Colby Harwell, Doug Pool claim Carlton Woods titles
Colby Harwell charged from the back of the pack with the low round of the final day to claim the eighth annual Carlton Woods Invitational at The Woodlands, Texas, in a playoff over second-round leader Randy Lance.
Harwell shot 2-under 70 to come from three shots down on the back nine. Lance lipped out the potential winning putt on the final hole. Robert Funk and Nicolas Cristea just missed the playoff when both players made bogey on the last hole.
In the senior division, Mike Booker opened the final round looking for his third consecutive championship, but Doug Pool had one too many answers for him.
Pool carded three birdies on the back nine to surge into the lead, but a bogey on No. 18 dropped him into a playoff with Booker.
After one playoff hole wasn’t enough, the two players headed back to the tee again. Booker just missed the green to the right and was not able to get up and down, while Pool hit two solid shots and tapped in for par to win his first Carlton Woods title.
The inaugural Hullender Trophy, named after legendary senior amateur Bob Hullender, was raised high for the first ...
Kraus, Weworski take four-ball title
Results from the 22nd Women's Trans Senior Four-Ball Championship, held April 23-25 at Whirlwind Golf Club in Chandler, Ariz:
Champions
Andrea Kraus (Baltimore, Md.), Corey Weworski (Carlsbad, Calif.): 66-62-68–196
Flight 1
Kim Eaton (Tempe, Ariz.), Liz Waynick (Scottsdale, Ariz.): 68-68-69–205*
Lisa Schlesinger (Laytonsville, Md.), Mimi Hoffman (Springfield, Va.): 65-70-70–205*
Jennie Robinson (La Quinta, Calif.), Mina Hardin (La Quinta, Calif.): 71-67-68–206
Flight 2
Jeanne Lallensack (Oro Valley, Ariz.), Mary Fink (Scottsdale, Ariz.): 72-74-74–220*
Christie Austin (Cherry Hills Village, Colo.), Cindy Pallatino (Scottsdale, Ariz.): 73-72-75–220
Bev Hoffenberg (Greenwood Village, Colo.), Nancy Ziereis (Centennial, Colo.): 73-74-74–221
Flight 3
Beverly Kim (Wahiawa, Hawaii), Lily Yao (Honolulu, Hawaii): 76-77-75–228
Barbara Blankenship (Centertown, Mo.), Janis Clemens (Sedalia, Mo.): 77-76-76–229
Ginny Becker (Naples, Fla.), Peggy Williams (Pickerington, Ohio): 78-76-76–230
Dorothy Powell (Rockford, Ill. ), Salley Wessels (Mt. Morris, Ill.): 76-79-75–230
Flight 4
Pat Linson (Papillion, Neb.), Tracey Whitley (Bellevue, Neb.): 77-81-78–236
Brenda Samuelson (Clarinda, Iowa), Jill Blackwood (Ft. Myers, Fla.): 81-77-79–237
Peggy Muenster (Clayton, Mo.), Vicki Wolken (Clayton, Mo.): 78-81-80–239
Flight 5
Cindy Anderson (Eugene, Ore.), Susan Palmer (Eugene, Ore.): 83-83-78–244
Carol Key (Colorado Springs, Colo.), Carole Grosch (Worland, Wyo.): 86-80-83–249 ...
Doug Pool defends Golfweek Senior Amateur title
LA QUINTA, Calif. – Doug Pool defended his title by winning the Senior division of the Golfweek Senior Amateur by a stroke at PGA West.
The Las Vegas resident had a three-round total of 216 to beat runner up Jeff Burda from Modesto, Calif. Pool dropped shots at Nos. 3, 4, 7, and 17 – including a double bogey on the fourth – but had enough birdies on his card to make his even par round of 72 enough for victory.
Pool, known for his consistent play, said his game around the greens helped considerably.
"I didn't have my "A" game overall today but my short game was great," he said. ". . . Yesterday, when I made the birdies on No. 12 and 17 with a 30 and 15 footer, I gained a lot of confidence."
Pool's ninth-place finish last week in the Society of Seniors' Masters coupled with his win this week will move him into the top 10 in the Golfweek Senior Amateur Rankings.
"We keep our courses in top tournament condition and to see players play this well is really a tribute to the quality of the field," said Michael Ferguson, Director of Golf at PGA West.
In the Super ...
