4th Annual March Madness 1 day Match Play Tournament

When: Saturday March 25th
Where: Earlewood Park. Columbia, SC
Time: Registration 8:30 to 9:15
Drawing of the brackets: 9:30
First round starts: 10:00

Pro Entry Fee: $25.00 X-C TIER (includes doubles entry)
Am Entry Fee: $10.00 Non-Santioned (includes doubles entry)

$250 added to Pro purse/ Merch. bucks to Ams

Format: 1 on 1 match play. First round 18 holes; subsequent rounds *10 holes each. Payouts will go to all players advancing to the 3rd round or better.

Random doubles after 2nd round for all eliminated players with cash added. Entry fee for doubles included with Match Play entry so all eliminated players have a chance to redeem themselves.

Field limited to 64. 32 pros , 32 ams.

2003 Pro Champion: Dave Cannon - Columbia,SC
2004 Pro Champion: Tim Barr - Kingsport, TN
2005 Pro Champion: Jonas Card -Charleston, SC

2003 Am Champion: Donnie Baker - Charlotte, NC
2004 Am Champion: Jonas Card - Charleston, SC
2005 Am Champion: Ray Cartledge - Charleston, SC

Pre-registration recommended and appreciated. Am filled first 2 years, Pro filled last year.

Send registrations to :

Chris Sauls
4064 Beltline Blvd
Columbia, SC 29204
803-917-8318
803-364-2098 after 7

This is a PRO Santioned X-C Tier, SCDGO Points Event. Flyers to come at a later time.

* 10 hole matches in lieu of 9 hole at Schweb's request.

Do You have the nerves of a Champion?

For those who haven't played before (in the years of a non-sanctioned event)---

This is a quite different disc golf experience.

Players are entered in a tournament bracket (e.g.; NCAA basketball event of a similar name), and play one-on-one, match play rounds, with the winner advancing and the loser eliminated. The first round is 18 holes and each round thereafter 10---and in match play, a 10-hole round is pressure from the very first throw. You won't hear anyone wishing good luck on an opponent's throw under these circumstances.

Anyone still standing after 2 rounds has placed in the payouts. For all those eliminated---and by this point, it's 75% of the field---they are automatically entered into a random doubles event (no additional charge)---kind of an "NIT" round as a second chance to win money. The random doubles ends prior to the championship round, so those players can form a gallery for the finals.

In fact, the excitement begins even before the first round. The bracket pairings are randomly drawn, so there's considerable interest in seeing two top players draw in each other in the opening round, or two good friends (soon to be not so good friends), or, as we've seen in recent years, blood relatives (which can get really bloody). You can look ahead to see what may be waiting if you win.....and it's always interesting to reconvene between rounds as news of upsets arrives.

So everyone's guaranteed 36 holes at Earlewood---and the finalist will play up to 58 holes in a single day, all under considerable pressure. No one wins this event without really earning it.

And for anyone who was shut out of the Earlewood Classic, it's another chance to play this course.

Match Play is a great format. It is different, exciting, really fun and very competitive. Back in the day a lot of ball golf tournaments were played this way. The US amatuer championships are still competed in this format. It is a classic battle form. For those of you that are new to the format: Bring a leather glove and slap your oponent in the face with it prior to the match. This signifies that the challenge is on. :eek:

Note that the Pro segment will be PDGA sanctioned this year, for the first time. Assuming it goes well, it's likely that both Pro & Am segments will be sanctioned in the future.

This is also a S.C. Disc Golf Organization event, with points to be earned towards the S. C. Championship (see www.scdgo.net (http://www.scdgo.net)).

Jonas, I just drew a line in the dirt.........are you willing to cross it????

We will have to cross that line at the Earlwood Classic. I may change my mind, but I am scheduled to be at the Melbourne Open, so I will not be defending my title. The three-peet is not looking possible. :( Things may change.

Would $400+ added cash to pro purse change your mind???

Justly proud, but wasn't one of those "peets" the defeat of a little kid?

