Severe weather defined the week at the 41st Ed Tutwiler Four-Ball at The Reserve Golf Club in Pawleys Island, but through delays and near-freezing conditions, Stephen Fox and Dean Channell stayed steady to complete a wire-to-wire win at 13-under 131 (64-67).
The Pinehurst duo separated themselves with clean, controlled golf. They were the only team in the field to go bogey-free over 36 holes, a rare feat in difficult conditions, and it ultimately proved decisive.
They finished two shots clear, with Johnny Elam and Steve Sharpe posting 11-under 133 (68-65) to take runner-up honours. Jack Kearney and Pat Youngs matched that total at 11 under 133 (66-67) to share second.
Fox and Channell began the final round with a lead, but the gap quickly tightened as scores came in from the groups ahead. They responded on the back nine, stringing together key birdies down the stretch to regain control and close out the win without giving anything back.
Behind them, George Walker and Emile Vaughan finished fourth at 9-under 135 (68-67), while Douglas Hanzel and Buzz Fly were fifth at 8-under 136 (67-69).
In the Senior/Super Senior division, Elam and Sharpe’s 11-under total led the way, ahead of Duff Wagner and Todd Hendley at 7-under 137 (70-67).
Fox and Channell also topped the Open Division, with Kearney and Youngs second and Walker and Vaughan third.
Defending champions Pete Allen and Don Donatoni were unable to mount a repeat challenge, finishing T-14 at 4 under 140 (69-71).
In a week shaped by the elements, it was composure and consistency that mattered most. Fox and Channell delivered both, and that proved enough to separate them from the field.
