Shute and Heerema Triumph at El Rancho Chico Golf Club Tournament

The El Rancho Chico Golf Club concluded its End-of-the-Year Player-of-the-Year Tournament on July 30, 2023, at the Bidwell course, celebrating the achievements of its top golfers. Travis Shute secured the title in the white tee men’s division, while Ben Heerema claimed victory in the yellow tee senior division. Both players accumulated the highest points throughout the year in the monthly Player-of-the-Year point tournaments.

The final tournament featured the top 20 point leaders from each division, ensuring a competitive atmosphere. To incentivize participation, the El Rancho Chico Golf Club enhanced the payouts, including gross and net skins, along with closest-to-the-pin contests.

In the white tee division, Shute finished at the top with 2,900 points, just 25 points ahead of Miles Tegarden. The competition remained tight, with only a 750-point spread between the top ten players, indicating a fiercely contested leaderboard. Other notable players in the top half include Shawn Anderson, Adam Almand, and Steve Vance.

Heerema dominated the yellow tee senior division, winning by an impressive margin of 1,025 points over Jeff Nedved. The rest of the top finishers in this category included Pat Goodwin, Ed Anderson, and Lloyd Hightower.

In addition to the Player-of-the-Year titles, various recognitions were awarded for outstanding performances during the tournament. Rio Gates achieved the overall low gross score in the white tee flight with a score of 77, while Tegarden recorded the overall low net score at 69, narrowly missing the Player-of-the-Year title. Other top net scores included Dan Evaro with 70 and Anderson with 74.

In the yellow tee flight, Nedved led with a low gross score of 71. The net category was topped by Lane Bates at 67, followed closely by Goodwin with 69.

The event also featured skins competitions, with Evaro winning three skins in the white tee flight, while Heerema and Bates each secured two in the yellow tee flight. The closest-to-the-pin contests were closely contested, showcasing the skill and precision of the players across various holes.

Separately, the Chico-Paradise SIR’s Golf Club hosted a 4-Man Scramble Tournament at Bidwell last week, attracting 52 players. The winning team, consisting of Greg (Henry) Brown, Jeff Day, AJ Haggard, and Don Krysakowski, finished with a score of 62.6. The second place was claimed by two teams, each finishing at 63.7.

The tournament’s closest-to-the-pin contest yielded exciting results, with Alex Van Patten and Ron Griffin among the top performers.

Despite challenging weather conditions that affected participation at other local clubs, the camaraderie and friendly atmosphere within the clubhouse continued to draw golfers together. The events at El Rancho Chico Golf Club and Chico-Paradise SIR’s Golf Club exemplify the vibrant golfing community in the region, celebrating both competition and fellowship.