ELK GROVE (MPG) - Last Monday my golfing buddies and I were playing Cordova Golf Course, a simple par-66 layout on the Jackson Highway in Rancho Cordova. As a bunch of older guys typically do, we don’t play that quick and three of us like to walk 18 holes. So these two young men were quickly moving up behind us. We decided to tee off on hole No. 4 and then let them play through.

I told my partners I’ll walk back to the No. 3 green and talk to these two young men. As I neared the green one of them chipped his ball out of the sand to about two inches from the cup. When I looked to him and said, ”Hey, great shot” I recognized him.

It was Spencer Levin.

As often as I wrote about Levin and his feats and defeats on the PGA Tour I felt like I really knew him. We only talked about three times on the phone, but if you’ve been a regular reader of this column you know I wrote about him often. He is about the only guy from Elk Grove to make it to the Tour.

Levin knew who I was and with a big grin said I wrote something incorrect about him. It was about a year ago when Levin made the cut at the Shriners’ Children’s Open, the first cut he made on the Tour in five years. He said I wrote in my column his best year he earned $230,000 and quickly told me his best year was 2011 and he earned $2,388,000.

I didn’t know what to say except that I am sure I didn’t make up that $230,000 figure but would check our Citizen archives and make a written apology, if needed.

Spence, I am truly sorry.

On Oct. 10, 2022 I did indeed write in this column that his best year was 2008 when he earned $236, 185. I was wrong (I’ve sure I got that info off PGATour.com). Levin’s best year was indeed 2011 when he earned, more correctly, $2,388,038. In fact in his best years, between 2010 and 2015, Levin was a regular entrant on the Tour. According to PGATour.com and Spotrac.com, his career winnings total $8,236,107. His resume on the Tour includes one runner-up, two third-place finishes and nine top-five and 17 top 10 finishes.

Watching him briefly as he and his playing partner, who Levin introduced as a fellow touring pro (sorry, I didn’t write down his name), were teeing off and passing us by on No. 4 at Cordova, it was evident he can still play excellent golf.

Before he went forward to the green at No. 4, I had to ask the obvious, “I find it unusual that the first time we meet in person on a golf course, it’s at Cordova. Why are you here being a touring pro?” (No offense, management of Cordova Golf Club)

The response was simple: his dad, Don, teaches lessons at Cordova and he got Spence and friend out on the course for a few quick holes.

At age 39, Levin is still touring, now on the Korn Ferry Tour where he’s competed in 118 events with a win, two runner-ups, a third-place finish and 12 finishes in the top 10. His lone victory was this summer at the Veritex Bank Championship in Arlington, Tex. He fired a final round 63, eight-under-par, to finish with a minus-20 and a one-stroke victory over Brett Drewitt.

Levin had a good year in 2023 finishing 50th in the Korn Ferry points total. If he ends up in the top 30 next year, he’ll earn back his PGA Tour card.

Updates:

It’s been a while since we’ve written about our local professional baseball players and it’s time we get updated:

Rowdy Tellez – The 2013 Elk Grove graduate was recently “non-tendered” by the Milwaukee Brewers and is now a free agent. After a career-high 35 home runs in 2022, injuries and a big slump dotted his 2023 season. He batted .215 and had just 13 home runs in 106 games. Interestingly, some journalists in the Nation’s capital think he might look good in a Nationals’ uniform in 2024.

Derek Hill – The former Elk Grove H.S. outfielder was released by the Washington Nationals on Oct. 6. A year ago he signed a minor league deal with Washington and started the season in Triple-A. Hill got a chance to play with the Nationals this season, batted .170 in 13 games but was designated for assignment on July 5, going back to the minors. Now, his future seems to be up in the air.

Nick Madrigal – Another Elk Grove infielder who played in 92 games for the Chicago Cubs and batted .263. He’s signed through 2024 at an estimated salary of $1.9 million, according to Spotrac.com. Because he almost never strikes out, it’s likely Madrigal will see plenty of time in the Cubs infield again this season.

Ty Madrigal – Nick’s twin brother. He’s a pitcher who threw quality innings this past summer in Mexico. Got to think he’s not done playing baseball.

David Freitas – Earlier this year he signed a minor league deal with the Dodgers, the ninth organization he’s played for. Freitas had a good year in Triple-A and will probably return in 2024, unless his pork business in Wilton really takes off (it’s already doing well). He’s 34 now and a catcher yet wants to keep playing until he physically can’t do it. That’s something he told me a few years back and he means it. Yes, he, too, played at EGHS.

Matt Manning – let’s get away from all the Thundering Herd guys for a moment and talk about this Sheldon High School righthanded pitcher. At age 26, Manning looks like he’s got a spot in rotation for the Detroit Tigers. This year he played under a one-year contract for a reported $729,200, according to Spotrac.com. Twice he took a line drive off his foot and spent a total of 102 days on the injury list. Still, Manning was solid with a 5-4 record and a 3.28 ERA in 15 games.

(now back to Elk Grove H.S.)

Dylan Carlson – Spotrac writes Carlson will earn $2.1 million in 2024 as he comes off an oblique injury that happened in August. He also spent time on the injury list in May because of an ankle. It hurt Carlson’s numbers; he batted .219 with five homers in 76 games. Rehabbing in the off-season will probably lead to potentially a very good 2024 at age 25.

Dom Nunez – This Elk Grove catcher spent 2023 between the Cubs and the Pirates’ farm systems. He last played in the Majors in 2022 with Colorado. Hard to say right now what Nunez’ future is in baseball.

J.D. Davis – “J-Dizzle” looks like he is now a solid member of the San Francisco Giants’ infield. His play, evaluated as being one of the top-10 third baseman in the Majors, has earned him a spot with the Giants, now under new manager Bob Melvin.

Spotrac estimates he’ll earn $6.9 million and he’s proven he is worth every nickel. He led San Francisco is games played in 2023 with 144. He batted .248, which by Davis’ standard isn’t that great, but his 18 homers and a .737 OPS shows he’s a threat at the plate.

Chase Davis – the Franklin Wildcat was the top draft choice by the Cardinals in July and that earned him a $3.6 million signing bonus. He finished the summer in Class A ball and likely will move up to “High-A” or possibly “Double-A” ball in 2024.