was stoked. I was pumped. That was really cool to have that happen," said Peissig. "Then it all went south." Kolenda also failed to call impartial judges for months and then did not pay Peissig. Kolenda failed to pay on the claim after agreeing finally to paying the claim.

"The money would be fantastic. My wife and I, we are a young family," said Peissig, who isn't counting on getting the money at this point. "At the same time, if there was a way for this hole-in-one company to not do this again to someone else, that would be just awesome."

This claim needs to be paid as many golfers will be leery of paying to get in a contest where the perception is they will not be paid. Only one bad egg can ruin it for the golf insurance industry.

Johnny Miller Talks the Choke Word.... and Points it at Himself

This Photo was Not Photo Shopped
It was on Google

      In an interview from Golf Magazine Miller addresses topics ranging from Tiger to Phil and why chokers choke. The first two issues are fodder for most golf writers but the choking part is one reason why he gets on so many PGA Touring pro’s nerves. Personally, when it comes to competition stomping on their necks with a kill shot for a runaway win is always better than grinding out a one shot win.

Miller feels the same way but for a reason you might not expect.

“I’m gonna win by a whole bunch so if my putting falls apart I’ll have a big enough lead,” said Miller. “I don’t trust my putting. It was a fail-safe move, spurring me on to get a 4-,5-,6-, 7- shot lead.”

What in the blazes of the ghost of Orville Moody is going on here? How many golfers would freely admit that? Miller went on to say that “I was thinking 61 or 62. My thinking was, “I better take it low today, because tomorrow that hole might look like an ant hill.”

Miller admits that is why he didn’t win a green jacket and he applies the dreaded “c” word to describe his problems. Miller in 1975 told Newsweek Magazine that Augusta was set up for his game but it all came down to putting. “I choked a little bit on the greens. Augusta honors the great putters- guys that can read the greens, dial in the right break and hit (the) perfect speed,” said Miller.

Miller said while he did have great putting weeks he never had one at golf’s first major yearly.

He described his own putting as choking and the psychology of what drove him during his career is refreshing. Part two about Miller and why he uses so much analysis of players’ nerves and the pressure they face in tournaments is in the next installment.

Johnny Miller is Just Talks Choke about Himself

Players that do color commentary for their sports are an assortment that are brilliant (Charles Barkley and Troy Aikman) and those that are unwatchable (Tony Siragusa).

Johnny Miller Had the Yips

Miller is often brilliant and like a car crash, you cannot take your eyes and ears off of him. The fine line between love and hate is rage and Miller brings that out in the PGA Touring pros and the golf community. His take on a player’s nerves and pressure is one not seen from other color commentators and when he uses starts talking about pressure he describes it using the choking term.

“It’s a slow game, and there’s a lot of time to think—a lot of memories you don’t want to pop up’” said Miller. “Golf is about the choke factor. If you don’t think choking and handling it is important, you’re missing the point of the game and you’ll never amount to much.

All golfers can relate to that point.

While it’s true that 99%+ will never have to deal with it on a grand stage, how many of us have gotten the yips or nerves when you know that a good shot or a made put is all that you need in order to win a match or a skin? In my mind, that is something most people need to hear about what it takes to compete at a high level or any level of sports. Can you imagine Troy Aikman talking about Matthew Stafford or Tony Romo missing a pass and perhaps the pressure is a cause? As a golfer you can relate to golfers but Aikman may or may not be able to get you in the head of a defensive end that is trying to sack him. Anyone can give you historical anecdotes (you just look them up) but getting in the mind of a player who is rising or succumbing to the pressure is an entirely different animal.

As Miller said, “(Pressure) is a foe you must overcome. It’s a foe that’s wonderful to overcome. Whether it’s because the hole doesn’t suit your game, the pressure, the player you’re up against—they’re all things that if you overcome and win, man that gives you joy. Choking sounds like a bad word, an ugly word, but choking is golf.”

