California, Here I Come......

Another successful Tour season is in the books (for me, anyway). Three wins, personal best round, Sir Elford Cup berth, and Jacksonville Palmer Flight Player of the Year honors caps my most satisfying regular season to date.

All of this culminates for the season ending National Championship Week in Palm Springs, October 1-7.

The 2006 American Amateur Golf Tour's National Championship will comprise the largest field in the Tour's history. An estimated 450 golfers will be competing over 4 days to see who, in each flight, is the NATIONAL CHAMPION.

Qualified Tour players will be gathering from all corners of the US in Palm Springs, CA to compete in 12 flights (6 standard and 6 senior) in a 72-hole, medal play event with a cut after the 54th hole. The National Champions of each flight will be crowned after their final round on Sunday at the prestigious Golf Club @ Terra Lago (formerly Landmark Golf Club), which was the former host of the PGA TOUR's Skins Game. In addition to The Golf Club @ Terra Lago, players will also be competing on two other spectacular courses in the Palm Springs area: SilverRock Resort and Tahquitz Creek Golf Resort.

In addition to competitive golf, there will be various event-related parties and events throughout the entire Championship Week at our host resort, the newly opened Fantasy Springs Resort Casino.

The oldest event on the American Amateur Golf Tour, the Sir Elford Cup is the event that proves which city has the best Tour players from top to bottom. Currently, the reigning champion is San Diego, who defeated 21 other teams in Orlando, FL in 2005 to take the Cup.

The 2006 Sir Elford Cup kicks off Championship Week in Palm Springs, CA October 1st & 2nd with an estimated twenty 12-person teams competing in a 45-hole, Ryder Cup-style format.

The three competitive formats for this year's competition are 2-person best ball, alternate shot and individual match play.Each team will field 2 players for each flight. Matchups will be done by a blind draw for all teams for rounds 1 and 2. In the final round there will be a blind draw separately for the top and bottom halves of the field based on standings.

Wish me luck in my quest to add to my 2003 National Championship.