After knocking in a wedge on the 408-yard hole in Thursday's third round, he duplicated the feat in Friday's finale to kick start his and partner Buddy Marucci's 3-stroke victory in the featured Mid-Am division. McCoy and Marucci, a two-time Walker Cupper, closed with a 6-under-par, better-ball 66 for a 263 total.
"We played great and really teamed well," beamed McCoy, an insurance exec in Des Moines. "Buddy is a great putter. The eagles are fun. I've had it go the other way, but it's nice when it goes your way."
Former Walker Cuppers Trip Kuehne and Danny Green put pressure on the winners, pulling within a stroke until suffering a bogey 5 at the 15th hole to fall two behind. McCoy made it three when he canned a sweeping, 60-foot birdie putt on the next hole.
Defending champs Steve Johnson of Chattanooga and Jeff Knox of Augusta opened the day two back, but failed to mount a charge and finished six back tied for third.
In the Seniors division, Steve Earsley of Stuart and Mike Rice of Houston let the title slip away when Earsley missed a 4-foot par saver on the final hole. That dropped them into a tie with Russ Berkoben of Perrysburg OH and Dan Smith of Naples and the two teams were declared co-champions when a heavy thunderstorm just as play was ending left the course unplayable.
Players from 26 states and the District of Columbia competed in the storied Southern Golf Association event.
Scores from the third round of the 71st Southern International 4-Ball Jan. 13, played at the par-72, 6,957-yard Emerald Dunes Golf Club:
| Mid-Amateur Division (6957 yards) | Scores |
Total
|
| Buddy Marucci, Malvern PA and Mike McCoy, West Des Moines IA | 66-64-67-66 |
263
|
| Danny Green, Jackson TN and Trip Kuehne, Dallas | 65-67-68-66 |
266
|
| Steve Johnson, Chattanooga and Jeff Knox, Augusta | 65-65-69-70 |
269
|
| Mike McDermott, Havertown PA and Pat Tallent, Vienna VA | 68-65-69-67 |
269
|
| Duke Delcher, Bluffton SC and Bill Hadden, Manchester Village VT | 67-68-70-65 |
270
|
| Jack Hall, Macon GA and David Noll, Dalton GA | 65-68-70-68 |
271
|
| Randy Nichols, Connersville IN and Skip Runnels, Richmond IN | 66-70-69-67 |
272
|
| Alan Fadel, Toledo and Eoghan O'Connell, Juno Beach FL | 67-65-68-72 |
272
|
| Mike Cline, Carmel IN and Chris Sekella, Baltimore | 67-67-73-67 |
274
|
| Gene Elliot, W. Des Moines IA and Robert Gerwin, Cincinnati | 71-69-70-64 |
274
|
| Dan Crockett, Nashville and Trey Lewis, Hendersonville TN | 66-69-70-70 |
275
|
| Senior Division (6,535 yards) | Scores |
Total
|
| Steve Earsley, Stuart FL and Mike Rice, Houston | 65-66-66-71 |
268
|
| Russ Berkoben, Perrysburg OH and Dan Smith, Naples | 68-67-66-67 |
268
|
| William Boles, Wilson NC and Marty West, Rockville MD | 70-65-67-69 |
271
|
| Alan Foster, Manlius FL and Bill Ploeger, Columbus GA | 68-69-71-67 |
275
|
