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