Championship Match Photos

Rex Whitney, whose birdie on 18 clinched the morning round for the champions, hits out of the sand.
Jake Obar, who would end the match with a birdie on the 21st hole of the afternoon match, shows his power game.Butch Plimpton of Rutland chips while teammate Jody Larson looks on.

Final Brackets

Obar and Whitney Win Out

Hanover -- Call it Survivor: The Golf Edition.
Former Hartford High School standout Jake Obar and Quechee Club assistant Rex Whitney battled Rutland's Jody Larson and Butch Plimpton for 20 up-and-down holes Sunday afternoon before claiming the championship match of the 31st Tommy Keane Invitational four ball tournament on the 21st hole at Hanover Country Club.
Obar, the Hanover club champion, clinched the match when his 60-degree wedge from 55 yards on the uphill par-4, 307-yard third hole stopped within gimme range and first Plimpton and then Larson couldn't convert birdie putts.
"It was a long day out there," said Obar. "We didn't exactly have our best game. We hit some good shots but it wasn't always pretty. At times it looked like the winner was going to be whoever didn't mess up as much as the other guy."
Whitney -- a former Hanover High School standout who teamed with older brother Bart to win the 2004 TKI -- wasn't about to disagree. "It feels a lot different than it did two years ago," he said. "Then it was birdies on the last five holes I think. There were a lot of holes won with pars today. On the back nine and the first couple of playoff holes everyone was grinding pretty hard."
The grind started early for Obar and Whitney, who were down two holes to Mike Pollard and Chris House after 11 holes of their morning semifinal and then down two holes in the championship match with three to play.
"I think coming back the way we did in the morning gave us confidence we could come back in this match," Whitney said.
The way they started it didn't seem as if they'd have that problem.
Obar and Whitney grabbed the early lead in the championship match by winning the second and third holes before Plimpton putts on 7 and 8 leveled the match.
The Rutland duo took its first lead when Larson canned a 15-foot birdie on 10. When all four players found a greenside trap on the steep uphill 11th hole and only Larson and Plimpton could get up and down, the lead was two. "We're all leaking oil," Obar cracked to the ever-growing gallery at that point.
The Larson and Plimpton still had a two-hole lead heading to the 16th hole before both Rutland players hit the ball into the trees on the left side and they had to settle for bogey.
"I made par to win the hole, which seemed to happen on quite a few holes," Obar said with a smile.
That may have been true, but Obar won the tricky 17th hole in style, following a good tee ball and second shot with a 60-yard approach that set up a 6-foot birdie putt.
After seeing its lead disappear, the Rutland team had a chance to win on 18 after a great approach left Plimpton with a solid birdie opportunity on the 471-yard par-5. When the ball refused to drop, the Upper Valley pair had another life.
"That's was tough one for Butch but a gift from the golf gods for us," Obar said.
The teams then halved the first and second extra holes before Obar's pin-seeking missile on the 21st hole left Larson and Plimpton needing to dunk putts of 10 feet and 13 feet to extend the match.
"I thought Butch's was in," said Larson, who had almost the identical putt just seconds later. "His went one way and mine went the other. I couldn't believe it."
Obar and Whitney -- a late entrant whose only tournament golf in the past two years has been in the TKI -- advanced to the championship round with a 1-up semifinal victory over Pollard and House in the morning by winning the last two holes.
"I parred the 17th to win it and Rex won the match with a birdie on 18," Obar said.
It would be Obar returning the favor on the final hole six-plus hours later. "Most of the weekend it was me riding along with Jake," Whitney said. "It was me watching him hit unbelievable shots around the green and making great putts."
In other TKI action, Roy and Mike Hathorn defeated John Donnelly and Rowland Hazard to win the first flight 1-up; Roger and Tag Demment upended Jeff Frechette and David Potter in the second flight, 1-up; and Chris Lincoln and John Freeman took a 4-and-3 win over Tim Winslow and Andy Mello in the third flight.
The Tommy Keane Invitational honors Keane, the Hanover Country Club head professional (and Dartmouth golf coach) for 45 years.

Sunday Afternoon Brackets

The Championship flight match pairing the Hanover team of Whitney/Obar against the Rutland team of Plimpton/Larson will tee off shortly. The brackets for each flight have been updated below. Check back later today for the final brackets and a story about the Championship flight final.

