The Puerto Los Cabos World Cup and Celebrity Golf Tournament SURVIVED PATRICIA and brought together some diehard golfers and Celebrities, from near and far, for the inaugural tournament event, October 11-14, 2009. 

If you ever get a call from Patricia who says she wants to be part of your golf and fishing event, tell her to go away.  Tell her she is not welcomed.  You don’t even want her around, make her believe that there is a cool tournament in Mazatlan and hopefully she’ll go away and lose some steam.   

We were polite, so when Patricia remained an unwelcomed guest we actually embraced her and gave into her feminine charms, we saw and felt her tears and witnessed her fury, but she also had a little “Sunshine Patty” in her so when her wet cries of anguish took a break, our brave band of golfers went out and had a great time at it in the first Scottish (sideway rain) Open Golf Tournament in Los Cabos. 

Local business man, John Pentz and fishing legend, Harvey Hunnicutt had the vision of a mini week of high end sports fishing and Celebrity golf with an All Star Rock and Roll concert finale. 

Party buster and fishing contest eliminator, Patricia wanted to make our program challenging but thanks to the 110% efforts of the Questro group who stepped up for every event scheduled that had to be rescheduled ending up better than the original plan, we came out on top. 

Our three day golf program consisted of two days of TEAM competition with individual scores used to determine the winner between the USA and Mexico Players.   Four and five man/woman teams consisted of amateurs and Golf Professionals.  A Best Ball format was the order of the day allowing only 3 person’s score for each team to count in the overall TEAM contest.  Ten teams of equal divide (5 USA and 5 Mexico) set off to find the best TEAMS and the Best 8 players on both sides mano a mono for the two days.  The result was in favor of the guest players from the USA as they won the top three TEAM trophy spots and the USA versus Mexico match. 

First day leaders with 212, The Markers, with Michael Broussard, Vince Goett, John Gregerson, Melinda Pentz, and local El Dorado Golf Professional Jaime Diaque couldn’t hold their lead as the team from Turtle Ridge, in California with Richard Vella, Dave Clark, Dave Doyle and former Cabo Real Golf Professional Rob Gutierrez won the Team title with a two day score of 418. Third place went to the colorful guys from AZ Radio in Phoenix, including Danny Schott, the DOG, Joe Freiberg, Dan Wach and the TOP DOG, Uncle Buck, who was also our tournament MC throughout the week. 

On the USA vs. MEXICO match, the top 8 best Mexico individual scores turned in by Ryan Hyland, Andy Lemke, Richard Wood, Ramon Garcia, Jorge Wolburg, Francisco Silva, Tad Snell Alex Gonzalez and Chris Snell were out manned by the US team 1139 to 1182.  All the Mexico team members insisted on a rematch for next year with the promise that Patricia would not be around. 

Our Wednesday AM Celebrity Shotgun start was greeted by the passing of Patricia who gave one last out burst before she left…afterwards, sunshine and sunburns followed and ended with a perfect day for golf included the arrivals of the CELEBIRITES.   Phillip Winchester star of Fly Boys, and CSI played the part of Robinson Crusoe in the movie joined drummer Billy Shaw, National Car Director Luis Tirado, long  ball hitter, Jaime Vega and Alexandro Garza for a great day of golf.   

Ted Tryba, PGA Golf Professional and former Golf Channel analysis, shot a course record 65 at Club Campestre San Jose to the delight of his playing partners from Snell Real Estate group.   

Gregory Harrison, star of Man Eaters and One Tree Hill had the guys from Turtle Ridge in awe of his putting and warm personality.   Willie Gault, former Chicago Bear’s great running back and Olympic hurdler and bobsledder, showed up each day for practice and helped his team from Bahia de los Sueños; Scot Conley, Ryan Hyland, Tad Snell and Local Golf Professional Brad Wheatly.   

Legendary Surfer Mike Doyle showed his skill with “long drive” winner Adrian Schjetnan and his team from Crown Plaza, along with Francisco Silva, Cyrus Chex and Trina Brown, US Counsel for the Baja, winner of the women’s long drive contest. 

Baseball ‘s Hall of Fame and former Atlanta Braves star David Justice gave a great showing with his powerful, wayward shot to our Media team consisting of Ramon Garcia, Jorge Wolburg, Hermes Martinez, and Querencia Club Golf Professional Mario Navarro. 

Actor, Thomas Howell from the Outsiders and Southland entertained his team from Napa Valley.  This group consisting of Mitch Berger, Ron Ewing, Lynne Whipple and Husband Duff had just finished the harvest of fall grapes getting ready for bottling of Cabernets and Chardonnay for future wine tasting holes for next year’s event. 

San Francisco 49’ers great Kermit Alexander lead his team AZ Radio team to third place in the Celebrity event. Second place went to incoming President of the SCPGA, Jason Taylor teamed up with local Golf Professional from Palmilla, Jason Ballog and Cary Sowers and Mike Miller who enjoyed the Questro hospitality and some great Boston Hot Dogs. 

First place winners the Markers Club with PGA Golf Professional Dan Pohl from Detroit, Michigan who promised to tell all his golfing buddies in Michigan that Los Cabos is 80 degrees warmer in December through March and to invite them all to enjoy the best golf in Mexico here in Los Cabos. 

Patricia is no friend to the great people at Questro, starting at the Top with Federico Vaughan and the three directors of Golf , Rodrigo Ubire, Cabo Real, Fernando Ortiz Club Campestre and Sergio Castillo at Puerto Los Cabos, along with so many more, all were friendly and super accommodating. 

Special thanks to Ali Ordoñez from Lifestyle Villas, National Car Rental, Bahia del los Sueños, Diamonds International and Aeromexico, for their sponsorships.

Several over the top cocktail parties and a “got to come back again”, All Star Rock and Roll concert put Los Cabos back on the map.  Mexico Tourism and Baja Sur will reap the benefits for this event for years to come…we thank them for their support and encouragement.  Welcome back to Mexico is alive and well.

The Big winner was Puerto Los Cabos, although not seen by all our guests due to that unpleasant Patricia… now we all know the caliber and quality of the golf courses that they own and manage. The Beach Club at Club Campestre was great and the Last Night cocktail party and Rock and Roll concert at Casa Dorada was over the Top…the BEST in every way possible.

The Puerto Los Cabos World Cup and Celebrity Golf Tournament will be back next year bigger and better… Patricia won’t be invited. 

Chuck Kinder, Golf Director of the Puerto Los Cabos World Cup and Celebrity Golf Tournament, Publisher of the Golf Guide to Los Cabos and Golf Guide to Mexico, President of Best4Golf and Best4Mexicoteetimes.com. He can be reached at ckinder@golfinmexico.net