Aiken, SC (9/24/09) - John Walters of Charlotte, N.C., not even aware that he was in the title chase, won a two-hole play-off Thursday afternoon to win the 48th Carolinas Senior Amateur golf championship at Palmetto Golf Club.

Walters, 62, a retired construction manager, shot a closing 73, two over par, for a 219 total in regulation. Playing in the second last group, he learned quickly and surprisingly that he was in a play-off with Jim Wise of Columbia, S.C. Wise had a final round of 70.

First- and second-round leader Tim Pope, who was clear by five shots at the start of the day, backed off to a closing 82, ultimately tying for 11th place.

Wise had four birdies and three bogeys in the final round and had a pair of pars in the play-off. Wise made a delicate up and down par on the first play-off hole and three putted the second hole for bogey.

"I’d lost in other play-offs, so I took a different attitude into this one,"

Walters explained. "I came here fighting the yips and shanks and then yipped four putts in the first two rounds. I shanked a shot today, so it was a struggle."

Walters lost a play-off in another championship conducted by the Carolinas Golf Association. In 2006, he lost to now Senior PGA Tour player Mike Goodes in the North Carolina Mid-Amateur.

He did not take up competitive golf until he was 50.

"My play here had a lot to do with the golf course," Walters added about Palmetto GC. "The course demands patience as I tried to figure out what locations I had to hit each shot."

Ron Carpenter of Durham, N.C. and Frank Ford III of Charleston, S.C. shared third place with 220 totals, one shot out. Both had final rounds 71.

WEST END, NC (9/18/09) - The opportunity to play at historic Palmetto Golf Club in Aiken, SC will be a special reward for the 124 golfers who compete in the Carolinas Golf Association's 48th Senior Amateur Championship Sept. 22-24.

Founded in 1892, Palmetto Golf Club is one of the oldest clubs in the nation. The golf course began as a four-hole layout designed by club founder Thomas Hitchcock. Herbert Leeds, who also built Myopia Hunt Club in Boston, laid out the remainder of the initial nine holes and then expanded it to 18 holes in 1895, with help from James Mackrell, Palmetto GC's first golf professional. In 1932, after completing work on Augusta National Golf Club, Dr. Alister MacKenzie helped the club convert its sand greens to grass and lengthened the layout. In the years since, architects Rees Jones and Tom Doak have provided advice on bunker renovations and restoration of MacKenzie design characteristics.

With its proximity to Augusta, only 20-some miles away via the Jefferson Davis Highway, Palmetto Golf Club has hosted many luminaries over the years.

The first notable was Britain's Harry Vardon, who wasn't allowed in the clubhouse because he was a professional, wasn't allowed to wear his trademark plus-fours on the course, and was allowed to smoke on the course only after receiving "special dispensation" from the golf committee. Others who have played Palmetto include Masters winners Ben Hogan, Byron Nelson, Sam Snead, Ben Crenshaw; famed amateur great Bobby Jones; Presidents Eisenhower and Taft; Britain's Prince Andrew; and entertainment celebrities Fred Astaire, Phil Harris and Bing Crosby.

The par-71 golf course plays at 6,713 yards from the championship tees (and will play at 6,478 yards during the Carolinas Seniors). What it lacks in length is made up by the small, elevated, undulating greens and its very difficult bunkers. Ben Hogan described Palmetto's 3rd, 4th and 5th holes as "the best back-to-back par-4s" he had ever played.

A new winner will be crowned at the Carolinas Senior after two-time defending champion Paul Simson had to drop out. Simson, the Carolinas Senior Player of the Year the last three years, had entered this championship for golfers ages 55 and over, but withdrew after being selected as a member of the three-man North Carolina team that will compete in the U.S. Golf Association's State Team Championship Sept. 23-25 in St. Louis, MO.

The starting field has been whittled from the original 249 applicants to 124 players through withdrawals and three qualifying events held in late August and earlier this month. Leading those qualifying events were Bob Desjardins of Matthews, NC and Dan Anderson of Lenoir, NC with 3-under-par 69s at Mimosa Hills in Morganton, NC on Aug. 27; George Leight of Apex, NC with a 1-under-par 71 at Carolina Trace in Sanford, NC on Sept. 4; and Doug Buchanan with a 1-under-par 70 at Cobblestone Park in Blythewood, SC on Sept. 9.

Also in this year's field are former champions Joe Vignati of Bluffton, SC (2006), Vic Hannon of Camden, SC (2004), Gene Spencer of Blythewood, SC (2003), Robert Kulp of Winston-Salem, NC (2001), and Larry Boswell of Jamestown, NC (1998).