Sunday -- Stay Tuned

I'll be out on the course following the Championship Flight match this afternoon and will have a full story up this evening.

If I can get the brackets updated before the Championship match begins, I'll post them. If not, I'll have everything up at some point tonight.

By the way, the weather looks good. For now ;-)

Pollard-House Team Ousts Peters Brothers

Hanover -- Mike Pollard birdied 17 to tie the match and then made birdie putts on 18 and the first extra hole to help his team upend six-time Tommy Keane Invitational champions Mike and Scott Peters in yesterday’s rain-delayed afternoon Championship Flight match at Hanover Country Club.
Pollard and Chris House will now face Hanover graduate Rex Whitney and Hartford product Jake Obar, who posted a 4-and-3 victory over former champions Craig Steckowych and Brian Doyle.
“We’re 1-up and Pollard goes birdie-birdie-birdie,” Scott Peters said. “He’s a very good player. What are you going to do?”
Pollard, an assistant green keeper at HCC, low-keyed his performance. “It was a good match,” he said. “There wasn’t any great golf but it was pretty even all the way around.”
The Pollard-House team forced an extra hole when Mike Peters’ 40-footer on 18 just missed and Pollard sank a 5-footer. On the extra hole, Mike Peters nearly canned a 20-footer only to see Pollard clinch the match with a 15-foot birdie.
In the other half of the championship bracket -- twice delayed by lightning -- Ted Dardani and former Dartmouth standout Lee Birchall moved into the semis with a 5-and-3 win over Tony Pippin and Ted Byrne. They will face Frank Plimpton and Jody Larson, the Rutland-based team that advanced with a 4-and-3 win over Bill O’Keefe and Michael Murphy.
The winning teams in Sunday’s morning round will play in the afternoon for the championship.

8:15 Update

Another rain delay. All but two groups are in. Here are the brackets:

6:45 Update

5:40 pm Update

Kudos to pro Alex Kirk for his timing pulling players off the course. Within a minute or two, the skies let loose and within a few more minutes there was lightning.

It's 5:40 now and the players have just been sent back out onto the course after a delay of just over an hour. The skies opened up again just as the horn sounded, but lightning isn't a problem anymore. Standing water, however, is another story.

More later.

4:30 Saturday Update

It's the quiet before the storm -- figuratively and literally -- at the Tommy Keane. Only one group has finished its afternoon round, with the 5th-seeded Hazard/Donnelly pairing upending No. 6 Brownell/Brennan in a First Flight match closer than the 6&5 final would indicate.

It's 4:30 and the horn just sounded. That's the literal part of the quiet before the storm. Darkening skies and rolling thunder have given way to safety concerns and so the players are being pulled off the course. Next update when play resumes.

NOTE: I found a better way to do the brackets to make them more readable. Again, click them to enlarge.

Updated Brackets at 2 p.m.

Brackets are as of 2 p.m. . Click to enlarge them. Second and third flights are below

Updated Brackets at 1 p.m.

Above: Third flight (click to enlarge)
Above: Second flight (click to enlarge)
Above First Flight (click to enlarge)
Above - Championship flight (click to bring up bigger)

Noon Saturday update

Not much to report from the course. None of the morning Championship Flight matches have reported in yet. Three matches from the second flight have finished and none were particularly close. Check back during the day for hourly updates.

On a positive note, contrary to the early forecasts, it's a glorious day with bright blue skies and puffy white clouds. It's hot, and it looks as if those clouds could grow into thunder-boomers, but it certainly beats the alternative. And it beats yesterday.

More later.

Jankowski, Lantz Win Medalist Honors

Hanover -- For its 31st renewal at Hanover Country Club the Tommy Keane Invitational golf tournament this year debuted an award in the name of the late Jerry Daly for the team that finishes as medalist during Friday’s 18-hole qualifying in the Four Ball event.
That New London’s Jim Jankowski earned the honor along with partner Doug Lantz after combining for a 4-under-par 67 was only fitting.
“Jerry and I were good friends,” Jankowski said of the four-time Dartmouth All-American who won the inaugural TKI in 1975. “For seven or eight years we'd hook up on the Friday after Thanksgiving and play early in the morning at Kittansett. He was a special person and his son Jeremiah has become a good friend.
“It's absolutely special to win it this first year. He is someone I really looked up to. He was about five years ahead of me here at Dartmouth. It will mean a lot for me to have my name on that trophy along with his.”
In addition to having his name engraved in hardware, Jankowski (with Lantz) earned the No. 1 seed in the Championship Flight heading into Saturday morning’s matches. The twosome will face No. 16. Tony Pippin and Ted Byrne, who shot 72, in their first match.
The No. 2 seed went to six-time champions Scott and Mike Peters after carding a 68. They will face No. 15 Jay Leonard and Tom Monahan, who came in at 72.
Jankowski and Lantz won’t have to take on the Peters brothers until the Sunday afternoon championship match -- if both teams get that far. But Jankowski, a former Dartmouth hockey player, knows better than to look that far ahead.
“I'm just going to worry about our first match tomorrow,” he said. “It was nice to finish where we did.”
And nice to play in a tournament that honors former longtime Hanover pro and Dartmouth coach Tommy Keane.
“This is a great event,” said Jankowski. “I've been part of it since about '79 with a few years off and it's something I look forward to every summer. It's a special get-together for a lot of good people and it’s some very good golf.”

Championship Flight Pairings

Golf
Hanover -- Pairings for Saturday morning matches in the Championship Flight of the 31st Tommy Keane Invitational:
1. Jim Jankowski, Doug Lantz (67) vs. 16. Tony Pippin, Ted Byrne (72)
2. Mike Peters, Scott Peters (68) vs. 15. Jay Leonard, Tom Monahan (72)
3. Red Whitney, Jake Obar (69) vs. 14. Jamie Wallace, Keenan Yount (72)
4. Frank Plimpton, Jody Larson (69) vs. 13. Leet Ware, Peter Gaudreau (72)
5. Jim Keighley, Rod Beebe (69) vs. 12. William O'Keefe, Michael Murphy (72)
6. Torrey Viger, Stewart Yaguda (70) vs. 11. Craig Steckowych, Brian Doyle (72)
7. Mike Kelley, Joe King (70) vs. 10. Christopher House, Mike Pollard (70)
8. Jim Burnett, Doug Williamson (71) vs. 9. Ted Dardani, Lee Birchall (71)

Final Scores - Friday

Capsule story and Saturday pairings to come ...

GOLF
Hanover -- Scores after qualifying for the 31st Tommy Keane Invitational golf tournament at Hanover Country Club. Match play continues Saturday in four flights (three flights of 16 and one of 12) with the championship matches slated for Sunday afternoon:
Jim Jankowski, Doug Lantz 67
Mike Peters, Scott Peters 68
Jim Keighley, Rod Beebe 69
Frank Plimpton, Jody Larson 69
Red Whitney, Jake Obar 69
Torry Giger, Stewart Yaguda 70
Mike Kelley, Joe King 70
Christopher House, Mike Pollard 70
Ted Dardani, Lee Birchall 71
Jim Burnett, Doug Williamson 71
Tony Pippin, Ted Byrne 72
Ken Blaisdell, Kevin O'Hara 72
Craig Steckowych, Brian Doyle 72
Leet Ware, Peter Gaudreau 72
Jamie Wallace, Keenan Yount 72
Jay Leonard, Tom Monahan 72
William O'Keefe, Michael Murphy 72
Ned Waters, Steve Lyon 73
Rowland Hazard, John Donnelly 73
Jeffrey Lyford, Michael Lyford 74
Mike Hathorn, Roy Hathorn Sr. 74
Robert Brownell, Sean Brennan 75
Jonathan Vincent, Will Vincent 75
Steve Reyes, Kevin Keane 75
Dean Cashman, Jared Cantanallli 76
Kevin Doyle, Chuck Pitman 76
Bill Moeller, Al Cirone 76
Jim Wood, Sid White 76
Tommy Keane, Kevin Johnston 76
Todd Fothergill, Josh Hildebrand 76
John Dow, Bill Hennigar 77
Roger Demment, Tag Demment 77
David Potter, Jeff Frechette 77
Jonathan Keane, Matt Keane 77
Paul Interland, Robert Sheild 78
Bill Mann, John E. Mann 79
Jim Keane, Kevin Sullivan 79
Bill Gifford, RW Husband 80
Tim McCarthy, Bob Donahue 80
Russ Spencer, Matt McDonald 80
Jon Bacon, Rick Toland 80
Mark McCaddin, Rick Wetmore 81
Michael Blaisdell, Mark Stills 81
Rich Ryerson, Barry Ryan 82
Bob Franco, Dale Vernon 83
John Manchester, Fred Kelley 84
Don Dunworth, Joseph Dalimonte 84
Daniel Fitzgerald, Bob Jacobs 84
Ron Cioffi, David Cioffi 84
Andy Mello, Tim Winslow 85
Michael Noonan, Charlie Mandrachia 85
Jack Sloyer, Chalres Tseckares 86
Chris Lincoln, John Freeman 87
Colin Harley, Ron Keenhold 87
Doug Klaubel, Alan Ganann 88
Peter Mock, Justin Mock 88
Bill Downes, John Scanlon 88
Mike Kenney, Denis McCarthy 89
Michael Keane, John Keane 92
Paul Spera, Julian Harrison 93

