Most rode. Some walked. One man ran.

The scene: The 15th annual Leland "Butch Simas/Felix Fly, M.D. Memorial Golf Tournament Monday at the Santa Maria Country Club.

On a beautiful summer-like day, 144 golfers and more than 60 volunteers took part in the annual fund raising event for the Marian Medical Center.

The tournament honors the memory of two men who were special in the eyes of the city and the medical center. It also raises money to improve and expand the hospital/s ability to serve the community.

"Those are the two best reasons I can think of," said Dr. James Sweeney.

Sweeney, a doctor of internal medicine at Marian, was one of Dr. Fly/s best friends.

"He was one of my partners. He/s the guy who pretty much launched me into private practice," Sweeney said. "I play in his honor every year."

Sweeney also ran the entire three-plus mile course.

"I/m just trying to get in some exercise," he said downplaying his unusual way of traversing the course.

Proceeds from this year/s tournament, expected to be between ,25,000 and ,30,000, will benefit the Obstetrics Unit and the Newborn Nursery.

"Each year the (Marian) Foundation rotates where the money goes," said Chuck Cova, the President of Marian Medical Center.

The tournament is played as a four-person scramble. On each hole, all four team members tee off. They then choose the best lie off the tee and all four play their next shot from that spot.

It/s a format that allows all teams a chance at a good score.

"It/s always a great event whether you score well or come out just for fun," Cova said.

There are winners in low gross (no handicap figured in) and low net (handicaps included) along with prizes for hitting the longest drive, and several closest-to-the-pin awards.

The low gross title, with a score of 56, went to the team from Great White Dental; Mike Gluyas, Jeff Gough, Deon Smit and Jim Spallino.

The low net title, with a score of 51.1, went to the team of Kim Kirchhof, Richard Koval, Pat Palangi and Gerald Schmidt.

Second place, with a net of 52, went to the team of Bruce Coggin, Ray Down, Steve Hollister and John Riedel.

Third place, with a net of 52.8, went to the Dr. David Carty team.

Father and son Ed and Eddie Murray, Connie Smith and Scott Jacobsen played in Dr. Carty/s honor. Dr. Carty, a longtime Santa Maria obstetrician who delivered thousands of babies at the hospital over the years, passed away several weeks ago. He had played in the first 14 Marian Tournaments.

"Eddie took Dr. Carty/s place on our team this year/" said Ed Murray of his son. "Dave played in this tournament every year. No one in Santa Maria was more loved and no one made more people happy than David Carty."

The closest-to-the-pin winners were; Bill Richards, hole no. 3 at 43 1/2 inches, Eddie Murray, hole no. 7 at 8-feet 8-inches, Laurie Jordan and Fred Gant, tied at 3-feet 3-inches on hole no. 13 and Rich Koval on hole no. 16 at 20-inches.

The long drive winners were Diana Dykstra and Lance Newton.

Each year an award is presented to the team that /Beats the Media/, that is, the team that comes in directly ahead on the local media team.

This year/s media team was made up of Rick Blaemire, from KUHL-AM/KTME-AM/s SportsTalk, and Dave Ulrickson, Lori Pippen and Dave Alley 7 all from KCOY-TV/KKFX-TV. They posted a net of 53.8.

Just ahead, at 53.4, was the Santa Maria Times/Pulitzer Central Coast Newspaper team of Vern Ahrendes, John Timothy, Michael Gamboan and Dan Vreeland.

There is also a special achievement prize for the team with the day/s highest score.

For the past three Marian Tournaments that award went to the team of Colleen Strom, Sue Anderson, Mary Michael and Kathleen Sullivian.

This year the ladies decided there/d be "No more in 04".

They practiced 7 "We called it our two week plan session," said Michael 7 and even had special "No more in 04" visors made.

"I think our hats worked," said Strom. "This tournament is always fun, especially when we don/t lose."

This year the special achievement prize was captured by the team of Craig Miller, Mary Ann Kelly, Tim Mahoney and George Wittenberg.

As always, there are Santa Maria Elks everywhere.

Volunteers from local Lodge 1538 are out early, putting up the hole sponsorship flags. They have a special tri-tip Santa Maria barbecue on the course and then are the last ones out in the evening, removing the sponsors/ flags. The Elks also had four teams in the tournament.

"We/ve been with them since they began in 1987," said Fred Gant, an Elk who is also on the tournament planning committee. "It/s for a great cause and we are all very proud to be associated with the hospital and the tournament."

"I think the best thing about this tournament is seeing the variety of people all coming out for a common cause and all having a good time with each other," said Emergency Room physician Dr. Chuck Merrill (who along with Noni Thayer co-chairs the event) as the day was winding down. "We had a full field. We had wonderful, generous corporate sponsors. It was a great time."

"From the start of this day to the very end, everything was perfect," said John Will, the President of the Marian Foundation. "There were only winners out here today."

March 30, 2004