Smith builds super-senior lead at Golfweek Senior Am
LA QUINTA, Calif. – Ted Smith from Wilkinson, Ind., took advantage of perfect scoring conditions in Round 2 of the Golfweek Senior Amateur and put up a 2-under 70 at PGA West’s Nicklaus Tournament Course. Smith, the top-ranked player in Golfweek’s Super Senior Rankings, leads the super-senior division (ages 65-69) of the 54-hole event.
Smith didn’t start playing golf until he was 33. Still, he says he is playing the most consistent golf of his life. The 67-year-old was 3 under after six holes and didn’t let up. He carded five birdies to go with three bogeys.
“I tend to hit a lot of fairways and greens so right now I guess the weakest part of my game is my short game,” Smith said. “When I missed the first green from 101 yards out and made bogey, I knew I had to maintain composure and play solid golf the rest of the way.”
The self-taught player, who has never had a formal lesson, said he made a slight swing adjustment a few months ago and everything is starting to click now.
In the senior division, Doug Pool (145) is still at the top of the leaderboard. Robert ...
Pool leads Golfweek Senior Amateur at PGA West
LA QUINTA, Calif. – Doug Pool and Jeff Burda entered the Golfweek Senior Amateur at PGA West as the hottest players in the field. After the first round, they control the top of the leaderboard at the famed Stadium Course.
Pool, from Las Vegas, posted a 1-under 71 on a calm, 97-degree day on the Pete Dye-designed Stadium Course, which is No. 7 among Golfweek’s Best Courses You Can Play in California.
Pool played a nearly flawless round, stayed patient and took advantage of the calm conditions. He had four birdies and three bogeys, continuing his consistent play from last week when he finished T-9 at the Society of Seniors’ Masters.
“I’ve had a slight flaw in my swing and sometimes I’m not sure where the ball is going,” Pool said. “Luckily I think I got it straightened out now. Hopefully I can keep it going in the second round.”
Jeff Burda from Modesto, Calif., trails Pool by a single shot. Burda won the Society of Seniors’ Masters last week, and opened the event at PGA West with an even-par round that included four birdies on the front nine and four bogeys on the back.
In the Super ...
Call out for ‘Local Legends’
There are many amateur golfers who have compelling stories to tell. Do you know of a “Local Legend”?
Golfweek wants to hear about golfers with impressive amateur records on the state and local scene. Several will be highlighted in our annual Amateur Issue on May 10.
Send nominations with brief credentials to news@golfweek.com or fax to 407-563-7077 (Attn.: Local Legends) by March 2. Please include name, address and contact information for the nominee.
Scottish amateur golfer Charlie Green, 80, dies
Scottish golf has lost a true legend with the death of Charlie Green, who has died of cancer at age 80.
Green arguably was the best amateur ever to come out of the Home of Golf. Born in Dumbarton, Scotland, in 1932, Green played in five Walker Cups from 1963 to '73, captained the side in 1983 and '85, won three Scottish Amateur Championships, six British Senior Amateur Championships and won the silver medal as leading amateur in the 1962 Open Championship at Troon.
Cardross Golf Club west of Glasgow was Green’s home club for most of his life. He reached the top despite conceding he “couldn’t hit a barn door” when he first started playing as a boy. Yet he turned himself into a champion.
Green played on only one victorious Walker Cup team, in 1971 at St. Andrews. The Scot won two matches and lost two matches as Great Britain & Ireland defeated the U.S., 13-11.
The likes of Michael Bonallack, Joe Carr, Ronnie Shade, Peter Oosterhuis and Howard Clark were just some of the names with whom Green played on Walker Cup teams. He played against U.S. Walker Cup sides featuring Lanny Wadkins, Vinny ...
Zylstra claims Golfweek Senior Amateur title
Bill Zylstra is on a roll so far in 2013. By winning the Golfweek Senior National Championship victory on Friday, the 61-year-old claimed his third ranked senior amateur event this year.
Zylstra, a Michigan native who winters in Ocklawaha, Fla., shot a final-round 2-over 74 at Mission Inn Resort’s Las Colinas course in Howey-in-the-Hills, Fla., on Friday. He prevailed in cold weather, outpacing Richard Pfeil to win the championship at 2-under 214 for 54 holes.
Zylstra and Pfeil, who ended 2012 atop Golfweek’s Senior Rankings, began the day tied for the top spot, and with a seven-shot lead on the next closest player. Zylstra pulled away over the front nine, as Pfeil ended with double bogeys at Nos. 7 and 9. Pfeil finished at 81 for the day, and with a total of 5-over 221.