6 p.m. Update

Jim Jankowski, Doug Lantz 67
Mike Peters, Scott Peters 68
Jim Keighley, Rod Beebe 69
Frank Plimpton, Jody Larson 69
Red Whitney, Jake Obar 69
Torry Giger, Stewart Yaguda 70
Mike Kelley, Joe King 70
Christopher House, Mike Pollard 70
Ted Dardani, Lee Birchall 71
Tony Pippin, Ted Byrne 72
Ken Blaisdell, Kevin O'Hara 72
Craig Steckowych, Brian Doyle 72
Leet Ware, Peter Gaudreau 72
Ned Waters, Steve Lyon 73
Rowland Hazard, John Donnelly 73
Jeffrey Lyford, Michael Lyford 74
Mike Hathorn, Roy Hathorn Sr. 74
Robert Brownell, Sean Brennan 75
Jonathan Vincent, Will Vincent 75
Dean Cashman, Jared Cantanallli 76
Kevin Doyle, Chuck Pitman 76
Bill Moeller, Al Cirone 76
John Dow, Bill Hennigar 77
Roger Demment, Tag Demment 77
David Potter, Jeff Frechette 77
Bill Mann, John E. Mann 79
Bill Gifford, RW Husband 80
Tim McCarthy, Bob Donahue 80
Russ Spencer, Matt McDonald 80
Jon Bacon, Rick Toland 80
Mark McCaddin, Rick Wetmore 81
Michael Blaisdell, Mark Stills 81
Bob Franco, Dale Vernon 83
John Manchester, Fred Kelley 84
Andy Mello, Tim Winslow 85
Jack Sloyer, Chalres Tseckares 86
Chris Lincoln, John Freeman 87
Colin Harley, Ron Keenhold 87
Doug Klaubel, Alan Ganann 88
Paul Spera, Julian Harrison 93

5 p.m. Friday Update

Jim Jankowski, Doug Lantz 67
Mike Peters, Scott Peters 68
Jim Keighley, Rod Beebe 69
Frank Plimpton, Jody Larson 69
Torry Giger, Stewart Yaguda 70
Mike Kelley, Joe King 70
Ted Dardani, Lee Birchall 71
Tony Pippin, Ted Byrne 72
Ken Blaisdell, Kevin O'Hara 72
Craig Steckowych, Brian Doyle 72
Leet Ware, Peter Gaudreau 72
Ned Waters, Steve Lyon 73
Rowland Hazard, John Donnelly 73
Jeffrey Lyford, Michael Lyford 74
Mike Hathorn, Roy Hathorn Sr. 74
Robert Brownell, Sean Brennan 75
Jonathan Vincent, Will Vincent 75
Dean Cashman, Jared Cantanallli 76
Kevin Doyle, Chuck Pitman 76
Bill Moeller, Al Cirone 76
John Dow, Bill Hennigar 77
Bill Mann, John E. Mann 79
Bill Gifford, RW Husband 80
Tim McCarthy, Bob Donahue 80
Russ Spencer, Matt McDonald 80
Jon Bacon, Rick Toland 80
Mark McCaddin, Rick Wetmore 81
Michael Blaisdell, Mark Stills 81
John Manchester, Fred Kelley 84
Jack Sloyer, Chalres Tseckares 86
Chris Lincoln, John Freeman 87
Paul Spera, Julian Harrison 93

