MATT BEALS
PERSONAL – Matt lives in West Sacramento, CA with his wife Danielle, son Griffin (10) and Daughter Teegan (7). He makes his Montemar money as an area sales manager for Banner Engineering. Matt took up golf in 2016 but it took a few years for the addiction to kick in.
TIE TO THE MONTEMAR – Matt is a Bartley Cavanaugh customer who Nate Udy and I see every Sunday morning. Matt walks 18 holes at first daylight, every Sunday, and sometimes Fridays, or Thursdays, or Saturdays, with his buddy Chad Hutchinson. We’ve got to know Matt pretty well here and at some point last year the topic of Montemar came up. I think Matt loved the idea but unfortunately, already had booked a trip to Hawaii in June of 2023 and wasn’t able to make it to Scottsdale. Like many of us, Matt spent a number of years living in Northwest and when Coeur D’alene was announced as the 2024 destination, his ears perked up. He ended up being on the first to jump on board for this 2024 event and will do so in a very similar way to how Jimmy Crider did it last year, without really knowing anybody outside of me and Nate.
There’s a reason Nate and I mentioned this trip to Matt and it’s because he’s an awesome guy who will fit right in with this group. He loves playing golf and I hope we get Matt back year after year for many years to come.
ADDITIONAL CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE MONTEMAR – He’s got the snazziest pair of pink pants I’ve ever seen and they’ll brighten up all your days.
WHAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN IN 2024 – If this tournament was taking place at Bartley Cavanaugh I’d squeeze the jacket on Matt now. He knows every nook and cranny of this golf course and could shoot a 95 here blindfolded. I believe the skills he hones here at Bartley each Sunday will translate well to the Resort Course, as both are short, have some tight tee shots, island greens, and plenty of water. I’m not sure how that matches up to Circling Raven, where sprawling fairways and added length could present an issue. That said, he trains weekly and he does so on foot and before the chickens wake up. The luxury of a golf cart and 8 hours sleep should shave four strokes per round. His payment points are in good shape so far, we’ll se how the draft and random pairings go, and we’ll see if my assumption of Bartley translating to the Resort course holds true. There’s no reason Matt can’t come through with a top 10 finish.
WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED IN 2024 - The killer from Cavanaugh, who only plays Cavanaugh, and only shoots 85s, proved his game can be taken on the road. He opened the 2024 Montemar with an 85 at Circling Raven. He closed the 2024 Montemar with an 85 at The Resort Course. He picked up most of the easy points but whiffed big on the pictures, a mistake that cost him his first ever top 10 finish. He was unlucky in his random pairings and his scramble team shit the bed. As I look this over, a little more luck in the group stuff and taking some pictures were the only things in the way of Matt and a jacket in his first ever Montemar.
WHAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN IN 2025 - I think it’s apparent that Matt is going to go out and shoot two more 85s. Apparently that’s all he does. How those random pairings and scramble team come together will determine a lot. Finding a green or two on the par 3s wouldn’t hurt either. Matt is a sneaky pick as a darkhorse to win this year’s jacket.
ODDS TO WIN – 22--1
FUN FACT – Matt is lactose intolerant, but still eats dairy.
MONTEMARS PLAYED – 1 (2024 - Coeur D’Alene)
MONTEMAR ROUNDS PLAYED – 3 (2024 - Circling Raven x 2, Coeur D’Alene Resort Course)
LIFETIME POINT TOTAL - 310 (41st)
JACKETS WON – 0
TOP 3 FINISHES – 0
TOP 5 FINISHES – 0
TOP 10 FINISHES – 0
RECORDS – 0
TOURNAMENT HANDICAP - 13
INVITED BY – Oliver
PLAYERS INVITED - 0
PRIZES DONATED – Nothing yet but I see him every Sunday.
