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Riggs Memorial Champions returns to Lake Course on Sunday

Nick Giambrone watches his drive on No. 9 at Cable Hollow Golf Course during the 2024 Riggs Memorial Champions. Giambrone won the event on the Lake Course at Chautauqua Golf Club in 2023 and returns to the same venue this Sunday for an 11:20 tee time. Times Observer File Photo by Christian Storms

CHAUTAUQUA, N.Y. — The last time the Riggs Memorial Champions took place at Chautauqua Golf Club on the Lake Course it was Cable Hollow Golf Course champion Nick Giambrone firing a 3-under par 69 to join the fraternity of champions.

Giambrone’s victory was made special by accomplishing the feat on Father’s Day by shooting even par on the front and then playing bogey-free on the back with birdies on No. 10, 16 and 18.

Giambrone returns to the field and will look to win back the cup, teeing off in the final grouping at 11:20 with Darien Swanson, Nolan Ditcher and Scott Jagoda.

The tentative tee times of the reigning 9-hole and 18-hole champions of courses located in The Post-Journal, OBSERVER and Times Observer circulation begin at 10:30 a.m. with Jason Stronz, Dave Anderson and Scott Crist.

Following in 10 minute intervals are Casey Vincent, PJ Gronquist and Greg Winter; Taylor Beaver, Peter Caprino and Skete Williams; Pat Smith, Chad Swan and Jordan Marsh and at 11:10 it is Jay Lindell, Nolan Swanson, Austin Stoddard and Josh Harrington.

Pictured is the view from the 140-yard par 3 No. 6 at Chautauqua Golf Club. Times Observer Photo by Christian Storms

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As a member of Chautauqua Golf Club that regularly gets beaten up by both the Lake Course and the Hill Course, I am looking forward to seeing the area’s best golfers get payback for me.

On the front nine, golfers will encounter three par 3s which each present a different challenge to not make a mistake and card a bogey.

No. 4 is the first of them and the longest at 192 yards from the tips and is flanked by two bunkers. No. 6 is 10 yards shorter than No. 8, measuring in at 140 yards from the blue tees, but it is down and over the water making sure golfers know their yardages before approaching.

The golfers can look to try and score on both par 5s before they approach the handicapped hardest holes on the front at No. 7 and 9.

That is my hope before I make the turn, but every right-handed slicer’s nightmare comes at No. 3 when golfers are tasked with traversing the 535-yard par 5 that runs along the road. A few of my golf balls have bounced their way across the street, but I bet most of Sunday’s competitors will not have that worry.

However, there isn’t much to fret about after sending one across the street as I usually restock along the wooded area making my way up the 506-yard No. 5 heading to the water tower. Despite being a little shorter, golfers are tasked with changes in elevation while also going across the street that leads up to the clubhouse.

In the 2023 Riggs Memorial Champions, only Giambrone and Harrington made it through the front nine at an even par 35 and several golfers scored in the 40s.

The back is when Giambrone solidified his win two years ago and it is when I usually stop keeping score.

Measuring out as a 3,452-yard par-37 back 9, golfers have three par 5s to improve their score and historically Gene Sarazen picked up three shots with a double eagle on No. 10.

As a history buff, I love the start with No. 10 and then my favorite hole at Chautauqua is the challenging No. 11 on a raised green guarded by bunkers below and is curved in a way that would make Shakira jealous.

After that it proceeds to go downhill for my score, but not the views and the enjoyment of the course.

The hardest hole on the back is followed by a 195-yard par 3 and then the shortest par 5 coming in at 496 yards before golfers attempt to avoid water on No. 14 and 15.

Both par 3s are the same distance, but No. 15, just like No. 6, golfers must know their yardages to avoid the water or going too far into the woods behind.

In the home stretch, golfers will shoot blindly into the final par 5 fairway on the 564-yard No. 16 and then they reach another historic hole in which Amelia Earhart landed her airplane when visiting Chautauqua Institution on July 20, 1929.

Then on No. 18 the competitors will attempt to end how Giambrone did in 2023, with a birdie — something I’m convinced will never happen for me on that hole — getting after the 338-yard par 4 to end the day on the Double Eagle Patio for what they hope is the Riggs Memorial Champions cup.

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