Contributed by Sean Naylor
The Memorial Day Players Championship involved all three of our tours (Atlanta, DC Metro and Upstate) as well as the Eastern North Carolina, Cincinnati, Columbus Ohio and Kentucky tours. We were happy to have members from nine other tours also participate! The Resort at Glade Springs provided a beautiful backdrop to the tournament, great facilities, activities for the entire family and a wonderful staff! Even the weather cooperated, and the rain held off until after the event finished on Sunday. With great competition, new and old friends, the tournament was a success! We hope you will all keep Memorial Day open next year—help spread the word that this regional is one you don’t want to miss!
As is our tradition, the tournament opened with a special ceremony honoring our veterans. We proudly acknowledged the combined 604 years of service contributed by our 30 veterans and 4 active duty Golfweek Amateur Tour members! Special thanks to the JROTC unit from Woodrow Wilson High School for posting the colors!
Active Duty
Mike Miller – 18 years – Army
Bart Cragen – 14 years - Navy
Kelly Holliday – 9 years – Army
Brandon Johnson – 8 years – Air Force
Veterans
Bo Bogardus – 30 years – Marine Corps
Rod Norwood – 30 years - Navy
Joe Hollis – 28 years – Air Force
Jimmy Bryant - 27 years - Army
Tim Robinson - 27 years – Army
Warren Hackler – 26 years – Marine Corps
Dave Phillips - 26 years – Air Force
Garry Branch - 25 years – Army
Christopher Martinez – 24 years - Marine
Dave Baca - 23 years – Navy
Steven Dunn – 23 years – Air Force
Brian Lane – 23 years - Army
Bob Tallman - 23 years – Army
Michael Casazza – 21 years – Marine Corps
Vic Ferraris – 21 years – Army
Cephas Franklin - 21 years – Air Force
Garrett Maynard – 21 years - Air Force
James Briggs – 20 years – Coast Guard
Joseph Jones – 20 years – Marine Corps
Charles Carpenter – 17 years - Air Force
Curtis Sharp – 13 years – Marine Corps
Darren DeCroock – 12 years – Army National Guard
Harry Dougherty – 12 years – Marine Corps
Spencer Haeger – 9 years – Army/Navy
Tim Burlison - 7 years – Air Force
Rick Estes – 6 years – Army/Navy
Bob Russell – 6 years - Army
Don Stackhouse - 6 years – Army
Scott Cain – 4 years - Navy
Tim Newman - 3 years - Army
Shaggy Brown - 1 year - Army
Our special raffle to raise money for Stand Up 2 Cancer and Wings for Warriors was a huge success! Thanks to everyone that participated we raised over $1000 (split between the two organizations) and Mac McLaughlin won the TactiCool golf bag! Thanks to Franklin “Shaggy” Brown for creating and organizing this raffle!
Competition was tight over the two-day event held on the Cobb and Stonehaven courses at the Glade Spring Resort in West Virginia. The top-2 finalists in two of the five flights were separated by only one stroke. We even saw an Eagle in the D Flight.
Three stokes separated the top-3 in the Championship Flight. Kelly Holliday (DC Metro), Brandon Johnson (Columbus) and Brooks Roberts (Myrtle Beach-Wilmington) battled it out. After 18 holes, Roberts held a one-stroke lead over Holliday and a two-stroke advantage over Johnson. Nine holes later, Holliday and Roberts were tied (112). In the back, Holliday used three birdies and three pars to edge Johnson – who recorded four birdies during that same time – by one stroke, 148-149, for the win. Roberts placed third with a 150.
Thomas Burlison (Columbus) and Scott Kennedy (DC Metro) were knotted at 74 after 18 holes in the A Flight. On day two, Burlison turned it up a notch. He recorded two birdies and 12 pars, en route to a 5-over-par performance on the weekend (149). Like the Championship Flight, the next three spots were separated by only three strokes. Kennedy placed second (153) while Les Rand (Eastern NC) and Chris Harris (Kentucky) followed in order.
Bob Tallman (DC Metro), Chris Franklin (Upstate) and Josh Calhoun (Upstate) got better on day two of the B Flight. Because of that, play went down to the wire. Tallman used a par on the final hole to clinch the victory, 168. Franklin carded a 169 while Calhoun finished just a stroke behind.
Compared to other flights, there was some “breathing room” between the top-2 finishers in the C Flight. Garrett Maynard (Columbus) and Don Upright (DC Metro), who both had fantastic rounds, placed first and second. Maynard carded a 163 while Upright earned a 168 on the weekend. Cephas Franklin (DC Metro) rounded out the top-3 with a 173.
Joseph Jones (Columbia) earned the win in the D Flight after 36 holes of golf with a 182. Don Stackhouse (DC Metro) finished two strokes behind Jones while Shawn Doyle (DC Metro) carded a 190.
Congratulations to the Senior Division winners as well! Scott Kennedy (DC Metro) won the A Flight with a two-day score of 153. Bob Tallman (DC Metro) took home the trophy in the B Flight with a two-day score of 168. Cephas Franklin (DC Metro) finished in first in the C Flight with a two-day score of 173 followed by Bill Noel (DC Metro) in second (179), Butch Novak (Columbus Ohio) in third (180) and Vic Ferraris (Kentucky) in fourth (185).
Saturday's Side Games
Super Skins
#2 – Tom Burlison
#3 – James Beresh
#14 – Tony Bostic
Championship/A Flight Skins
#2 – Tom Burlison
#3 – James Beresh
#7 – Chris Martinez
#14 – Tony Bostic
B Flight Skins
#4 – Fredy Carreon
#7 – Nelson Sanchez
#8 – Bob Santee
#12 – Jack Pereira
#13 – Josh Calhoun
#16 – Fredy Carreon
C Flight Skins
#2 – Darren DeCroock
#6 – Garry Branch
#12 – Bart Cragen
#17 – Don Upright
D Flight Skins
#15 – Don Stackhouse
Closest to the Pin
#3 – Chris Martinez – 3 feet 8 inches
#7 – Jimmy Bryant – 3 feet 2 inches
#13 – Dave Pongrace – 4 feet 9 inches
#17 – Don Upright – 3 feet 10 inches
Raffle
$350 – Don Stackhouse/Don Upright ($175 each)
GWAT duffle bag with prizes – Kelly Holliday
GWAT shirt – Garry Branch
Sunday's Side Games
Super Skins
#2 – Tony Bostic
#14 – Kelly Holliday
#16 – Michael Casazza (Eagle)
#18 – Dana Shoulders
Championship/A Flight Skins
#2 – Tony Bostic
#3 – Al Hyjek
#14 – Kelly Holliday
#18 – Dana Shoulders
B Flight Skins
#1 – Bill Russell
#5 – Bill Russell
#7 – Stephen Zander
#10 – Imee Stackhouse
#11 – Josh Calhoun
#12 – Josh Calhoun
C Flight Skins
#4 – Bart Cragen
#5 – Darren DeCroock
#8 – Bob Russell
#10 – Landon Wilkes
D Flight Skins
#1 – Joe Hollis
#13 – Shawn Doyle
#16 – Michael Casazza (Eagle)
Closest to the Pin
#2 – Mike Garland – 10 feet 6 inches
#6 – James Beresh – 12 feet 3 inches
#12 – General Fernbach – 3 feet 9 inches
#17 – Al Hyjek – 11 feet
Raffle
$355 Cash Prize – Chris Franklin
Box of GWAT logo balls and $75 Edwin Watts Gift Card – Dave Baca
GWAT shirt – Buddy McBride