Steve Harwell wins the Carolinas Senior Amateur

September 14, 2023 | by Carolinas Golf Association

Steve Harwell

Harwell, of Mooresville, captured the major senior championship for the second-straight year with a 7-under total for 54 holes

Steve Harwell of Mooresville, N.C., captured the 62nd Carolinas Senior Amateur Championship at Cutter Creek Golf Club in Snow Hill, N.C. Harwell fired rounds of 67-68-74 for a three-day total of 209, 7-under-par. It was his second-straight Senior Amateur title.

Harwell played an impressive bogey-free Round 1 with a total of five birdies to finish at 5-under, 67 for the day. He posted another bogey-free scorecard for Round 2 with four birdies to shoot 68 and climb to the top of the leaderboard at a total of 9-under.

Harwell led the tournament heading into the final round on Wednesday with a two-stroke lead over Larry Cloninger of Gastonia, N.C., who was in first place after round one.

Regarding how he felt heading into the final round with the lead, Harwell said, “I felt really good. I was hitting well, I played extremely well out at the U.S. Senior Am, that was probably the best I’ve ever hit it in my life, so coming in, I had some confidence.”

Harwell quickly widened the gap between himself and the rest of the field during the final round as he played a consistent front-nine of even par, leading at 9-under as he made the turn. He remained at the top of the leaderboard for the entire day, leading by at least two strokes throughout the final round.

“I hit it really well and putt it extremely well. Playing with the lead is a little difficult sometimes, but you just have to keep trying to hit golf shots and keep playing,” Harwell said.

“When you start the last round there’s always a little bit of anxiety, you kind of want to get going. But once I settled down, I was fine. The greens were spectacular. I love these greens and I putted it really well.”

When asked what his mindset and strategy were heading into this week as the defending champ, Harwell explained, “You have to take care of your own stuff. You have to hit your own shots, play the course. You had to think your way around the course a lot because there were a lot of fairway bunkers that were in play.”

After winning the N.C. Senior Amateur Championship earlier this year, and now sealing the win at the Carolinas Senior Amateur Championship, Harwell said, “It’s nice to know that you won both championships in the same year. To defend, that’s a pretty good accomplishment, so it’s been a good year.”

Ron Kirkpatrick of Charlotte, N.C., and Yancey Johnson of Simpsonville, N.C., finished tied for second place with a three-day total of 211, 5-under. Lee Porter of Pinehurst, N.C., took fourth place with a score of 212, 4-under for the week.

About the Carolinas Senior Amateur

Steve Harwell wins the Carolinas Senior Amateur

The Carolinas Senior Amateur Championship is a 54-hole stroke play event open to any male amateur golfer who reached his 55th birthday by today, is a legal resident of North Carolina or South Carolina, is a member in good standing of a club which is ...

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