Flight Winners Lance Keiser (Champ Flight) Mike Cuff (A Flight), Chuck Rosentfield (B Flight), Titus Simmons (C Flight), and Brandon Platt (D Flight)

Contributed by Sean Naylor

The DC Metro Tour opened the 2022 season in springtime, Mid-Atlantic region fashion, players in the sold out field competed in chilly temperatures, wind, and some flurries. But the tour members and guests were not fazed as scores were low and close, with one stroke separating first and second place in four of the five flights.

Lance Keiser captured the win in the Championship Flight with a stellar, two-over-par (73) performance. Keiser made three birdies and 10 pars on the round. Thomas Sutterfield, of the Tidewater Tour, shot a 78, edging out Brian Polick, a Cleveland/Akron Tour member, and Liam Diebel who tied for third (79). Jason Ellis rounded out the top-5 with an 80. 

A par on hole No. 17 was the difference between the A Flight victory and a playoff for Mike Cuff. Cuff trailed Brad Wills and Brandon Adamski by a stroke heading into the second to last hole of the round. His par jumped Wills and Adamski on the leaderboard and his win was cemented as they all shot a six on the 18th. Cuff shot a 79 while Cuff, Adamski, and a third player, Fred Ayubi, tied for second (80). Joe Rapp carded an 83, placing fifth. 

Two pars and a bogey on the final three holes were enough for Chuck Rosenfield to avert a comeback from Eric Martell in the B Flight. Rosenfield led Martell by three strokes heading into the back, but Martell battled, cutting the lead to one on the 11th. Rosenfield’s advantage grew to three, again, on hole No. 15, and he made the shots he needed on 16-18 to hold the victory, 85-86. Fredy Carreon and JD Word tied for third (88) while Karim Oulahyane placed fifth (90). 

The back nine saw three ties and three lead changes between C Flight participants Titus Simmons and Dave Shugart. The final one occurred on the 17th when Simmons broke the tie to take a one-stroke advantage. That one held, though, as the two players pared No. 18, sealing Simmons’s 90-91 win. Four players tied for third with scores of 93: Charles Overby, Ed Mose, Jay Gruendl, and Thomas LeMense. 

To no surprise, the D Flight also saw tight competition and a one-stroke difference between first and second place. This time, though, it took until hole No. 18 for a winner to be determined. Brandon Platt and Brian Braithwaite were knotted up at 45 a piece entering the back nine. The two swapped leads twice until the final hole, where Platt came out on top, 91-92. Blake Spangler and Franklin "Shaggy" Brown finished in a two-way tie for third (94) while Garry Branch placed fifth (95). 

Be sure to view the full results from Laurel Hill and the overall 2022 Points Race for the DC Metro Tour! Like us on Facebook and post pictures tagging both @DCGolfweekAmTour and @Golfweek AmateurTour.  #Road2Nationals #WhereAmateursPlayLikePros #OldestAmateurGolfTour #LargestAmateurGolfTour