Gary Traynham – Submitted
Brandon Ottenwalter of Colusa made an electrifying $10,000 golf shot to highlight the recent Jim Armstrong Swing For A Cure ALS tournament at the Arbuckle Golf Course.
Ottenwalter scored his first ace ever with an 8-iron shot on the 178-yard seventh hole to launch his team to victory in an overwhelmingly successful fund-raiser.
Approximately $27,000 was raised to fight ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis), which is a neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord.
The tournament was named in honor of Armstrong, who died from ALS in April 2022. His wife, Andi Armstrong, spearheaded the event with the Arbuckle and Williams fire departments after learning a friend at Arbuckle Fire had ALS.
“I wanted to make people aware of ALS,” Andi Armstrong said.
Williams and Arbuckle volunteer fire departments, Fred and Allen Gobel (Blue Fire Farms), Colusa Self Storage, and Weston Buildings Inc. were major sponsors for the event.
Friends as distant as former PGA Tour regular Pat McGowan from North Carolina participated in the 80-player tournament.
Ottenwalter, a 4 handicap, led his team to first place with his perfect shot.
“It took one bounce to the right and in the hole,” Ottenwalter said. “I was joking around that I’d never won a cash prize in a tournament before. I said we’ll go to Cache Creek (Casino). I’m sure my wife will have some ideas how to spend it too.”
Brandon, who is a member of both the Arbuckle and Colusa golf clubs, teamed with Brandon Ash, Wes Howard and Bobby Martinez to shoot 46 to easily win the four-person scramble format.
McGowan, Rick Strain, Greg Weber, and Dino Nicolau placed second with 53; followed by Jerry Maltby, Kurt Maltby, Bryson Maltby, Carson Pettit, 56; and Frank Kennedy, Jim Saso, Moe Goforth, Andi Armstrong, 56. Juan Loza, Joe Bowers, Heath Brunner and Bill Armstrong provided good play and comic relief.
Carson Pettit won longest drive and Zane Amaro won closest to the pin.
Fifty percent of the tournament proceeds will go to UC San Francisco ALS, where Dr. Paul Sampognaro (Jim Armstrong’s neurologist) is doing stem cell research related to an ALS cure. He uses a specific person’s genomic signature, studies enzymes and is developing novel methods to investigate the gene mutations in the disease process.
The late Jim Armstrong was given a Tobii Dynavo, which is an eye-driven computer used to communicate when speaking is no longer an option.
Thirty percent of the tournament proceeds will be given to Team Gleason, The Gleason Foundation, which administered the Tobii Dynavo. Steve Gleason was a former New Orleans Saint who is living with ALS. His foundation is often referred to as the Make A Wish group for ALS patients.
In addition, 20 percent will go to ALSA, the national association for ALS patients, their families and caregivers.
Andi Armstrong summed up the event: “What a success. Thank you so much to all who played, donated, helped and encouraged.”â–