Charlotte, NC--Final round results of the 17^th North Carolina Senior Amateur Championship of the Carolinas Golf Association hosted by Raintree Country Club, South Course, in Charlotte, on Wednesday, May 22.

*Cliff Cunningham, Monroe 70-74-73--217

Terry Rathman, Gastonia 71-74-72--217

Jack Williams, Gastonia 72-75-72--219

Dave Robinson, Burlington 72-74-74--220

Jim Dowtin, Jr., Greensboro 70-74-77--221

Walt Noell, Winston-Salem 73-74-75--222

Wayne Godwin, Charlotte 73-75-74--222

David Earle, Charlotte 73-73-77--223

Robert Kulp, Jr., Winston-Salem 71-74-79--224

Bill Benson, Wilkesboro 73-76-75--224

Bob Hendrix, Greensboro 73-76-75--224

David Kiser, Archdale 72-80-72--224

Fred Stubblefield, Jr., Charlotte 77-72-77--226

Larry Boswell, Jamestown 73-77-76--226

Richard Gwaltney, Taylorsville 73-77-76--226

Tom Hadley, Hendersonville 79-72-75--226

Tom Hamilton, Raleigh 73-79-76--228

Tom Saintsing, Lexington 74-75-80--229

Donald Littlejohn, Charlotte 73-78-78--229

Tommy Langley, High Point 74-78-77--229

Lea Couch, Jr., Bahama 73-77-80--230

Marshall Fall, Hendersonville 76-74-80--230

John Sheehan, Charlotte 77-74-79--230

Ralph James, Raleigh 75-77-78--230

Buddy Baldwin, Asheville 78-74-78--230

David Owens, Hendersonville 75-78-77--230

Luke Hill, Charlotte 77-71-83--231

Jimmy Baldwin, Arden 76-75-81--232

Charlie Thompson, Hendersonville 75-77-80--232

Brodie Baker, Bermuda Run 81-72-79--232

Bob Baity, Thomasville 77-75-81--233

Arnold Edwards, Charlotte 76-77-81--234

Roger Reges, Rocky Mount 76-74-85--235

Bob Clark, Asheville 75-76-84--235

Al Makila, Raleigh 73-80-82--235

Dean Sheetz, Cornelius 72-81-82--235

Pete Parker, Winston-Salem 76-77-83--236

Bob Shelton, Mocksville 77-75-86--238

Jerry Bitzenhofer, Raleigh 78-75-87--240

Charles Horne, Gastonia 75-78---WD

Ronnie Grove, Raleigh 76-71---WDI

Hal Dugenske, Whispering Pines 76-77---WD

*won on 3^rd playoff hole.

