McCollum birdies 18th for city championship win

Josh McCollum birdied the final hole to defeat Jeff Fowler by one stroke in the 94th Annual Chico City Championship.

Play commenced on the back nine for the final match and concluded on No. 9 on the front nine. The very close 36hole final match went all the way to the wire before McCollum managed to get it up and down from the greenside bunker on the final hole. Fowler was unable to capitalize on his chip from just off the fringe and had to settle for a par.

McCollum played for the Chico State Wildcat golf team during the 2018 and 2019 seasons. Fowler is a member of Canyon Oaks Country Club. McCollum defeated Kennedy Zienen, 6-and-4, in his semi-final match. Fowler defeated Corey McFarland on the first playoff hole in his semi-final match to reach the finals. The yardage from the back tees at Bidwell is only 6,365-yards, so Nick Fowler, the PGA professional at Bidwell, compensated for the short yardage by making sure the pin placements required some precision approach shots to get it close. Congratulations to both players.

Table Mountain GC

A full field of players from 15 different golf courses turned out for the 2021 Table Mountain Women’s Golf Club

Annual Invitational Tournament. The format was two net best-ball.

First flight: 1, Janett Ott, Sue Snow, Laurie Warner and Molly Korb, 116; 2, Sandy Goble, Tori Goble, Candy Parkison and Kerry Wood, 121; 3, Sherian Hornbeak, Pat Stephenson, Joye Smith and Jeanie Lowe, 123; 4, Kelly MacKinnon, Karla Dreiss, Betty Linzy and Gayle Aylward. Second flight: 1, Cindy Krug, Jamie Myers, Jayanne

Saso and Imelda Espindola-Pina, 114; 2, Barbara Joronen, Gail Johnson, Linda Scarff and Darlene Thomasson, 116; 3, Sherry Sue, Liz Coleman, Linda Porter and Sharyl Messick, 122; 4, Linda Jones, Jill Circo, Yumiko Hankins and May Gallaway, 125;

Third flight: 1 Jody Thompson, Dana Blanton, Gayle Quintel and Shelly Wilson, 118; 2 ,

Pam Eaton, Paula Brush, Pete Powell and Sally Stemen, 119, card-off; 3, Linda Ginter, Karen Eastham, Sandra Mitchell

and Adell Wapple, 119; 4, Betty Horton, Kathy Bruegeman, Darla Burroughs and Rhonda McGhee, 126. Fourth flight:

1 , Elaine Thomas, Sheila McMurphy, Mary Haloski and Cheryl Burnett, 115; 2, Beth Riley, Jackie Baxter, Billie Mitchell and Cheryl Howard, 116; 3, Rachael Graham, Theresa Martinez, Flow Herrera and Jody Bosanek, 124; 4, Kathy Garcia, Carol Rosa, Jane Fukul and Jean Hatfield, 127.

Closest to the pin: No. 3: Jones. No. 7: Tanna Neilsen. No. 12: Coleman. No. 16: Hornbeak. Long Drive winners in each flight in order: Christine Gulas, Krug, McGhee, and Melanie Forderhaus.

Butte Creek CC

The Butte Creek Women’s Golf Club held an ABC, One Best-Ball Net format for its weekly game. Tying for first place was the team of Sandy Fortino, Janet Alves and Suzy Mann, along with the team of Irma Jenkins, Ruth Younger and a blind draw at 63. One stroke back, shooting 64 for the third spot, was the team of Jeannie Stone, Joan Bequette and Shirley Leighty.

Canyon Oaks CC

The Canyon Oaks Women’s Golf Club concluded its three-day club championship this past Sunday. Shelley Carney re-claimed the title as club champion, the title she barely lost last year to Linda Allen. Carney had won five straight titles before Allen dethroned her last year. Carney shot a three-day total of 258 to win by twostrokes over runner-up Karen Escott. Joan Wagoner was the overall low net winner with a threeday total of 218. Sally Pearson won the senior division gross title with a score of 278. Nancy Vieira took second in the senior division with a gross score of 287. Evie Spring won the net senior division with a score of 223.

Susan Wever shot 143 to win the two-day low net title, aka, Captain’s Cup, by a mere one-stroke over Fran Wedow. The best two-day low gross: 1, Robin Smith, 173; 2, Mary Wallmark, 183. One day low gross: Linda Arellano, 90. One-day low net: Cathy Edgar, 67. Closest to pin on No. 6: 1, Carney; 2, Wedow; 3, Linda Alworth. No. 14: 1, Pat Radisich;

2, Karen Olson; 3, Vickie Spelts. No. 11: 1, Arellano; 2, Gayle Hutchinson; 3, Smith.

Last week the Canyon Oaks Women’s Golf Club played a game called “ONES” counting only the holes beginning with those letters. Shelley Carney was low gross on the day shooting 87. Nancy Vieira and Cathy Edgar tied for low net at 71. Game: 1, Vieira, 34/ 2, Susan McVicker Wever, 34.5; 3, Edgar, 35. Closest to pin: 1, McVicker Wever; 2, Vieira; 3, Lorin Rainwater.

Special tribute

R.J. Laffins competed in the national finals of the Extreme Long Drive Championship last week in Chicago. Laffins had earned a berth in the national championship by winning the XLD NorCal Championship in the Legends Division (60 years and older), with a drive of 373-yards. Sadly, R.J. was recently diagnosed with ALS, significantly curtailing his ability to hit it out-of-sight, which is his trademark. R.J. is a true example of how important it is to, “Never give up in your quest for achievement.”