BLACKSHEAR, Ga. (November 13, 2009) – Starting the day five shots off the leaders’ pace, John Carter and Ronald Waeghe of Greensboro fired a 30 on the front nine, 62 for the day, to claim victory at the 18th annual Georgia Senior Four-Ball Championship. The event was held at Okefenokee Country Club and Lakes at Laura S. Walker, November 11-13. Larry Clark of Kingston and Don Marsh of Johns Creek, the defending champions, finished tied for the runner-up position with Bobby Brent Jr. and Jimmy Holman of Columbus at 14-under 202.
Carter and Waeghe, whose 62 tied the championship’s single-round record, began the day with birdies on four of the first five holes (Nos. 1, 3, 4 and 5). Waeghe then connected on birdie opportunities at the par-5 eighth hole and the 395-yard ninth to turn at 6-under and pull within two shots of Brent and Holman, who turned with a 34.
“[Waeghe] really got hot on the back nine though,” Carter explained of his partner. “That really put us over the top.”
Waeghe opened with two birdies on the inward nine pulling them into a tie for the overall lead with Brent and Holman. Both teams matched cards on Nos. 12 and 13 but a birdie on the par-3 16th by Waeghe moved the them ahead by one shot.
Clark and Marsh began a late charge of their own with consecutive birdies at 14, 15 and 16 but couldn’t catch the Greensboro-duo who also posted birdies at 14 and 15. With pars on each of their final three holes, Carter and Waeghe turned in their record score and secured the overall title.
“We made a lot of putts today,’ Waeghe explained. “We made all the putts that we had to have in order to climb the up from where we were. It was a great win in a great tournament.”
Bill Ploeger of Columbus and Spencer Sappington, who have posted three-career victories together at this event, shot a final-round 69 to finish fourth overall. Taylor Adams of St. Simons Island and Karl Simon of Lawrenceville finished in fifth position at ten-under 206. Daniel Rhoads of Flowery Branch and Tom Rief of Albany climbed into sixth place overall after firing a final-round 65. Savannahians Frank Costanzo and Steve Schwartz finished alone in seventh place at 209. Two teams, Al Armstrong and Phil Alday of Valdosta and Macon’s Joe Brogdon and Duluth’s Pete Malcolm, finished in a tie for eighth at 210. Tied for tenth place, each with a score of 5-under 211, was David Holcombe and Roger O’Neil, both of Savannah, and Ed Davis and Martin Horsky of St. Simons Island.
Other flight winners were: first flight – David Mansfield of Cohutta and Ron Lowery of Dalton at 205; second flight – Gerry Grogan of Gainesville and Sam Horner of Dawsonville with a 204; third flight – Larry Askew of Greensboro and Sal Minicozzi of Braselton at 213; fourth flight – Dunwoody’s Roland Sorel and Duluth’s Steve Mann won with a 216.
The Championship flight played each round at Okefenokee Country Club, a 6,412-yard, par-72 layout. The first through fourth flights played Lakes at Laura S. Walker, which was playing as a par-72 at 6,320 yards.
The low 48 teams based on combined handicap index comprised the Championship Flight. The remainder of the field was determined by lottery and flighted by team handicap index. Only the competitors in the Championship flight were eligible for the overall title. Entries were open to male amateur golfers who are at least 55 years old, members of a GSGA member club and residents of Georgia. The maximum handicap differential between partners was six strokes.
Founded in 1916, the Georgia State Golf Association (GSGA) received its official charter on June 24, 1924. Since that date, the GSGA has grown to one of the largest state amateur golf associations in the country, with over 355 member clubs and 85,000 individual members. With a mission to promote and preserve amateur golf in the state of Georgia, GSGA offers a computerized handicapping service, course rating and measuring, and annually conducts a full schedule of statewide competitions for men and women of all age groups. Other services include a summer-long junior sectional program, award-winning Golf Georgia magazine, membership recognition and rewards programs and a charitable foundation administering two college scholarship programs.
View results for Georgia Senior Four-Ball
ABOUT THE Georgia Senior Four-Ball
Open to male amateur golfers; entrants must
be at
least 55 years old on or before the first day of
the
Championship; a maximum stroke differential
of six
strokes is allowed
between partners; if the differential is more
than six
strokes, the higher index will be adjusted down
to six
strokes.
Field:
96 teams - 48 teams based on low team index
comprise the Championship flight; remaining
Senior
Division teams drawn
by lottery (1 exempt spot held for each host
club; 4
exempt spots held for flight winners).
Format:
54 holes of flighted four-ball stroke play.
View Complete Tournament Information