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14th Annual United States Golf Teachers Cup®
DOURIS TAKES
THIRD US GOLF TEACHERS CUP CROWN
Nov. 2-3, 2009 • Palmetto Dunes Resort
Hilton Head Island, South Carolina |
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The 14th annual United States Golf Teachers Cup, held
November 2-3, 2009, had one of the most dramatic regulation
finishes in its history, but, in the end, a familiar winner
emerged.
James Douris of Australia captured his third US Cup by defeating
Trinidad & Tobago’s Christopher Richards in a two-hole playoff
at the Arthur Hills Course at the Palmetto Dunes Resort in
Hilton Head, South Carolina, in the 36-hole event. However, the
real fireworks happened during regulation play. Richards,
sitting at even par for the tournament and down two strokes to
Douris entering the 18th hole in the final round, saw
Douris hit his 50-yard third-shot approach to the par-5 over the
green, and then fail to get up-and-down, resulting in a bogey
6. Richards, a former World Golf Teachers Cup individual
champion, had a 12-foot birdie putt to tie and send the
tournament into extra holes, which he did, and emphasized it
with a couple of fist pumps.
A
playoff format unique to the US Cup calls for no sudden death.
Instead, a series of two-hole playoffs would determine the
championship. Both players parred the first hole, a par-4. On
the par-4 second, Richards left his approach shot short of the
green while Douris played his to eight feet right of the hole.
Richards played a good pitch shot to tap-in range, but it went
for naught as Douris holed his birdie putt to once again emerge
as the champion of the United States Golf Teachers Cup.
It
was a sense of déjà vu for Douris and Richards, as they
previously battled in overtime in the 2006 US Cup in Boulder
City, Nevada. The déjà vu in 2009 was all the more complete, as
Douris also got the better of Richards in that 2006 event.
Douris, who did not play in the 2008 tournament, opened with a
69 to tie newcomer Christopher Callihoo of Canada for the
first-round lead. Richards, Matt Smith, and Ted Williams were
next at 72, followed by Michael Wolf with a 73. Given the
strength at the top of the leaderboard, no one else had a
realistic chance to make a comeback. Defending champion Jerry
Moore, playing out of the Super Senior division, opened with a
76.
The second round became a familiar two-man battle between Douris
and Richards in the final group, as the others fell by the
wayside. Douris and Richards battled back and forth the final
round, with Douris finally taking a two-stroke edge into the
last hole, preceding Richards’ dramatic putt.
Douris and Richards both finished regulation play with -1 scores
of 141; Douris on 69-72 and Richards 72-69. Callihoo finished
second at 69-77 – 146, Wolf third at 73-74 – 147, and Smith and
2004 champion Dave Belling tied for fifth at 149.
In
the Ladies division, Jeanne Hazelhekke of the Netherlands took
home a three-stroke victory over defending champion Melody
Robinson with scores of 82-82 – 164. In the Senior division,
Tipo Toomalatai won for the second time in three years by
shooting 75-74 – 149, besting Ted Williams by two strokes. In
the Super Senior division, Anthony Benny took down defending
overall champion Jerry Moore in a two-hole playoff. Benny’s
accomplishment was all the more remarkable as Moore had won
division titles for five consecutive years. Both players
finished with two-round totals of 150.
Top scores from the 14th annual United States Golf Teachers Cup, November 2-3, 2009, at Palmetto Dunes Resort in Hilton Head, South Carolina (George Fazio and Arthur Hills courses).
|
Open Division |
| * James Douris |
|
$2,500 |
|
69-72 –
141 |
| Christopher Richards
|
|
1,800 |
|
72-69 –
141 |
| Christopher Callihoo
|
|
1,100 |
|
69-77 –
146 |
| Michael Wolf |
|
800 |
|
73-74 –
147 |
| Matt Smith |
|
500 |
|
72-77 –
149 |
| David Belling |
|
500 |
|
76-73 –
149 |
| Patrick Londono |
|
|
|
74-77 – 151 |
| Herbert Con |
|
|
|
74-77 –
151 |
| Mark Harman |
|
|
|
77-75 –
152 |
| Carlos Ahumada |
|
|
|
76-79 – 155 |
| * Won 2-hole playoff |
|
|
|
|
|
Ladies Division |
| Jeanne Hazelhekke |
|
$1,000 |
|
82-82 –
164 |
| Melody Robinson |
|
400 |
|
85-82 –
167 |
| Darquise Leduc |
|
|
|
84-84 –
168 |
| Elizabeth MacDonald
|
|
250 |
|
88-93 –
181 |
| Carol Yiu Quan |
|
|
|
87-95 –
182 |
|
Senior Division |
| Tipo Toomalatai |
|
$1,400 |
|
75-74 –
149 |
| Ted Williams |
|
800 |
|
72-79 –
151 |
| Jim Perez |
|
600 |
|
75-77
– 152 |
| David Klowak |
|
400 |
|
74-80
– 154 |
| Ken Butler |
|
|
|
78-77 –
155 |
| John McGaugh |
|
|
|
80-76 –
156 |
| Kevin Forehand |
|
|
|
78-79 –
157 |
| Carlos De Barros |
|
|
|
81-76 –
157 |
| Bruce Sims |
|
|
|
75-83 –
158 |
| Ken Hanley |
|
|
|
80-79 –
159 |
|
Super Senior Division |
| * Anthony Benny |
|
$1,600 |
|
75-75
– 150 |
| Jerry Moore |
|
1,000 |
|
76-74
– 150 |
| Geoff Bryant |
|
700 |
|
81-72
– 153 |
| Jim Peters |
|
400 |
|
76-79
– 155 |
| William Gunderman |
|
|
|
78-78 –
156 |
| Gary Riese |
|
|
|
80-78 –
158 |
| John Savage |
|
|
|
79-80 –
159 |
| Fred Spadafora |
|
|
|
81-78 –
159 |
| Douglas Pierce |
|
|
|
79-80 –
159 |
| Edward Williams |
|
|
|
84-77 –
161 |
| * Won 2-hole playoff |
|
|
|
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