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Carolinas Roster Set for Captain's Putter Matches
Josh Nichols of Kernersville, N.C. was runner-up at the U.S. Mid-Amateur last week
A staple on the Carolinas team for 28 years, Paul Simson was runner-up at the 2017 U.S. Senior Amateur
SOUTHERN PINES, N.C. (October 17, 2017) – Two national championship finalists headline a contingent of 24 golfers who will represent the Carolinas team against their Virginias counterparts at the 72nd Captain’s Putter Matches, set for Friday-Saturday, Oct. 20-21 at Greenville Country Club's Chanticleer Course in Greenville, S.C.
Related: Championship Website | Four-Ball Pairings | History |
The Captain’s Putter is an annual set of matches pitting top golfers from North Carolina and South Carolina against top players from Virginia and West Virginia (Virginia State Golf Association and West Virginia State Golf Association). Rosters contain 14 regular, 8 senior (age 55+) and 2 super senior (65+) players. The matches consist of two days of competition, with opening round four-ball and foursome matches (Friday, Oct. 20), followed by final day singles matches (Saturday, Oct. 21). A victory in each match scores one point in the Ryder Cup-style format, and if a match goes 18 holes without a decision, one-half point is awarded to each side.
Ten players are on the Carolinas roster from last year’s team that notched its second consecutive win against the Virginias. Buoyed by a dominating performance in Saturday singles, the Carolinas squad rallied from a three-point deficit to defeat the Virginias team 25½-22½ at Kinloch Golf Club in Manakin-Sabot, Va. and retain the Captain’s Putter trophy. The Carolinas team leads all-time 49-21-1.
The Captain's Putter Matches return to Greenville Country Club for the first time since 1973 , when the Carolinas team won 129½-86½. Since 2002, when the point system switched to one point per match, Paul Simson leads the Carolinas team with 29.5 points won. Walter Todd, Sr. is third with 16.5. The Carolinas team will be led by G. Jackson Hughes, Jr. of Greenville, S.C. Hughes is the immediate past CGA president (2014-15).
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Carolinas Regular Team (years selected)
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Carolinas Senior Team (years selected)
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Carolinas Super Senior Team (years selected)
| Ron Carpenter | Creedmoor, NC | 8 |
| Evan Long | Charlotte, NC | 1 |
Regular Team Members:
Six players are making their first Captain's Putter appearance. Playing his home course of Florence CC, Gregg Jones of Florence, S.C. captured the South Carolina Amateur in August. Josh Branyon of Honea Path, S.C. went wire-to-wire to win the South Carolina Mid-Amateur earlier this month. Brett Boner of Charlotte, N.C. tied for second at the 2017 Carolinas Mid-Amateur. James Lightsey, Jr. of Fort Mill, S.C. posted top-10 finishes this year at both the Carolinas Amateur and South Carolina Amateur. This spring, Brandon Reece of Rolesville, N.C. placed T6 at the Carolinas Mid-Amateur and T17 at the Carolinian Amateur. Thomas Lilly of Newton, N.C. recorded strong finishes at the Carolinas Amateur, Cardinal Amateur, N.C. Open, CCNC Amateur, Carolinas Open, and Southern Amateur to earn a spot on the team.
Four players on the Carolinas Regular Team, including Nichols, are making their second start in a Captain's Putter. Parker Dudley of Johns Island, S.C. qualified for the U.S. Mid-Amateur, was a quarterfinalist at the S.C. Amateur Match Play and finished T16 at the Carolinas Amateur. Kevin O'Connell of Cary, N.C. advanced through local U.S. Open qualifying and was a runner-up at the North Carolina Amateur. Thomas Todd, III of Laurens, S.C. earned the No. 2 seed at the U.S. Mid-Amateur, advancing to the Round of 32. He placed fifth at the Carolinas Mid-Amateur in April and won the Greenwood Invitational.
Making his third Captain's Putter start, Justin Tereshko of Greensboro, N.C. is currently the sixth ranked mid-amateur in the world by amateurgolf.com. After claiming his first CGA title at the North Carolina Amateur in June, Tereshko qualified for both the U.S. Amateur and U.S. Mid-Amateur. Also playing in his third Captain's Putter, Steven Brame of Henderson, N.C. recorded top-20 finishes at the Azalea Invitational, North Carolina Amateur and Carolinas Mid-Amateur.
The veteran on the regular team is Jarrett Grimes of Columbia, S.C. Making his seventh Captain's Putter appearance, Grimes placed T9 at the Carolinas Mid-Amateur, T16 at the South Carolina Amateur, and was a runner-up at last year's South Carolina Mid-Amateur. Chris Cassetta of High Point, N.C. will make his fourth appearance by virtue of placing T18 at the North Carolina Mid-Amateur, T25 at the Carolinas Mid-Amateur, and T8 at the Triad Amateur Golf Classic.
Senior & Super Senior Team Members:
The third ranked Carolinas senior, Walter Todd, Sr. of Laurens, S.C. makes his third consecutive appearance as a senior after ten appearances on the regular team. This year Todd won the SCGA Senior Four-Ball and the Jones Cup Senior Invitational. He added top-5 finishes at the Chanticleer National Senior Invitational, Carolinas Senior Amateur, Carolinas Senior Amateur, and South Carolina Senior Amateur. Preston Edmondson of Morrisville, N.C. defended his title at the Carolinas Senior Amateur in September. The fourth ranked senior in the Carolinas, Edmondson tallied top-5 finishes at the North & South Senior, John T. Lupton Memorial, and CPGA Sandhills Senior Open. Dr. James Pearson of Charlotte, N.C., teamed with Jim Grainger to win the Carolinas Senior Four-Ball for the second consecutive year. Ranked fifth in the Carolinas, Pearson also placed fourth at the Carolinas Senior Amateur and sixth at the North Carolina Senior Amateur.
Gary Robinson of Fayetteville, N.C., notched a handful of top-10s this year including the Carolinas Senior Amateur, North Carolina Senior Amateur, and National Senior Hall of Fame. Greenville, S.C. local Geno Berchiatti is making his first appearance in the Captain's Putter. Highlights of Berchiatti's 2017 season include winning the South Carolina Senior Amateur and qualifying for the U.S. Senior Amateur. Pat Thompson of Asheville, N.C., was runner-up at last year's Carolinas Senior Amateur and placed fourth at both the 2017 Chanticleer National Senior Invitational and Lowcountry Senior Invitational. After recovering from an injury, Rick Cloninger of Fort Mill, S.C. returned to competitive golf this summer, qualifying for the U.S. Senior Amateur and tied for second at the Carolinas Senior Amateur.
Ron Carpenter of Creedmoor, N.C. and Evan Long of Charlotte, N.C. will represent the Carolinas Super Senior Team. Carpenter won the CPGA Senior Associates Championship - Super Senior in June and recorded top-3 finishes at the North Carolina Super Senior, Sport Durst Durham Senior Amateur - Super Senior, and CPGA Summer Shootout - Super Senior. Long was runner-up at both the North & South Senior - Super Senior Division and Low Country Super Senior and placed fourth at the Carolinas Super Senior Championship.
About the Captain's Putter Team Matches
The Captain’s Putter is an annual set of matches pitting top golfers from North and South Carolina against top players from Virginia and West Virginia (Virginia State Golf Association and West Virginia State Golf Association). The matches consist of two days of competition, with opening round four-ball and foursome matches (Friday, Oct. 20), followed by final-day singles matches (Saturday, Oct. 21). A victory in each match scores one point in the Ryder Cup-style format, and if a match goes 18 holes without a decision, one-half point is awarded to each side.
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.
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