4 p.m. Friday Update

Heavy rain soaked the field but it was thunder and lightning that resulted in play being halted at 3:25 p.m.. Host pro Alex Kirk is hopeful play can resume by 4:30, but that remains to be seen as battleship gray skies and a drizzle persist. In the meantime, the leaderboard as ofr 4 p.m.:

Jim Jankowski, Doug Lantz 67
Mike Peters, Scott Peters 68
Jim Keighley, Rod Beebe 69
Torry Giger, Stewart Yaguda 70
Mike Kelley, Joe King 70
Ted Dardani, Lee Birchall 71
Tony Pippin, Ted Byrne 72
Ken Blaisdell, Kevin O'Hara 72
Craig Steckowych, Brian Doyle 72
Ned Waters, Steve Lyon 73
Jeffrey Lyford, Michael Lyford 74
Mike Hathorn, Roy Hathorn Sr. 74
Robert Brownell, Sean Brennan 75
Jonathan Vincent, Will Vincent 75
Dean Cashman, Jared Cantanallli 76
Kevin Doyle, Chuck Pitman 76
John Dow, Bill Hennigar 77
Bill Gifford, RW Husband 80
Tim McCarthy, Bob Donahue 80
Russ Spencer, Matt McDonald 80
Jon Bacon, Rick Toland 80
Mark McCaddin, Rick Wetmore 81
Michael Blaisdell, Mark Stills 81
John Manchester, Fred Kelley 84
Jack Sloyer, Chalres Tseckares 86
Paul Spera, Julian Harrison 93

Rain, Rain Go Away

Good luck with the weather ran out at 3 p.m.. It is absolutely pouring out right now and just seconds ago I heard thunder. It could be a long day if this keeps up. Check back shortly for the current leaders.

2:15 Friday Update

A few sprinkles are starting but it doesn't appear it's going to get much worse any time soon. Here are the scores as of 2:15 p.m.:

Jim Jankowski, Doug Lantz 67
Mike Peters, Scott Peters 68
Jim Keighley, Rod Beebe 69
Tony Pippin, Ted Byrne 72
Ken Blaisdell, Kevin O'Hara 72
Jeffrey Lyford, Michael Lyford 74
Mike Hathorn, Roy Hathorn Sr. 74
Robert Brownell, Sean Brennan 75
Jonathan Vincent, Will Vincent 75
Dean Cashman, Jared Cantanallli 76
John Dow, Bill Hennigar 77
Bill Gifford, RW Husband 80
Tim McCarthy, Bob Donahue 80
Russ Spencer, Matt McDonald 80
Mark McCaddin, Rick Wetmore 81
Michael Blaisdell, Mark Stills 81
Jack Sloyer, Chalres Tseckares 86
Paul Spera, Julian Harrison 93

1 p.m. Update

The team of Jim Jankowski and Doug Lantz has wrestled away the qualifying lead with a 67. They are one stroke ahead of former champions Scott and Mike Peters.

Friday's First Teams In

The first teams of the day have trickled in and to the surprise of no one, brothers Mike and Scott Peters have the early lead. The six-time champions carded a 68. Next is the team of Tony Pippin and Ted Byrne, in a 72. Six groups are in so far and as of 12:30 p.m. the weather is holding up. A few sprinkles have fallen, but they've since stopped. It's hazy, hot and humid, but at least it's not raining. Yet. More to come.

First Photos from Friday

Action has kicked off at the 31st annual Tommy Keane Invitational. Behind the first tee, a plaque honoring the man the tournament honors.
Former Dartmouth Athletic Director and longtime supporter of the Tommy Keane Seaver Peters serves as the announcer after many years in the field.
Host pro Alex Kirk talks with Tean Lyford before they tee off.
Veteran Quechee amateur Rod Beebe sends his tee ball on its way.

