While there was no ProAm tournament this year at the De Anza Desert Classic (part of the Golden State Tour), there was an exciting horserace before the actual tournament. It started (very) late in the afternoon Tues. Feb. 28 and pared down a starting group of sixteen players over four holes to eventual winners Colin Featherstone in first place, Matt McCabe in second, and Matt Hansen in third. They finished at 6:00 p.m., in the dark, on 60-foot closest-to-the-pin putts, with golf cart headlights and flashlights providing minimum illumination on the finishing green.

De Anza club pro Damien Telles started off with his usual smooth swing and 275-plus yard drive, but he lipped out his putt on the second green and was forced out of the race. The slightest error on approach shots to the green also proved fatal. The eventual winners – Featherstone, McCabe, and Hansen – all made pinpoint approach shots to the flags that are not in my golf bag from that distance. And neither were the eliminating “chip-off” shots from beyond the green where three golfers sank their chip-ins on the Par-3 third hole. These guys are good!

The tournament starts Wed. March 1 and concludes Fri. March 3.