Asheboro, NC (April 14, 2011) - Unlike last week at Augusta, where Charl Schwartzel made his 1st Tour win a Major Championship, winning on the Senior Amateur Golf Tour is nothing new to Pinehurst's Rick Luzar. So when he shot a 1-under 71 today at Pinewood Country Club to take the 2011 season's 1st Major event with a comfortable 5 shot margin, it wasn't nearly the upset the pros saw last Sunday. Although Luzar had to know he was in the running late in the event, his confidence no doubt rose when he finished birdie/eagle on holes 17 and 18 (the eagle also held up for a "skin" in the friendly side-bet that is part of each tournament). Winston-Salem's David Coolidge and Johnny Adams of Cary posted 76s.
It took a very strong effort by Doug Masters of Clemmons to top the A Flight results with a 73, because Fayetteville's Jon Blossom turned in his best Tour score ever with a 76.
Masters and Luzar, like the B and C Flight winners all "punched their tickets" to the season-ending National Tour Championship that is held in Pinehurst in November - they qualify by virtue of their wins today. That event draws the top 300 players from the 13 Senior Amateur Tours up and down the East Coast.
Tour rookie Ronnie Grubbs of Clemmons, playing in only his 2nd Tour event, took home the top prize in the B Flight with a 79 and a 1-stroke win over a trio of golfers - Greensboro's Gary Core, Winston-Salem's John Doster, and Dexter Barbee of Burlington.
Southern Pines' Marty Carpenter was the class of the C Flight with a solid 83, two shots better than Greensboro's Len Bullock. Carpenter, who didn't post a single birdie during his round, showed that the key to C Flight success is to consistently avoid the big numbers. He did so by shooting a 41 on the front nine and a 42 on the back.
While this was the first "Major" event of the season for the Senior Tour, there are 3 more remaining along with 20 regular tour events before the National Finals. Any amateur golfer over 50 interested in playing in a Tour event can call Tour Director Bruce Hallenbeck at 336-495-6556, or email him at behgolf@aol.com for information on how to register.
THE SENIOR AMATEUR GOLF TOUR
PINEWOOD CC EVENT (MAJOR CHAMPIONSHIP)
TOP FIVE SCORES BY FLIGHT
CHAMPIONSHIP (6,146 yards)
Rick Luzar, Pinehurst 71
Johnny Adams, Cary 76
David Coolidge, Winston-Salem 76
Tim Hunter, Pinehurst 77
Chuck Taubersmith, Pinehurst 78
Bob Gardner, Greensboro 78
A FLIGHT (6,146 yards)
Doug Masters, Clemmons 73
Jon Blossom, Fayetteville 76
John East, Rockingham 77
Bob Rudolph, Raleigh 77
Gene Jones, Thomasville 78
Dale Casey, Zebulon 78
B FLIGHT (6,146 yards)
Ronnie Grubbs, Clemmons 79
Gary Core, Greensboro 80
Dexter Barbee, Burlington 80
John Doster, Winston-Salem 80
Gus Alford, Zebulon 81
C FLIGHT (6,146 yards)
Marty Carpenter Southern Pines 83
Len Bullock, Greensboro 85
Brad Becken, Chapel Hill 87
Ron Alligood, Advance 87
Charles Gunn, Greensboro 87