In addition to claiming the tournament title, Zylstra also won the January Swing on the senior amateur circuit. That title comes after winning the Old Corkscrew Senior Invitational, the Gateway Invitational and nearly winning the Kingsway Senior Invitational.
For Zylstra, better play in 2013 is directly attributable to back surgery at the end of 2012. Zylstra had a seditious cyst removed from his ...
Zylstra, Pfeil tied entering final round at Golfweek Senior
A final-round duel between two of the country’s top senior amateurs is set for Friday at the Golfweek Senior National Championship. Richard Pfeil of Naples, Fla., and Bill Zylstra of Ocklawaha, Fla., are tied atop the leaderboard entering the final round at Mission Inn’s Las Colinas course in Howey-in-the-Hills, Fla.
Zylstra, who already has won the Old Corkscrew Senior Invitational and the Gateway Senior Invitational in 2013, took the first-round lead with a 5-under 67. Playing in the same group as Pfeil on Thursday, Zylstra backed up to a 1-over 73. He had five bogeys and four birdies, including one at the 18th. Pfeil, who finished 2012 atop Golfweek’s Senior Rankings, shot 71. He bogeyed the final hole to fall back into a tie with Zylstra.
Zylstra and Pfeil are at 4-under 140 through 36 holes. Randy King of Kilgore, Texas, is the next closest competitor at 3-over 147.
In the Super Senior division, Robert Howe leads at even-par 144.
Charlie Busbee has a three-shot lead in the Super Senior Legends Division, at 5-over 149.
Zylstra leads Golfweek Senior Am; Pfeil two back
Not much keeps Bill Zylstra down. The 61-year-old recently had a small tumor removed from his back but his golf game never took a hit. Zylstra shot a 5-under 67 in Wednesday’s first round of the Golfweek Senior Amateur. He leads by two shots.
Zylstra’s round at Mission Inn Resort’s Las Colinas course in Howey-in-the-Hills, Fla., included seven birdies and two bogeys. Zylstra, of Ocklawaha, Fla., leads Richard Pfeil, Golfweek’s top-ranked senior from 2012. Zylstra and Pfeil, of Naples, Fla., will go head-to-head in Round 2. Pfeil’s first-round 69 contained no bogeys.
So far in 2013, Zylstra has won the Old Corkscrew Senior Invitational and the Kingsway Senior Invitational.
Behind Zylstra and Pfeil, Vance Antoniou of North Barrington, R.I., shot 72 for solo third. Dale Porter of Leland, N.C., and George Walker of Mobile, Ala., share fourth place at 73.
Don Jeanes, Joe Pavoni and Ted Smith are tied for the lead in the Super Senior division with a 1-under 71.
Charlie Busbee leads the Super Senior Legends Division after a 2-over 74.
2013 Senior Amateur competition schedule
January
• Old Corkscrew Senior Invitational, Jan. 4-6, Old Corkscrew GC, Estero, FL
• National Senior-Junior Championship, Jan. 7-9, Dye Preserve, Jupiter, FL
• Gateway Invitational, Jan. 8-10, Gateway Golf and Country Club, Fort Myers, FL
• Kingsway Senior Invitational, Jan. 12-14, Kingsway GC, Lake Suzy, FL
• Golfweek Senior National Championship, Jan. 16 - 18, Mission Inn - Las Colinas Course, Howey in the Hills, FL
• • •
February
• Florida International 4-ball, Feb. 15 - 17, The Fox Club, Palm City, FL
• Gasparilla Invitational, Feb. 22 - 24, Palma Cela Country Club, Tampa, FL
• Tutwiler 4-Ball, Feb. 26 - 28, Lake Jovita CC, Dade City, FL
• • •
March
• Jones Cup Senior Invitational, March 4-6, Sea Island Golf Club (Seaside Course), Sea Island, GA
• SOS Spring Classic, March 5-7, Ironhorse CC, West Palm Beach, FL
• Florida Azalea Senior, March 8-10, Palatka Golf Club, Palatka, FL
• International Seniors Mid-Winter Championship, March 9-16, Fairmont Orchid, Hawaii
• • •
April
• Senior Temple Cup, April 4-6, Crown Colony CC, Lufkin, TX
• Giddings Cup, April 9-11, LaQuinta CC, Mountain View CC, LaQuinta, CA
• Senior Masters, April 16-18, Indian Wells Golf Resort, Indian Wells, CA
• Golfweek Senior Amateur, April 21 - 23, LaQuinta Resort, Nicklaus Course and PGA West, Palm Springs, CA
• Georgia Senior Invitational, April 22 - 24, Crystal Lakes CC, Hampton ...
