Kemmer Claims Canadian Q School Victory

Dodge Kemmer (2009) claimed medalist honors at the Canadian Tour's Winter Qualifying School in Desert Hot Springs, California. Kemmer won by two shots and was one of two players to finish under par after carding rounds of 68-69-75 for a three round 4 under par total of 212. He joins Rob Grube (2008) and Jim Seki (2003) as Cardinal on the Canadian Tour.

Alumni Update

The Men's Varsity Team has had a busy winter and spring as they push towards the championship season. Currently, the team is preparing for the Morris Williams Intercollegiate in Austin, Texas. Meanwhile, junior David Chung is at Augusta National with former Stanford standouts Tom Watson and Tiger Woods fine tuning their games for this week's Masters Tournament. That is not to say that Stanford alums have not been busy and grabbing the headlines themselves. Here are some of the highlights below:

Frank "Sandy" Tatum (Class of 1942) - On February 6th Tatum, pictured above with Ken Venturi and Jim Nantz, was inducted into the NCGA Hall of Fame. Additionally, Tatum was inducted into the Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame on March 7th alongside legends George Seifert, Dwight Clark and friend of the golf program, Juli Inkster. Tatum was introduced by close friend and fellow Stanford alum Tom Watson.

Grant Spaeth (Class of 1954) - Spaeth was also inducted into the NCGA Hall of Fame alongside Tatum, Ken Venturi and Jack Bariteau.

Zack Miller (Class of 2007) - In his rookie year on the PGA Tour, Miller has made 7 of 10 cuts posting 1 top 10 and 3 top 25 finishes. With $338,239 in earnings this year, Miller is in 74th place on the PGA Tour Money List.

Joe Bramlett (Class of 2010) - As a rookie on the PGA Tour, Bramlett has made the weekend in 4 of 8 events. He is 192nd on the money list with $45, 223 in earnings.

Dodge Kemmer (Class of 2009) - After Monday qualifying for the Chitimacha Louisiana Open with an 8 under 64, Kemmer carded a career best 33rd place finish on the Nationwide Tour at 4 under par after rounds of 74-68-66-72. His next event is this week at Canadian Tour Q School in Palm Springs. If Kemmer successfully completes Q school he will join Stanford alums Rob Grube (2008) and Jim Seki (2003) on the Canadian Tour.

Sandy Tatum and Grant Spaeth inaugurated into NCGA Hall of Fame

Two of Stanford's all-time greats, Sandy Tatum and Grant Spaeth, were inaugurated into the Northern California Golf Association's Hall of Fame on Feb 6, 2011 as part of it's initial class of inductees which also included Ken Venturi and Jack Bariteau.  The NCGA announcement can be found here.  Sandy Tatum is also a member of the Stanford Hall of Fame.  A wide ranging video interview with Grant Spaeth can be found here.

The NCGA's press release included the following about Tatum and Spaeth:

Sandy Tatum

Frank "Sandy" Tatum

The rich golf legacy of Frank “Sandy” Tatum is crystalized by his now-famous defense of the punishing setup of Winged Foot for the 1974 U.S. Open. When he said, “Our objective is not to humiliate the best players in the world. It’s to identify them,” Tatum spoke with the passion, eloquence, clarity and vision of a man who regarded golf as more than just a sport. To him, it veered close to a spiritual experience, and he attached that kind of love to every golf endeavor, whether it was striking a 5-iron to a tightly-guarded green or serving as the president of the United States Golf Association from 1978 to 1980.

Tatum, raised in Los Angeles on the fairways of Wilshire and Bel Air country clubs, became a Stanford man, a Phi Beta Kappa graduate and a Rhodes scholar at Oxford. Raised by a father who took the game seriously, Tatum could golf his ball. He was a member of Stanford’s back-to-back NCAA golf championships in 1941 and ’42, and during the latter year he also captured the individual title. For that, he is a member of the Stanford Athletic Hall of Fame. Sandy also was the first American to play golf for Oxford, where he was conditioned to understand that playing in bad weather was a fundamental part of the game.

