May's Red Hot Golfers

Have you ever played with a red hot golfer?

Last month, at the distinguished 103-year-old classic Northwest course Fircrest in Tacoma, our foursome was treated to a scorching stretch of golf by our tournament director, Aron DeFaccio, during the season's first Pro-Am event. At 3 over par through 4 holes, and playing with Colin Gants, Wendy Gapp, and myself, Aron steadied himself with 3 pars and arrived at the 8th teebox on a windy, cool afternoon. He proceeded with a turkey (birdies on 8, 9 & 10), followed by an eagle 2 on the par 4 #12 (flying in a gap wedge from 105 yards), and then added another turkey with birdies on 15, 16 & 17. After his last putt fell a few rotations short, Aron carded a 30 on the back and carried the West Seattle team to the podium with his 67.

A side note: traditional birdie flask bumps were enjoyed reverently throughout the entire run, thanks to wise preparation by Wendy and Aron.

Another hot golfer is young Henry Mills, who represents West Seattle and also plays for the Bellevue Community College golf team. You may recognize Henry if you've ever hit balls at Interbay, where he's worked for several years. Henry just made a spirited run at the Washington Open, finishing as Low Amateur and 5th overall, and was very close to the lead during the final round.

Note that winner Jeff Gove had a PGA Tour card for 3 years and once played in the FedEx playoffs (2007).

As our pro Colin Gants wrote to Henry:

"I can't tell you how much pride it gave all of us to see you competing at that level while representing West Seattle Golf Club. It means a great deal to all of us here, and we truly appreciate you carrying our name so well throughout the championship.

I was especially impressed by how you handled the pressure and atmosphere of being in contention at such a major event. You kept improving as the tournament progressed, giving yourself a legitimate chance to win. That says a lot about your talent, composure, and character."

Way to go, Henry, and Aron!