Andy Fox Wins PEGT TOUR Player of the Year

Finishing in 12th place in the final Player of the Year point standings, Andy Fox from Minnesota made a quiet entrance into the double elimination bracket that began on Sunday afternoon in Dallas.  I think that is how Andy Fox likes it as he was seen walking around the tournament room Friday night with a hoodie pulled up over his head, trying to hide and go unnoticed in a room full of the best Golden Tee players in the world.   On the daily GT leader boards, you can find familiar names of Kinz, Ship It, Thor, The Mouth, Banaments, Lemon Aids, to name a few but try to locate Andy Fox and his ever changing nickname can be somewhat challenging to some. 

If it was Andy's plan to go unnoticed in the Final 32 man bracket, that quickly changed as Jeff Vordahl let everyone know that Andy posted a -26 in beating him by one stroke on Dusty Bend, a course Fox says he despises.  He followed that with wins over one of the tournament favorties, Jeff Lannen and then put up another -26,  this time on Auburn Glen versus Stuart Fox, to claim a not so nice 10 stroke victory against one of the nicest players in Golden Tee.  

Not a loud, vocal player but Andy Fox was showing that he came to play.   In his next match, Fox found himself down 1 then 2 and then 3 strokes early versus Danny Beall.  Keeping his composure, Andy made up the ground and then some on the tough finishing holes on Auburn Glen to wind up with a 3 stroke lead of his own.  He moved on to the King of the Hill match against Jeff Harlow, 2004 World Champion, who had just taken second place in the Dallas Holiday Classic main event.  Another narrow 1 stroke victory and Andy Fox was in the hot seat where he had time to contemplate his championship match.  

It would be not get any easier as he would face either Harlow or Lannen, and with Harlow's one stroke victory, it was a rematch of the king of the hill - Fox vs Harlow.  Teeing off on Tundra Peak, the two matched each other shot for shot until Harlow gained a one stroke lead.  Into 18 they went, with a nasty look, Harlow landed the green but left himself a down 10, right 8 putt.  Fox also landed the green and left himself a more desirable, but only relatively speaking, putt, extreme downhill to the hole as well.  Harlow lagged his putt to ensure the extra holes, at minimum, and Fox made his putt to force Sudden Death. 

With the entire room watching, even joking with the players at times, the mood was still tense as Fox and Harlow again played perfect, hole for hole thru the front 8 holes of Tundra.  With Andy teeing off first on hole 9, he landed the green and Jeff came up just short in the snow.  A missed, tough chip and Andy Fox had to make a putt he has made 1000 times in his life, but this time it was for Player of the Year honors.  He left no doubts as it went center cup.  

Andy Fox - aka Luxury Tax aka Flying Train aka Fishing It Up aka PEGT Player of the Year for 2011 was seen smiling for the rest of the night.  Maybe it was due to his claiming first title, maybe it was the $2300 he won as champion, maybe it was the effects of victory shots, or maybe, just maybe, it was because he finally got to talk to Damage Inc.

See Everyone in 2012