The one and only other time the City Golf Qualifying Tournament was limited to one round, the randomness of the result was evident when match play came to an end.
The Men’s final four pitted a ninth seed against a 13th seed and a 14th vs. a 15th in the semifinals.
The final was between the 13th and 14th seeds and two players, Mitch Oard and Doak Henry Jr., who would normally find themselves much higher on the ladder save for sub-par opening rounds they never had a chance to make up for in the second.
While the top three seeds made the Senior semis, they were joined by Ike Martin, a 13th seed that year, perhaps the highest number he’s carried into a 16-player field. The Super Seniors saw No. 13 Mike Vernon and No. 14 Kirby Gann make the semis.
Not that upsets on the first week never or seldom happen, but it could make things a bit more interesting when match play begins Saturday, July 5 in this year’s 97th version of the Bloomington City Golf Tournament at Cascades.
Add in the fact the Men’s field has seen some turnover this year with a few long-time faces not around.
“It’s an interesting field,” Cascades head pro Jason Sims said. “We had nine guys that played in the championship flight last year who aren’t playing this year. So there’s a lot of new faces in there, which is good to have but it’s kind of a bummer some of the old faces are not here, too.”
One of the new faces of sorts is Robert Wise, winner of the qualifying tournament who was in the First Flight last year. The tourney is a big deal to him and his extended family who are regulars in the event.
“It’s kind of our only chance to compete against other people and compare our games,” Wise said. “Me and (younger brother) Sam compete really hard against each other. When he got good, I had to get good.
“I played sports in high school but it was football, basketball and baseball, so I didn’t really play golf until he came through and got good. I didn’t want to lose to him. So we play out here about every weekend. It means quite a bit. It’s for bragging rights.”
Wise is in a tough bottom bracket where two of last year’s semifinalists meet right off the bat in No. 3 seed Brad McLaughlin and No. 14 Logan Vernon, who has been dealing with a serious back injury that’s limited his ability to play. The other first-rounder is a doozy as well: Simon Deliyannis vs. Brian Muehlhaus.
Bannister out for history
Up top is a most familiar face in Jason Bannister, who will attempt to further etch his name into tourney history with a fourth straight title, something only the legendary Phil Talbott (who the Men’s division is named after) was able to do in his streak that lasted from 1935-43.
Bannister played a round during the qualifier and opened with a shocking 8 and 7 on his first two holes before finishing at 2-over. That’s a 58 over the last 16 holes if you’re doing the math. It’s going to take birdies, and lots of them, to beat the recent Southern Indiana grad again.
“He’s just a consistent player,” Sims said. “And he’s tough to beat in match play.”
Defending champ Tim Gillespie is back in the Seniors with Jason Storm taking the No. 2 seed in his first year aging up after making the Men’s Championship flight last year. Jim Alexander is the third seed and Darren Fuller the fourth seed.
In the Super Seniors, Dan Neubecker hopes to keep his recently strong run of play in the City Tourney going, with Martin, the 2 seed, seeking an unprecedented 13th title, his last coming in 2021 and the previous two at the Senior level (2017, 2019). Martin, coming off of hand surgery, shot a 68 in the qualifier.
“It’s remarkable what he can still do out there,” Sims said.
Former champs Rory Brown and Steve Hinds are the 3-4 seeds.
The Men will tee off from 7:30-8 a.m. with the Seniors from 8:10 to 8:40 and Super Seniors from 9-9:30. Quarterfinals will be on Sunday. Semifinals will be on July 12 with 36-hole finals for Men’s and Seniors and 18 for Super Seniors on July 13.
The two Senior and two of the three Super Senior Regular flights will begin on Saturday and all five brackets will resume with the semifinals on July 12. The four Men’s Regular flights will begin on Sunday at 8:40 a.m. with the semifinals also on July 12. Those groups will all play 18-hole finals on July 13.
Numbers up, numbers down
Overall, fewer players than ever are in this year’s tourney with 128 signing up but only 114 in this weekend’s match play. The time of the State Am and some other events conflicted with this year’s City Tourney. Last year, 126 participated.
