HILTON HEAD, S.C. (Oct. 28) — Nothing, not even a missed one-inch putt, could keep Chad Frank from winning the Amateur Golf Tour’s 2007 National Championship.
Frank, last year’s runner-up, posted his second straight 73 Sunday for a 146 total and a one-stroke victory in the Championship Flight. The 40-year-old from Orlando experienced an up-and-down final round. On the front nine he made two birdies to rally past the first-round leader. But on the back nine his lead evaporated and turned into a one-shot deficit when Frank barely glanced a tap-in putt on the 13th while trying to avoid stepping in his competitor’s line.
"If I had lost, I would have really felt bad about that putt. It was unbelievable," said Frank, winner of nine of his 11 tourneys on the AGT’s Orlando Tour this year. "I said, ‘I’m not going to let this cost me.’ I got a little fired up."
After the putting mishap, Frank drained an 18-footer for birdie at No. 14, then made par the rest of the way to edge Andrew Smith of the Triad (NC) Tour.
"I hit every green coming in and played solid," Frank said. "It feels good to come back and win it and not finish second again. You work all year for this."
Smith shot 73-74–147 to finish second, while defending champ Joe Jaspers of Charlotte placed third at 75-73–148.
Top honors in the A Flight went to Bob Potter of the Charleston (SC) Tour. Potter fired a final-round 77 to finish at 155. Second place in A Flight went to Cincinnati’s Joe Mergler (77-79–156), while Steve Schultz of Nashville was third at 78-79–157.
The B Flight champ was Kirk Kleiser of the Louisiana Tour. Kleiser shot 82-80–162 for a one-shot victory over Ron Hensley (80-83–163) of the Tri-Cities (TN) Tour.
The Louisiana Tour also produced the C Flight champion as William Duncan vaulted into the top spot with an 84 for a 175 total. Second place went to John R. Holland (Asheville NC) at 88-89–177.
In the D Flight, Doug Turnau (Charleston SC) shot a 178 total and posted a one-stroke victory over Frank Daniels (Upstate SC).
This marked the second straight year the AGT has hosted its national championship on Hilton Head Island. This year’s field of 550 golfers was the largest ever for a golf tournament on the island. Competition took place on six courses: three at Palmetto Dunes Resort, two at Port Royal Plantation and one at Oyster Reef Golf Club.
Mike Nasekos of Charlotte recorded a hole-in-one Sunday on the Robert Trent Jones layout at Palmetto Dunes. Nasekos, playing in the B Flight, aced the 162-yard eighth hole with a 4-iron. It was his first ace and won him a free golf vacation, courtesy of Perks and Pats Vacations.
In team competition, the Louisiana Tour took the cup away from defending champion Orlando. Louisiana’s team total was 1,292, followed by Orlando (1,306), Charlotte (1,318) and Tidewater VA (1,335).
AMATEUR GOLF TOUR
2007 NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP
Hilton Head Island, S.C.
Championship Flight
Chad Frank (Orlando) 73-73–146
Andrew Smith (Triad NC) 73-74–147
Joe Jaspers (Charlotte) 75-73–148
David Schmidt (Charlotte) 77-71–148
Jim Aughtry (Charlotte) 70-78–148
Iain Hall (Charlotte) 75-74–149
Mike Westrum (Houston) 75-76–151
Reed Howard (Hilton Head) 76-75–151
Tod Dauler (Triad NC) 75-77–152
Dusty Green (Louisiana) 75-77–152
Dudley Bienvenu (Louisiana) 79-75–154
Kevin Arnold (Hilton Head) 79-76–155
Greg Thomas (Tidewater VA) 79-76–155
Chris Tuttle (Tidewater VA) 78-77–155
Carter Counts (Myrtle Beach) 82-74–156
Michael Menyhart (Orlando) 76-80–156
A Flight
Bob Potter (Charleston SC) 78-77–155
Joe Mergler (Cincinnati) 77-79–156
Steve Schultz (Nashville) 78-79–157
John Mellen (Detroit) 80-78–158
Nick Blady (Louisiana) 79-80–159
Timothy Rusk (Louisiana) 78-81–159
John Tucker (Columbia SC) 74-85–159
Mike Kirwinn (Jacksonville) 85-74–159
Timothy Knight (Columbia SC) 78-82–160
Robert Kempinski (Orlando) 81-79–160
John Blum (No. Central FL) 81-80–161
James Boyce (Charlotte) 80-81–161
Bill Dean (Upstate SC) 81-80–161
Stacy Frances (Louisiana) 76-85–161
Ed Paterniti (Orlando) 80-81–161
B Flight
Kirk Kleiser (Louisiana) 82-80–162
Ron Hensley (Tri-Cities TN) 80-83–163
Dannie Newell (Upstate SC) 85-81–166
Richard Wood (Columbia SC) 84-82–166
Thomas Dillon (Orlando) 87-81–168
Mike Hayes (Hilton Head) 87-82–169
Lance Halsell (Louisiana) 87-82–169
Tim Sumption (Charleston SC) 84-85–169
Scott Jackson (W. Piedmont NC) 88-81–169
Matt Gleaton (Charleston SC) 91-79–170
James Fortado (Houston) 80-90–170
Jeremy Schroeder (Jacksonville) 89-81–170
Bob Sheahan (Raleigh NC) 88-82–170
Phillip Mayo (Louisiana) 92-79–171
C Flight
William Duncan (Louisiana) 91-84–175
John R. Holland (Asheville NC) 88-89–177
Jim Hestikind (Myrtle Beach) 91-87–178
Kent Barker (Columbia SC) 89-90–178
Rick Whitman (Orlando) 87-92–179
Mark Morris (Hilton Head) 93-86–179
Subernia Johnson (Orlando) 92-87–179
Phillip Kern (Louisiana) 91-89–180
Len Benedetti (Orlando) 93-88–181
Shirral Davis (Raleigh NC) 93-89–182
Billy Mazza (Louisiana) 91-91–182
Benjamin Cole (Down East NC) 98-85–183
Ron Hoover (No. Central FL) 92-91–183
Hal Wynne (Charleston SC) 92-91–183
Alan Wiechert (Northeast GA) 96-87–183
D Flight
Doug Turnau (Charleston SC) 84-94–178
Frank Daniels (Upstate SC) 87-92–179
Mister Estes (Louisiana) 91-89–180
Tim Riordan (Upstate SC) 90-92–182
David Fuentes (Hilton Head) 91-97–188
John Hall (Tidewater VA) 91-100–191
Donnie Sealy (NE Georgia) 88-104–192
Randolph Hill (Jacksonville) 98-96–194
Tommy Gaudin (Louisiana) 97-97–194
William Landis (Detroit) 96-99–195
Cowboy None (Charleston SC) 102-94–196
Tommy Bryant (Charleston SC) 97-100–197
Brian Mack (Orlando) 94-103–197
Bradley Smith (Detroit) 99-98–197
Contact:
