Garden City and the Travis

[Jay Flemma]

Roll Call!  Who is playing in the Travis?  Who is going to the tournament?

I'm most looking forward to watching the Inner Loop...the great start to the round and the stirring finish are always fun during the tournament.  Especially during playoffs where they play a loop of 1-2-18!

I'll also hang out around 13-16 to watch the meat and potatoes of the match play matches.

It's the 100th anniversary of the Travis...the country's oldest consecutive running invitational tournament.

[ChipOat]

Sorry, Jay - no longer for me, I'm afraid.

I played in the 75th plus a fair number after that and won a couple of matches along the way in several different flights.  In 1974, 79 qualified for the Travis flight and 89 got you in the last flight.

After the quality of the field improved dramatically over the years, 83 wasn't good enough to qualify for any flight and two of those in a row = no more invitation.

Given what it now takes to make the Seniors flight, and knowing who plays in it, even if I qualified, I couldn't beat those guys 25-30 years ago and I couldn't beat them now!

[John Blain]

Once you get invited you get three years to make a flight and when you make a flight you get three more years, is that the way it goes? If you play three consecutive years and don't make a flight you're out, correct? Unless of course you're a past champion or something.  At least that was what someone told me who plays in the event every year.  Also, and I am not sure about this but if you make championship flight do you get five years to make another flight?

Isn't this the first leg of what David Eger used to refer to as the "cocktail circuit"?

-John

[Patrick_Mucci]

JPBlain,

I'm only slightly familiar with the format, but, it may not be as structured or rigid as you suggest.

I think the North-South amateur might have started the three year auto-status.
If you qualified and won your first round match you were exempt from qualifying for three years, which meant a lot to those from up north who didn't get to play much prior to April when the tournament was held.  Qualifying was always difficult because they didn't flight the competitors, and it was a single field of 128 golfers, with a good number of exemptions not related to winning the first round match.  So there weren't that many qualifying spots

Jay,

I qualified to play in this year's event, which is exciting since it's the tournament's 100th anniversary.

The critical element to playing in The Travis is Mother Nature.
Last year was balmy, but, I've played when it's been 38, raining and windy.
That may be great weather for the right partner at the "No Tell Motel", but not for playing golf on LI in May.

One of the things that sets the Travis apart from other invitational tournaments is the competitors access to the golf course prior to qualifying.  From the Sunday afternoon prior to the tournament, competitors are allowed privileges.
In addition, the members are highly supportive of the event, in many ways.

If Mother Nature co-operates it should be a terrific event.

[Michael Wharton-Palmer]

I will be there and very much looking forward to being a part of the historic Centenary of the event..very honoured to be part of the week.

[Jay Flemma]

Mooch, that's awesome.  Congratulations!  Not only do I get to hang with you, I get to cover you.  MWP too.  Chip, I'm sorry to hear I'll miss you.

I'm really looking forward to the personalities too...McQuellan and his jokes, mighty-mite Mikey Kelley, Kevin Hammer, Zahr, Ken Bakst, and all the members.  Even Tony the chef:)

JP:  I know some people use that old term "Cocktail circuit" but that's really a misnomer.  It's not a drinking event, it's some of the greatest amateur golf in the world...just like the Crump, and the Anderson.  We should find a name that has a more positive connotation.  I use Amateur Championship Rota for now, but if there's a better suggestion, I'm all ears.

[John Blain]

Mooch, that's awesome.  Congratulations!  Not only do I get to hang with you, I get to cover you.  MWP too.  Chip, I'm sorry to hear I'll miss you.

I'm really looking forward to the personalities too...McQuellan and his jokes, mighty-mite Mikey Kelley, Kevin Hammer, Zahr, Ken Bakst, and all the members.  Even Tony the chef:)

JP:  I know some people use that old term "Cocktail circuit" but that's really a misnomer.  It's not a drinking event, it's some of the greatest amateur golf in the world...just like the Crump, and the Anderson.  We should find a name that has a more positive connotation.  I use Amateur Championship Rota for now, but if there's a better suggestion, I'm all ears.

Jay-

I honestly don't think David Eger meant it literally when he referred to the Travis, Coleman and Hugh Wilson (RIP) as the "cocktail circuit", nor did I.  I just don't think the aforementioned blue-blood invitationals can be compared in importance to the Porter Cup, Western Am, US AM, or even the MET AM just to name a few. They are great events with nice fields but they are really nothing more than that, nor do they need or want to be. I think that is what Eger was trying say and so am I.

[Patrick_Mucci]

I honestly don't think David Eger meant it literally when he referred to the Travis, Coleman and Hugh Wilson (RIP) as the "cocktail circuit", nor did I.  I just don't think the aforementioned blue-blood invitationals can be compared in importance to the Porter Cup, Western Am, US AM, or even the MET AM just to name a few.

JPBlain,

How is the Travis a "blue-blood invitational" ?

Are the "blue-bloods" in the field ?, the membership ?

They are great events with nice fields but they are really nothing more than that, nor do they need or want to be.
I think that is what Eger was trying say and so am I.

I've always refered to the invitationals and others, especially those with exemptions and qualifying, including open competitions as the "Professional Amateur Circuit"

You tended to see the same names.

Years ago, college golfers and post graduate golfers would test their skills to see how they competed against the best, and  if making the big leap was feasable.

[Jay Flemma]

JP...you have a point there...by the way, wanna play the weekend of 5/7-9?  contact me off list...

Mooch, I see what you MEAN when you say "Professional amateur circuit," but that's like "military intelligence."

Branding Department?!  Please report for duty!  We need an idea here:)

Mooch and MWP, please call me or contact me off list, I'd like to get soem quotes from you for my preview piece.