Michael Foster Wins 2006 APA Senior National Championship (Martinez, GA

Michael Foster Wins
2006 APA National Seniors Championship

Michael Foster playing the 2nd hole in the 2nd round of the 2006 APA Senior National Championship

3 July 2006 - Martinez, GA - The 2006 Week of Nationals got underway early Monday morning in Martinez, GA. Starting off the big week of events was the 2006 APA Seniors National Championship. The APA Seniors National Championship makes its return to the Week of Nationals for the first time in a number of years.

A field of 10 seasoned veterans of the sport went to the tees at 9 a.m., starting with 2003 APA National Champion Bonnie White. After three grueling rounds of competition, it was 2004 World Match Play Champion Michael Foster who would edge out White and Mickey DeLucca by a stroke for the national title.

Foster opened in the lead at 7 under par, followed by Martinez Course employee Daryl Hayden only one stroke off the pace in his first event since rejoining the APA ranks earlier this week. DeLucca, Ken Stanfill and Linwood Moist were deadlocked at 5 under par after the opening round.

Foster returned in the second round with another 7 under par, posting the 36-hole lead at 58. White rebounded from an opening round 32, posting 9 under par in the second round and trailed Foster by a stroke. DeLucca, with a second round 7 under par was next at 60, with Moist and Hayden trailing two more strokes at 62.

White, shooting in the first group with Foster, posted a final round 7 under par to finish at 88 for three rounds. But a last minute ace on the final hole kept Foster one stroke better, finishing with a third consecutive round at 7 under par for a 54-hole total 87 and the win.

In the next group back, Hayden was only able to get the total to 91 despite a great final round 7 under par. One more group back, DeLucca finished strong at 8 under par to tie White for a share of second place at 88, pushing Hayden back to a fourth place finish.

The Seniors Title was the first of a kind for Foster, whose impressive resume includes six past national tournament wins. Foster won the 2004 APA World Match Play Championship as well as the 1991 and 1988 National Match Play Championships. He was also the 2003 ProPutters.com Classic Champion, and won the 1995 Greensboro Open and the 1991 Hall of Fame Classic.

Tournament summary courtesy of AmPutters.com.