2006 Schedule Announced!

Hope all had a happy Easter. I've been getting a couple of phone calls from Derek in Vegas - after about 24 hours or so, he is up a good deal. Also, all on the trip seems to be doing well too. Hope this continues!

With my return from the DL this past weekend, it's time to announce the 2006 Eric Zahn golf tour schedule! 9 events are planned for this upcoming season. Most events are significant local, state, or national events/ qualifiers.

Preseason: April 22: Hamilton County (OH) 2-man scramble with Don. A good event to get the tourney juices flowing.

Event 1: May 1-2: Cincinnati 2-man championship, with Don. First day is a scramble, second day is a best ball. Would like to finish in the top 10 in the city.

Event 2: May 30: Ohio Amateur Qualifier at Moraine CC, site of the 1945 PGA Championship. I have qualified for the state championship once in 5 tries; this usually takes about a 76 or 77 to advance.

Event 3: June 12-14: Ohio Mid-Am Championship. The state tournament for amateurs 25 and older. I've played this course before (in Dayton); I'd like to be in the top 20.

Event 4: June 19: US Public Links Qualifier This will be the 11th year I've tried to qualify; this is a 36 hole qualifier open to anyone with a 8 handicap or lower. A good barometer, even though I've never really come close to qualifying.

Event 5: Jun 26-30: Cincinnati Met Championship. The city championship is a free-for-all, with over 200 entrants competing to make it to a 64-person match play bracket. Due to various reasons, I've only tried twice to qualify, and not really coming close either time. It usually going to take a 36-hole score of 152-153 to qualify, which is certainly doable.

Event 6: Jul 11-15: The 100th Ohio Amateur. If I qualify on May 30, the state championship will be held at the famed Canterbury CC in Cleveland. Canterbury was the site of the 1973 PGA, where Jack Nicklaus won his 14ht major, breaking Bobby Jones' record of 13 majors. I've never played the course, even though it is about 15 minutes from my college campus. It would be an honor to play it.

Event 6a: Jul 7-9: Iowa Masters If I don't qualify, I've been cleared to play in the Iowa Masters, a great event that I played in last year. I've already got permission to make the road trip.

Event 7: Jul 31-Aug 4: The 78th Ohio Public Golfers Championship at Apple Valley. Combine 256 golfers in the heat of August, going off in foursomes, in a more relaxed tournament atmosphere, and you have a fun (but still irritating, at times) event. My Dad has caddied for me each year since 1998 and is known for his cigar smoking with a lot of the players. I really missed this event when I was in Iowa. One drawback - the foursomes in a tournament do not lend itself to speedy play. 5:30+ rounds are the norm, with 6 hour rounds not unheard of.

Event 8: Aug 7: US Mid Am Qualifier, at TPC of River's Bend. If I am ever going to go to a USGA national championship, this will be the event. 18 holes where a score of 70 is usually good enough. Highlight: I won a 4-man playoff in 2001 to become the 4th alternate out of the Pittsburgh qualifier. Needless to say, I was not called to fill a spot.

Event 9: Aug 14-15: Cincinnati Mid-Am. The city championship for the 25 and older guys. I would like to be in the top 10 this year; I finished 12th in 2002.

Tournament golf is the truest test of anyone's game; many "good" golfers say they "shoot in the low 70s", but that's on their home course where they play 40-50 times a year. The truest test is golf at its most formal, where every putt counts and (for the most part) no one has a home course advantage.

If anyone is interested in entering these events, e-mail me (or post in the comments) and I can fill you in on more details - websites, addresses, etc.