Greg Ward Comes From Seven Down to
Win Anderson Afternoon Tournament
31 March 2001 - Anderson, S.C. - With two round leader Michael
Hitt in the clubhouse at 55, after an impressive second round 26 to
lead by four, it looked like Michael Hitt would ease through the
afternoon field in Anderson, but the danger of the course got to him in
the final round and he was passed by one player after he closed with a
final round 34. No stranger to winning tournaments on the South Carolina
tour, Greg Ward
proved once again why he is the dominant player on the tour as he
amassed the tour's leading 43rd career victory with a one-shot win over
Hitt.
Through the first round, Hitt was in a four-way tie
for the lead at 29, along with Robert Johnson, Jay Klapper, and 2000
South Carolina State Champion Randal Smith. The first time SCPPA
chairman opened up a sizeable lead of four shots over Jimmy Mott after
carding a 26 to go in at 55. Ward, after being one back of the first
round leaders, managed with a second round 32 to fall seven back of Hitt
and was tied for seventh.
As darkness was falling and cooler conditions were
the dominant key, Hitt ran into a stumbling block as he fired a final
round 34. After Ward got into the house with a final round 26 to jump
into the lead, Hitt had to make 18 to force a playoff, in which he
didn't and thus settled for second. The rounds of 26 by both Hitt and
Ward was not the low round of the afternoon as Johnson fired a final
round 25 after he ran into trouble himself in the second round with a
round of 38.
Jimmy Comer broke open a tie after the second round
with Brian Hutchins with a final round 29 to win by five shots over the
1999 SCAPA State Champion. After a rough morning tournament finishing at
even-par 108, the two-time NCAPA State Champion cruised to his first win
on the South Carolina tour this season. Comer finished the night at 97,
while Tommy Hutchinson and Keith Waters each ended up second at 102.
Only 30 players from the Pro Division participated
but the same 16 amateurs took part in the second half of the
doubleheader in Anderson. The start of the second tournament began
approximately one hour later than anticipated after the slow running of
the first tournament. Darkness fell in the final round, and the
tournament was finally completed just after 7:40pm on Saturday.
Conditions were once again windy but temperatures hovered around 60
degrees and the breeze felt like it was in the high 40's for the good
part of the afternoon.
Jimmy Mott continued his torrid play in Anderson with
a third place finish at 90, along with Smith. With the third place
finish, Mott has the early lead in the Pro Division points race by 4.5
points over Johnson, who finished runner-up to Ward in 2000. Johnson
tied Mike Flavin for fifth at 92.
After the first weekend, there is a three-way tie for
first in the APA Division points race. Those players are Jimmy Comer,
three-time APA State Champion Tommy Hutchinson, and Russell Sigmon, Jr.,
all in with 25.5 points.
There were 15 money spots available in this
tournament with the score of 97 placing as a full share. The APA score
of 102 was the reimbursement line there.
Ward took both the SCPPA Match Play and Qualifying
spots from this tournament and Mott took the two-day South Carolina
Qualifying spot.
South Carolina will return to Anderson for the next
scheduled tour stop on Saturday, April 21. This event is combined with
the North Carolina tour and will be played at 12:00pm on Course 2. The
tours then will hold the annual Carolina's Open on Sunday, April 22, at
9:00am as Gary Hester will be vying to defend the title.
Recap and Scores provided by Opie Roberts
Professional Division of Anderson,
S.C. Event (31 March 2001)
|
|
Round |
|
Prize |
|
Player |
1 |
2 |
3 |
Total |
Money |
|
1
|
Greg Ward |
30
|
32
|
26
|
88
|
$125.00
|
|
2
|
Michael Hitt |
29
|
26
|
34
|
89
|
$80.00
|
|
3
|
Jimmy Mott |
31
|
28
|
31
|
90
|
$65.00
|
|
Randal Smith |
29
|
32
|
31
|
90
|
$65.00
|
|
5
|
Mike Flavin |
31
|
31
|
30
|
92
|
$58.00
|
|
Robert Johnson |
29
|
38
|
25
|
92
|
$58.00
|
|
7
|
Gary Hester |
33
|
27
|
34
|
94
|
$55.00
|
|
8
|
Todd Fowler |
30
|
32
|
33
|
95
|
$49.00
|
|
Edgar Hollifield |
32
|
32
|
31
|
95
|
$49.00
|
|
Jay Klapper |
29
|
31
|
35
|
95
|
$49.00
|
|
11
|
Tony Pack |
34
|
36
|
26
|
96
|
$40.00
|
|
12
|
Tommy Barbour |
30
|
31
|
36
|
97
|
$37.00
|
|
Jonathan Reid |
33
|
32
|
32
|
97
|
$37.00
|
|
Tony Varnadore |
33
|
32
|
32
|
97
|
$37.00
|
|
Frank Warren |
34
|
31
|
32
|
97
|
$37.00
|
|
16
|
Greg Newport |
36
|
34
|
28
|
98
|
|
|
Randy Reeves |
30
|
34
|
34
|
98
|
|
|
18
|
Darrell Britt |
33
|
34
|
32
|
99
|
|
|
Robby Bryant |
32
|
32
|
35
|
99
|
|
|
20
|
Tony Jackson |
33
|
33
|
34
|
100
|
|
|
Brian Martin |
34
|
34
|
32
|
100
|
|
|
22
|
Kevin Chambers |
33
|
33
|
35
|
101
|
|
|
Andy Coradini |
35
|
35
|
31
|
101
|
|
|
24
|
Lewis Burton |
35
|
30
|
37
|
102
|
|
|
25
|
Mike Fowler |
30
|
40
|
33
|
103
|
|
|
Nick Gill |
34
|
32
|
37
|
103
|
|
|
Rick Rybaczek |
35
|
32
|
36
|
103
|
|
|
28
|
Opie Roberts |
39
|
34
|
33
|
106
|
|
|
Allen Wall |
36
|
32
|
38
|
106
|
|
|
30
|
Bob Jackson |
37
|
33
|
37
|
107
|
|