In individual sports many still require a competitor such as tennis or wrestling and some swimming events. In golf, how you deal with your emotions and keep them under check more consistently than your competitors makes all the difference. In many sports they highlight the best elements. Miller is simply bringing up the elephant in the room and punches it square in the nose.

Everyone likes elephants but not everyone likes Miller. Something tells me he is ok with that.

Rochester Takes OAA Red Title and Lake Orion's Gorriss shoots a 31

Mason Gorris of Lake Orion Cards five birdies enroute
to shooting a five under 31

     When Rochester Adams won the OAA Red League Tournament against some strong competition, they took home the league honors but all eyes were on one golfer in particular. Mason Gorris of Lake Orion upstaged the Highlanders with a sizzling five under par 31 on the strength of five birdies to easily win medalist honors against some very tough competition. His score was not only excellent, but he just missed two additional birdies or he would have shot a 29. “Overall I was happy with the way I played,” said Gorris. I started the round being aggressive and going at pins, so I made sure not to change that midway through the round. Mentally I stayed strong through the round and I didn’t let any bad swings shake my confidence. My putting really held me together today,” he said.

     Adams has a strong team and when you have four golfers who card scores of 36 or better as Ben Van Orman, Eric Busa and Jamie Stanton did, you will have a chance to win anytime. Brandon Barrows, a freshman led the Highlanders with a one under 35.

     Lake Orion made a bid to give the winners a scare. They were paced not only by Gorris, but Alex Waelchli’s strong play. He carded a 37 to finish in a tie for 8^th place. Tyler Draggoo and Schyler Werth each carded a 39. Troy and Rochester also have strong teams but depth was an issue at Twin Lakes. Four Troy players carded scores in the 30’s paced by Christian Harnishfeger and Manak Singh. Two other Colt players recorded scores in the 30’s but they posted two team scores in the 40’s.

Rochester’s Eric Shyu paced the Falcon’s with an even par 36 but four other players earned scores at 40 or more and they settled for fourth place.

Half of the 36 player field scored in the 30’s and all but one score was in the low 40’s or less. This tournament serves as the final tune-up for the districts being held later this month.

Rochester Adams has high hopes for the Districts and beyond and Coach Dan Picot is confident the low scores will continue. “We had a good day overall,” said Picot.  The conditions were right and my players kept it together. We had solid play from all for players that counted yesterday. Lead by Senior Ben VanOrman and Jamie Stanton, the team is feeling good and coming together.”

   As for Mason Gorris, the low score couldn’t have come at a better time. “The big thing I did today was not trying to force a swing,” he said. I stayed very comfortable and didn’t worry about any mechanics. With all of these things put together, it helped me score my best 9 hole round in competition.

	Score	Place			Score	Place
Rochester Adams	143	1		Rochester	153	4
Ben VanOrman	36	4		Eric Shyu	36	4
Eric Busa	36	4		Mike Murri	40	19
Brandon Barrows	35	2		Sean O'Malley	42	28
Jamie Stanton	36	4		Mike Santavicca	47	36
Marcus Robinson	41	24		Ludivic	40	19
Eric Hund	42	28		Scott DeFillippo	37	8
Stoney Creek	154	5		Troy	151	3
Spencer Lendzion	35	2		Christian Harnishfeger	37	8
Michael Doyle	39	14		Manak Singh	37	8
Michael Linihan	40	19		Jeff Holmes	39	14
Ryan Jackson	43	32		Jimmy McQuiston	41	24
Richie Ingle	41	24		Steve Zacharias	45	35
Tyler Ducharme	40	19		Vishal Reddy	38	13
Clarkston	159	6		Lake Orion	146	2
Jack Alli	43	32		Alex Waelchli	37	8
Nick Badgley	41	24		Mason Gorris	31	1
Alex Genter	37	8		Tyler Draggoo	39	14
Nick Surovec	44	34		Schuyler Werth	39	14
Cam Krausman	39	14		Griffin Beeler	40	19
Alex McIntosh	42	28		Ben Gorcyca	42	28