That's OK. Charleston is bringing a couple more "little kids" ... Jonas won't be there but Connor and Greg will ... Jonas went Pro so that he wouldn't have to play against Connor this year . :eek:

Jonas................you got served! :D

I have been beat by both of the young bucks mentioned. When I was told earlier in the day about the kid. Zack said that you feel OK until he beats you. I was thinking great, either way I loose, by loosing, or by beating a kid. Now that I know him I feel better. That was my first trip out of town to play Disc golf. Good times. Last year I won my first 2 matches, got in a fight with the guy I beat, then beat everyone else because I was #$*&$! off. Jubilation ensued. Conner is a great disc golfer, and it makes me feel bad when he beats me so please ask him to stop.

You think YOU feel bad when he beats you ... what about me?? He's not supposed to beat his MOM for goodness' sake - it's just not properly respectful.

at least ya'll didn't have the same person knock you out of the tournament 3 years in a row. The past 2 years in the 1st round....#[email protected]#* that Zack Rogers.

Flyer now available at www.scdgo.net (http://www.scdgo.net), or direct link at March Madness Flyer (http://scdgo.net/2006_march_madness_flyer.pdf) .

Updates should be available at www.columbiadiscgolfclub.com (http://www.columbiadiscgolfclub.com)

The reference to beating the kid was, of course, Jonas beating Coral a little while back. Which makes Jonas part of an increasingly small club of people who remember beating Coral.

One observation on how personal match play tournaments are is that everyone---except Jonas---remembers the hole and shot that eliminated them. Whether their own miss or the opponent's shot (Brent Jarrett's 80-footer on #9, in my case), regardless of the round, it leaves a scar.

Did I use the phrase "increasingly small" back there?

Registration list now up on the PDGA tour. Only includes PROS but the club website should have the AM list up soon.

Added cash up to $500.00 and still growing.

Last year's brackets and results, with all their painful memories, can be viewed at
2005 March Madness results (http://www.saulsinsurance.com/stoneyhill/marchmadnessresults.htm)

$380 CASH to First place pro division guarenteed if we have 20 or more players. $400.00 if we have 28 or more.

28 - 32 Players = $400.00 First Place
$200.00 Runner up (2nd)
$100.00 3rd and 4th place
$70.00 5th - 8th place.

EVERY SHOT COUNTS!!!!!

The Madness begins in 12 days.

Note that you only have to win 2 matches to be in 8th place, and thus in the payouts ($70 for a $25 entry fee, if the field is full). And even if you don't....you have another chance to cash in doubles (with no additional entry fee)!

Same thing for Ams---prizes will be over 100% (hopefully 150%) of entry fees---win 2 rounds and you've "cashed".

Still spots left.

Preliminary forecast is for excellent disc golfing weather---sunny, cool, high around 60.

I am set up to take credit card payments over the phone at our office for anyone who needs to register. I can be reached at 803-256-8983. Pre-registration is not required but it makes Saturday moring a whole lot easier.

Chris Sauls

For anyone interested in checking our private course (Stoney Hill Disc Golf Course), we will be playing it after March Madness. It is located about 30 miles west of Columbia up 1-26 towards Greenville. We currently have 13 holes.

I just saw TOM COLE's mane on the registered list.....WOW.....what a blast form the Orangevale/Columbia past. I wish I could make it...would love to see Tom Cole.

We wish you could make it, too.

Perhaps next year.

Pro field is FULL!!!!!! 32 players competing for a 1st place prize of $400.00.

I will start a waiting list.

6 spots left in AM.

watch out for team uniTTy, i hear they're seasoned match play vets

Gonna be fun... But, Whos taking the left gap on 18?

Gonna be fun... But, Whos taking the left gap on 18?

That is the only Tru REAL Route on da hole.

Tim Barr wins in a 4 hole sudden death playoff against bIG STUNTs.

Thanks for everyone for joining us yesterday. Other than the unseasonably chilly weather---downright cold by the end of that interminable playoff---it was the best March Madness ever. A special thanks to those who came from Atlanta, Raleigh, Kingsport, and High Point, making a long drive for a 1-day event. Hope it was worth it.

