Like a leg lamp, the Numbnutz Triathlon Trophy leaves one a little underwhelmed. The head was repaired with Gorilla Glue 3 years ago, and somehow the golf club has been lost. But it is still the third most coveted prize at our Reunion Weekend.
Todd Leggett took home the prize by winning the overall title, presented by Clark Haley.
And, oh by the way, Clark was finally awarded the Rusty Boot, the highest honor that can be bestowed on a Penn State Track Alumni Golfer. In a juvenile display of Ivy League proportions someone purloined the bronzed javelin boot from my car while we dined on coffee and donuts at the Triathlon site.
First up, the announcement by Clark Haley of the one-time rules change for the 20th Annual Coach Harry Groves Golf Tourney brought howls of protest from the "real" golfers among us. The cacophony from the rabble rose to such levels at our reception, that I was worried there would be intervention by the authorities.
Announced as a 2 club maximum for each golfer in the foursome, it was soon amended to 3 clubs per golfer. Still, chaos reigned. Clark held firm at the 3 club maximum and not the "3 clubs and a putter" demand from the influential group of Fuller Brothers!
The anonymously sponsored open bar added to the general good cheer throughout the night. The night concluded with a putting contest win by Mike McCahill.
The dawning of a new day led eventually to the start of the Coach Groves Golf Tourney. While this was happening, an intrepid group continued the traditional climb of Mt. Nittany (started by Spouse the Better) followed by a trip to the Creamery.
Rain held off until well into the outing, and the torrential rains only lasted for one hole, followed by summer-like heat and humidity. We always see a myriad of conditions on the Mountain View Country Club, although conditions were excellent overall. The brief shower came over Skimont (or whatever it is called now), as if Bear Meadows knew that PSU distance runners were there and just wanted to say hello.
The 3-club maximum for each golfer led to strange shots throughout the day. Try putting with a 5-iron! My "bag" consisted of a 5-iron, a pitching wedge and a putter; my 3 best clubs. None of which I can still hit on a consistent basis. I did, however, have a number of shots that counted and saved par a few times for our foursome. The new rules added a fun element, and brought a new strategy and synergy to each foursome. This format brought everyone closer together, which has always been one of Clark's stated goals.
The longest drive was recorded by philanthropist Ken Brinker. The longest putt of more than 22 feet was recorded by co-director Harry Smith (garnering the Smith family another year with the purloined Golden Putter). Tim Brown placed his shot closest to the pin on the ninth hole. The furthest traveled alum was Brian Boyer, who brought his family from Vienna Austria!
Overall, scores turned out better than anyone had predicted and there was a tie between 2 foursomes at one-under par for the victory. The rules for ties were eventually thrown out and it was decided using a complex formula involving Elon Musk's new Twitter algorithm and the volume of whining from each group.
The foursome of Paul Mundy, Harry Smith, Gary Black and Tom Shiffer were given the nod and will have their names engraved on the cherished "Cup".
The Awards Dinner was held at The Hyatt Place Hotel, and entailed a very good spread of grilled chicken, flank steak, baked potato bar and all kinds of other things. The chocolate cake was especially enjoyed by Tourney Winner Paul Mundy. We had an inspirational speech from former XC and Track and
Field captain Che Arosemena, now attending the Army War College in Carlisle.
"I had to stretch just to make it to this party." - Doug Kent