From there, the longtime attorney dedicated his life to the betterment of of golf. Few men, with the possible exception of Bobby Jones and Bill Campbell, have done more for amateur golf than Tatum. His accomplishments ring like churchbells over the decades. From his service on the USGA executive committee during the 1970s, to his bringing his beloved Pebble Beach onto the U.S. Open rotation, to his collaboration with Tom Watson and Robert Trent Jones Jr. in the creation of Spanish Bay in 1987, and to his tireless push toward the restoration of Harding Park in San Francisco, Sandy has attacked each project with the energy of a teenager.

Today, at 90 years old, he remains one of golf’s most influential purists. His life, like that signature pause at the top of his swing, has been unforgettable. More than 36 years after his memorable words at Winged Foot,  we identify Frank “Sandy” Tatum as an inductee to the Northern California Golf Association Hall of Fame.

Grant Spaeth

Grant Spaeth

Grant Spaeth’s lifelong impact on golf actually is the reverse–the game impacted him and never let go.

From his NCAA team title at Stanford in 1953 to his eventful years from 1990 to ’92 as president of the United States Golf Association, Spaeth’s contribution to the game continues to this day. Simply, Spaeth was born  to serve the game. He was a graduate of Palo Alto High and the son of the Dean of the Stanford Law School. While his father was stationed in Montevideo, Uruguay, Spaeth was introduced to golf on a course across the street from his home. Later as a teenager, he caddied for the Stanford golf team, and it wasn’t too long before he and his Stanford teammates became national champions.

Spaeth graduated from the Harvard Law School and served in the U.S. Army followed by the Reserves. His law practice in Palo Alto was the foundation to years of public service. Spaeth was the Deputy Secretary for the Department of Health, Education and Welfare from 1978 to ’80 and also served as a Palo Alto city councilman. Then came years of work on various USGA committees, leading to his USGA presidency and a list of accomplishments to remember. He may have been the best reach-out-to-people person who ever filled the USGA president’s chair. Spaeth was instrumental in bringing the British Open back to Carnoustie, Scotland. He founded the U.S. Men’s Mid-Amateur and Women’s Mid-Amateur Championships. He created the USGA’s regional affairs departments.

Through it all, Spaeth’s affection for the game remained rich. On Sunday mornings before the final round of the Masters, he often walked Augusta National’s back nine alone, savoring the memories and the promise of what was ahead. Closer to home, he has entertained TV viewers on “Hooked on Golf”  with his articulate, entertaining and informative essays on the game and its rules. “I want more people exposed to the game,” he said recently. “Those who take to it will be lucky and should be thankful.” The Northern California Golf Association is proud and honored to induct Grant Spaeth to its Hall of Fame.

Stanford stars of past shine under the sun at Pebble

San Jose Mercury News Article By JOhn Reid - Daily News Staff Writer

Posted: 02/11/2011 12:02:49 AM PST

PEBBLE BEACH -- Stanford Athletic Director Bob Bowlsby made it just in time to watch former Cardinal stars Zack Miller and Joseph Bramlett tee off at Pebble Beach Golf Links. Miller and Bramlett, who acquired their PGA Tour cards at the same Q-School in December in Orlando, Fla., were about to have themselves a special day under the bright, coastal sun at the AT&T Pro-Am.

Miller's amateur partner is Scott McNealy, co-founder of Sun Microsystems, who lives in Portola Valley. Playing with Bramlett is Jerry Yang, co-founder of Yahoo, who resides in Los Altos Hills. Miller and Bramlett were hardly yahoos on the course.

Bramlett carded a 3-under-par 69, four strokes behind co-leaders D.A. Points and Steve Marino. Bramlett registered six birdies, three bogeys. Miller, who had four birdies and four bogeys, finished an even-par 72.

They both have a chance to improve their score today on the Monterey Peninsula Country Club's Shore Course, the easiest of the three courses used in the tournament. The foursome tees off at 8:44 a.m. on the 10th tee.

