JUPITER, Fla. (April 26, 2006) - Steve Earsley of Hobe Sound and Mike Rice of Houston, Texas, made it three-for-three this year when they won the senior division Wednesday at the third annual Bear's Club Invitational golf tournament at The Bear's Club. Each shot 76 the final round for 152 after a pair of one under par 71s in four-ball stroke play the first two days. At 294, a tournament record, they won by six shots in the 55-and-over age group.
In the mid-amateur flight for players 25-49, Bill Hadden of Manchester Village, Vt., and Duke Delcher of Bluffton, S.C., were the winners with 152 the final round for 295 after they opened with 72-71. Hadden shot 73 Wednesday with an eagle at the par-4 17th hole, two birdies and five bogies. Delcher birdied the last three holes on the front nine enroute to a 79.
"We're having a pretty good year," said Rice, who had an even better 2005, winning the U.S. Senior Amateur. "We won the senior division of the International Four-Ball in January at Mayacoo Lakes down in West Palm Beach and two weeks ago we won the Temple Cup seniors at Crown Colony in Lufkin, Texas."
They combined for four birdies and three bogies both Monday and Tuesday. They made two birdies apiece Wednesday, Earsley scoring 35-41 and Rice posting 40-36. "We're just a four-birdie team," noted Earsley with a chuckle.
There were 22 mid-amateur teams and 19 in the senior division but only two prize winners in each flight.
The runnersup were Robbie Dew of Palm Beach Gardens and Rocky Costa of Atlanta, the second round co-leaders among mid-amateurs, 297, and Robin McColl of Bethlehem, Pa., and Chick Kozloff of Hobe Sound, seniors, 300.
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Bear's Club Invitational
The Bear's Club, Jupiter, Fla., April 24-26, 2006
First two rounds, four-ball stroke play; final round, both balls count
Mid Am Division
295 - Duke Delcher and Bill Hadden, 72-71-152.
297 - Robbie Dew and Rocky Costa, 70-69-158.
298 - Steve White and Andy White, 70-69-159.
298 - Steve Nicklaus and James Reid, 76-71-151.
300 - Eric Spencer and Chris Vozza, 72-69-159.
301 - Ken Kinkopf and Greg Frey, 68-75-158.
302 - Trip Kuehne and Tom Kelley, 74-73-155.
302 - George Zahringer and Larry Rafferty, 72-72-158.
303 - Bill Jackson and Rick Ruffin, 71-73-159.
304 - Jay Pumphrey and Wayne Smith, 66-78-160.
306 - Tom Fiocchi and John Veneziano, 74-72-160.
307 - Mike Puls and Roger Beynon, 66-78-163.
307 - John Granger and Jody Vasquez, 76-74-157.
312 - Doug Fix and Jeff Dixon, 76-76-160.
312 - Greg Anderson and Josh Sanders, 77-72-163.
318 - Robert Gross and Steve Titus, 73-79-166.
321 - Randy Elliott and Skip Dalton, 76-72-173.
323 - James Graff and Mark Gallagher, 74-79-170.
325 - Channing Graft and Matthew Atyia, 76-80-169.
333 - Alan Graham and Craig Adams, 73-78-182.
354 - John Jackson and Todd Van Wyngarden, 82-82-190.
DNF - Tom Rex and Kevin Walsh, 73-78-NC.
Senior Division
294 - Steve Earsley and Mike Rice, 71-71-152.
300 - Robin McCool and Chick Kozloff, 75-65-160.
301 - Bob Housen and Van Lefferdink, 66-72-163.
302 - Mike Timbers and Rick Bauch, 72-72-158.
307 - Gerry Barnett and Vic Gerard, 71-73-163.
310 - Mark Mulvoy and Norman Swenson, 74-74-162.
312 - Herman Klemick and John Kane, 75-74-163.
312 - Roberto Duran and Dick Horne, 71-75-166.
313 - Larry Harrison and Bill Care, 79-73-161.
313 - Phil Leckey and Richard Leckey, 75-78-160.
316 - Bill Van Faasen and Paul McIntosh, 74-74-168.
318 - James Deveney and Jesse Cunningham, 77-77-164.
321 - Neil Christie and Don Brooks, 75-73-173.
321 - Mike Curtin and Dave Bondy, 75-75-171.
323 - Bob Daugherty and Greg McCall, 78-80-165.
326 - Don Cooke and Robert Sine, 77-77-172.
328 - Mack Corbin and A.C. Cooper, 75-75-178.
341 - Gerrett Goldwater and Terry Noble, 79-79-183.