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The Senior Amateur Tour returns to Pinehurst and the championship courses of Pine Needles, Mid Pines and National GC.


Pinehurst, NC - The Senior Amateur Tour is bringing its season-ending championship back to the Pinehurst for the second straight year, and National Golf Club has been selected as the tournament's primary venue.

The championship takes place Nov. 16-17 and is expected to draw more than 300 golfers from nine states. The tour will use National's Jack Nicklaus signature course both days, along with the great Donald Ross courses of Pine Needles Resort and Mid Pines. National will also host the annual skins game on Monday November 15th in which all players are invited to play.
"These three courses are the best - by far - that we've ever had for a Senior Amateur Tour Championship," said tour president Dennis McCormac. "Our players requested that we return to the Pinehurst area and are excited to play courses of such high caliber."

National Golf Club has twice hosted PGA Tour Q-School and U.S. Open qualifying, while Pine Needles hosted the U.S. Women's Open in 2001 and 2007. Mid Pines, the sister course to Pine Needles, is ranked among the top golf courses in North Carolina.

"What I like about the tour is it brings us good quality golfers that enjoy traditional golf," said Tom Parsons, director of golf at National. "They'll appreciate all three venues and each course should be in very good shape at the time."

The Senior Amateur Tour conducts separate amateur tours in 15 regions representing nine states. Three new tours were added this year (Kentucky, Mississippi and West Palm Beach, Fl.)  Over 200 tournaments were held nationwide for player to qualify to play in Pinehurst.  Now the best from each flight will compete over 2 days to be crowned the Senior Amateur Tour Champions.  Golfers age 50 and older play a season-long schedule of tournaments in their area, with the top finishers in each flight earning the honor of participating in the tour championship.

This will be the 12th annual championship for the tour. The first eight championships were held in the Sandhills before moving to the South Carolina low country for two years.  The tour has made long term arrangements to keep the National Championship in Pinehurst, NC.

Last year’s event drew 220 golfers and encompassed the three golf courses.  The overall champions were:

Championship Flight:    Kim Mansfield (Triad, NC)
A Flight:                          Tommy Lee (Knoxville, TN)
B Flight:                          Craig Stone (Orlando, FL)
C Flight:                          LaMont Ellison (Indiana)

Team Championship:     Charlotte, NC

We expect another great tournament throughout all four flights.  The new handicap system we put in place for this year has really made each flight more competitive.  All the players who came last year really enjoyed the Pinehurst area.  In addition to world class golf, it offers great spa, restaurants and of course the famed Pinehurst #2.

The record number of participants will be gunning for a total purse of at least $10,000 in gift certificates.  The skins game on Monday will have a purse of $2500.  In addition to the Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday competition golfers have the opportunity to arrive early for practice rounds and enjoy all that Pinehurst has to offer.

"This tournament is important because it brings golfers who are competitive and enjoy a good golf course that will test you," said Parsons. "A lot of Carolinians who have not played her before will see this course. It's a nice marketing opportunity for us."

 

High Point's Mansfield wins 2009 Harris Teeter Senior Amateur Tour Championship

Champ Flight Winner Kim Mansfield --- A Flight Winner Tommy Lee

C flight winner Lamonte Ellison ---- Randall Robbins makes a Hole in One

Team cup winners- Charlotte

SOUTHERN PINES, N.C. -- For the second time this decade, Kim Mansfield of High Point, N.C., is the champion of the Harris Teeter Senior Amateur Tour.

Mansfield shot a two-day total of even-par 143 to win the championship Wednesday. Mansfield, the 2002 champ, held off a charge by four players who finished a stroke back. He credited his opening round of 68 at National Golf Club for giving him the cushion needed in the final round at Pine Needles.

"I played well both days. The difference was I made a lot of putts in the first round," said Mansfield, a former member of National Golf Club. "I knew my way around the course at National, but still you have to make the shots."

A quartet of golfers finished a shot back of Mansfield in the Championship Flight. Rick Luzar of Pinehurst took second on a scorecard playoff, while Brad Kroll of Charlotte finished third after shooting the low round of the tournament, a 67. Fourth-place Denny Adkins of Myrtle Beach also closed with a 67.

In the A Flight, first-round leader Tommy Lee of Knoxville hung on to post a total of 151 and a three-shot victory over Chuck Latham of Pinehurst.

The B Flight winner was Orlando's Craig Stone at 156, while Lamont Ellison of Indiana took top honors in the C Flight at 173.

Randall Robbins of Smithfield, N.C., made a hole-in-one in the final round. Robbins, a member of the Pinehurst tour, aced the 160-yard 12th hole at National with a 6-iron. It was his second career hole-in-one.

In the battle for the team cup, Charlotte (1,276) rallied to edge Pinehurst by four shots. The Triad was third at 1,283.

This was the 11th annual championship of the HT Senior Amateur Tour and it drew a record field of 210 participants.

Harris Teeter Senior Amateur Tour Championship Final Results

National Golf Club & Pine Needles Golf Club, Southern Pines, NC

Championship Flight
Kim Mansfield (Triad) 68-75--143
Rick Luzar (Pinehurst) 74-70--144
Brad Kroll (Charlotte) 77-67--144
Denny Adkins (Myrtle Beach) 77-67--144
Chuck Wilkins (Pinehurst) 72-72--144
Brent Massey (Raleigh) 76-71--147
John Walters (Charlotte) 74-74--148
Jerry Sennett (Charlotte) 76-73--149
Tom Cone (Charlotte) 75-74--149
Bill Thaxton (Charlotte) 77-73--150

A Flight
Tommy Lee (Knoxville) 72-79--151
Chuck Latham (Pinehurst) 76-78--154
Sonny Rose (Pinehurst) 77-80--157
Lee Sargent (Charlotte) 77-81--158
Dale Rogers (Triad) 79-80--159
Doug Masters (Triad) 77-82--159
Larry Bouchy (Charlotte) 80-81--161
Rex Mills (Charlotte) 86-76--162
Dale Casey (Raleigh) 78-84--162
Toby Tyler (Charlotte) 81-81--162

B Flight
Craig Stone (Orlando) 79-77--156
Joe Prairie (Pinehurst) 80-80--160
Kerry Byars (Louisiana) 80-81--161
Richard Schliepsiek (Pinehurst) 85-76--161
Max Mast (Charlotte) 85-76--161
Victor Robertson (Triad) 83-78--161
Dan Whalen (Triad) 80-82--162
Carl Pilcher (Augusta) 80-82--162
Conway Powell (Charlotte) 81-82--163
Arnie Guerra (Orlando) 81-82--163

C Flight
Lamont Ellison (Indiana) 86-87--173
Ken Nichols (Louisiana) 91-83--174
Gary Graham (Charlotte) 88-89--177
Butch Barras (Indiana) 89-89--178
Chris McDonald (Raleigh) 86-93--179
Larry Hinson (Columbia) 90-90--180
Danny Keever (Triad) 86-95--181
Ray Fesperman (Myrtle Beach) 92-90--182
Greg Postlethwait (Raleigh) 93-89--182
Elby Hatfield (Triad) 95-88--183

Team Cup
Charlotte 645-631--1276
Pinehurst 638-642--1280
Triad 635-648--1283
Raleigh 657-650--1307

   For more information on the 2009 Harris Teeter Senior Amateur Tour Championship, click here.

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