Southern Pines, NC  (August 7, 2014)  -  Senior Amateur Golf Tour veteran Mike Johnson of Clayton had four Senior Tour wins under his belt coming into the 2014 season.  He had been winless this year until today's event at Southern Pines Country Club where he took the top spot in the A Flight competition.

The Donald Ross designed course proved to be the perfect setting for Johnson who was playing in his 11th event this season.  His 74 matched his lowest round of the year, and he needed every quality shot he hit as he edged two other Tour members, Pinehurst's Steve Smith and Yadkinville's Tom Fagerli by a single stroke.

"When you have individual flights of more than 30 players in them, as the A, B, and C Flights all had today, you generally have to go pretty low to beat that many people", said Tour Director Bruce Hallenbeck.  "Mike did it, and that's also what we saw today in the other 3 Flights".

As a matter of fact every flight winner was only 1 shot clear of their nearest competitors.  Pinehurst's Steve Lassiter  with his 1-under 70 in the Championship Flight, was 1 clear of  Whispering Pines resident Ron Hockensmith.  The C Flight had 1st-time winner Doug Jurusik of Wake Forest needing his lowest round of the year (an 81) to edge Pinehurst's Marty Carpenter.

Three players, Pinehurst's Tom Kubla, Sanford's Charles Mellette, and Graham's Louis Herndon were only 1 shot behind the eventual B Flight winner, High Point's Homer Baker.  "I'm gonna move up to the A Flight for future competition", stated Baker, as he received his 1st place prize.  "It's great to see a guy improve and want to take that next step up the competitive ladder", said Hallenbeck.  "Homer's a stand-up guy".

The next Senior Tour event will be held at Carolina Trace in Sanford on The Lake Course.  The August 14th event still has openings available.

THE SENIOR AMATEUR GOLF TOUR

SOUTHERN PINES COUNTRY CLUB EVENT

TOP FIVE SCORES BY FLIGHT

CHAMPIONSHIP  (6286 yds)

Steve Lassiter, Pinehurst  70

Ron Hockensmith, Whispering Pines  71

Craig Sturdivant, Sanford  75

Howard Nemenz, Winston-Salem  76

Joey Moffitt, High Point  81

Bob Kober, Colfax  81

A  FLIGHT  (6286 yds)

Mike Johnson, Clayton  74

Steve Smith, Pinehurst  75

Tom Fagerli, Yadkinville  75

Chuck Taubersmith, Pinehurst  76

Parker Whitt, Winston-Salem  77

Wayne Denton, Clayton  77

Cecil Lockley, Creedmoor  77

B  FLIGHT  (6005 yds)

Homer Baker, High Point  78

Tom Kubla, Pinehurst  79

Charles Mellette, Sanford  79

Louis Herndon, Graham  79

Harry Mosher, Knightdale  80

Jack Reaume, Durham  80

Vic Robertson, Greensboro  80

Grady Strickland, Chapel Hill  80

Dick Kuehl, Sanford  80

Allen Kayler, Winston-Salem  80

C  FLIGHT  (6005 yds)

Doug Jurusik, Wake Forest  81

Marty Carpenter, Pinehurst  82

Elby Hatfield, Archdale  85

Tom Redding, Clemmons  87

Richard Glick, Raleigh  87

Brian Costine, Durham  87

Charles Gunn, Greensboro  87

Rudy Binder, Greensboro  87

Jim Prouty, Pittsboro  87

Dwight Davis, Pittsboro  87

James Eatmon, Sims  87