Saturday, February 21, 2026 was a perfect “winter tournament day” at Poplar Creek: the first groups went off at 7:30 AM in a cold start (high 30s), then the round steadily opened up into much friendlier scoring temperatures right around 60°F as the morning moved along. The format added just the right amount of edge. We played lift, clean, and place (preferred lies), and the day featured three separate prize pools: Beat President Jason Pollard Beat Club Pro Dana Banke Beat the tour professional Christian Banke The headline: one player “beat them all” Shawn Fox didn’t just win the net competition—he was also the only player who finished low enough to beat all three targets. The cut lines were simple: To beat Christian (70) you needed 69 or better → only Shawn (67) did it. To beat Dana (72) you needed 71 or better → again, only Shawn (67) got there. To beat Jason (79) you needed 78 or better → more than half the field took this one down. Dana still had plenty of bite in his 72, and two challengers played him dead even: Joe Ghio (72) and Dave Koons (72) matched the club pro number exactly. Christian’s even-par 70 was the “real pro score” benchmark—clean, steady, and tough to chase. Shawn Fox (5) set the tone with net 67 (-3). He stacked 5 net birdies, with highlights on #4, #11, and #16—the kind of scoring that makes the “Beat the Pro” targets feel like they’re shrinking. Christian Banke (0) answered with net 70 (E). With no strokes in play, he still wrote up 5 birdies (including #4, #6, and #9) and basically reminded everyone what a true “pro par” looks like under tournament pace. Joe Ghio (6) came in at net 72 (+2) and flat-out held his ground. He rolled in 4 net birdies (including #4, #9, and #13) and matched Dana’s number—no small thing on a day where the pro targets were real. Dave Koons (16) also landed at net 72 (+2) and made his handicap work exactly the way best-net golf is supposed to. He dropped a net eagle on #5—the type of hole that changes the energy in the group—then backed it up with net birdies on #6 and #16. Dana Banke (0) posted net 72 (+2) the hard way—no dots, no extra strokes, just score. His round included net birdies on #4 and #8, and his number held as a legit “club pro” line all day. Thomas Kmak (7) chased it down with net 73 (+3). His finish mattered: a net birdie on #18 is the kind of closing swing that often moves you multiple places in a tight field. Joshua Baltor (16) put up net 73 (+3) and found scoring windows when they appeared. He notched 4 net birdies (including #4, #5, and #8) and stayed in red-number territory for long stretches. Andy Kishore (10) signed for net 73 (+3) with 3 net birdies, including #3 and #13, and kept the card from getting noisy—exactly what this format rewards. Arthur White (8) also finished at net 73 (+3) and stole a shot with a net birdie on #4, then held on with steady hole-to-hole golf. Seamus Mccullagh (13) had net 73 (+3) and brought fireworks early: he turned in 32 on the front nine before a tougher 41 on the back. His card included a net eagle on #5 plus 4 net birdies (including #1, #6, and #8). Daniel Murray (8) came home with net 74 (+4) and delivered one of the day’s biggest highlights: a net eagle on #9. He added 3 net birdies (including #7 and #13) and kept his team’s momentum moving. Michael Sevillia (18) posted net 74 (+4) and made the strokes count. He found 4 net birdies (including #1, #5, and #8) and gave himself a lot of “live holes” on the dot boxes. Tim Cole (18) turned in net 75 (+5) and scratched out scoring when it mattered—net birdies on #15 and #17 are the kind of late-round boosts that keep the round respectable. David Butzman (10) finished at net 75 (+5) and grabbed a key shot with a net birdie on #16, a hole where one good swing can flip the entire nine. Steve Mendoza (16) recorded net 75 (+5) and leaned into the dot holes smartly. He produced net birdies on #4 and #13 and avoided the big blowups that wreck net events. Randy Gubert (13) shot net 76 (+6) and put together a round that trended the right way: 42 on the front, then 34 coming home. He picked up net birdies on #11 and #15 and