9th Annual United States Golf Teachers Cup® BELLING WINS NINTH PLAYING OF UNITED STATES GOLF TEACHERS CUP Oct. 18-19, 2004 • Carter Plantation Springfield, Louisiana

When it comes to World Golf Teachers Cup events, there's a new sheriff in town, and his name is David Belling, a USGTF member from Savoy, Ontario.

Belling bested 103 fellow competitors with a two-round total of 147 to win his first United States Golf Teachers Cup championship, played at Carter Plantation in Springfield, Louisiana, October 18-19, 2004. Belling's win followed up his victory in the 2003 World Golf Teachers Cup individual championship.

In a span of just three events, Belling has made quite a mark on the WGTF competitive scene. Including his runner-up finish in the 2003 United States Golf Teachers Cup in Las Vegas, Belling has finished 2nd-1st-1st in U.S. and World Cups. He was also part of the victorious Team USA in the team competition of the 2003 World Golf Teachers Cup.

Antonio Araujo of the Brazil Golf Teachers Federation was the first - round leader after shooting a 71 on the difficult but beautiful Carter Plantation track. Belling was second, two shots back at 73, tied with Super Senior Jerry Moore. Another Super Senior, William Zachary, opened with a 74. Three-time defending champion Mark Harman was another stroke back at 75, followed by BGTF member Luiz Menezes, USGTF stalwart Mike Stevens, and USGTF examiner Marty Delohery, all with 76. For the first time, a female was in serious contention for the National Championship as Jill Finlan from Pennsylvania was just six strokes o ff the pace, at 77, heading into the final round.

The weather for the second round featured beautiful skies and hot, humid weather - atypical even for southern Louisiana in October. Playing in the final group with Belling, Moore, and Zachary, Araujo was unable to match his first - round pace and fell back with a 77. Belling, meanwhile, remained consistent with his scoring and turned in a 74. Moore and Zachary were also unable to match their first-round scores, shooting 76 and 85, respectively.

Menezes, playing in the next-to-last group with Harman, Stevens, and Delohery, needed a birdie on the last hole which would have forced a playoff with Belling, but a pulled drive into a fairway bunker on the 18th, leading to a double-bogey, ended his chances. Stevens played steadily if unspectacularly in shooting a final round 74, while Harman and Delohery were no threat the final day.

Stevens wound up winning the Senior Division title with his two- round 150. Moore held on to win the Super  Senior Division with his 149, and Finlan won a head-to-head battle with Anna Yu to take the Women's Division with a 154.

The top four USGTF finishers earned automatic spots to represent Team USA in the 2005 World Golf Teachers Cup team competition this coming February at Club de Golfe das Terras de Sao Jose in Sao Paulo, Brazil. They are Belling, Moore, Stevens, and Bruce Sims of McKinney, Texas. Sims earned his way onto the team for the first time with a fine final-round 74 after opening with a 77. Two captain's picks will be made by USGTF president Geoff Bryant at a later date.

The ninth playing of the United States Golf Teachers Cup was perhaps the finest held to date. The total purse, $15,000, was the largest off e red in US Cup history. The Carter Plantation course, designed by world-class player and Louisiana native David Toms, p roved up to the task of identifying the best player during the tournament. The Carter Plantation staff, headed by Director of Golf J a red LeBeouf, helped to make the tournament a raging success.

 

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