Welcome

Friday Tee Times

(All off the first tee)

8 a.m.
Mike Peters
Scott Peters
Bill Gifford
RW Husband

8:10 a.m.
Tony Pippin
Ted Byrne
John Dow
Bill Hennigar

8:20 a.m.
Jeffrey Lyford
Michael Lyford
Jim Keighley
Rod Beebe

8:30 a.m.
Robert Brownell
Sean Brennan
Paul Spera
Julian Harrison

8:40 a.m.
Dean Cashman
Jared Cantanallli
Jim Jankowski
Doug Lantz

8:50 a.m.
Mark McCaddin
Rick Wetmore
Tim McCarthy
Bob Donahue

9 a.m.
Jonathan Vincent
Will Vincent
Jack Sloyer
Chalres Tseckares

9:10 a.m.
Ken Blaisdell
Kevin O'Hara
Michael Blaisdell
Mark Stills

9:20 a.m.
Mike Hathorn
Roy Hathorn Sr.
Russ Spencer
Matt McDonald

9:30 a.m.
Kevin Doyle
Chuck Pitman
Torry Giger
Stewart Yaguda

9:50 a.m.
John Manchester
Fred Kelley
Mike Kelley
Joe King

10 a.m.
Jon Bacon
Rick Toland
Ned Waters
Steve Lyon

10:10 a.m.
Ted Dardani
Lee Birchall
Craig Steckowych
Brian Doyle

10:20 a.m.
Chris Lincoln
John Freeman
Bill Mann
John E. Mann

10:30 a.m.
Frank Plimpton
Jody Larson
Leet Ware
Peter Gaudreau

10:40 a.m.
Bill Moeller
Al Cirone
Rowland Hazard
John Donnelly

10:50 a.m.
Doug Klaubel
Alan Ganann
TBA
Andy Mello

11 a.m.
Colin Harley
Ron Keenhold
Bob Franco
Dale Vernon

11:10 a.m.
Paul Interland
Robert Sheild
Jim Wood
Sid White

11:20 a.m.
Roger Demment
Tag Demment
David Potter
Jeff Frechette

11:30 a.m.
Christopher House
Mike Pollard
Red Whitney
Jake Obar

11:40 a.m.
Rich Ryerson
Barry Ryan
Jamie Wallace
Keenan Yount

11:50 a.m.
Jim Burnett
Doug Williamson
Jay Leonard
Tom Monahan

Noon
Michael Keane
John Keane
Peter Mock
Justin Mock

12:10 p.m.
Don Dunworth
Joseph Dalimonte
Mike Kenney
Denis McCarthy

12:20 p.m.
Jonathan Keane
Matt Keane
Steve Reyes
Kevin Keane

12:30 p.m.
Tommy Keane
Kevin Johnston
Jim Keane
Kevin Sullivan

12:40 p.m.
Bill Downes
John Scanlon
William O'Keefe
Michael Murphy

12:50 p.m.
Michael Noonan
Charlie Mandrachia
Daniel Fitzgerald
Bob Jacobs

1 p.m.
Ron Cioffi
David Cioffi
Todd Fothergill
Josh Hildebrand

Tommy Keane Invitational Preview

Hanover -- Hanover Country Club pro Alex Kirk is getting ready for his first Tommy Keane Invitational golf championship starting Friday and he can’t wait.

“This is a prestigious event for New Hampshire and New England,” said Kirk, who came to Hanover earlier this year from Manchester Country Club. “We have players coming from all over. I'm excited.

“This, to me, is the biggest weekend of the year for us. This is the Masters and the U.S. Open for us.”

The Tommy Keane, now in its 31st edition, begins play Friday with an 18-hole qualifying round, after which the two-man teams will be placed in flights. Four ball, match play begins Saturday morning with the winners advancing to afternoon matches and the survivors going on to play Sunday morning. The 18-hole championship matches in each flight (and the consolation brackets) will be conducted Sunday.

“This is a true gross event,” Kirk said. “It gets back to the roots of golf. Handicaps are part of today's game and there's a lot of net events but there aren't too many traditional gross events out there. You've got to play hard.”

The tournament honors the memory of Tommy Keane, Hanover Country Club head professional (and Dartmouth golf coach) for 45 years.

