Kinkopf adds to win total with North & South Senior title

Week after week, Ken Kinkopf continues to validate his perch atop the AmateurGolf.com Senior Rankings. The Jupiter, Fla., resident added another title to his list on Wednesday, winning the North & South Senior by a single shot over two chasers.

Kinkopf has been in the greater Pinehurst, N.C., area for two weeks now. Less than a week ago, he finished runner-up to Allen Peake at the Golfweek Senior National Match Play. At the North & South, a 54-hole stroke play event, he built his lead with opening rounds of 69-68 and had enough of a cushion that despite a closing 76 at Pinehurst No. 8, he was still on top of the leaderboard at 3 under.

For Kinkopf, this title follows major victories at the Hesler, the Senior Masters and the Golfweek Senior POY Classic.

As Kinkopf tried to hold it together coming in – he bogeyed three of his four closing holes – Dale Bouguennec and Gary Robinson, both North Carolina residents, crept closer. Pinehurst’s Bouguennec had a closing 71 to arrive at 2 under, and Robinson hit that number with a final-round 70.

Paul Simson was even and solo fourth, one ahead of defending champion Eddie Hargett.

In the super senior division, Stephen Fox went wire-to-wire for another close victory. Fox had rounds of 69-74-75 and at 2 over, was one ahead of runner-up Edward Turner.

ROUND ONE RECAP

Ken Kinkopf doesn’t stop. Just days after logging a runner-up finish at the Golfweek Senior National Match Play down the road at Tobacco Road, Kinkopf is in Pinehurst, battling for the North & South Senior title. There’s a reason Kinkopf is the No. 1-ranked player in the AmateurGolf.com Senior Rankings. If he’s in the field, he’s usually near the top.

Kinkopf fired a 3-under 69 to open the 54-hole event at Pinehurst. After two bogeys in his first three holes at Pinehurst No. 6, he recovered with back-to-back birdies at Nos. 5-6 and 10-11. He made his closing birdie at No. 18 for the solo lead.

Gary Robinson of Fayetteville, N.C., is on Kinkopf’s heels after a 2-under 70.

Dale Bougennec and Steve Cannady are tied for third at even par and defending champion Eddie Hargett is part of a tie for fifth at 1 over.

SUPER SENIOR DIVISION

The North & South Senior is usually a staple on Stephen Fox’s schedule. This year is no different, and on the week before amateur golf’s best flood the greater Pinehurst, N.C., area for next week’s U.S. Amateur, Fox is showing he has game, too.

The Barboursville, W.Va., native had as clean a scorecard as you could ask for Monday at Pinehurst No. 5. He made a birdie and an eagle for an opening 3-under 69 that left him tied for the lead with Doug Hopton-Jones in the 54-hole event.

For his part, Hopton-Jones also added an eagle, at No. 18. His day had been slightly more up-and-down than Fox’s, having made two bogeys, but also three birdies in a stretch of four holes (Nos. 5-8).

Behind the leaders, Pinehurst local Gray Tuttle opened with a 1-under 71. He was the only other player under par on Monday.

Another Pinehurst local, Rick Kline, was part of a five-man tie for fourth at even par.