Pontiac Country Club’s Syron Tournament draws strong field of amateurs WITH VIDEO 0
Posted on 30, June 2011
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June 30, 2011
WATERFORD — Lloyd Syron remembers vividly when his dad told him that they should do something special for the golfers at Pontiac Country Club. Frank Syron Sr., suggested a tournament.
“I kept telling him the golf course isn’t conducive to tournament play. He said, ‘Make it tougher, make it better.’ So we added water almost on every hole, 13 holes have water now, added traps and at least 1,000 trees through the years,’’ Syron said. “It’s a good test of golf and they don’t tear it up.’’
After his dad died in 1969, the first tournament was held.
Starting Friday, 132 of the top area amateur golfers will compete in the 43rd Annual Frank Syron Memorial Golf Tournament, a 54-hole tourney.
Through the years it’s become a signature amateur event in Oakland County.
Syron, owner and manager of Pontiac Country Club, sees the quality of golf improving at the tournament.
“It seems like whoever breaks par wins. Last year we had three people break par, that’s probably the most we’ve had …’’ he said.
The tournament record is 207 which dates back to the inaugural tournament.
Syron doesn’t expect that to be broken because the course is so much tougher now.
The field is a dozen players smaller than last year which Syron blames on the economy.
Still it’s a sizable number that will feature about 10 former Syron winners including Greg Davies (West Bloomfield), Charles Renfrew (Pontiac), Jason May (Sterling Heights) and Mark Syron (Lloyd’s nephew who had a hole-in-one on the par 3 16th in last year’s tourney).
Rob Reynolds, a former winner who attended Oakland University, can’t return because he has turned pro. Bill McDonald, a four-time winner, won’t be playing because he moved to Kansas.
Defending his title will be A.C. Johnson of Davison.
There was no qualifying event this year. Entrants were required to have a handicap of less than 8.
Syron said usually they draw about 1,000 spectators during the three-day event which will wrap up on Sunday.
It’s free and a good chance to watch the best amateurs attack a tough course.
By PAULA PASCHE
Of The Oakland Press
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