The MGA "Riverboat Gambler" Par-3 tournament was held on Ram Rock on Saturday, and 87 players (an event record) had a rare opportunity to shoot some amazing scores on the hardest course in the Horseshoe Bay rotation, as all of the holes had been shortened to between 60 and 155 yards. Did that allow the players to bring Ram to its knees? Hardly, as the winning scores in the 11 flights ranged from 3 over par to 16 over par, leading one player to remark, "Ram is still Ram".

The best scores of the day were the 57s shot by Todd Boorman and Bill Olson in the 1st Flight, with Todd winning a scorecard playoff to win the flight. Todd, who moved to Horseshoe Bay from California last year, had a sensational last hole, hitting his tee shot to within 6 inches of the pin for a tap in birdie. Other terrific scores by flight winners included a 58 by Buddy "Doc" Hurst in the 2nd flight, a 59 by Kirk Robison in the 5th Flight (with a 26 on the front nine), and a 59 by John "Woosh" Woessner in the 7th Flight.

A unique aspect of the event was the "Riverboat Gambler" CTP contest on every hole. Each player was issued a CTP marker with his name on it, and the marker could be used if the player believed that his shot would be the closest to the pin on that hole. This usually required a difficult decision (a riverboat gamble) early in the round, but that was not the case for Doug Hart, who sank his tee shot from 79 yards on his very first hole!

PASSING NOTES: This was the first event for new MGA member Reagan Lambert, a City councilman who remarked, "Lots of fun, and a great bunch of guys!"......"Woosh" Woessner's flight victory catapulted him into the lead on the Edward Jones Points List, with a slight lead over Ray Head.....The next event is the St. Patrick's Day 4-Man event on Thursday, March 17, with a 9:00 a.m. shotgun start on Apple Rock. Players may form their own team, or sign up as a single and be paired by the MGA staff. Players are encouraged to wear green, and will be treated to corned beef sliders following play.