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September 15, 2016

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IN THIS ISSUE:

Enjoy Autumn golf in Rochester with two great RDGA Fall Play Days
Oak Hill preparing to host U.S., U.K. vets in annual Simpson Cup Matches next week
Jim Scorse and Adam Condello competed in U.S. Mid Am this weekÂ
Defending Ryan champion Trevor Sluman advances in Web.com Tour Qualifying
Play9 is the best way to 'Get Out and Play'
RDGA photo galleries, videos, now available on Flickr, YouTube

Click on the quick links above to access the latest RDGA News!

ENJOY AUTUMN GOLF in ROCHESTER

WITH RDGA FALL PLAY DAYS

Autumn in Rochester is a great time to play golf and enjoy some of the finest private country clubs in the area as part of the RDGA's Fall Play Day schedule - including Brook-Lea Country Club, above, scheduled for Monday, September 26.

Autumn in Rochester is always a great time to play golf - and this year, RDGA members have another reason to enjoy the changing seasons, with the announcement of two Play Day events set for this Fall, featuring two of the top private golf courses in the area!

Coming up next on the schedule is the Monday, September 26 RDGA Play Day at historic Brook-Lea Country Club - designed by noted golf course architect Donald Ross and host of many RDGA tournaments, including this year's Women's Open on August 29. For $80, the 2016 Brook-Lea RDGA Play Day includes 18 holes of golf - with cart; use of Brook-Lea's practice facility; a post-round hors d'ouvres reception in the clubhouse; and prizes for top finishers in each flight - including separate flights and prizes for women.

And, closing out the 2016 RDGA schedule is the Play Day event at Midvale Country Club, scheduled for Monday, October 3. Designed by Robert Trent Jones and host of the 2015 RDGA District Championships as well as the 2016 NCAA Division III National Men's Golf Championships, the 2016 Midvale RDGA Play Day includes 18 holes of golf, with cart; use of Midvale's practice facility; a post-round hors d'ouvres reception in the clubhouse; as well as prizes for top finishers in each flight, including separate flights and prizes for women - all for just $80!

Registration is easy - CLICK on the 2016 RDGA Tournament Schedule HERE to find tournament information for both Fall Play Days. Registration for the events is now open - and, as always, registered Play Day participants are welcome to request pairings with other registered members in each event!

For more information on each RDGA Play Day - as well as how to register for each event individually - click on the following links:

CLICK HERE for registration information about the RDGA Play Day at Brook-Lea Country Club, Monday, Sept. 26.

CLICK HERE for registration information about the RDGA Play Day at Midvale Country Club, Monday, Oct. 3.

Join us for Autumn golf in Rochester and sign up for the Fall

RDGA Play Days on the 2016 schedule!

OAK HILL PREPARES to HOST U.S., U.K.

VETS for 2016 SIMPSON CUP MATCHES

In the 2015 Simpson Cup Matches, hosted by Royal St. George's, above, the UK team claimed victory over the U.S. Next week, Pittsford's Oak Hill Country Club will host the annual Ryder Cup-style event for injured veterans .

Next week, Pittsford's Oak Hill Country Club will host the 2016 Simpson Cup Matches - a Ryder Cup-style tournament between 13 injured military veterans from the United States and 13 injured military veterans from the United Kingdom. Past host clubs include TPC Sawgrass in 2012, Royal Lytham & St. Annes in 2013, Congressional Country Club in 2014 and Royal St. George's in 2015.

Scheduled for Sept. 18-21, 2016, the 2016 Simpson Cup is co-chaired by Oak Hill members Ron Pluta, a past president, and Jim Magee, secretary.

"The Simpson Cup will add to the philanthropy that is very much the fabric of our community, as a portion of the proceeds will benefit the Rochester Veteran's Outreach Center and other local charities," Pluta said. "We look forward to hosting the veterans and know they will enjoy the world-class competition played on our famed Donald Ross-designed golf courses."

The tournament is named after its founder, John Simpson, a former IMG vice president who lost functionality in one leg after contracting polio as a child. Simpson started the competition to motivate veterans and give friends of veterans a fun way to support their programs. In addition to local beneficiaries, the majority of the funds raised will go to Simpson's Foundation, the On Course Foundation for veterans.