Miller was a senior at Stanford when Bramlett, a St. Francis-Mountain View alum, was a freshman. That year, 2007, the Cardinal won the NCAA men's golf championship. On Thursday, they were competing against each other. Bramlett has some catching up to do. Miller won $121,000 on the Nationwide Tour last year and has a $63,000 edge over Bramlett in money earnings, their PGA careers in embryonic stages.

Miller tied for 25th at the Bob Hope Classic and tied for 29th at the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines.

"Joe and I are close friends," said Miller, who prepped at the Branson School in Ross, Calif. "That said, we really want to beat each other. There were a couple of times when we had conversations up the fairway. We're both focusing on what we have to do ourselves. When this event is over, we'll look back and say, 'How fun was that?'"

"It was awesome playing with Zack," Bramlett said. "We have so many special memories."

Miller had the most dynamic shots, bailing himself out of potential trouble. He holed out from 57 yards out at No. 18 to salvage par, the ball taking one hop and into the cup. It was a great up-and-down for Miller, who hit a provisional ball after his drive found the ocean. At the par-4 No. 16, Miller chipped in for birdie. After chunking one out of the trap at the par-3 No. 5, Miller took a slow walk toward the ocean to gather himself. He returned and promptly chipped in for par.

Read the complete article in the SJ Mercury News.

Miller and Bramlett in Hot Pursuit of Tour Card

With two rounds remaining Zack Miller (2007, pictured above) and Joseph Bramlett (2010, pictured below) are both in strong position to make the final push to earn their very first PGA Tour Cards. Miller is in 3rd place at 13 under par after turning in four impressive rounds of 70, 68, 67 and 68 at the Tour Qualifying School in Winter Garden, FL. Bramlett is in 21st place at 8 under par after carding rounds of 67, 73, 69 and 69 in his very first appearance. The top 25 plus ties earn their 2011 PGA Tour Cards so the next two rounds will be pressure packed for both Miller and Bramlett. You may follow their progress live by clicking here or tuning into the Golf Channel Sunday, 1pm - 4pm eastern and Monday 12:30pm - 4pm eastern. Go Cardinal!

Bramlett and Miller Advance to Final Stage

Joe Bramlett (2010, pictured above) and Zack Miller (2007, pitcured below) advanced to the final stage of the PGA Tour Qualifying School to be held December 1st - 6th at Orange County National Golf Center and Lodge in Orlando, Florida. Bramlett and Miller, who are former teammates and All-Americans from the 2007 National Champion Stanford team, finished tied for 4th and tied for 6th respectively at the Bayonet Golf Course in Seaside, CA. Bramlett carded rounds of 69, 65, 70 and 72 for a 12 under par total. Miller followed suit with rounds of 68, 67, 71 and 72 to finish at 10 under par two shots back of Bramlett.

Also competing was former teammate Dodge Kemmer (2009) who fired rounds of 69, 71, 71 and 75 for 2 under par total of 286 that left him just 5 shots behind the final qualifying spot at 7 under par. Unfortuntately, Alex Aragon (2000) also fell short of advancing to the final stage. Aragon finished tied for 46th at Bear Creek Golf Club in Murrieta, CA.

Cardinal Compete for Card in California

Joseph Bramlett (2010, upper left), Zack Miller (2007, upper right), Dodge Kemmer (2009, lower left) and Alex Aragon (2000, lower right) will continue their quest to earn a 2011 PGA Tour Card in the Second Stage of Tour Qualifying School November 17th through the 20th. Bramlett, Kemmer and Miller will compete at the Bayonet and Black Horse Golf Course in the Monterey neighboring town of Seaside, CA. Aragon is set to play at Bear Creek Golf Club in Murrieta, CA. The number of qualifying spots at each site have yet to be determined, but the top finishers will earn on spot in December's Final Qualifying Stage where finalists will compete for a 2011 PGA Tour Card or status on the 2011 Nationwide Tour. We encourage the Cardinal faithful in Northern California or Southern California to get out and support these fine players.