Wet weather alters schedule at Claude Harmon Invitational
03 Nov 2012
by Benjamin Larsen of AmateurGolf.com
see also: Hunter Nelson Rankings
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HOUSTON, Texas (Nov. 3, 2012) -- Two extended rain delays prevented the semifinal rounds from being completed Saturday at the 2012 Claude Harmon Invitational at Lochinvar Golf Course.
Nine holes remain to be played in both semifinal matches in the Claude Harmon Mid-Am Championship Division. Top-seed Sandy Pierce is two holes down to No. 4 Steve Marland on the ninth hole. In the other semifinal, Billy Joe Tolliver has a 1-up lead over Hans Albertsson on the 10th hole.
In the quarterfinals, Pierce beat Chris Taylor to advance while Marland moved on thanks to a 1-up win in 19 holes over Jake Lelois. Tolliver knocked off Kevin Marsh in 20 rounds. Albertsson advanced with a 2-and-1 win over Dean Mivalis.
In the Butch Harmon Senior Division, top-seeded Hunter Nelson is 2-up through 15 holes against Bill Land while Eddie Lyons leads Mike Burke by one through 14 holes in the other Senior semifinal.
In the quarterfinals of the senior division, Nelson knocked off Herb Fisher 2-and-1 while Land moved on with a 1-up win over Mac McGee. Burke advanced over Ivan Lawson, 2-and-1 while Lyons beat Jerry Hudgins, 5-and-4.
Play in the semifinal matches will resume at 9 a.m. on Sunday with the championship matches slated to start as soon as contestants and conditions permit.
Stroke-play qualifying for the Men's Mid-Amateur and Senior Divisions was conducted Thursday with match play beginning Friday. Quarterfinals and semifinals were to be played Saturday with the championship match in each division on Sunday. The wet weather changes Sunday's schedule to include both rounds.
Sandy Pierce was the qualifying medalist in the Mid-Amateur Claude Harmon Championship while Hunter Nelson took the honor in the Senior Butch Harmon Championship.
After Thursday's qualifier, each division was split into two divisions --- the championship and cosonsolation brackets. All 32 players in each division will play throughout the weekend at Lochinvar, one of Jack Nicklaus' earliest-designed courses.
The event, of course, honors Claude Harmon, the patriarch of the famous Harmon family. Claude, the father of Butch, Craig, Dick and Billy, was the rarest of club professionals. He was three times a semi-finalist in the PGA Championship, and he finished in a tie for third in the 1959 U.S. Open held on his home course at Winged Foot. His most famous accomplishment as a player came when he fashioned rounds of 70-70-69-70 at Augusta National to capture the 1948 Masters Tournament.
Stay with amateurgolf.com for full recaps and results following each round throughout the weekend.