Lance Lucas (KGA photo)
By Brent Paladino
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (Aug. 29, 2018) – Lance Lucas of Union, Ky., captured the Kentucky Senior Amateur with rounds of 74-74 at Persimmon Ridge Golf Club. He birdied the final hole to end up with a one-shot victory.
Lucas started the final day one stroke behind Ken Francke, Buddy Bryant and Scott Caldarelli, all of whom opened the tournament with rounds of 1-over 73. On the challenging front nine at Persimmon Ridge, Lucas followed a bogey on the second hole with a trio of birdies on Nos. 4, 7 and 8 to take the lead. Although he made a double-bogey on the par-4 13th, he was able to right the ship with the birdie on the finishing hole. It finished off a second consecutive 2-over 74 with the final group still on the course.
Francke was in that final group and had birdied Nos. 9 and 10 to put himself in the mix heading into the back nine. But a bogey on 11 and a double-bogey on 13 was followed by pars the rest of the way. That left Francke one stroke behind Lucas.
Bryant, the two-time Kentucky Amateur Champion, also contended on the final day. He made a late charge with three birdies in a row on Nos. 13-15, but unfortunately for Bryant, a pair of bogies on Nos. 16 and 17 left him on the outside looking in. At the end of the day, it was Lucas’ steady play and clutch birdie on the par-5 18th that earned him the Senior Amateur trophy.
Lucas, a three-time Northern Kentucky Amateur champion, has already had a remarkable summer. He advanced to the Round of 16 at the Metropolitan Amateur Championship and tied for seventh in the Metropolitan Senior Amateur Championship. But Wednesday marked a truly special day, as he captured his first Senior Amateur title.
Lucas plays out of Triple Crown Country Club, and his victory also marked the most recent accomplishment for a club that has had recent local and national success. Most recently, its junior team qualified for PGA Jr. League Regionals this past weekend. Earlier this month, member Austin Squires advanced to the quarterfinals of the U.S. Amateur Championship.
Tony Wise of Georgetown, Ky., Mid-Senior Division (ages 40-49) at at 7 over. Gary Backlund of Mt. Sterling, Ky., was the top player in the Masters Division, winning in a scorecard playoff over John Gagai (Ironton, Ky.) and Elmo Greer (London, Ky).
Finally, Rick Cain of Louisville, Ky., won the Legends Division by two strokes over Leland Hulbert of Prospect, KY. Despite a closing double-bogey, Cain played steady all round, making fourteen pars and two birdies on his round. Cain, who plays his golf at Persimmon Ridge GC, won the 2017 Masters Division of the Senior Amateur.
ABOUT THE Kentucky Senior Amateur
Format is 36 holes of stroke play with Senior, Mid-
Senior, Masters, and
Legends
divisions at both gross and net.
Entrants in all KGA tournaments shall be required to
have an active Handicap Index at a Kentucky Golf
Association Member Club at the time of entry and
meet the championship’s residency requirements.
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