Hanzel, Hall defend their Georgia Sr. Four-Ball title

November 11, 2016 | by AmateurGolf.com Staff

Doug Hanzel (R) and Jack Hall (L) celebrate a second straight <br>Georgia Senior Four-Ball title <br>(GSGA Photo)

First round co-leaders Phil Hardin and Gay McMichael; Chris Hall and Donny Phillips Jr. finished tied for second place

TIFTON, GA (November 11, 2016) -- For the second straight year Doug Hanzel and Jack Hall have captured the Georgia Senior Four-Ball title. Hanzel and Hall overcame a three-stroke deficit after the first round and ended up pulling away a bit to win by three shots. Playing at Spring Hill Country Club Hanzel, the top-ranked senior in AmateurGolf.com Rankings, and Hall, the seventh ranked, put together a final round 6-under 66 to finish 18-under-par. On Friday the duo combined for eight birdies and two bogeys. They did get off to a slow start with a 2nd hole bogey before rebounding with birdies on four of the next six holes. First round co-leaders Phil Hardin and Gay McMichael; Chris Hall and Donny Phillips Jr. finished tied for second place at 15-under. Both teams shot identical scores each day going 65-68-68. Jeff Belk and Mark Nickerson were 12-under and in fourth while Jack Kearney and John Landis placed fifth at 10-under. Of the 23 teams in the field 14 of them finished under-par. In the Super Senior Division Bill Leonard and Don Marsh completed a wire-to-wire run at Sunset Country Club to the title by finishing 13-under and four ahead of the pack. During the final round they combined for four birdies and two bogeys. With things still a bit tight late the pairing birdied the 16th and 17th holes to cement their lead. Frank Costanzo and Thomas Rood ended up second at 9-under as Bill Blalock and Don Russell placed third with a 6-under tally. ROUND TWO RECAP Reigning champions Doug Hazel and Jack Hall started the second day of the Georgia Senior Four-Ball three behind but by the time the day was over they were one ahead with 18-holes remaining. The duo combined for a bogey-free 8-under 64 that moved them to 12-under and the top of the leaderboard at Spring Hill Country Club. Beginning on the 10th hole Hanzel, the top-ranked senior in AmateurGolf.com Rankings, and Hall, the seventh ranked, rolled in three opening nine birdies to reach 7-under. Not done Hanzel and Hall made the turn and promptly rolled in five consecutive birdies from Nos. 2-6. The first round leading teams of Phil Hardin and Gay McMichael; Chris Hall and Donny Phillips Jr. did well to keep pace and both pairings will begin the final round in second at 11-under following 4-under 68's. For Hardin and McNichael it was another day of flawless golf as they rolled in four more birdies. The two still haven't penciled in a bogey on their scorecard. Hall and Phillips Jr. weren't bogey-free as they had been in the first round but they were able to offset two bogeys with six birdies. Jeff Belk and Mark Nickerson remained in the mix and they are now fourth at 10-under while Jack Kearney and John Landis occupy the fifth spot in the standings at 7-under. Bill Leonard and Don Marsh doubled their Super Senior Division lead on day two at Sunset Country Club and they now lead by six-strokes. So far Leonard and Marsh have combined bogey-free rounds of 65-68 to reach 11-under. Staring on the homeward side their second round included four birdies, three of which come in the first nine holes. Bill Blalock and Don Russell are alone at 5-under in second with three teams 3-under in a tie for third. ROUND ONE RECAP Two teams sit tied atop the leaderboard after the first day of play at the Georgia Senior Four-Ball. Both teams fired 7-under 65's on the first day at Spring Hill Country Club. Phil Hardin and Gay McMichael reached 7-under with a flawless round of golf. The pairing birdied five-times and eagled the 491 yard par-5 7th. Co-leaders Chris Hall and Donny Phillips Jr. arrived at 7-under with a bogey-free round of their own. Hall and Phillips Jr. combined to roll in seven birdies including three in a row from Nos. 3-5. Jeff Belk and Mark Nickerson will begin day two at 6-under and in third place while three teams including defending champions Doug Hanzel and Jack Hall are tied for fourth at 4-under. Six of the ten teams in the Super Senior Four-Ball Division are under-par and through 18-holes at Sunset Country Club it is Bill Leonard and Don Marsh leading the way. The leaders posted a pristine 7-under 65 with seven birdies. Five of their circles came in a six hole span from Nos. 8-13. Bill Evans and Bill Ploeger are second at 4-under; Ron Flowers and Ron Hunter are 2-under in third. Three other teams are sharing fourth place at 1-under.

About the Georgia Senior Four-Ball

Hanzel, Hall defend their Georgia Sr. Four-Ball title

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 in...

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