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= The Gauntlet Masters =

The Gauntlet Masters is an annual miniature golf tournament hosted in the Lehigh Valley. It's participants typically consist of a group called "The Gauntlet", who formed at Emmaus High School in 2018. The annual edition was hosted in the summer of 2019, and is still an active tournament.

Participants in The Gauntlet Masters range from seasoned golfers to baseball managers, all vying for the coveted title of the Green Jacket. With a rich history of remarkable performances, the tournament has witnessed awe-inspiring displays of skill, breathtaking comebacks, and nail-biting finishes. The event has become a symbol of camaraderie, sportsmanship, and the pursuit of excellence in the world of mini golf.

2019 Gauntlet Masters
The 2019 Gauntlet Masters was the first edition of the tournament. The opening ceremony was held in Emmaus, Pennsylvania at the Trivet Diner. The original competition had 10 entrants.

Round 1: Sittler's Golf Center
Round 1 commenced at Sittler's Golf Center near Kutztown, Pennsylvania. Dakota Bauer led all participants with a 47 on the round, -2 to par. Donald Marler and Jake Caverly followed, shooting 49 (E) and 50 (+1), respectively. Rain was a factor throughout the round, as the night before dampened the greens and slowed them prior to play.

Round 2: Putt U Blue Course
The second round moved to Center Valley, Pennsylvania, at the Putt U Mini Golf Blue Course. Bauer once again lead the field with a 49, 8 under par. Caverly, Brendan Schaaf, and Hunter Heiges followed closely with 50 each, -7 to par. Grant Schichtl broke through in the third round, shooting a third best 51. Marler suffered a famous collapse on the blue course, shooting an abysmal 64, 7 over par, crashing into the bottom of the leaderboard.

Round 3: Putt U Red Course
Staying in Center Valley, Bauer continued his dominance, shooting a once again best 46 in round 3, with a Master's record -11 to par. Heiges and Caverly closely followed with 48 two shots back on the round to the leader. Lynch once again put up another impressive 49, finding form after a tough round at Sittler's.

Final Round: Lucky Strokes Mini Golf
After a brief stop at McDonald's, the tournament moved north to Lucky Strokes in Northampton, Pennsylvania.

Bauer sealed the first green jacket with a awe-inspiring 45 in the final round, followed closely by Lynch who equalled that score. Heiges shot a 46, and Schichtl rounded out the top 3 with a 47.

Bauer's victory was dominant and decisive. He shot a -21 overall over all 4 rounds, which was 8 shots clear of second place.

2020 Gauntlet Masters
The threat of the COVID-19 pandemic put the 2020 edition into question, however, the group was able to organize the event using Social distancing and masking.

Round 1: Putt U Red Course
The 2020 Master's kicked off in Center Valley once again, and was hotly contested, with players fighting the new environment and having to adapt to a tournament Behind closed doors. Brendan Schaaf led the way in round 1, with a shocking -13 in the opening stage, opening up a fast 5 shot lead over second place Brendan Lynch at -8. Schaaf's round was highlighted by his ace on the seventh hole, which capped off a front 9 that only listed 2 3's, the rest being 2's.

Third place was occupied by Chris Schmitt, who found himself at the highest point in the leaderboard he has been in the tournament's history. A three way tie between Marler, Schichtl, and Caverly tied fourth place at -6.

Round 2: Putt U Blue Course
Round 2 went to the blue course, where Schaaf slowed a little with a score of -5. Nonetheless, he kept a comfortable lead following the conclusion of the rounds at Putt U. Schmitt (who aced two holes this round) and Caverly tied for the best round at -7, with Lynch following close behind at -6. Tournament leader Schaaf shot a -5, the same as Marler, who fought off a 7 on hole 4.

Round 3: Melody Lakes Golf Course
The disadvantage of the COVID-19 pandemic was the lack of openings at mini golf courses in the Lehigh Valley. Eventually, the tournament committee settled on Melody Lakes in Quakertown, Pennsylvania. Right away, Melody Lakes reared its ugly head, proving to be a tough course for many o the leaders.

Defending champion Dakota Bauer started a legendary run in round 3, shooting a best -6 of all participants. Nonetheless, Schaaf maintained his composure and shot a -5 to keep his lead strong going into the final round. Schichtl and Caverly rounded out the top 3, shooting -4 each.

Final Round: Melody Lakes Golf Course
In one of the biggest twists in the tournament's short history, a monsoon erupted right before the commencement of round 4, and slowed the greens down a tremendous amount. This proved to be futile for the defending champion, who had a replica of round 3 -6 in the final outing. Schaaf, seemingly troubled by course conditions, shot a tied-for-round-worst +6, which miraculously was one stroke enough to win the 2020 Gauntlet Masters.

There were only 2 scores under par in the final round, proving that the conditions were getting the best of a group on its last legs following 3 rounds.

2021 Gauntlet Masters
The 2021 field was the largest on record, with 11 participants. It was also a Return to normalcy, as the COVID restrictions had been lifted from the year before. It was also the latest start for a Gauntlet Masters, with a 4:00 tee time. 2019 Third place finisher Hunter Heiges also returned, and Michael Shimer made his debut.

Round 1: Putt U Red Course
Returning to Putt U, the first round of the Masters took place at the Red Course for the second year in a row. Jake Caverly took command early, shooting a -11 on the round, followed closely by inaugural champion Bauer and Brendan Lynch at -10. 2020 champion Schaaf carded a -9 to be third on the leaderboard after the first day.

Hunter Heiges was forced to withdrawal after carding a +6 in round one, due to personal reasons.

Round 2: Putt U Blue Course
In the second round, Caverly once again topped the leaderboard, this time joined by Marler at -11 for the round. The next closest was Rylan Domingues, who shot a surprising and impressive -9 in round 2, his best ever round.

Another -11 put Caverly -22 through two rounds, which was a Gauntlet Masters record for lowest score through two rounds.

Round 3: Bear Rock Golf Course, Track A
Bear Rock in New Tripoli, Pennsylvania made its Masters debut in 2021, hosting the final two rounds under the lights of primetime. Bauer returned to form, sharing the top spot with Caverly at a -4. Marler and Schaaf tied behind them at +1, and Lynch and Joel Sanchez tied behind them at +3. Bear Rock proved to be difficult, with lightning fast greens and difficult hole layouts.

Domingues had a famous incident with his gluten intolerance, and had to be shown the bathroom from the officials on course after breaking down on the 5th green.

Round 4: Bear Rock Golf Course, Track B
The final round of the Gauntlet Masters proved to be the hardest on record, with no players shooting below par for the first ever time. Schmitt lead the group with a +1 49, with Caverly behind with a +2. Schichtl rounded out the top 3 in the round with a 51.

With -24, Caverly dominated the 2021 Gauntlet Masters. He claimed his first ever green jacket by a shocking 10 strokes over Bauer, and added his name to the record books having the most strokes under par and the biggest margin of victory. Marler finished the podium in 3rd with his -8 over four rounds, the worst third place score in history.

2022 Gauntlet Masters
The fourth edition of the tournament was the smallest field to date, as only 8 players teed off. This was also the first Masters where the final rounds were hosted at Putt U.