The championship format is 54 holes of stroke play, with the field cut to the low 60 scorers and ties after the second round. The top 30 finishers and ties qualify for the 2010 championship.

This will be the fourth Carolinas Golf Association championship hosted by Palmetto GC. It previously hosted the 1998 S.C. Match Play, the 2001 Carolinas Mid-Amateur and the 2004 S.C. Junior Match Play.

ADDITIONAL MEDIA INFORMATION

48th Carolinas Senior Amateur Championship of the Carolinas Golf Association Palmetto Golf Club

275 Berrie Road

Aiken, SC 29801

803-649-2951

DATES

September 22-24, 2009

2008 CHAMPION

Paul Simson, Raleigh, NC

FORMAT

The championship format is 54 holes of stroke play. After 36 holes, the field is cut to low 60 scorers and ties for the final round.

PRIZES

Champion receives a trophy, merchandise and possession of the permanent championship trophy for the ensuing year. An on-course playoff is used to break a tie for the overall champion. Merchandise prizes are awarded to the top 30 finishers at the championship proper and to the medalists at each qualifying site.

ELIGIBILITY

Entry is open to any male amateur golfer who has reached his 55th birthday by the first day of the championship, is a legal resident of one of the Carolinas, is a member in good standing of a club which is a member of the Carolinas Golf Association (CGA) and has a current USGA handicap index at a CGA member club. The maximum allowable index is 10.4.

SCHEDULE OF ROUNDS

Monday, September 21

Tee times available for practice.

Tuesday, September 22

First round of stroke play (18 holes).

Wednesday, September 23

Second round of stroke play (18 holes).

Cut to low 60 scorers and ties for final round.

Thursday, September 24

Final round of stroke play (18 holes).

FAVORITES

Joe Vignati, Bluffton, SC (2006 champion, 2007 runnerup) Vic Hannon, Camden, SC (2004 champion) Gene Spencer, Blythewood, SC (2003 champion) Robert Kulp, Winston-Salem, NC (2001 champion)

