The club’s 5-Club Tournament delivered exactly what this format is supposed to deliver: uncomfortable choices, creative shotmaking, bruised egos, and a leaderboard that stayed tense until the final cards were posted. With players limited to only five clubs total, including the putter, every round became a puzzle. Four clubs had to cover tee shots, approaches, escapes, chips, and touch shots. There was no perfect setup. Only judgment, imagination, and nerve. Scores were posted at Poplar Creek GC, with play across the Black and Gold tees, and a total purse of $240 allocated across the two flights. Flight 1: Randy Gubert Outduels Shawn Fox by One Shot Flight 1 turned into a classic one-shot duel between Randy Gubert and Shawn Fox, with Randy ultimately claiming the top prize with a superb net 67, three under par. In a format where one missing club can turn a routine shot into a crisis, Randy’s card showed the kind of steady, tactical golf that wins 5-club events. He went 40 out, 41 in, for an 81 gross, and used his 14 strokes to maximum effect. The result: first place, net 67, and $50. But the round of the day from a pure ball-striking standpoint belonged to Shawn Fox. Playing off a 4 handicap with only four clubs plus putter, Shawn produced a remarkable 72 gross, going 36-36. That is elite control under restricted conditions. He finished at net 68, just one shot behind Randy, earning second place and $40. On another day, that score wins the tournament outright. In this one, it became the hard-luck silver medal. Dave Koons secured third place with a strong net 72. Dave’s gross 88 included a gritty 43 on the front and 45 on the back, enough to hold off a charging pack behind him and take home $30. His round had the feel of a player who understood the format: avoid the catastrophic number, stay patient, and let the handicap work. Just outside the money, Marc Trapani made a serious run with a net 73, only one shot behind Dave. Marc matched Dave’s gross 88, splitting the round evenly at 44-44, and showed impressive balance across both nines. In a tournament defined by narrow margins, Marc was right there. Felila Esikia followed with a solid net 75, posting 89 gross with a 44-45 split. Felila stayed competitive throughout the day and produced one of the steadier middle-board performances in Flight 1. Curtis Roe finished one shot behind Felila at net 76, with a 90 gross and matching 45-45 nines. That kind of symmetry says a lot in a 5-club format. Curtis did not fade; he held his level all the way around. David Butzman posted a net 79, opening with a respectable 43 before the back nine pushed back with a 48. His 91 gross kept him ahead of several players, and his front nine showed he had the tools to contend. Joe Cioni, playing the Gold tees, battled his way to a 95 gross and net 83. Joe’s card showed the kind of steady fight required in this format, where recovery options are limited and every awkward distance becomes a test. Arthur White rounded out Flight 1 with a 93 gross and net 84. Arthur had a very respectable 44 on the front, but the back nine proved tougher. Still, his gross score was far from the highest in the field, and he remained competitive in a flight packed with strong players. Flight 2: Joshua Baltor Wins a One-Shot Battle Flight 2 had its own thriller, with Joshua Baltor edging Walter Koning by a single shot. Joshua’s winning formula was balance. He posted 45 on the front and 45 on the back, finishing with a 90 gross and net 72. In a 5-club tournament, that kind of even-keel golf is gold. No wild swings. No collapse. Just controlled survival. Joshua earned first place and $50. Walter Koning made him earn every bit of it. Walter shot 93 gross and net 73, finishing just one shot back and collecting $40 for second place. His front nine 45 put him in position, and although the back nine came in at 48, he stayed close enough to make the final standings uncomfortable for the winner. Tom Collins claimed third place with a net 77, good for $30. Tom’s gross 103 may not look gentle on paper, but in this format, scorecards can get ugly fast. His 51-52 split showed consistency, and his handicap work was enough to secure a money finish. Behind the top three, Tom Mulkeen and Bill Stevens finished tied at net 85, but they arrived there in different ways. Mulkeen posted a 109 gross, going 55-54, while Stevens shot 101 gross, with a 51 on the front and 50 on the back. Bill’s back-nine 50 was one of the better recovery efforts among the Flight 2 middle group, while Tom Mulkeen kept grinding through a difficult setup that gave nobody many easy answers. Larry Shaw finished at net 88, carding a 113 gross. Larry had a workable front nine at 52, but the back nine became a war of attrition at 61. Still, he completed the round in a format that can punish every missing club in the bag. Kevin O’Malley produced one of the most dramatic scorecard turnarounds of the tournament. After a brutal 60 on the front nine, Kevin came roaring back with a 47 on the back. That 13-shot improvement was one of the day’s great resilience stories. He finished 107 gross, net 89, but the back nine deserves special mention. Kevin did not mail it in. He found something and fought back hard. Rick Salzer closed at net 92, with a 109 gross. Rick’s scorecard showed the grind of the format: 54 out, 55 in, a steady battle against limited club selection and a course that refused to give much away. John Elkington was listed as NS, but still deserves mention as part of the field. In club events, showing up on the roster is part of the story, and John’s name belongs in the recap with the rest of the group. Final Results Flight 1 Place Player Gross Net Purse 1 Randy Gubert 81 67 $50 2 Shawn Fox 72 68 $40 3 Dave Koons 88 72 $30 4 Marc Trapani 88 73 — 5 Felila Esikia 89 75 — 6 Curtis Roe 90 76 — 7 David Butzman 91 79 — 8 Joe Cioni 95 83 — 9 Arthur White 93 84 — Flight 2 Place Player Gross Net Purse 1 Joshua Baltor 90 72 $50 2 Walter Koning 93 73 $40 3 Tom Collins 103 77 $30 4 Tom Mulkeen 109 85 — 5 Bill Stevens 101 85 — 6 Larry Shaw 113 88 — 7 Kevin O’Malley 107 89 — 8 Rick Salzer 109 92 — NS John Elkington — — — Closing Note The 5-Club Tournament is not about perfect golf. It is about adaptation. It asks every player to choose what they can live without, then spend 18 holes proving whether they chose correctly. This year, Randy Gubert and Joshua Baltor handled that challenge better than anyone in their flights. Randy held off a brilliant gross round from Shawn Fox, while Joshua outlasted Walter Koning in a one-shot Flight 2 battle. There were money winners, close calls, comeback stories, and plenty of evidence that golf is hard enough with 14 clubs — and wonderfully chaotic with only five.