ORLANDO, Fla. (Dec. 14, 2010) – Eleven champions were crowned on Sunday at Grand Cypress Golf Club, when 185 golfers representing 22 U.S. States, Puerto Rico and Canada converged to Orlando to compete in the Golf Channel Am Tour Winter Championship, the first major championship of the 2011 Golf Channel Am Tour season.
Contested on the North/South Course and the New Course at Grand Cypress Golf Club – site of the recent LPGA Tour Championship – the top three individuals from each flight automatically qualified for the 2011 Golf Channel Am Tour National Championships, taking place in September, 2011.
Winter Championship Winners
Championship Flight (<3.9) - Al Swanson, Edmond, Okla.
First round leader Alvaro Talavera from San Juan, P.R. could not overcome a quadruple bogey-8 on the par-4 fourth to stay in front of the eventual winner Al Swanson from Edmond, Okla. Swanson shot a final round 81 to edge ahead of Christopher Dvorak (Richmond, Va.) and Talavera by two strokes.
Palmer Flight (4.0-7.9) - David Crowley, Greensboro, N.C.
Tied for third by two strokes after the first round, David Crowley, Greensboro, N.C. jumped into the lead by shooting an 87 on the final day to take the top spot over Orlando's Alex Sandor and Chris Barnett of Ackworth, Ga..
Senior Palmer Flight (4.0-7.9) - Peter Sorrentino, Pompano Beach, Fla.
Peter Sorrentino from Pompano Beach, Fla. Led wire-to-wire and finished the tournament on top with a two-round total of 161. Palm Beach Gardens resident Gene Johnson finished in second place, with Sammy Giordano finishing in third.
Hogan Flight (8.0-11.9) - Scott Abrahamson, Jacksonville, Fla.
Jacksonville's Scott Abrahamson led the championship from start to finish. Calgary, Alberta's Mike De Jonge finished in second with Apopka, Fla. Resident John Rogers and Bill Marsh from Sarasota, Fla., finishing tied for third.
Senior Hogan Flight (8.0-11.9) - Bob Houghton, Commerce Township, Mich.
Commerce Township, Mich. resident Bob Houghton eclipsed 2010 National Champion Don Miller from Ontario by one stroke to capture the championship. Bruce Whitely of Waycross, Ga., finished two strokes back in third place.
Sarazen Flight (12.0-15.9) - Michael Li, Palm Harbor, Fla.
Palm Harbor resident Michael Li shot a second-round 86 to overtake first-round leader Joe Simmert from Grand Blanc, Mich., who finished in third place. Costa Raptis from Valley Park, Mo. finished in second.
Senior Sarazen Flight (12.0-15.9) - Darrell Wilson, Georgetown, Texas
Georgetown, Texas resident Darrell Wilson led wire-to-wire with a final round 88. Seldon, N.Y.'s Stephen Smith finished one stroke back in second, and Bradenton, Fla. resident Louis Nel rounded out the top-three.
Jones Flight (16.0-19.9) - John McAleer, Marietta, Ga.
After a rough start on the front nine, John McAleer from Marietta, Ga. composed himself and battled the elements on the back nine to shoot a 44 and win his flight over Ohio native Ted Heindel and Taveres, Fla. resident Ron Barbaza.
Senior Jones Flight (16.0-19.9) - Thomas Haley, Palm City, Fla.
Palm City, Fla. resident Thomas Haley edged out Ted Glarner from Lake Placid, Fla. by a stroke for his first win on theGolf Channel Am Tour since June, 2009. McDonough, Ga. resident Derek Latham finished third, one stroke ahead of 2010 National Champion Rod Burns from Weston, Fla.
Snead Flight (20+ handicap) - Lale Esquivel, Frisco, Texas
After shooting a first round 89, Lale Esquivel from Frisco, Texas held on to win by six strokes over John Daglaris (Tamarac, Fla.). Sterling, Va. resident William Campbell and Gene Spires from Lake Placid, Fla. took third.
Senior Snead Flight (20+ handicap) - Jack Kerivan, Roswell, Ga.
Jack Kerivan from Roswell, Ga., led wire-to-wire to take the title by seven strokes over Les Denisar from Newburgh, N.Y. and Newaygo, Mich. resident Greg Harris.
As the largest amateur golf tour in North America, the Golf Channel Am Tour is open to the public and provides the most professional tournament experience for players of all ages and abilities, as well as offering unparalleled access to some of the most renowned and challenging golf courses across the country.
For information about the Golf Channel Am Tour Winter Championship at Grand Cypress, daily results and information on how to sign up for future events, visit www.GolfChannel.com/amtour.
About Golf Channel
Golf Channel is a multimedia, golf entertainment and services company based in Orlando, Fla. The Golf Channel cable network, co-founded by Arnold Palmer and a subsidiary of Comcast Corporation (NASDAQ: CMCSA, CMCSK), is available in more than 120 million homes worldwide through cable, satellite and wireless companies. Exclusive partnerships with the world's top tours allow Golf Channel to feature more live golf coverage than all other networks combined, added to a programming schedule distinguished by golf's best news, instruction and original programming. Golf Channel's digital platform of businesses is led by www.GolfChannel.com, the number-one golf destination on the Internet, delivering unmatched coverage of the world of golf, as well as services that help the recreational player with how to play, what to play and where to play golf.
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