Shirley, Lance Win Temple Cup
Johnathan Shipley, middle left, of Katy, and Randy Lance, middle right, of
The Woodlands. Presenting the trophies are tournnament organizers
Jim Todd, left, and Terry Morrow.
LUFKIN, TX (August 23, 2009)--Jonathan Shipley and Randy Lance entered Sunday's final round of the Temple Cup at Lufkin's Crown Colony Country Club golf course with a five-shot lead. After shooting even par on the front nine, that lead had shrunk to two shots as David Leachman and Artie Starrs covered the front in 3-under par.
The lead was down to one shot after Shipley and Lance bogeyed No. 15. But Lance responded with a birdie on the par-5 No. 16, followed by pars from both teams on No. 17.
Up two with one hole to play, Lance and Shipley both saw their tee shots on the par-5 No. 18 miss the fairway to the left.
Leachman's tee shot was in the fairway, but his second shot on landed in a trap. Starrs, who had missed the fairway to the right, was able to hit his second shot in the fairway. Shipley and Lance both hit their second shots in the fairway, but both hit their third shots in the trap on the right side of the green.
With the pin placement at the back, Leachman's approach shot went through the green into the rough just off the back. Starrs' third shot was 25 feet to the left of the pin.
Shipley and Lance both missed par putts, Leachman missed the birdie chip and Starrs' 25-footer for birdie just went by the cup. Starrs made a two-footer for par and Shipley hit a short putt for bogey and a one-shot win.
"It's a tremendous honor to win this tournament. Just look at the names of players that have won it," Shipley said. "We've been trying to win it for years."
Lance said the five-shot lead entering the final round had him playing more conservative than he should have.
"I had the wrong thought process going and I wasn't as aggressive all day as I needed to be," Lance said. "But we held on and, like Jon said, it's an honor to win the Temple Cup."
Shipley and Lance had one birdie and one bogey on the front nine, while Leachman birdied the par-5 No. 3, Starrs birdied the par-4 No. 8 and Leachman birdied the par-4 No. 9.
Leachman hit a tough downhill birdie putt on No. 10 and Lance answered with an uphill putt to keep the lead at two shots at 16-under.
Both groups birdied the par-5 No. 13 as Shipley and Lance went to 17-under and Leachman and Starrs went to 15-under.
After a bogey on No. 15, Lance hit his second shot on the par-5 No. 16 off the back of the green. Lance chipped close and made a birdie to get back to 17-under. Starrs had a birdie putt hit the cup and pop out on No. 16.
After pars for both teams on No. 17, the bogey on No. 18 was enough to give Shipley and Lance the one-shot victory. Leachman and Starrs were 2005 winners of the Temple Cup.
Last year's winners Mike Healer and Mark Healer finished tied for seventh at 8-under.
* Lufkin's Ford Cartwright was named the Rox Covert award recipient in honor of longtime Temple Cup friend Rox B. Covert of Austin. Covert was competing at the Temple Cup this weekend but took a fall Saturday night that kept him from finishing the tournament Sunday.
Cartwright has qualified for the USGA Senior Amateur tournament next month in at Beverly Country Club in Chicago.
Cartwright got in by shooting a round of 72 earlier this month at a qualifying tournament at Shadow Hawk Golf Club in Richmond.
Cartwright will compete in the tournament that runs from Sept. 12-17.
The starting field will play two rounds of stroke play, with the low 64 scorers advancing to match play. Six rounds of match play will follow, with finals set for Sept. 17.
Final round results from the Temple Cup at Lufkin's Crown Colony Country Club par-72 golf course.
Shipley, Lance -16
Leachman, Starrs -15
Seligmann, Sauntry -13
McKelvy, Ledingham IV -11
Rice, Hudgins -9
Salughter, Shrade -9
Newhouse, Lee -8
Healer, Healer -8
Coker, Calloway -7
Haney, Green -6
Spears, Welch -6
Studdert, Digilormo -5
New, Phinny -5
Hightower, McCreary -5
Dinwiddie, Anderson -4
Pigg, Englander -3
Todd, Cartwright -2
Labarbera, Cegelski -2
Hansen, Butler -2
Cook, Tyson -2
Beatty, Devlin -1
Williams, Parks -1
Hughes, Eltz -1
Fitts, Harris Even
Gafner, Childers +1
Price, Addison +2
Donaldson, Pott +2
Doggett, Young +4
Honea, Greene +6
Bandemir, Adams +6
Burke, Maxwell +6
Burnham, Willoughby +7
Baize, Barlow +11
Felming, Swenke +12
Welch, Stubblefield +13
Young, Pagan +16
Ross, Wright +20
Willoughby, Henley +23
Schofman, Hahn +26