Failed to Qualify for Final Round

Herb Conway, Whispering Pines 75-79--154

Charlie Lynch, Jr., High Point 78-76--154

Dan Anderson, Lenoir 80-74--154

Bob LaFear, Charlotte 74-81--155

Stephen Preston, Charlotte 75-80--155

Jim Gray, Gastonia 76-79--155

Dink Andrews, Durham 78-77--155

Gil Happel, Greensboro 78-77--155

Dick Wilson, Jr., Whispering Pines 80-76--156

Roger Fuller, Sr., Charlotte 80-76--156

Eddie Pell, Charlotte 75-81--156

Dave Moser, Charlotte 77-79--156

Gene Lookabill, Charlotte 78-78--156

Bruce Edwards, Asheboro 80-76--156

Rick Sears, Wilmington 75-82--157

Mike Hendley, Sanford 77-80--157

Jim Stirling, Wilmington 73-84--157

Al Edwards, Charlotte 75-82--157

Frank Morris, Winston-Salem 76-81--157

Roger Brown, Davidson 79-79--158

Tom McLean, Greenville 77-81--158

Lee Kemmerling, Charlotte 80-78--158

Jim Murray, Sr., Fletcher 81-77--158

Bill Cox, Gastonia 85-73--158

Tommy Jeffries, Raleigh 78-81--159

Larry Culler, High Point 79-80--159

Mike Stewart, Charlotte 80-79--159

Bob Kaylor, Raleigh 81-78--159

Mike Kaelin, Raleigh 82-77--159

Ben Payne, Greensboro 81-79--160

Jim Thornburg, Dallas 82-78--160

Bob Rudolph, Raleigh 75-85--160

Ed Gregor, Charlotte 79-82--161

Bobby Pope, Coats 82-79--161

Deane Hundley III, Carthage 77-84--161

Joe McLamb, Goldsboro 79-83--162

Bill McGee, Charlotte 81-81--162

Larry Southern, King 81-81--162

Bob Bales, Lexington 83-81--164

Ed Zieglar, Pinehurst 83-81--164

Rick Poillon, Raleigh 82-82--164

Jim Cole, Raleigh 83-81--164

Bill White IV, Charlotte 86-78--164

David Fairley, Charlotte 80-84--164

Larry Terrell, Granite Falls 81-83--164

Bill Norris, Spruce Pine 79-86--165

Ernie Simons, Raleigh 83-83--166

Joe Lee, Greensboro 86-80--166

Steve Spiegler, Charlotte 81-85--166

Jim Hilderbrand, Pinehurst 82-84--166

Julius Budacz, Greenville 85-82--167

David Wyscarver, Forest City 82-85--167

Don Livonius, Charlotte 83-85--168

Greg Smith, Greensboro 83-85--168

John Cash, Fuquay-Varina 91-80--171

Tim Lambeth, Greensboro 89-86--175

Gene Carswell, Hendersonville 84-91--175

Ken Lovingood, Crouse 86-90--176

Chick Hunter, Charlotte 85-91--176

Jim Bradley, Wilmington 87-90--177

Carl Griffith, Swansboro 86-DNS--DNS

Wayne Fortenbery, Nashville 91-DQ--DQ

Bill Jenkins, Charlotte 82-WD--WD

Billy Deweese, Jr., Hazelwood 76-WD--WD

Bruce Lyon, Greensboro 88-WD--WD

Jack Dunsmore, Wake Forest 92-WD--WD

Super Senior Division

Bill Harvey, Greensboro 74-75--149

Joe Taylor, Charlotte 69-82--151

Jerry Fisher, Charlotte 75-78--153

Mack Hagaman, Winston-Salem 75-79--154

Bob Adams, Asheville 79-78--157

Dick McCleney, Foxfire Village 74-84--158

Frank Gossett, Charlotte 75-83--158

Ted Gaston, Denver 82-77--159

Bob Roll, Greensboro 80-80--160

Buddy Hopkins, Cornelius 82-79--161

Bill Adams, Charlotte 81-82--163

Fran Pedersen, Hendersonville 82-82--164

Joe Skee, High Point 78-87--165

Dave Paul, West End 78-89--167

Jack Dover, Etowah 87-81--168

Jim Small, Matthews 83-86--169

Charlotte, NC--Cliff Cunningham, 66, of Monroe needed three playoff holes to defeat Terry Rathman, 57, of Gastonia to win a record sixth North Carolina Senior Championship hosted by Raintree Country Club, South Course, in Charlotte. Cunningham successfully defended his 2001 title and has won this event six out of the last nine years dating back to 1994. He won four consecutive championships from 1994-97. He also won the 1997 United States Senior Amateur Championship. No other player has won this event more than once in its 17-year history.

Cunningham held a two-stroke lead after the front nine over Rathman and Jim Dowtin of Greensboro. Dowtin bogeyed the 10^th and 11^th holes to fall to three-over par for the championship. Dowtin also bogeyed the 14^th hole which took him four strokes off the lead and out of contention.

Cunningham had subsequent bogeys on the 10^th and 11^th holes to find himself tied with Rathman standing on the 12^th tee. Both Rathman and Cunningham birdied the par 5 12^th hole. Rathman then made a bogey on the 13^th hole to fall one-stroke behind. On the 180 yard par 3 15^th hole, Rathman made a miraculous 40 foot birdie putt from off the putting green. Cunningham hit his tee shot short, chipped to 5 feet and then missed his par opportunity. The two-shot swing gave Rathman a one-stroke lead with three holes to play.

On the par 4 16^th hole, Rathman was blocked by a tree on his approach shot and hit a running ground ball to the back fringe of the green. Cunningham hit his second shot to 25 feet. Cunningham missed his birdie chance and tapped in for par but Rathman faced a slick downhill 15-foot birdie putt. Rathman left the birdie putt 4 feet short and then missed his par putt to drop him back to one-over par for the championship and in a tie for the lead with Cunningham.

Both Cunningham and Rathman parred the final two holes to send the championship into a sudden death playoff.

On the third playoff hole, Cunningham hit his third shot to 25 feet on the par 5 12^th hole. Rathman pushed his second shot into the lateral water hazard right of the fairway. He elected to play the ball out of the hazard. But a bad lie in the hazard caused him to whiff his first and second attempts. He was successful on his third attempt and then hit the ball onto the green lying 6. Cunningham then two-putted to win the championship.

"Terry (Rathman) played very well today," said Cunningham. "He has a great short game. I said to him before the playoff that one of us needs to win this thing with a birdie. I hated to see him finish the way he did…but it's nice to have my name on the trophy that many times".

This championship is conducted by the Carolinas Golf Association.

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