FAYETTEVILLE, NC -- Rick Cloninger returned to Fort Mill, S.C two months ago from the Atlanta area. After a closing five-under-par 67 Sunday at Highland Country Club, he won his first Carolinas title.

Cloninger, 46, carded six birdies and one bogey for a 211 total, five under and two ahead of four-time champion Paul Simson of Raleigh, N.C. for the Carolinas Mid-Amateur crown.

"I thought a 65 or 66 would get me into it today. I had not played the front nine well earlier in the week. When I shot 32 on the front today, I knew I had a chance," Cloninger said.

He canned a 25-foot birdie putt on the ninth hole to emerge from a logjam at the top of the leader board. He birdied the 10^th and 13 holes to build a lead that no one challenged on the back nine.

"I was born in Charlotte and grew up in Fort Mill, so it's been a great homecoming," he said.

Simson gained his fourth second-place finish, to match his four wins, with a closing 75--213, three under par.

Cloninger won two Georgia Mid-Amateur titles, one Georgia Amateur, one Georgia Amateur match play, one Florida amateur and one and one Florida Amateur match play titles before returning home. "It's nice to be home," he said.

The championship, conducted by the Carolinas Golf Association, was open to male, amateur residents of North Carolina and South Carolina who are aged 30 or more.

Rick Cloninger, Fort Mill, SC 75-69-67--211

Paul Simson, Raleigh, NC 69-69-75--213

Keith Harris, Concord, NC 75-68-71--214

Sherrill Britt, West End, NC 71-72-71--214

Dave Glabicki, Cary, NC 71-71-74--216

Walter Todd, Laurens, SC 73-71-73--217

Mike Goodes, Brown Summit, NC 76-71-70--217

Danny Gurley, Chapel Hill, NC 70-69-79--218

Preston Edmondson, Morrisville, NC 72-74-73--219

Greg Powell, Whiteville, NC 72-75-72--219

Keith Waters, Raleigh, NC 72-74-74--220

Mark Hedberg, Asheville, NC 75-74-72--221

Robert Wooten, Winston-Salem, NC 75-70-77--222

Mitch Adams, Cary, NC 73-77-72--222

Greg Earnhardt, Greensboro, NC 74-70-79--223

Jeff Etheridge, Pinehurst, NC 77-70-76--223

Scott Azzarelli, Fayetteville, NC 75-73-75--223

Scott McClellan, Cary, NC 74-75-74--223

Phil Blake, Asheville, NC 70-76-78--224

Wynn Solle, Pinehurst, NC 72-79-73--224

Chris Dalrymple, Pinehurst, NC 74-74-77--225

Tucker Sampson, Charlotte, NC 77-76-72--225

David Strawn, Charlotte, NC 72-75-79--226

Mike Nunnally, Wilmington, NC 74-73-79--226

Cliff Earle, Clemmons, NC 75-74-77--226

Kelly Miller, Southern Pines, NC 77-75-74--226

Gregg Cox, Greensboro, NC 77-77-72--226

John Rudolph, Charlotte, NC 81-74-71--226

Johnny Crumpler, Jacksonville, NC 72-74-81--227

Graham Banister, Raleigh, NC 76-77-74--227

Brian Westveer, Concord, NC 79-75-73--227

Gary Mason, Apex, NC 76-72-80--228

Garland Yates, Asheboro, NC 75-74-79--228

Gettys Glaze, Charleston, SC 78-72-78--228

Skip Taylor, Flat Rock, NC 77-74-77--228

Dean Channell, Cary, NC 77-76-75--228

Mark Wagner, Statesville, NC 79-75-74--228

Trey Holroyd, Cary, NC 78-78-72--228

