The Columbus division of the Golfweek Amateur Tour held its first event of the 2012 season at Scioto Reserve Country Club in Powell, Ohio today. Known for its US Open style rough, slick greens, and superb condition , Scioto Reserve gave our players all they could handle. 118 of Ohio’s best golfers battled gale force winds to start the season off strong and get an early lead in the year end points chase.
Some of our largest growth in the off season has been in Champ flight this year. With so many new players we were all anxious to see who would challenge the veterans of the tour and claim the top spot. Out of the record 17 players in Champ flight for one event, 8 were new. It started off as a very competitive tournament with a lot of players going back and forth taking the lead by a stroke or two, and then the usual suspects stepped on the accelerator. John Fryman earned his 19th career win on the Columbus Golfweek Tour with an incredible score of 75. On a day where bogey was a respectable score on a lot of holes, Johns round shows he is ready for yet another bid at a season title. Last year’s overall flight champion Rich Campbell also showed his mid season swing turning in a solid 78. Another stalwart of the tour Tim Ford showed that he’s ready for a run at Champ flight also finishing with a 78. Scorecard playoff gives second place to Tim. Great job to all the Champ guys! From the back tees today was brutal.
A flight saw another tour veteran claim a well earned victory today. Todd Barnes shot a very strong score of 80 with two birdies. Todd has a very consistent game and when playing well can compete with anybody in A flight. Tom Burlison used his local knowledge of Scioto Reserve to put up an 82 taking second place alone. Tom has the potential to go low at any point and is a legitimate threat in the A flight. Our first new member to place today is Matthew Akers. Matthew’s 84 was a great score for a first time player in a tournament atmosphere. The competition is going to be better than it has ever been in A flight this year. We can’t wait to see who separates themselves from the rest of the flight!
B flight had 37 total players today easily blowing away the largest field we have ever had in one flight. This is our most competitive flight and I am proud to say we have some of the best B flight players in the country! Grabbing his first ever Columbus tour victory couldn’t have come at a better time for Jeff Spires. With such a large field, it is extremely difficult to place in the top 5. Jeff’s red hot putter helped to him to shoot 81 and run away with the B flight win. The next two players which happen to be good friends, Bobby Owens and Dan Dickenson are very familiar with Scioto Reserve. Their local knowledge and experience in tournament play helped them both shoot great scores of 83. The number one handicap hole would determine the tie breaker. Bobby’s par beats out Dan’s bogey giving him second place in his first Golfweek Event. After the round all Dan had to say was "what are friends for?" Congratulations to everybody in B flight for grinding it out on a tough day on the golf course.
In C flight we had our first new member to win a tournament in 2012. Brandon Peterson set the pace for C flight this year coming out of the gate with a solid 85. His smooth swing will go a long way to making him one of the most consistent players this year. Taking home closest to pin as well made it an overall great start for Brandon. Coming in just one stroke behind, Gary Andrews played really well. His low penetrating ball flight helped him stay below the wind and hit fairways and greens. Gary can play with best of them and he is ready to show everybody 2012 is his year. Just one stroke behind Gary was 14 yr old Christopher Dearth. Christopher is gaining confidence each and every tournament, and is a real contender this year in C flight. Each year C flight is getting better and better and 2012 will be no exception, can’t wait to see this play out.
Continuing with his hot streak from the 2011 national championship where he finished fourth overall, John Barnes played another awesome round today. His 93 gave him a four stroke victory and his fifth career win. Coming in second, Benny Bennett shot 97 and took home two flight skins. A few shots here and there and he’s in the hunt for the crystal trophy. Good luck to all the D flight players this year, it’s guaranteed to be a spectacular year.
I want to thank all of our current and new players for their participation today. I really enjoyed meeting all the new guys and catching up with the veterans. 2012 will be our best year yet and I can’t wait to see all of you play great golf! See you at Heritage.