Dartmouth golfers Matt Uretsky and Chaki Kobayashi won last year’s event. Former Hanover High School golfers Scott Peters of Hanover and brother Mike Peters will be bidding for an unprecedented seventh TKI title but their first since 2003. Also looking for a seventh championship will be Brian Doyle of Cocheco, who won his first three titles with Don Folsom and the last three with Portsmouth’s Craig Steckowych, his partner again this year. The pair are former state four-ball champions.

The field also includes Jim Burnett, who won the inaugural TKI with former Dartmouth standout Jerry Daly in 1975. A four-time All-American who died in 2002, Daly will be remembered with an award presented to the winner of Friday’s medalist round.

" I think the golf is going to be phenomenal," said Kirk, the host pro. "The course is in great shape. Steve Lyon has done a great job with the conditions. ... For the amount of rain we've had the greens are in spectacular condition. I think the fairways are in great shape."

Previous Champions

2005 -- Matt Uretsky, Chaki Kobayashi
2004 -- Bart Whitney, Rex Whitney
2003 -- Scott Peters, Mike Peters
2002 -- Co-champs: Scott Peters, Mike Peters; Shane MacDonald, Andy Hydorn
2001 -- Course closed for renovation
2000 -- Scott Peters, Mike Peters
1999 -- Brian Doyle, Craig Steckowych
1998 -- Brian Doyle, Craig Steckowych
1997 -- Brian Doyle, Craig Steckowych
1996 -- Sam Brackett, Charlie Carr
1995 -- Scott Peters, Mike Peters
1994 -- Scott Peters, Mike Peters
1993 -- Jerry LaPlaca, Bill Downes
1992 -- Don Folsom, Brian Doyle
1991 -- Don Folsom, Brian Doyle
1990 -- Don Folsom, Brian Doyle
1989 -- John Esterbrook, Doug Hutchinson
1988 -- Brad Griffin, Rick Woulfe
1987 -- Scott Peters, Mike Peters
1986 -- Brad Griffin, Rick Woulfe
1985 -- Dave Goldstein, Jim Woods
1984 -- Bill Salta, Dan Wilkins
1983 -- Dave Goldstein, Jim Woods
1982 -- Jerry Daly, Tom Mullany
1981 -- Rich Parker, Lafayette Lahaye
1980 -- Art Bemis, John Donnelly
1979 -- Don Beckwith, Pete Moseley
1978 -- Bill Purcell, John Wilkinson
1977 -- Art Bemis, John Donnelly
1976 -- Jerry Daly, Jay Leonard
1975 -- Jerry Daly, Jim Burnett

The Tommy Keane Story

Tommy Keane, born and raised in Arlington, Mass., came to Dartmouth in 1922 as coach of golf and professional at Hanover Country Club and continued in both positions until his retirement in 1966.

His record as a coach was 305-176-5. His 1941 team won the Eastern Intercollegiate Tournament and his 1934 team captured the New England Championship.

An inspiring personality, the genial Keane was a respected teacher of this gentleman's game who encouraged his pupils to strive for excellence. The Tommy Keane Invitational was inaugurated in 1975. The Tommy Keane Award is present annually to the Dartmouth College Champion.

Qualifying Kicks off Friday

What is the Tommy Keane Invitational?
Held in commemoration of a man who served for 45 years as golf professional at Hanover Country Club and as Dartmouth College golf coach, the Tommy Keane is a Four Ball, match play tournament in flights with no handicap. It annually attracts the best two-person amateur teams of any event in New Hampshire.

Qualifying for the 31st Tommy Keane Invitational takes place Friday at Hanover Country Club starting at 8 a.m.. Check back for scoring updates and follow the entire tournament here.

TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE
Friday, July 28, 2006
Qualifying Round - 18 Holes, Four Ball
(Competition for medalist team and placement in three flights of 16 teams)
Followed by dinner for contestants and guests

Saturday, July 29, 2006
AM -- 18 holes, Four Ball Match Play
PM -- 18 holes, Four Ball, Match Play
(Winner and Consolation Brackets)
Followed by cocktails, hors d'oeuvres and informal cookout at Hanover Country Club

Sunday, July 30, 2006
AM -- 18 holes, Four Ball Match Play for all winning teams from Saturday PM
PM -- 18 holes Finals for all flights, including consolation brackets
Followed by presentation of awards

(Total prizes: $5,425.00)