The 2018 Canasawacta Country Club Member-Guest Master Flight Champions Bryan Smith and Brian Loomis (front) are joined by the Champions from the seven other flights. In the second row are Oakmont Champs Cory Seiler and Ryan Johnson and Pebble Beach winners Pat Dowdall and Dave Huhtala. In the back row are Merion Flight winners Sal Testani and Earl Halaquist, Baltusrol Champions Ken Stewart and Mike Flanagan, Winged Foot champs Ken Benjamin and Paul Eaton and Oakland Hills winners Stu Hughes and Derek Hughes. Missing from the picture were Olympic Flight winners Jim McIntyre and Mike Morse. (Evening Sun Photo, Frank Speziale)

NORWICH – With a shotgun start at 8 a.m.Thursday morning, half of the 158 golfers will take to the 18-hole course at Canasawacta Country Club for the first round of the 61st Annual Member-Guest Tournament.

By the end of the day Thursday, all golfers will have completed their first round of the 54 hole, looking to shoot below the course par 71 to set their pairing in a good place for the distinguished master’s flight.

However, there isn’t just the one winner. As the flights are determined by the end of Friday, eight teams will be crowned a winner by Saturday night. “Playing for a flight title is great competition,” said Tim Carson, Canasawacta Country Club’s General Manager. “Whether someone is playing in flight one, two or seven, the level of play and competition is nearly the same as most are separated by two to three strokes at the end of the tournament.”

The member-guest tournament has many years of history associated with it. One team is near 40 years of playing together while there are some playing 20 and 30 years as a pair.

“We may not be the Master’s Tournament, where there is a ‘tradition like no other,’ but this tournament is a pretty big tradition. And we are going to keep it alive,” said Carson.

Many teams from a year ago have returned with a few dropping out at the last minute.