This was the first year that both brackets filled, meaning no byes. There were an incredible number of down-to-the-wire, or even beyond-the-wire, matches in both Pro & Am.

So it was no surprise that the Pro finalists tied up on the 7th hole of the their 9-hole final round.....and continued to match each other until the 4th playoff hole. The shot of the day was on the 3rd playoff hole, when Steven Johnson stayed alive with about a 300' upshot from his knees (after hitting the first tree on #3 and kicking right, toward the creek), which he parked.

Congratulations to Tim Barr (Pros) and David Wheeler (Ams). I suspect that, after about 60 pressure packed holes in 5 rounds, they feel like they EARNED those trophies they took home.

Congratulations Charleston - taking home the Am trophy again (isn't that the third year in the row?!?)

If Ray Cartledge is from Charleston, I believe so you're right.

Thanks for coming, and congrats to Conner for doing so well.

I heard that Ed G took out Cuban with some stellar play. Surely there are some stories from the participants. Go Charleston, way to Rep!

Ray Cart is not from Chuck town, but if he wants to move here we will adopt him.

As always, there were some interesting matches and results. Just from memory....

John Wright went deep into the Am bracket, beating up on the youngsters. I think he lost in the semi-final round.

Alan Beaver met Tim Barr is a big second-round match (Tim obviously won).

It was also an Earlewood Reunion Event, with ex-pats Greg Ford, Tom Cole, and Jon Beym in attendance.

Ed Garris hit a 100' uphill shot from the fairway of # 6 to birdie hole 7 and win the match....and I'm sure everyone who lost has a story to tell.

Big Thanks to the Sauls brothers for putting on this killer tourney!! Props to Josh, James, Conner, Rick, and Jamie for the tough and memorable matches... Had to go through 3 straight Charleston boys just to advance!
Vanessa was right in that someone from Chucktown has won Pro or Am side of the bracket...

TEAM CHUCK

PRO results are up on the pdga tour.(sort of) I will have the full brackets up on the club website www.columbiadiscgolfclub.com (http://www.columbiadiscgolfclub.com) within a week or so.

DVD coming soon.

I would like to thank everyone who played for helping me realize my dream of filling both the pro and am brackets for the first time in the 4 year history of the event and having a true 64 player field. Congrats to Tim Barr for his 2nd M.M.M.P win He is now 9-0 in Madness matches. Congrats to David Wheeler for his AM win and $115 payday....and for the rest of us losers, we will have to wait until next year.

Revenge begins 3/24/07.

Chris Sauls

TThanks for runnin' the show Chris...I had a blast playing the course and the match-play format. Love me some Earlehood.

Congrats to liTTle Timmy Barr for not going OB on hole 4 to take it home. You played great all day, and deserved the title.

Thanks to all the Sauls brothers (Can't wait to see the DVD)and the local DG Club for keeping that course in great condition.

bs

Congrats on that incredible upshot on #3 to prolong things but, from the gallery's perspective, it was getting COLD as you and Tim played into the twilight.

Chris deserves the accolades for making this happen---for the concept of a bracketed tourney (apparently unique in disc golf)....match play (rare in disc golf, and certainly a different mindset).....and promoting it until it reached the point of a full 64-player field and getting it sanctioned. Travis dug up the sponsors so we could pay $400 for a 1-day event with a $25 entry fee (pretty good return---and the Ams were over 100%, as well!). All this Sauls brother did was talk.

2007? Maybe we'll have bathrooms! Or a leaderboard to follow around with the finalists. Funds are already set aside for another good purse. And once more, live up to the slogan---

"This time it's PERSONAL"

You will see round ratings in the online results, but these are nonsensical (due to the nature of match play) and will not be included in your player ratings.

Rather late, but.....

You can view the match results here to see who beat whom. If you have trouble following this, just keep in mind that it was a single-elimination tournament bracket (without the brackets showing). Still, easier than following the odd way the results of a match play tournament are presented on the PDGA tour page.

http://www.saulsinsurance.com/stoneyhill/March Madness 2006 Pro Results.jpg