PINEHURST'S EICHELE WINS SENIOR AMATEUR TOUR MAJOR IN STYLE
Posted: 3/26/2010 10:19:29 AM
Greensboro, NC (March 25, 2010) - Like the PGA Tour, the Senior Amateur Golf Tour has four Major events each season. The first of 2010 was contested at Forest Oaks Country Club Thursday. Ken Eichele won the Championship Flight in a manner befitting a Major Championship. On the third hole of a sudden-death playoff with Ahoskie's Bill Long, Eichele posted a birdie 3 on the #1 handicap hole for the win.
Eichele, who got off to a slow start on the day with a front-side 41, blistered the back with a 33 just before his playoff heroics.
"He's shown it before, winning 2 National Championships with this Tour. Ken plays big in big events", said Tour Director Bruce Hallenbeck.
Wiley Barrett of Southern Pines enjoyed a 3-shot margin of victory in the A Flight over a trio of golfers who shot 78s - Chuck Latham of Vass, Mark McKenna of Raleigh, and Greensboro's Jimmy Jarrell. Barrett's 75 was just the beginning of low scores in Flights other than Championship.
Greensboro's Mike Daniels took full advantage of the fact that the B Flight played from different tees that were almost 500 yards shorter than those of the Champ and A Flights. He fired a 75 for a single stroke victory over both Steve Smith of Apex and Eden's Jerry Weadon.
In keeping with the pace set by the B Flight, Forest Oaks member Travis Jones of Greensboro shot one of the lowest C Flight scores in the history of the Tour with a 77. Another Greensboro resident, Clayton Henry, was only 4 strokes behind with an 81, a score that would normally "blow-away" the C Flight competition.
"Looks like a lot of the guys are getting rid of the "ring-rust" that this year's rough winter weather contributed to. We'll be taking a hard look at the Tour handicaps of everyone now that a lot of guys seem to be back in form, to ensure that we have a level competitive playing field for all future events", said Tour Director Bruce Hallenbeck.
The Tour has a off week coming up and resumes play next at Grandover Resort on April 8. Anyone interested in playing in that event can call Hallenbeck at 336-495-6556.
THE SENIOR AMATEUR GOLF TOUR
FOREST OAKS COUNTRY CLUB - MAJOR EVENT
TOP FIVE SCORES BY FLIGHT
CHAMPIONSHIP (6,361 yds)
Ken Eichele, Pinehurst 74
Bill Long, Ahoskie 74
Willie Hendricks, Durham 75
Milt deReyna, Hope Mills 77
John East, Rockingham 78
Austin Overby, Raleigh 78
Doug Masters, Clemmons 78
A FLIGHT (6,361 yds)
Wiley Barrett, Southern Pines 75
Chuck Latham, Vass 78
Mark McKenna, Raleigh 78
Jerry Jarrell, Greensboro 78
Bob McQueen, Hope Mills 79
Tim Wilson, Danbury 79
B FLIGHT (5,835 yds)
Mike Daniels, Greensboro 75
Steve Smith, Apex 76
Jerry Weadon, Eden 76
John Ashby, Galax 77
Gene Falls, Manning, SC 77
C FLIGHT (5,835 yds)
Travis Jones, Greensboro 77
Clayton Henry, Greensboro 81
John Henely, Pinehurst 83
Richard Glick, Raleigh 83
Jerry Williams, Mt Gilead 85
Charles Pace, Lexington 83