PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla., Oct. 7 - Twelve national champions were crowned last week when a record 920 amateur golfers from throughout North America converged on North Florida to compete in the 2010 Golf Channel Am Tour (GCAT) National Championships.
Two competitors successfully defended their 2009 GCAT National Championships, both in the senior division. Ken Larney (Orland Park, Ill.) became the first three-time national champion in the history of the Golf Channel Am Tour (2009, 2007), when he turned in one of the lowest rounds of the tournament on the final day with a 69 at St. Johns Golf & Country Club. Larney won the Senior Championship Flight (handicaps 0-3.9) by three shots. Clifford Conover (Roosevelt, Utah) survived a scare in the Senior Palmer Flight (handicaps 4-7.9) when he turned in his highest round of the tournament (82), yet managed to win by one stroke.
Sixteen-year-old Jacob Hibler (Midland, Texas) became the second-youngest national champion in the history of the Golf Channel Am Tour when he defeated Kevin Downey (St. Augustine, Fla.) and Kevin Stutts (San Diego, Calif.) in a two-hole playoff at World Golf Village’s Slammer & Squire Course to capture the Hogan Flight (handicaps 8-11.9). Hibler carded three consecutive rounds in the 70s following an opening round of 93 to climb up the leader board and eventually win the Hogan Flight title.
Contested at four Jacksonville-area golf courses and headlined by the famed PLAYERS Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass, the Golf Channel Am Tour National Championships featured 920 competitors representing 44 U.S. States. Canada and Puerto Rico. The participation eclipsed 2009’s tournament field at PGA West (781), making the 2010 National Championships the largest field in the history of the Golf Channel Am Tour. The Senior National Championships took place Sept. 21-24, with the Open National Championships taking place Sept. 26-29. Dye’s Valley at TPC Sawgrass, World Golf Village’s Slammer & Squire Course and St. Johns Golf & Country Club also served as host courses for the 2010 National Championships.
National Championship Winners
Open Division
Snead Flight (20+ handicap)
Down by one shot going into Sunday’s final round at St. Johns Golf & Country Club, Michael Poole of West Chester, Ohio, improved on his third-round score by 14 strokes with a final round 85, capturing the Snead Flight by two.
Jones Flight (16.0-19.9)
Suneil Aggarwal of Alpharetta, Ga., held on for a two-stroke victory with a third-round 97 at Dye’s Valley Course TPC Sawgrass. **The final round at TPC Sawgrass was cancelled due to inclement weather.**
Sarazen Flight (12.0-15.9)
Mark Perfetuo of Cary, N.C., erased a two-stroke deficit going into the final round with an 84 at St. Johns Golf & Country Club to win the Sarazen Flight by three strokes.
Hogan Flight (8.0-11.9)
Sixteen-year-old Jacob Hibler (Midland, Texas) became the second-youngest national champion in the history of the Golf Channel Am Tour when he defeated Kevin Downey (St. Augustine, Fla.) and Kevin Stutts (San Diego, Calif.) in a two-hole playoff at World Golf Village’s Slammer & Squire Course to capture the Hogan Flight (handicap 8-11.9). Hibler carded three consecutive rounds in the 70s following an opening round of 93 to climb up the leader board and eventually win the Hogan Flight title.
Palmer Flight (4.0-7.9)
Gio Swann of Lauderhill, Fla., took the Palmer Flight title by four strokes in a rain-shortened 54-hole tournament after shooting 74-75-81. **The final round at TPC Sawgrass was cancelled due to inclement weather.**
Championship Flight (<3.9)
Dan O’Connor of Carlsbad, Calif., carded a final round 73 at the PLAYERS Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass to overcome a two-stroke deficit and capture his first Golf Channel Am Tour National Championship by one shot.
Senior Division
Snead Flight (20+ handicap)
Rod Burns of Weston, Fla., saved his best golf for last. Burns turned in the lowest round in the Snead Flight with an 84 at World Golf Village’s Slammer & Squire Course to run away with the title by 11 strokes.
Jones Flight (16.0-19.9)
Like Rod Burns in the Snead Flight, Randy Adcock turned in the lowest round of the tournament in the Jones Flight on the final day. The Vidor, Texas, resident came from one stroke behind going into the final round to win by two shots with a final-round 82 at St. Johns Golf & Country Club.
Sarazen Flight (12.0-15.9)
Mickey Rogers of Mt. Pleasant, S.C., picked an opportune time to shoot one of the lowest rounds in his career. In the third round, Rogers carded a 79 at World Golf Village’s Slammer & Squire to overtake the top spot and held on to win the title by three strokes with a final-round 87 at the PLAYERS Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass.