The professional golf staff at Oak Hill will conduct a series of free clinics in 2016 for local injured veterans.

"This great event is just one small way for Oak Hill to celebrate the service and sacrifice of veterans while raising money for very meaningful charities locally and internationally," Magee said.

CLICK HERE for more information about the Simpson Cup Matches.

SCORSE, CONDELLO, JUST MISS MATCH PLAY

at 2016 U.S. MID AM CHAMPIONSHIP

Stafford Country Club's Jim Scorse, above, competed in the 2016 U.S. Mid Amateur Championship this week just outside Philadelphia. (Rochester D&C file photo)

Four-time RDGA District Championship winner Jim Scorse enjoyed a good start to the 2016 U.S. Mid Amateur Championship this week at Stonewall Links in Elverson, Pa. Unfortunately, he couldn't stick around long enough to see how good he might have finished.

On Monday, August 8, Scorse turned in the top score - a 70 - at the 2016 U.S. Mid Amateur Sectional Qualifier hosted by Irondequoit Country Club . The finish gave Scorse one of two qualifying positions into the National U.S. Mid Amateur this week.

In the U.S. Mid Amateur Championship at Stonewall this week, just outside Philadelphia (for players age 25 and over), Scorse was one of a large starting field of 264 golfers - a field that also included Fairport's Adam Condello, who qualified for the U.S. Mid Am as an alternate in the Irondequoit qualifier. On Saturday and Sunday, those golfers competed in two rounds of stroke play competition to determine the top 64, who would then advance to the Round of 64 match play portion of the Championship that began on Monday.

In the stroke play qualifier, Scorse posted scores of 72-77 for a 9-over-par 149 total - good enough to finish in a tie for 64th place and a chance to advance to match play, however, he was one of 14 other golfers also tied at 149. Due to the large number of players tied for the last spot to advance, a special playoff was scheduled.

Unfortunately, Scorse was unable to remain in the area for the playoff for the final match play spot, so he had no choice but to withdraw.

Condello posted stroke play scores of 76-76 for a 152 total - missing the playoff by just three shots. Still, it was a good showing for the 2015 RDGA Player of the Year, who was competing in his second consecutive U.S. Mid Amateur Championship.

Despite not being able to advance to match play in the U.S. Mid Amateur Championship this week, it was still a very good showing in a national USGA event for Scorse - his second in two years, including another qualifying playoff loss in the U.S. Amateur Four Ball in 2015with Tim Spitz.

CLICK HERE for complete scoring from the 2016 U.S. Mid Amateur Championship.

THREE-TIME RDGA CHAMPION TREVOR SLUMAN

ADVANCES to FIRST STAGE QUALIFYING for WEB.COM TOUR

Last Friday, three-time defending RDGA District Championship winner Trevor Sluman tied for 6th place in one of the Web.com Tour's six pre-qualifying events - the first step towards earning a season-long exemption into the PGA Tour's developmental tour for 2017.

Hosted by St. Johns Golf & Country Club in St. Augustine, Florida last Wednesday through Friday, the Web.com Tour Pre Qualifying tournament was Sluman's first event as a declared professional.

Playing in the 80-player field at St. Johns, Sluman posted scores of 67-73-72 for a 4-under-par 212 total to finish in a tie for 6th place - earning one of 39 qualifying postions to advance to the First Stage of Web.com Tour Qualifying next month.

Sluman made his final Rochester-area appearance as an amateur in July, when he captured his third straight RDGA District Championship title at Ridgemont Country Club. He made his last appearance as an amateur in the U.S. Amateur Championship last month at Oakland Hills Country Club in Michigan.

PLAY9 - THE PERFECT WAY TO GET OUT & PLAY!

Nine holes of golf is a great way to engage with the game. Find a course near you and get out and PLAY9!

For regular updates from the United States Golf Association - including more information about the NEXT national Play9 Day on October 9, CLICK HERE.

It's Here!

A new edition of Golf Week is ready to read.

In this week's issue: Take a look at the history of Nike Golf, information on the 2016 Simpson Cup at Oak Hill, and PGA Rookie Smylie Kaufman's effort to help Louisiana flood victims. Plus Rory McIlroy wins the Deutsche Bank Championship.

Read these stories and more at golfweekrochester.com .

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IMPORTANT DATES