Perhaps add in the hot spell and an opening weekend on the heels of the Fourth of July as reason for some shrinkage.
There is no junior division this year for the third time in four years.
On the upside are the rain totals. Cascades’ rain gauge registered 6½ inches over the weekend, Sims said, after the first round of the qualifier was completed.
“I thought Saturday, it was a very firm course,” he said. “With all the heat, it dried things out and firmed up the course. We got a lot of water. I was told we had 20 inches over the average for the area so far. That’s crazy.
“But the golf course is playing well though.”
Women’s bracket returns
Missy Ringler’s name was synonymous with the City Women’s Tournament from 2011-19, making the finals each time it was held (it was scrapped in 2018 when she was the only one who signed up) and winning six of her 10 titles.
She couldn’t play in the 2019 final due to illness after gutting out the semifinals. Since then, the women’s bracket has been absent. But Ringler is back with three other players who signed up to make the bracket possible. They’ll begin play on July 12.
“I’m excited to get that going again,” Sims said.
CITY TOURNAMENT SATURDAY TEE TIMES
PHIL TALBOT MEN’S CHAMPIONSHIP
7:30 a.m.: [1] Jason Bannister vs. [16] Calvin McDonald; [8] Chase Campbell vs. [9] Hunter Desilets; 7:40:[4] Jake Cunningham vs. [13] Daniel Melwid; [5] Harrison Carmichael vs. [12] Brad Scroggins; 7:50: [2] Robert Wise vs. [15] Cole Stevens; [7] Tony Arnett vs. [10] Tyler Jordan; 8:00: [3] Brad McLaughlin vs. [14] Logan Vernon; [6] Simon Deliyannis vs. [11] Brian Muelhlhaus.
PAUL GRAY SENIORS CHAMPIONSHIP
8:10 a.m. [1] Tim Gillespie vs. [16] Dan Smith; [8] Charles Combs vs. [9] Chad Osborne; 8:20: [4] Darren Fuller vs. [13] Chuck Vernon; [5] Troy Gillespie vs. [12] Bill Kelson; 8:30: [2] Jason Storm vs. [15] Jeff Harrington; [7] Matt Till vs. [10] Ken Wilson; 8:40: [3] Jim Alexander vs. [14] Charles Osborne; [6] Brian Wise vs. [11] Garry Lee.
ROSS RUSH SUPER SENIOR CHAMPIONSHIP
9:00 a.m.: [1] Dan Neubecker vs. [16] Mike Vernon; [8] Craig Spanburg vs. [9] Joe Beane; 9:10: [4] Steve Hinds vs. [13] David Devitt; [5] Dick Meacham vs. [12] Tom Smith; 9:20: [2] Ike Martin vs. [15] Roger Rainbolt; [7] Paul Toddy vs. [10] Brett Daniels; 9:30: [3] Rory Brown vs. [14] Don Chastain; [6] Robin Harper vs. [11] Gary Blackwell.
SENIOR REGULAR
First flight — 9:40 a.m.: [4] Kevin Galligher vs. [5] Jay Freund; [3] Rick Scheid vs. [6] Joe Davis; Byes: [1] Mike Bruce; [2] Brad Leach.
Second flight — 9:50 a.m.: [4] Matthew Grubb vs. [5] Ramesh Venkataraman; [3] Rick Scherer vs. [6] Mike Vernon Jr.; Byes: [1] Barry King, [2] Jon Hunt.
SUPER SENIOR REGULAR
First flight — 10:00 a.m.: [1] Steve McDonald vs. [8] Doak Henry; [4] Mark Deal vs. [5] Steve Sims; 10:10: [2] Mike Thomas vs. [7] John Cantwell; [3] Jim Sims vs. [6] Jim Shea.
Second flight — 10:20 a.m.: [4] Marty Hutsell vs. [5] Jan Bond; [1] Gary Walters, bye; 10:30: [2] Brian Werth vs. [7] Steve Layman; [3] Rand McKamey vs. [6] Charlie Gill.
This article originally appeared on The Herald-Times: City Golf Tournament: Can Jason Bannister make it 4 in a row?
Reporting by Jim Gordillo, The Herald-Times / The Herald-Times
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