First day of "Ike" washed out
BRIDGEHAMPTON, N.Y. (June 25, 2012) - Strong thunderstorms wreaked havoc Monday morning at Atlantic Golf Club, the site of the 57th Ike Championship presented by Canon Business Solutions, forcing a cancellation of today's scheduled first round. All first-round tee times will carry over to Tuesday, June 26.
A strong line of thunderstorms descended on Long Island as the morning progressed, prompting an evacuation of the course at 8:37 a.m. due to lightning in the area. The storm produced heavy downpours that resulted in flash flooding, and Atlantic Golf Club head superintendent Bob Ranum and his staff will repair any damage and prepare the 6,990-yard, par-72 course for Tuesday. Following the cut to the low 40 and ties after the first round, the 36-hole final day of the Ike Championship will now take place on Wednesday, June 27.
"While we're disappointed, we're confident that the Ike Championship will be as spectacular as planned, and the magnificent staff at Atlantic Golf Club deserves praise for the work that they are doing," said MGA Director of Rules & Competitions Brian Mahoney.
ABOUT THE The Ike
The Ike tournament was founded in 1953 by Daily
News sportswriter Dana Mozley and nurtured
through
the years by Mozley and former MGA President
George
Sands. Although always immensely popular, the
event
suffered during the late 1970s and early ‘80s after
The
Daily News dropped its sponsorship. In 1986, the
MGA
(with the financial support of MetLife) purchased the
rights to the Ike. With the MGA’s involvement, the
event regained its stature and quickly became the
area’s premier stroke-play amateur event. The Ike
today attracts more entries than any other MGA
championship for individuals. The Ike is Open to
male
golfers who are members of an MGA member club.
54-hole stroke play championship with a cut after
the first round.
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