Southern Pines, NC  (September 8, 2011)  -  Gary Strickfaden of Southern Pines and Davidson's Mike Gaisbauer both broke par today at Hyland Golf Club to gain victories in Senior Amateur Golf Tour play.  Strickfaden, playing out of the Championship Flight, garnered 1st place points for the 3rd time in 4 events this season with a 4-under par 68.  He was a model of consistency with identical 34s on both the front and back nines. 

Two Triad area golfers - Lewisville's Mike Smith and Steve Lambert of Summerfield finished 2nd and 3rd respectively, 4-strokes back. Gaisbauer, a longtime Tour veteran posted his lowest score in his last 52 events with a 1-under 71 in A Flight competition.  He needed every good shot he hit as he edged Laurinburg's Jim McMillan by a single stroke.  "It's been a long time since I've had one of these (victories)", said Gaisbauer.  5 birdies were the key to his round.

Durham residents swept the top 3 spots in the B Flight with Edward Burton's 76 leading the way.  Twig Avent was 2 back at 78, while Al Forte, who was recently promoted from the C Flight, carded a 79.  "All 3 of these guys have stepped up their game recently", stated Tour Director Bruce Hallenbeck.  "It's no surprise that they did this well today".

It seems like no Senior Tour event lately is complete without a playoff for the top spot in at least 1 flight and today was no exception. Raleigh's Benny Miller and Archdale's Elby Hatfield both turned in regulation 83s in the C Flight, and went back out to settle the score with a sudden-death shoot-out.  Hatfield pulled his tee shot into a fairway bunker, resulting in a bogey on the first hole.  Miller took full advantage with a par to take the playoff in short order.  Greensboro's Don Michaux came in 3rd.  

THE SENIOR AMATEUR GOLF TOUR
HYLAND GOLF CLUB EVENT
TOP FIVE SCORES BY FLIGHT  

CHAMPIONSHIP  (6151 yards)
Gary Strickfaden, Southern Pines  68 Mike Smith, Lewisville  72 Steve Lambert, Summerfield  72 Mark Craige, Raleigh  73 Bill Wilson, Ridgeway, VA  73 Johnny Adams, Cary  73  

A  FLIGHT  (6151 yards)
Mike Gaisbauer, Davidson  71 James McMillan, Laurinburg  72 Cecil Lockley, Creedmoor  75 Steve Smith, Pinehurst  75 Chris Wilkes, Winston-Salem  76  

B  FLIGHT  (6151 yards)
Edward Burton, Durham  76 Twig Avent, Durham  78 Al Forte, Durham  79 Darrell Hagwood, Raleigh  79 Doug Shank, Raleigh  80 James Herndon, Hamlet  80  

C  FLIGHT  (6151 yards)
Benny Miller, Raleigh  83 Elby Hatfield, Archdale  83 Don Michaux, Greensboro  84 Randy Carr, Raleigh  85 Bill McGee, Durham  86