Blanton wins Sr. Am championship
Published 9:08 pm Monday, June 29, 2009
Dr. Donnie Blanton held on to the lead Sunday and shot an even-par 71 to claim the Alabama Golf Association’s 12th State Senior Amateur Championship by three strokes at Selma Country Club.
Blanton, who led the first round by four strokes and was tied for the second-round lead, finished with a 4-under 209 to capture his first state senior amateur title.
“I’ve been playing in AGA tournaments since I was 14 years old,” Blanton said. “It was great that I won my age division in the state senior last year, so this is really nice. And winning it here made it special.”
Mike Greer of Birmingham was tied with Blanton for the second-round lead, but he was one of several players who faded in the 90-plus degrees during the three-day, 54-hole event. He finished the day with a 74 to finish at 1-under 212.
Bob Cox of Guin shot a 1-under 70 Sunday and finished the tournament in second place overall with a 2-under 211. He captured the age division trophy in the 50- to 56-year-old golfers.
Also finishing with 1-under 212s in the 50- to 56-year-old age group were David Head of Sterrett (76-67-69—212) and Steve Hudson of Birmingham (72-68-72—212).
Blanton said he had hoped to make solid shots on the final day of the tournament.
“I hit the ball good the last two days, but not today,” he said. “But I did have two good birdies on (Nos.) 15 and 16.”
Blanton finished with four birdies on the back nine to hold on to the lead. One shot during Saturday’s second round — a fluke approach shot on No. 18 — almost took a serious toll on his round.
While headed for the No. 18 green, Blanton’s golf ball skidded off a patch of ground in front of the green and landed out of bounds. He took a triple-bogey on the par 4.
“I have played this course for 50 years and I have never seen anything like it,” Blanton said.
The complete results from the tournament are:
12th State Senior Amateur Championship
50-56 AGE DIVISION
Bob Cox, Guin 68-73-70—211
David Head, Sterrett 76-67-69—212
Mike Greer, Birmingham 68-70-74—212
Steve Hudson, Birmingham 72-68-72—212
Earle Bidez, Birmingham 71-73-70—214
Emile Vaughan, Pike Road 75-74-69—218
David Hancock, Greenville 75-71-72—218
Tom Davis, Hoover 68-73-78—219
Robert Pewitt, Birmingham 72-76-72—220
Ralph Mathews, Andalusia 74-74-73—221
Earl Thornton, Deatsville 75-77-72—224
John Stewart, Birmingham 74-78-72—224
Mark Miller, Birmingham 73-77-75—225
Rick Stukes, Jasper 77-78-70—225
Billy Wood, Birmingham 74-73-78—225
Bob Dumas, Auburn 77-75-74—226
Dusty Ellison, Monroeville 76-79-71—226
Tab Hudson, Jasper 75-77-74—226
Bob Poellnitz, Tuscaloosa 71-78-77—226
Bill Moquin, Madison 76-75-76—227
Richard Jeffers, Mobile 78-76-74—228
Buzz Coons, Birmingham 73-80-76—229
Jim Ryan, Brewton 78-77-74—229
Robert Seaborn, Montrose 76-76-77—229
Frankie Odom, Saint Stephens 78-76-76—230
Mark Mcqueen, Deatsville 73-74-83—230
Mints McGowin, Greenville 77-76-78—231
Roger Lucas, Birmingham 78-76-79—233
Allen Ritter, Hoover 77-78-80—235
George Walker, Mobile 75-78-82—235
Donnie Cooper, Huntsville 79-75-81—235
Wendell Underwood, Auburn 78-77-82—237
Alan McAdams, Jasper 79-77-82—238
David Hitt, Tuscaloosa 73-81-85—239
Hollis Gieger, Birmingham 78-78-DQ—DQ
57-64 AGE DIVISION
Don Blanton, Selma 65-73-71—209
David Fry, Montgomery, Ala. 71-71-73—215
Mike Fosdick, Theodore 73-73-72—218
Sam Farlow, Birmingham 73-76-70—219
Frank Dial, Auburn, Ala. 74-74-71—219
David Stanfield, Lanett, Ala. 74-75-71—220
William Jones, Jemison 76-73-73—222
Bill Abell, Calera 82-72-70—224
Frank Vines, Birmingham, Ala. 76-73-75—224
Herschel Headley, Prattville 76-72-79—227
Ronnie Leet, Selma 74-78-77—229
Rene’ Williams, Dora 76-74-79—229
Tom Page, Fort Payne 77-74-78—229
David Sibley, Birmingham 78-77-74—229
Robert Straub, Courtland 78-75-77—230
John Allgood, Killen 76-77-77—230
Sidney Wheeles, Tuscumbia 77-78-76—231
Joe Terry, Birmingham 82-72-78—232
Michael Ivie, Winfield 76-76-80—232
John Gibbs, Oneonta 82-71-80—233
Beanny Thornton, Prattville 80-73-81—234
Bill Berkmeier, Birmingham 77-77-81—235
Bruce Umstaedter, Madison 78-78-83—239
65+ AGE DIVISION
Bob Moody, Birmingham 71-75-77—223
Carl Nelson, Pelham 75-78-79—232
Max Mathews, Andalusia 74-82-79—235
Bud Lemmond, Florence 78-77-81—236
Don Lambert, Foley 81-79-82—242
Phillip Henry Pitts, Selma 82-79-84—245