clearly found something on the back nine. Kevin O’Malley (21) signed for net 76 (+6) and used his strokes to stay competitive. Net birdies on #11 and #17 were big, and his round had the “one more putt drops and it’s a different story” feel. Brian Cresta (2) posted net 76 (+6) with a tidy profile for a low index. He grabbed a net birdie on #8 and kept the ball in play enough to give himself looks. Manny Casillas (17) finished at net 76 (+6) and did his damage with timing: net birdies on #3 and #15 are the exact spots where a team round can turn. Bret Evans (13) came in with net 77 (+7) and snagged a key shot with a net birdie on #13, then fought through the rest of the card without letting it spiral. Saad Saleem (9) closed with net 78 (+8) and found two scoring holes—net birdies on #2 and #5—showing the upside that’s always right there in this format. Michael Shaffer (10) also posted net 78 (+8) and grabbed a shot with a net birdie on #14, a classic “scorecard-saver” hole when it shows up. Curtis Roe (15) finished at net 78 (+8) with 4 net birdies (including #6, #10, and #12)—a lot of red numbers that kept him hanging around the Jason line. Skip Sanzeri (14) recorded net 78 (+8) and didn’t need a pile of birdies to be relevant. He strung together 11 net pars and had a steady run of six holes at net par or better—good tournament golf when the putter isn’t going crazy. John Fauss (4) shot net 79 (+9) and finished strong: 43 on the front, then 36 coming home. Net birdies on #2 and #14 helped him stay right at the President number. Joe Cioni (14) also ended at net 79 (+9) with 3 net birdies (including #1 and #16) and kept giving himself chances on the stroke holes. Jason Pollard (0) posted net 79 (+9) as the President target, and he made everyone earn it. With no strokes, he still grabbed a net birdie on #9 and forced the field to actually play golf to take his pool down. Rob Carballar (13) matched at net 79 (+9) and picked up a shot with a net birdie on #13, landing right on that “beat the President” line. John Edmondson (7) finished at net 80 (+10) and found scoring twice—net birdies on #4 and #13—which kept his round competitive even when a few holes didn’t cooperate. Joel Spielman (24) posted net 81 (+11) and made his handicap matter with 4 net birdies (including #4, #5, and #7). In a “lift, clean, and place” day, he did exactly what the format allows: clean lies, confident swings, and cashing strokes. Larry Shaw (24) came in at net 82 (+12) and found net birdies on #4 and #15, showing up with scoring on holes where those dots can really pay off. George Kellner (17) also finished at net 82 (+12) and wrote up 4 net birdies (including #4, #6, and #7)—plenty of red ink that can turn into a big move the next time a couple pars replace bogeys. Armando Sandoval (14) shot net 82 (+12) with 3 net birdies (including #4 and #7), and he kept generating scoring opportunities even when the round got bumpy. Tom Mulkeen (29) posted net 83 (+13) and started fast: 37 on the front before a tougher 46 on the back. He still found a net birdie on #5, and with that many strokes in play, his upside is obvious. Walter Koning (20) finished at net 84 (+14) with net birdies on #7 and #15, and he kept battling through the dot holes to keep his net score moving. Glenn Natenson (21) shot net 85 (+15) and grabbed a shot on #10 with a net birdie—exactly the kind of hole that keeps the round from getting away. Kelly Ina (25) posted net 86 (+16) and found net birdies on #4 and #7, two holes where converting a stroke hole is a real momentum booster. Larry Michelini (27) finished at net 86 (+16) and scored with net birdies on #6 and #11, showing the kind of “two-hole swing” that can change a round quickly. Paul Weiland (12) came in at net 88 (+18) with net birdies on #9 and #16, finding scoring at the right times even if the overall round was a grind. Rick Salzer (18) posted net 89 (+19) and had 18 handicap strokes in play (including a couple double-stroke holes). He still produced 3 net birdies (including #2 and #14), and that’s the key takeaway: the scoring windows were there, and he converted several of them.