Year-in-review: Simson leads top 10 senior amateur storylines
It comes as little surprise that the bulk of the top storylines in 2012 were produced by the top four players in the Golfweek/Wilson Senior Amateur Rankings. Time and again, this quartet made their way to the winner’s circle within the senior amateur circuit, not to mention making a bit of noise against their younger counterparts in both amateur and professional competitions.
Chip Lutz, 57, of Reading, Pa., was in the news not only for what he did, but what he didn’t do. For the second consecutive year, Lutz captured both the British Senior Amateur and Canadian Senior Amateur titles only to come up short in his bid to complete senior amateur golf’s triple crown at the U.S. Senior Amateur. A semifinalist at the 2011 U.S. Senior Am, Lutz lost in the first round this year as Jim Knoll of Sunnyvale, Calif., scored a 1-up victory.
Still it was quite a year for Lutz, who also posted victories at the Ralph Bogart Senior, War Memorial, Hyndman Memorial, Thomas Senior, Pennsylvania Senior Match Play and Florida Azalea Senior to go with second-place finishes at the Crane Cup Senior and Coleman Senior. He was low amateur ...
Parmar wins Golfweek Senior Tour Championship
Robert Parmar finished four shots clear of the next closest pursuer on Dec. 3 to win the Golfweek Senior Tour Championship. Parmar, of Fairhope, Ala., closed with 2-under 70 at Grand Cypress Golf Club in Orlando, Fla., and finished 54 holes at 1-under 215.
Parmar’s final round was colorful. His card included six birdies, but also four bogeys. In Round 2, when Parmar shot his best round of the week, a 3-under 69, he made only two bogeys back-to-back at Nos. 3 and 4. He had five birdies coming in, and finished the tournament at 3-over 219.
Ron Carter held the second-round lead after opening with rounds of 74-68. He stumbled with four bogeys in the final five holes to lose his advantage.
Vance Antoniou and Cyrus Whitney tied for third at 4 over, while Jim Rollefson and George Walker tied for fifth at 5 over.
Pete McDade won the Super Senior division with a 1-under 215 total. Carlos Salaber won the Legends division at 4-over 220.
Longtime amateur golfer John Owens dead at 85
Johnny Owens, who won more than 100 amateur golf tournaments and was co-founder of the Society of Seniors, died Oct. 7 in Lexington, Ky. He was 85.
Owens was an accountant by trade, but it was the numbers he put on his scorecard that set him apart. His top victory came at the 1984 British Senior Amateur. He also won the Canadian Amateur, consecutive Kentucky State Amateurs in the mid-1960s and was easily the top amateur in that state's history. He played in the 1964 Masters and two U.S. Opens (1952 and ’61).
Owens, along with fellow top amateurs Dale Morey and Ralph Bogart and Ed Tutwiler, founded the Society of Seniors in 1983, an organization that enables top amateurs to continue competing after 55 on a no-handicap basis. For the last 27 years, Mr. Owens split his time between Quail Ridge Country Club in Boynton Beach – the SOS’s national headquarters – and Lexington.
“We lost a great man here at Quail Ridge,” said Harreld Kirkpatrick, another top Kentucky amateur golfer who first competed against Owens in 1953. “Johnny was a guy who never gave up on the golf course. If he hit his tee shot into the ...
Paul Simson wins second USGA Senior Amateur title
WEST CALDWELL, N.J. – What you get with Paul Simson of Raleigh, N.C., is an unimposing guy who looks like somebody snatched him off a bar stool and deposited him onto a golf course.
On appearance alone, the 61-year-old Simson will never be fingered as a great athlete. Yet, because of his consistency and longevity, he is without question one of the best amateur golfers ever. With his victory Thursday in the 2012 USGA Senior Amateur – a 4-and-3 triumph over Curtis Skinner of Lake Bluff, Ill. – Simson further enhanced his stature in golf history.
From the U.S. Junior to the U.S. Senior Open, Simson has played in 55 national championships. He has won two, the Senior Amateur in 2010 and now this one.
Simson is a shrimp of a golfer, not quite 6 feet tall and with a little pot belly. He likes wearing shorts, the better to show off his bird legs. He wears a straw hat when the sun is out, or a baseball cap in the rain.
Because the weather here at Mountain Ridge Country Club alternated between rain, sun, rain, fog and more rain, he was constantly changing hats.
With his revolving hats ...
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