Pat Thompson, Asheville, NC 76-80-72--228

Joey Sadowski, Hickory, NC 76-76-77--229

Stan Queen, Burlington, NC 76-75-79--230

Michael Nowak, Charlotte, NC 77-78-75--230

Dan Hendrickson, Charlotte, NC 75-78-78--231

Joel Stiles, Winston-Salem, NC 76-77-78--231

Sam Smith, Fayetteville, NC 75-78-78--231

Bubba Judy, Greensboro, NC 80-74-77--231

Ray Womack, Burlington, NC 75-81-75--231

Frank Ford III, Charleston, SC 74-75-83--232

John Fritz, Charlotte, NC 78-74-80--232

Logan Jackson, Winston-Salem, NC 78-76-78--232

John Stratton, Greensboro, NC 77-77-80--234

Kim Mansfield, High Point, NC 75-81-78--234

Stephen Stalker, Raleigh, NC 78-77-80--235

Toby Hole, Walnut Cove, NC 81-74-80--235

Brad Buxton, Greensboro, NC 78-78-79--235

Tom Seifert, Huntersville, NC 77-73-86--236

David Rosenfeld, Cary, NC 78-76-82--236

James Watkins, Raleigh, NC 82-74-80--236

Mark Arrington, Raleigh, NC 77-79-80--236

Mike Williford, Fayetteville, NC 78-78-81--237

Lex Alexander, Durham, NC 77-79-82--238

Tim Whitener, Hickory, NC 78-77-86--241

Chuck Tickle, Cary, NC 73-78-WDI

Mark Weston, Matthews, NC 75-78-WDI

Kevin Wagner, Raleigh, NC 77-77-WD

MISSED CUT

Lawrence Hicks, Greensboro, NC 77-80---157

Tony Stephenson, Dunn, NC 77-80---157

Chad Teel, Raleigh, NC 79-78---157

Scott Booker, Pinehurst, NC 80-78---158

Rick Riddle, Charlotte, NC 77-81---158

Dan Surber, Garner, NC 80-78---158

Dave Davis, Greensboro, NC 82-76---158

Mike Wilson, Raleigh, NC 82-76---158

Glen Subin, Pinehurst, NC 78-81---159

Brad Kroll, Charlotte, NC 79-80---159

Norman Davis, Charlotte, NC 79-80---159

John Zoppi, Pinebluff, NC 79-80---159

Jim Holloway, Charlotte, NC 79-80---159

Bob McCormick, Charlotte, NC 82-77---159

Sam Dawkins, Southern Pines, NC 83-76---159

Kenny Flynn, Winston-Salem, NC 84-76---160

Mike Lefevers, Hickory, NC 80-80---160

Mike Buckmaster, Wake Forest, NC 85-75---160

Rob Campbell, Jr., Huntersville, NC 79-81---160

Phillip Greene, Charlotte, NC 80-80---160

David Eaker, Forest City, NC 81-79---160

Joey Burgess, Fayetteville, NC 81-79---160

Herb Lohr, Lexington, NC 85-76---161

Dave Martin, Fayetteville, NC 81-80---161

Todd Chadwick, Clemmons, NC 84-78---162

David Braxton, Mebane, NC 85-77---162

Trey Gray, Columbia, SC 79-83---162

Marshall Siler, Asheville, NC 82-80---162

Eric Taylor, Greensboro, NC 80-83---163

Anderson Marlowe III, Raleigh, NC 84-79---163

Chris Cassetta, Kernersville, NC 81-82---163

Kevin McCallister, Greensboro, NC 83-80---163

Gray Yancey, Oxford, NC 81-83---164

Gary Ellis, Cary, NC 83-81---164

Brent Padrick, Asheboro, NC 80-85---165

Lennie Younce, Hickory, NC 86-80---166

Larry Hodges, Rocky Mount, NC 81-86---167

Craig Brawley, Mooresville, NC 84-84---168

Steve Wilson, Wilmington, NC 77-WD

Robin Perkins III, Sanford, NC 82-DNS

Tony Nichols, Reidsville, NC 82-WDI

Dean Parziale, Pinehurst, NC 79-DNS

Jimmy Simmons, Elon, NC 78-WD

Chris Cobb, Charlotte, NC 83-WD

Bryan Dozier, Troy, NC 74-WDI