Perfect day and perfect weather for a footgolf tournament in Sacramento, CA.
With a hot seeding round at -7, Jose Rosas and Qaiser "Q" Patel clinched a spot in the head-to-head Championship Match.
Top favorites, Field Stars and Houston Hurricanes did not score well, leaving the door open for newcomers, Sacramento Subgrades and SF Elite with newly signed players to tie for the second championship entry spot with -5 each.
It took 3 sudden death rounds, ending with a closest to the pin kick to determine the second finalist as Arjun Phagura and Sharam Nazari from SF Elite!
In the Championship both teams tied the first hole, but on hole 2 with an excellent drive and second shot from Jose and then Q for good measure, the Norcal Dragons eagled the hole to go up 1-0 in match play format. That early lead proved pivotal in the match.
Hole 6 saw SF Elite both hitting their tee shots to the left, leaving them to contend with the double hills to get to the hole. The Dragons landed right down the middle of the fairway, and a well struck second kick from Patel set them up for a solid birdie make by Rosas. Two skillful shots by Arjun and Nazari gave them a birdie as well to stay within 1 hole to tie.
Hole 7 is where the Madeleine proved significant. The Dragons hit solid tee shots setting them up for a solid birdie chance with a manageable slope to contend with. With only Phagura hitting a great shot for SF Elite to be closest to the hole, the Madeleine was used, and Phagura could not repeat the kick; ending up with a tough lie and hill between them and the hole. Patel's birdie attempt was a straight on, but a touch too fast, resulting in the ball bouncing out of the hole. Both teams parred the hole keeping the score at 1-0 Dragons.
Going into hole 9, the boys from SF Elite needed to win the par 4 hole to tie and needed the Dragons to shank, which they just did not do. Patel's big tee shot utilized the slope around the tree to land within 10 yards of the hole. Both SF Elite hit solid tee shots but needing to be aggressive, their second shots missed the mark for a birdie. All the Dragons needed was a 2-putt to win but Patel decided to hit the midrange putt for an eagle and giving the Dragons a close, yet decisive 2-0 victory for their first MLFG Footgolf National Championship!
