Byron Center, MI--The James E. Vos Memorial Tournament Committee today announced Jon Vos and John Mulder as co-MVPs of the 2011 tournament and will jointly hold the coveted Stoke Saver trophy.
Vos is now a three-time MVP, winning it outright in 1997 and sharing the honor in 2006 with Ken Terpstra. This is Mulder's first MVP.
The 2011 Stroke Saver, given to the player or players most instrumental in their team's win, was heavily contested with any one of five different participants vying for the honor. In the end, it was Vos' unbeaten record--despite a tiny asterisk--and Mulder's timely wins that gained them the co-MVP.
Vos played brilliant team match-play golf the entire tournament which is exactly what it takes to win the MVP. His scores weren't the lowest of the week, nor did he lower his handicap significantly. He just won, baby. His lowest score came in the opening round. Paired with Mark Rice, Vos was part of history, playing in the only recorded tournament match where the entire foursome posted sub-80 scores. Even there, his 79 was the highest score of the foursome, but true to his mindset of caring only for the "w" he made crucial contributions on the back 9, propelling his team to a 2&1 win over Team Vander Wal. The pattern would continue. Paired with John Mulder in the second round and Chris Grek in the third round, Vos would card solid 84's and make crucial contributions when it mattered down the stretch. He would pair with his brother in the fourth round scramble for a one-stroke victory to 4-0.
His only asterisk was the last round: singles. Weather delayed the start of the singles match forcing some matches to be cut to 9-holes. Perhaps it was the weather; perhaps the 9-hole format. Neither Vos nor his competitor, Jeff Stuk, played well with Vos winning 3&1 and carding an ugly 47. While this may have bumped others out of contention for the Stroke Saver trophy, Vos' key intangible is how he inspires others. Always the coach, Vos has a knack for relaxing his playing partners and bringing out their best. It is perhaps for this reason alone he has now won more MVPs than any other James E. Vos Memorial Invitational participant.
Equally impressive, but for different reasons, was John Mulder's Stroke Saver-winning 2011. Mulder's 3-2 2011 record is deceptive, proving again it is not always the unbeaten record or the low scores that earn the MVP. Mulder won in all the right places, playing his best golf ever in any previous JEV tournament, and considerably lowering his scoring average. His victories with co-MVP Jon Vos, Chris Grek, and Mark Rice were things of beauty. His scores of 88 (w/Vos) and 90 (with Grek) were tournament career-lows for him, and his pairing with Rice in the scramble resulted in a runaway victory against the formidable duo of Dan Vander Wal and Jim Warners. The scramble win was so decisive, rumor has it celebratory cigars were pulled and lit by the 16th hole.
Even more amazing, Mulder manages to play golf and serve as official team photographer. His lens is never out of reach and he's often seen pulling the trigger on his golf swing immediately followed by pulling the trigger on his camera shutter. Indeed, Mulder deserves his own MVP for the gorgeous photo histories he provides of each tournament.
The tournament committee heartily congratulates this year's Stroke Saver winners.
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