McGladrey Team Championship off to great start

October 26, 2009 -- PINEHURST, N.C. - The night before he would guide a foursome in The McGladrey Team Championship, PGA Professional Tim Walsh of Huntington Beach, Calif., happened to pause at a hallway portrait of one of the many famous visitors at the Pinehurst Resort.

It was an image of legendary sharpshooter Annie Oakley, who used to hone her skills and give exhibitions at the former Pinehurst Gun Club - now The Centennial Course, Pinehurst No. 8 - which served as host for the first round of the unique grassroots best-ball national championship.

(L to R) President of PGA of America Jim Remy, C.E. Andrews, Natalie Gulbis, Zach Johnson, Chris DiMarco, and CEO of PGA of America Joe Steranka during the skills challenge at the RSM McGladrey Team Championship. (Photo: The PGA of America)

Walsh and his teammates, representing Whispering Lakes Golf Course of Ontario, Calif., were unaware of the history behind No. 8. But, they came out on a chilly, gusty overcast Monday with all guns blazing. The Southern California PGA Section Champions charged to a 24-under-par 120 total - an event-record performance - to build a four-stroke lead over defending champion Stonebridge Ranch Country Club of McKinney, Texas, the Northern Texas PGA stalwart that returned its 2008 foursome intact.

Tavistock Country Club of Haddonfield, N.J., the Philadelphia PGA Section champion, was next at 126, followed by Northeastern New York's Massena (N.Y.) Country Club and Illinois Section Champion Stonewall Orchard Golf Club of Grayslake, Ill., at 128.

"It was pretty special seeing that Annie Oakley photo, and my girlfriend's name happens to be Annie," said Walsh. "We played very well starting out the day on the back nine. I made a monster putt - about 65 feet - on the par-3, No. 13, and we had two others guys make birdie there. The only downer was that we didn't get a stroke on that particular hole. The key to this course is the greens. I have been a good putter and I was glad to help the other guys with their putts."

Rounding out Whispering Lakes' line-up is a trio of seasoned Californians making their second straight national appearance - Larry Metter of Valencia, a former University of Southern California linebacker; Bill Minnis of Palmdale, a former University of Florida baseball standout who played at the Triple-A level for the California Angels; and Jim Erdman of Quartz Hill.

The trio competed last year for Strawberry Farms Golf Club of Irvine, Calif., and shared 29th in the Championship.

"We hit a lot of good shots early and really were pretty good at 'ham 'n egging' it after that," said Metter, who was a member of USC's 1978 national champions and is now an area vice president for Waste Management Inc. "Tim Walsh did a fabulous job of helping us read our putts. It was one of those days where we all took turns making birdies.

"Tim's birdie putt on 13 was the longest putt that I've seen in a long time. We had momentum from that, even though we didn't pick up an extra stroke. Our front nine ended up being phenomenal."

Stonebridge Ranch Country Club also proved it was capable of solving the challenging No. 8 greens on the 6,698-yard, par-72 layout. The quartet of PGA Professional Joe Menton, brothers James and Mickey Freed, and Eric Kelley picked up from their champion pace of a year ago.

James Freed of Lewisville, Texas, 66, helped his team remain in the title hunt by making a 50-foot birdie at No. 13, and also receiving a stroke in the process.

"We maxed it out and truly played as good as we can shoot on that course," said Freed. "I would say that No. 8 has been good to us two years in a row."

Menton, Stonebridge Ranch's "captain," said his focus was keeping his team's strategy intact.

"The guys were a little nervous, but I tried to make sure that they concentrated on having fun, hitting fairways and greens, and I saw them getting more comfortable as we went along," said Menton. "They shoot the same scores regardless of the weather, and it was a little 'iffy' through most of the early part of the day. I don't like cold weather, and lose a sense of feel with the club. The key for us was that we didn't have a blow-up hole."

The McGladrey Team Championship, The PGA of America's first nationwide grassroots best-ball amateur championship, features a 164-player field representing 41 PGA Sections and a total combined professional and amateur purse of $200,000.

The field competes Tuesday and Wednesday on Pinehurst's Courses No. 2 and 4. Amateur players receive 75 percent of their course handicap allowance and each player must post a score on three of the holes. Two net best-ball scores are used to determine the overall 18-hole score.

The McGladrey Team Championship is a result of a partnership between The PGA of America and RSM McGladrey, the Official Accounting, Tax and Business Consulting firm of The PGA of America. RSM McGladrey is the fifth largest accounting, tax and business consulting firm in the country when considered with McGladrey & Pullen LLP (a partner-owned CPA firm).

For more information, please visit www.PGA.com/teamchampionship

About RSM McGladrey

RSM McGladrey is a leading professional services firm providing accounting, tax and business consulting. McGladrey & Pullen LLP (a U.S.-based partner-owned CPA firm) delivers audit and attest services. RSM McGladrey and McGladrey & Pullen operate in an alternative practice structure. Though separate and independent legal entities, they can work together to serve clients' business needs. Together, the companies rank as the fifth largest U.S. provider of accounting, tax and business consulting services (source: Public Accounting Report), with nearly 8,000 professionals and associates in more than 120 offices nationwide. RSM McGladrey Inc. and McGladrey & Pullen LLP are member firms of RSM International, an affiliation of independent accounting and consulting firms. RSM McGladrey is the official accounting, tax and business consulting firm of The PGA of America.

About The PGA of America

Since 1916, The PGA of America's mission has been twofold: to establish and elevate the standards of the profession and to grow interest and participation in the game of golf.

By establishing and elevating the standards of the golf profession through world-class education, career services, marketing and research programs, the Association enables PGA Professionals to maximize their performance in their respective career paths and showcases them as experts in the game and in the multi-billion dollar golf industry.

By creating and delivering dramatic world-class championships and exciting and enjoyable golf promotions that are viewed as the best of their class in the golf industry, The PGA of America elevates the public's interest in the game, the desire to play more golf, and ensures accessibility to the game for everyone, everywhere. The PGA of America brand represents the very best in golf.