2007 Tour Championship
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Orlando Golfer Grabs National Title that Eluded
Him a Year Ago
HILTON HEAD, S.C. (Oct. 28) -- Nothing, not even a missed one-inch
putt, could keep Chad Frank from winning the egolf Amateur Tour's 2007
National Championship.
Frank, last year's runner-up, posted his second
straight 73 Sunday for a 146 total and a one-stroke victory in the
Championship Flight. The 40-year-old from Orlando
experienced an up-and-down final round. On the front nine he made two
birdies to rally past the first-round leader. But on the back nine
his lead evaporated and turned into a one-shot deficit when Frank barely
glanced a tap-in putt on the 13th while trying to avoid stepping in his
competitor's line.
"If I had lost, I would
have really felt bad about that putt. It was unbelievable," said Frank,
winner of nine of his 11 tourneys on the egolf AGT's Orlando Tour this year.
"I said, 'I'm not going to let this cost me.' I got a little fired up."
After the putting mishap, Frank drained an 18-footer
for birdie at No. 14, then made par the rest of the way to edge Andrew Smith
of the Triad (NC) Tour.
"I hit every green coming in and played solid," Frank
said. "It feels good to come back and win it and not finish second again.
You work all year for this."
Smith shot 73-74--147 to finish second, while
defending champ Joe Jaspers of Charlotte placed third at 75-73--148.
Top honors in the A
Flight went to Bob Potter of the Charleston (SC) Tour. Potter fired a
final-round 77 to finish at 155. Second place in A Flight went to
Cincinnati's Joe Mergler (77-79--156), while Steve Schultz of Nashville was
third at 78-79--157.
The B Flight champ
was Kirk Kleiser of the Louisiana Tour. Kleiser shot 82-80--162 for a
one-shot victory over Ron Hensley (80-83--163) of the Tri-Cities (TN)
Tour.
The Louisiana Tour also produced the C Flight
champion as William Duncan vaulted into the top spot with an 84 for a
175 total. Second place went to John R. Holland (Asheville NC)
at 88-89--177.
In the D Flight, Doug Turnau (Charleston SC)
shot a 178 total and posted a one-stroke victory over Frank Daniels
(Upstate SC).
This marked the second
straight year the egolf AGT has hosted its national championship on
Hilton Head Island. This year's field of 550 golfers was the largest
ever for a golf tournament on the island. Competition took place on
six courses: three at
Palmetto Dunes Resort, two at Port Royal Plantation and
one at Oyster Reef Golf Club.
Mike Nasekos of Charlotte
recorded a hole-in-one Sunday on the Robert Trent Jones layout at
Palmetto Dunes. Nasekos, playing in the B Flight, aced the 162-yard
eighth hole with a 4-iron. It was his first ace and won him a free
golf vacation, courtesy of Perks and Pats Vacations.
In team competition, the
Louisiana Tour took the cup away from defending champion Orlando.
Louisiana's team total was 1,292, followed by Orlando (1,306),
Charlotte (1,318) and Tidewater VA (1,335).
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