Carolinas Senior Amateur Championship Preview

56^th Carolinas Senior Amateur Championship Preview
Top-ranked senior players to compete at Grandfather Golf & CC

 

SOUTHERN PINES, N.C. (September 15, 2017) -- The Carolinas Golf Association (CGA) will conduct the 56^th Carolinas Senior Amateur Championship at Grandfather Golf & Country Club in Linville, N.C. from September 19-21. Designed by Ellis Maples, Grandfather Golf & Country Club offers a renowned Championship Golf Course that has been ranked by the North Carolina Golf Panel as the second best in North Carolina.

The Carolinas Senior Amateur Championship is conducted at 54 holes of stroke play. After 36 holes, there is a cut to the low 60 scores and ties. Entry is open to any male amateur golfer who has reached his 55th birthday by the first day of the championship, is a legal resident of North Carolina or South Carolina, and is a member in good standing of a member club of the Carolinas Golf Association.

Related: Championship Website | History | Full Field
 

In last year's championship hosted by Gaston Country Club, Preston Edmondson of Morrisville, N.C. captured his second CGA title in dramatic fashion by birding his final hole to edge defending champion Pat Thompson of Ashville, N.C. by one stroke. 

141 players are expected to compete in the 56^th edition of the championship. Exempt players were automatically accepted while others were required to qualify through one of five 18 hole qualifiers.

Top-ranked Carolinas Senior Men in the field (as of 9/1/17):

• (No. 1) Paul Simson of Raleigh, N.C.: runner-up at the U.S. Senior Amateur in August, has won five of his last six appearances in CGA individual senior championships the past two years, won the 2016 North & South Senior and runner-up this year, claimed two CGA championships this year at the Carolinas Super Senior and North Carolina Senior, all-time leader in CGA titles with 33.

• (No. 2) Preston Edmondson of Morrisville, N.C.: defending Carolinas Senior Amateur champion, runner-up at the 2017 CPGA Senior Sandhills Open and 2016 Senior Azalea Invitational, placed T4 at 2017 North & South Senior.

• (No. 3) Russ Perry of Winston-Salem, N.C.: advanced to Round of 16 at the U.S. Senior Amateur, runner up at 2017 Carolinas Super Senior and N.C. Senior Four-Ball.

• (No. 4) Todd Hendley of Greer, S.C.: defeated Paul Simson in playoff to capture 2017 North & South Senior, won 2017 Chanticleer National Senior Invitational, qualified for 2017 U.S. Senior Amateur and U.S. Senior Open, runner-up at SCGA Senior Amateur and SCGA Senior Four-Ball.

• (No. 5) Pat Thompson of Asheville, N.C.: runner-up at last year's Carolinas Senior Amateur, placed fourth at 2017 Chanticleer National Senior Invitational and Lowcountry Senior Invitational.
   

Past champions in the field (8):

Preston Edmondson, Morrisville, N.C. - 2016
Pat Thompson, Asheville, N.C. - 2015
Jim Grainger, Charlotte, N.C. - 2014
Rick Cloninger, Fort Mill, S.C. - 2012, 2013
John Dennis, III, Greenville, S.C. - 2011
Russ Perry, Winston-Salem, N.C. - 2010
John Walters, Charlotte, N.C. - 2009
Paul Simson, Raleigh, N.C. - 2007, 2008
 

Scoring will be provided by the CGA throughout the championship, offering 9 and 18-hole updates. Live updates will also be available on the CGA’s official Twitter account, @cgagolf1909. Continue to visit the CGA website throughout this championship and all year long for complete championship coverage including scores, interviews, photos, and recaps.

Championship Schedule

Tuesday, September 19
Round 1 – 18 holes stroke play (Tee times at 8:00am/12:30pm off #1 and #10 tees)

Wednesday, September 20
Round 2 – 18 holes stroke play (Tee times at 8:00am/12:30pm off #1 and #10 tees)
Cut to low 60 scores and ties. Field re-paired according to score.

Thursday, September 21
Round 3 - Tee times begin at 8:00am off #1 and #10 tees.
Awards ceremony immediately following play at scoreboard.

About the Carolinas Golf Association (CGA)

The CGA is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit educational organization that was founded in 1909 to promote and to protect the game of golf in the Carolinas by providing competitions, education, support and benefits to golf clubs and golfers. The CGA is the second largest golf association in the country with over 700 member clubs represented by nearly 150,000 individuals.

The CGA annually conducts 48 championships and five team match competitions for men, women, juniors, and seniors. It also runs over 150 One-Day (net and gross) events as well as qualifying for USGA national championships. The CGA serves golf in the Carolinas with numerous programs such as: the USGA Handicap System; tournament management software and support; course measuring and course/slope ratings; agronomy consultation; answers about the Rules of Golf, Rules of Amateur Status, and Handicapping; Carolinas Golf Magazine; Interclub series; Tarheel Youth Golf Association; Carolinas Golf Hall of Fame; expense assistance for USGA Junior and Girls' Junior qualifiers from the Carolinas; and the Carolinas Golf Foundation (CGF). The CGF has distributed nearly $2,000,000 since 1977 to benefit Carolinas' golf initiatives including junior and women's programs.    

For more information about the CGA, visit our website.