PHILL KERR

PERSONAL – Phil lives in West Sacramento, CA with his wife Heather and daughter, Penelope (6). He’s made a career for himself selling snap on tools to corporate and government accounts. Phil took up golf when he was 14 and joined his high school team as a sophomore. He never took it too seriously until he got his own set of clubs in 2021 and hasn’t looked back since.

TIE TO THE MONTEMAR – Phil and Justin met about 15 years ago when they both lived in downtown Sacramento. Justin tried to get Phil into the first and second Montemars, at one point was signed up for the first, but work and family obligations kept him away.

. Phil plays my golf course from time and time and I’ve gotten to know him a bit because of that. I know many of us get impatient having to wait an entire year for the golf trip to get here, imagine waiting 3. That’s basically where Phil is right now and it’s shows. He’s been absolutely pumped about this from day 1 and is typically the first to do anything asked. The excitement is contagious and I’m excited for him. He’s a very courteous guy who loves to play golf and makes another fantastic addition to this tournament. Hopefully he stays on board for many years to come.

 ADDITIONAL CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE MONTEMAR – Phil is donating another snap on ratchet. Phil has also been great in always doing things first and also in helping to get other people into this wonderful tournament.

 WHAT NEEDED TO HAPPEN IN 2024 – Phil has a solid all-around game and according to Justin is pretty long off the tee. From everything I can tell Circling Raven has some huge fairways and should really benefit the long hitters, while The Resort Course is much shorter and tighter. Long can still play on the short courses but it better be straight. As mentioned above, Phil almost got on board with us in our inaugural season and, had he done so, would already be a seasoned vet with understanding all the oddities this tournament holds. A big key for him, which I think he’s already succeeded with, will be really paying attention to the written and word and getting a really good understanding of how this thing works before heading in. The nature of this tournament makes it nearly impossible for any rookies not named Scottie Scheffler to win, but if Phil catches a little luck in some of the random stuff there’s no reason to think he can’t finish near the top. That said, who really cares about placement (Tim Wat), and I’m sure Phil is going to have a blast.

WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED IN 2024 - Phil showed up to his first Montemar in a big way. He proved that he’d taken some time to understand the system by taking advantage of all the easy point. A huge feat that helped him to a 7th place overall finish and the 2024 Rookie of the Year. The scramble team was built from a friend standpoint but wasn’t strategically sound. Had that been different Phil could have had a top 3 finish at his first ever Montemar.

WHAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN IN 2025 - Phil needs to do a hell of a lot more of the same in 2025. Play solid golf, continue to capture the easy points, and hope for some good luck with the random pairings. Hitting a few more par 3s wouldn’t hurt, nor would factoring in strategy while building the scramble team. The ladder could have the biggest affect on how he finishes in Reno. There are also still referral points on the table. Adding a guy or two for 5 to 10 points could end up making a huge difference at the end.

 ODDS TO WIN – 19-1

 FUN FACT – I mentioned it above but just in case you’re a skimmer, Phil is the first to do anything. If I send out a request for any information, I am learning to always expect Phil to be the first to respond. I appreciate it very much.

MONTEMARS PLAYED – 1 (2024 - Coeur D’Alene)

MONTEMAR ROUNDS PLAYED – 3 (2024 - Circling Raven x 2, Coeur D’Alene Resort Course)

LIFETIME POINT TOTAL - 322.5 (34TH)

JACKETS WON – 0

TOP 3 FINISHES – 0

TOP 5 FINISHES – 0

TOP 10 FINISHES – 1 (7TH IN 2024/ROOKIE OF THE YEAR)

RECORDS – 0

TOURNAMENT HANDICAP – 12

INVITED BY –  Justin Isaacks

PLAYERS INVITED -  Chris Anzalone, Martin Jiminez (Coeur D’alene 2024)

PRIZES DONATED – Phil is donating a snap on ratchet for the 2nd year in a row.