Hogan Flight (8.0-11.9)
Don Miller (North Bay, Ontario) one of two Canadians competing in the Hogan Flight, grabbed the lead in the third round with a 79 at the PLAYERS Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass, and held on for a four-stroke victory.
Palmer Flight (4-7.9)
Clifford Conover of Roosevelt, Utah, became a two-time national champion in the Palmer Flight (2009), even after turning in his highest round of the tournament in the final round with an 82 at World Golf Village’s Slammer & Squire. Conover managed to successfully defend his 2009 national championship with a one-stroke victory.
Championship Flight (<3.9)
Ken Larney (Orland Park, Ill.) became the first three-time national champion in the history of the Golf Channel Am Tour (2009, 2007) when he turned in the low round of the tournament on the final day with a 69 at St. Johns Golf & Country Club to win the Senior Championship Flight (handicap 0-3.9) by three shots.
As the largest amateur golf tour in North America, the Golf Channel Am Tour is open to the public and provides the most professional tournament experience for players of all ages and abilities, as well as offering unparalleled access to some of the most renowned and challenging golf courses across the country. For more information about the Golf Channel Am Tour and the national championships, visit www.GolfChannel.com/amtour.
About Golf Channel:
Golf Channel is a multimedia, golf entertainment and services company based in Orlando, Fla. The Golf Channel cable network, co-founded by Arnold Palmer and a subsidiary of Comcast Corporation (NASDAQ: CMCSA, CMCSK), is available in more than 120 million homes worldwide through cable, satellite and wireless companies. Exclusive partnerships with the world’s top tours allow Golf Channel to feature more live golf coverage than all other networks combined, added to a programming schedule distinguished by golf’s best news, instruction and original programming. Golf Channel’s digital platform of businesses is led by www.GolfChannel.com, a leading golf destination on the Internet, delivering unmatched coverage of the world of golf, as well as services that help the recreational player with how to play, what to play and where to play golf.
About TPC Sawgrass
TPC Sawgrass -- “Home of THE PLAYERS” -- encompasses more than 30 years of magic and memories from famous pros’ road to the Championship and everyday golfers who challenge THE PLAYERS Stadium Course and Dye’s Valley Course. Open to the public and also offering exclusive memberships, TPC Sawgrass boasts a 77,000 square-foot Mediterranean Revival-style Clubhouse that protects and shares the TPC Sawgrass history and heritage through THE PLAYERS memorabilia. On the course, golfers build new memories with storyteller forecaddies who help closely replicate the experiences of the pros while challenging the famous 17th Island Green. Additional amenities include world-class golf instruction and state-of-the-art equipment at the TOUR Academy and restaurants Nineteen and Traditions overlooking the famed fairways. For more information on TPC Sawgrass please visit www.tpc.com/tpcsawgrass_60.aspx or call PGA TOUR Experiences at 888-421-8555 and visit www.pgatourexperiences.com
About Slammer & Squire
One of ‘The Official Golf Courses of the World Golf Hall of Fame & Museum,’ the Slammer & Squire is an 18-hole championship course designed by Bobby Weed with design consultants Sam ‘The Slammer’ Snead and Gene ‘The Squire’ Sarazen, both members of the Hall of Fame. The Slammer & Squire features two distinct nines with generous fairways, contoured greens, and plenty of water hazards along with impressive views of the Hall of Fame. Along with the King & Bear golf course, Slammer & Squire offers five sets of tees and beautiful, tournament-ready course conditions year-round.
Slammer & Squire was the host site of the Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf, a Champions Tour event, and currently hosts an array of other golf events. To learn more about Slammer & Squire at World Golf Village, visit www.golfwgv.com or call 904-940-6088.
About St. Johns G&CC
An award-winning Clyde Johnston-designed course, Billy Casper Golf-managed St. Johns Golf & Country Club attracts golfers from throughout the southeast United States. Carved out of a pine forest and featuring occasionally arduous wind patterns, the 18-hole layout tests golfers of all abilities, including those playing its championship tees at par-72 and 7,236 yards.
In 2009, under Billy Casper Golf agronomic direction, St. Johns was designated a “Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary” by Audubon International for its high standards protecting the environment and preserving the natural heritage of golf. According to Audubon International, St. Johns is one of a handful of courses in the Jacksonville area to achieve certification, joining the elite TPC Sawgrass, Amelia Island Plantation, The Palencia Club and Bent Creek Golf Course. For more information about St. Johns: www.stjohnsgolf.com, 904.940.3200.
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