PLAYOFFS DECIDE SENIOR TOUR FOREST OAKS EVENT
Posted: 4/3/2009 10:48:25 AM

Milt deReyna (Champ Flight) & Randy Bunn (A Flight)
Greensboro, NC (April 2, 2009) - 18 holes weren't enough to decide a winner in the B Flight of the Harris Teeter Senior Tour event at Forest Oaks today. Mark Rice of Seven Lakes and Lewis Burgman of Greensboro both shot 80 in regulation to tie for the flight's top spot. They then headed back to the course in a drizzling rain for a sudden death shoot-out. As it turned out, the playoff was anything but "sudden". After both players matched each other with pars on their first 4 playoff holes, Rice emerged as the winner with a bogey 5 on the 381 yard, 14th hole for his first victory of the 2009 season. "In those (weather) conditions, I think it was more a battle of attrition than anything else", stated Tour Director Bruce Hallenbeck.
High Point's Danny Keever only needed one playoff hole to settle things in the C Flight. Keever struck a 145-yard 7-iron to within 6 feet and calmly stroked the birdie home to shut out Raleigh's John Hall and Al Tobin of Cary. The threesome all posted 87s over their initial 18 holes. Keever did "dodge-a-bullet" though, as Hall's chip from just off the green narrowly missed going in, which would have forced the playoff to continue.
The outcome was a little clearer in both the Championship and A Flights as Milt deReyna of Hope Mills (Championship) and Randy Bunn of Zebulon finished 2 strokes clear of their nearest competitors. deReyna edged Durham's Eric Ardery, while Bunn got past Southern Pines Wiley Barrett, and John Lyda of Advance to seal their victories.
Any one interested in getting information on The Harris Teeter Senior Tour, which is open to any amateur golfer over 50 can contact Tour Director Hallenbeck at 336-495-6556, or emailing him at behgolf@aol.com.
THE HARRIS TEETER SENIOR TOUR
FOREST OAKS COUNTRY CLUB EVENT
TOP FIVE SCORES BY FLIGHT
CHAMPIONSHIP (6,360 yds)
Milt deReyna, Hope Mills 72
Eric Ardery, Durham 74
Brent Massey, Raleigh 75
George Tsiolkas, Winston-Salem 76
John East, Rockingham 77
A FLIGHT (5,835 yds)
Randy Bunn, Zebulon 74
Wiley Barrett, Southern Pines 76
John Lyda, Advance 76
Gil Ro, Pinehurst 78
Gene Greenawalt, Carthage 78
Peter Crook, Burlington 78
B FLIGHT (5,835 yds)
Mark Rice, Seven Lakes 80
Lewis Burgman, Greensboro 80
Dan Whalen, Greensboro 82
Jerry Weadon, Eden 82
Frank Bland, Augusta GA 82
Sonny Gill, Trinity 80
C FLIGHT (5,835 yds)
Danny Keever, High Point 87
Al Tobin, Cary 87
John Hall, Raleigh 87
Jim Stanley, Raleigh 88
Charles Pace, Lexington 88
Tony Johnson, Greensboro 88
IN MEMORIUM
It is with a very heavy heart that I have to report that one of our own, and one of our best as well, has passed away recently. Harry "Butch" Jones of Rockingham, a longtime Tour member, and great guy, succumbed to complications from cancer on March 27th.
As other B Flight members can attest, Harry was always fun to play with and a great competitor. Soft spoken, with a dry wit and friendly demeanor, everyone who found out he was paired with Harry in one of our events made the same comment - "Great".
As one of his closest friends on Tour said to me, "Harry was the ultimate stand-up guy". I couldn't agree more wholeheartedly - Harry, we'll miss ya buddy.
The Tour will be making a donation in Harry's name to his favorite Charity - The Oxford Orphanage. Any Tour member who remembers Harry can send their contributions as well.