PAST CHAMPIONS

1962 Q.G. McCombs, Burlington, NC 229* Pine Needles CC

1963 Jack Norman, Winston-Salem, NC 218 Whispering Pines CC

1964 Ben Goodes, Reidsville, NC 145 Forest Lake Club

1965 Bobby Knowles, Aiken, SC 148 Forest Lake Club

1966 Bobby Knowles, Aiken, SC 146 Forest Lake Club

1967 Ben Goodes, Reidsville, NC 145 Forest Lake Club

1968 Clifford Henson, Aiken, SC 145* Forest Lake Club

1969 Dale Morey, High Point, NC 138 Forest Lake Club

1970 Dale Morey, High Point, NC 140 Forest Lake Club

1971 Dale Morey, High Point, NC 138 Forest Lake Club

1972 Dale Morey, High Point, NC 140 Forest Lake Club

1973 Des Sullivan, Myrtle Beach, SC 148* Willow Creek GC

1974 Dale Morey, High Point, NC 142 Greenville CC Chanticleer

1975 Des Sullivan, Myrtle Beach, SC 142 Forest Lake Club

1976 Bob Clarke, Walkertown, NC 144 Deer Track G&CC

1977 Don Adderton, High Point, NC 144 Myrtlewood GC Palmetto

1978 John Morrell, Charlotte, NC 144* Sea Gull GC

1979 Billy Joe Patton, Morganton, NC 139 Mimosa Hills G&CC

1980 Ken Weavil, Winston-Salem, NC 142 Hope Valley CC

1981 Billy Joe Patton, Morganton, NC 142 Sea Gull GC

1982 Dale Morey, High Point, NC 145 Hope Valley CC

1983 John Morrell, Winston-Salem, NC 140 Florence CC

1984 Dale Morey, High Point, NC 145 Willow Creek GC

1985 Ross Horton, Branchville, SC 147+ Moss Creek CC, South

1986 Don Adderton, High Point, NC 145 CC of Salisbury

1987 Lou Arko, Rock Hill, SC 151 The River Club

1988 Sonny Grant, Greensboro, NC 146 Highland CC

1989 Tommy Langley, High Point, NC 150 Greenville CC, Chanticleer

1990 Bill Harvey, Greensboro, NC 145 Gaston CC

1991 Jack Dover, Etowah, NC 148* Landfall Club, Dye Course

1992 Sonny Furr, Rock Hill, SC 138 Florence CC

1993 Tom Hadley, Hendersonville, NC 143 CC of Salisbury

1994 Tom Hadley, Hendersonville, NC 217* DeBordieu Club

1995 Jim Wiles, N. Wilkesboro, NC 216 Catawba CC

1996 Tommy Langley, High Point, NC 216 Gaston CC

1997 Robert Ferrel, Greensboro, NC 212 Green Valley CC

1998 Larry Boswell, Jamestown, NC 213* Forsyth CC

1999 Bob Clark, Asheville, NC 224* Melrose Course

2000 Ronnie Grove, Raleigh, NC 208 Roaring Gap Club

2001 Robert Kulp Jr., Winston-Salem, NC 213 DeBordieu Club

2002 Don Taylor, Bluffton, SC 222 Lake Hickory CC

2003 Gene Spencer, Blythewood, SC 215 Columbia CC

2004 Vic Hannon, Camden, SC 217* Charlotte CC

2005 Bob Stringer, Blythewood, SC 215 Camden CC

2006 Joe Vignati, Bluffton, SC 142# Cape Fear CC

2007 Paul Simson, Raleigh, NC 207 Dunes West GC

2008 Paul Simson, Raleigh, NC 65@ Roaring Gap Club

* Won in playoff. + Won by default. # Rain-shortened @Fog-shortened

54 holes 1962-1963 and 1994 on.

PALMETTO GOLF CLUB INFORMATION

HEAD PROFESSIONAL: Tom Moore

COURSE SUPERINTENDENT: Rhett Baker

TYPE COURSE: Private

COURSE DESCRIPTION: The course isn't very long, but it makes up for its lack of length with small, elevated, undulating greens and very difficult (some golfers call them diabolical) bunkers. Don't believe the yardage. It looks short, but plays long. There are plenty of bunkers to catch errant tee shot and some of the greens are so severe that players in the wrong spot can putt their balls off the greens and wind up 30 yards down the fairway. The fairways are generous and there's not too much deep rough.

ARCHITECT: Herbert Leeds (original); Alister McKenzie (1932); Rees Jones (bunker renovations completed in 1995); Tom Doak (bunker renovations and greens expansion completed in 2005)

OPENED: 1892 (18 holes opened in 1895)

YARDAGE/PAR: 6,478 yards, par 71

COURSE RATING/SLOPE: 73.5/138

FAIRWAYS & TEES: Bermuda grass

GREENS: Bermuda grass

CGA CHAMPIONSHIPS AT PALMETTO GOLF CLUB: 1998 S.C. Match Play, 2001 Carolinas Mid-Amateur, 2004 S.C. Junior Match Play

MAP:

+Aiken,+SC&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=39.644047,92.900391&ie=UTF8&ll=33

+.541

18,-81.718712&spn=0.020424,0.061626&z=15

WEST END, NC (9/15/09) - Now that two-time defending champion Paul Simson of Raleigh, NC has withdrawn because of a schedule conflict, a new winner will be crowned when the Carolinas Golf Association's 48th Carolinas Senior Championship is played September 22-24 at historic Palmetto Golf Club in Aiken, SC.

Simson, the Carolinas Senior Player of the Year the last three years, had entered this championship for golfers ages 55 and over, but had to withdraw after being selected as a member of the three-man North Carolina team that will compete in the U.S. Golf Association's State Team Championship Sept. 23-25 in St. Louis, MO.

Simson was among the 249 golfers who entered this year's Carolinas Senior.

He, along with 20 others have since withdrawn and one entry was rejected, leaving 227 accepted entries. The field has been whittled to approximately 132 through three qualifying events held in late August and earlier this month.

Among those expected to be in this year's field are former champions Joe Vignati of Bluffton, SC (2006), Vic Hannon of Camden, SC (2004), Gene Spencer of Blythewood, SC (2003), Robert Kulp of Winston-Salem, NC (2001), and Larry Boswell of Jamestown, NC (1998).

Palmetto Golf Club was founded in 1892, which makes it one of the oldest clubs in the nation. The golf course began as a four-hole layout designed by club founder Thomas Hitchcock. Herbert Leeds laid out the remainder of the initial nine holes and then expanded it to 18 holes in 1895. In 1932, after completing work on Augusta National Golf Club, Dr. Alister MacKenzie helped the club convert its sand greens to grass and lengthened the layout. In the years since, architects Rees Jones and Tom Doak have provided advice on bunker renovations and restoration of MacKenzie design characteristics.

The par-71 course will play at 6,478 yards for the seniors. The championship format is 54 holes of stroke play, with the field cut to the low 60 scorers and ties after the second round. The top 30 finishers and ties qualify for the 2010 championship.