Moot Thomas Invitational: Hess Wins Second Straight

By Richard Burton, Ocala.com

OCALA, FL (May 2, 2010)--Rob Hess and Ed Craig earned championships in their respective divisions to highlight the final day of the third annual Moot Thomas Invitational at Golden Hills Golf and Turf Club.

Hess earned the championship in the senior division, while Craig was the victor in the super senior group.

For Hess, it was his second consecutive Moot Thomas tourney title.

“I'm always happy to win,” said Hess, who has also claimed the Camp and Oswald tournament titles during his career. “I didn't finish as well as I would have liked and I had a bogey and a double bogey (late), but my opponents had the same problems.”

A year ago, Hess took the title by six strokes.

This time around, the Orlando resident, who grew up in Dunnellon and now works as a veterinarian in Cassleberry, won the championship A flight by five shots with a two-day total of 149, as he outpaced 2008 tournament winner Berger Warner.

Hess shot a 76 on Sunday to take the title and hold off Warner, who shot 77 on both days.

Jim Bounds was third in the senior division's championship A Flight at 156, while Curt Madson had the low round of the second day in the group with a 74.

Craig, meanwhile, used the tournament's only under-par round (a 71 on Saturday) to finish with a two-day score of 146, two shots better than Brian Sachs. Richard Tatum and Bill Western finished tied for third with two-days totals of 155 in the championship A flight of the super seniors group.

Other flight results included: Seniors: Championship B: 1. Ronnie Tumlin, 2. Jack Mahan, 3. Jerry Young; First Flight: 1. Dave Haught, 2. Dick Powers, 3. Mack Gadd; Super Seniors: Championship B: 1. Joe Hamby, 2. Bob Myers, 3. Sam Loethen; Grand Senior: 1. Jim Dowling, 2. Harold Newburn, 3. John Tucker III.