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