Erie, Colo.’s Paul Erdman wins Championship Flight, undefeated in 2011 Golf Channel Am Tour season; Alpharetta, Ga.’s Suneil Aggarwal successfully defends Jones Flight national championship; 12-year-old Charlie Reiter records top-10 finish in Palmer Flight; largest Golf Channel Am Tour National Championship field in history
LA QUINTA, Calif., Sept. 27, 2011 – Six national champions were crowned – some in dramatic fashion – Tuesday when 570 players from throughout North America converged upon Coachella Valley in Southern California for the 2011 Golf Channel Am Tour National Championships.
Paul Erdman (Erie, Colo.), turned in a 2-under-par 70 to win his first Golf Channel Amateur Tour National Championship by three strokes at -2. Competing in the Championship Flight (handicap 3.9 or less) The 43-year-old State Farm Agent also is the first Golf Channel Am Tour participant in recent history to be undefeated in a season – Erdman won every Am Tour event he competed in 2011 (six in total).
In the Jones Flight (handicap 16-19.9), Suneil Aggarwal (Alpharetta, Ga.) went wire-to-wire to successfully defend his 2010 national championship. He needed all 72-holes to defend his 2010 title, converting a 5-foot bogey putt on the 18th hole at TPC Stadium Course to capture the title by one shot. In the Palmer Flight (handicap 4-7.9), Patrick Polzin (Indian Head Park, Ill.) captured his second national championship – both occuring a PGA West – by erasing a five-stroke deficit and turning it into a six-stroke victory with a final round 77.
A total of 570 competitors representing 42 U.S. States, Canada and Puerto Rico competed for national championship honors in the season-ending event for the 2011 Golf Channel Am Tour. The 72-hole national championships was broken up into six flights and took place on four La Quinta-area golf courses, headlined by famed PGA West. The GCAT National Championships were divided into two events – the Senior National Championship (age 50+), which took place Sept. 18-21, and the Open National Championship, Sept. 24-27, featuring a record 1,014 participants. PGA West’s Nicklaus Tournament Course, Greg Norman Course and TPC Stadium Course joined La Quinta Resort & Club’s Mountain Course as host courses for the natinal champioinships.
After a disappointing opening round 83, former St. Louis Cardinals and Oakland A’s pitcher Mark Mulder steadily climbed up the leader board in the Championship Flight, carding an even-par 72 at the Nicklaus Tournament Course at PGA West to finish T-12 in the 62-player championship flight. Three-time Olympian Todd Eldredge rebounded from a disappointing third round to card a final-round 83 to finish T-12 in the Palmer Flight (handicap 4-7.9). Former New York Yankees pitcher Orlando “El Duque” Hernandez, also competing in the Palmer Flight, finished the tournament with an 81 to finish T-25 in the 118-player field; and 12-year-old Charlie Reiter (Palm Desert, Calif.), the youngest competitor in the field and 2009 national champion, recorded a top-10 finish in the Palmer Flight with a final round of 79 to finish T-9.
National Championship Winners
Snead Flight (20+ handicap)
Bilal Jordan of Houston, Texas, felt a target score of 85 in the final round would be good enough to win the national championship. While his final round of 88 at the TPC Stadium Course fell a few strokes short of his goal, he turned in the lowest round of the day and captured the Snead Flight championship by five strokes over third-round leader Jordan Jones (Okeechobee, Fla). Jordan, 32, who has been playing golf a little more than three years, competed in his second consecutive Golf Channel Am Tour National Championship.
Jones Flight (16.0-19.9)
For the second year in a row, Suneil Aggarwal (Alpharetta, Ga.) went wire-to-wire to claim the Jones Flight national championship. The victory did not come easy for the 39-year-old, however. Aggarwal needed all 72-holes to successfully defend his 2010 title, converting a 5-foot bogey putt on the 18th hole at TPC Stadium Course to capture the championship by one shot over Joseph McWhorter (Brooksville, Fla.)
The 2011 Golf Channel Am Tour National Championships also fell during the middle of a business trip for Aggarwal. Vice President of Sales for a technology company in Atlanta, Aggarwal arrived to Palm Springs straight from business meetings in Los Angeles, and he will continue his business trip to Dallas on Wednesday before returning home to Alpharetta this weekend.
“I might need to buy another suitcase,” joked Aggarwal after the awards ceremony. “I don’t have enough room to take these prizes with me to my meetings in Dallas.”
Sarazen Flight (12.0-15.9)
Following the first round of the national championships, Brad Bishop (Alden, N.Y.) was in the middle of the pack in the Sarazen Flight. Three rounds later, Bishop, 31, climbed 27 spots to hoist the national championship trophy with a final round 81 at the Greg Norman Course at PGA West.
Having never experienced this type of pressure before, Bishop was fighting his nerves throughout his final round.
“I told myself to stay calm, and that if I shot between an 80 and an 85, I’d be in there,” said Bishop. “Everything went my way today. I told myself as long as I keep hitting the fairways and the middle of the green, everything would take care of itself.”
Bishop missed only one fairway during his final round. Hitting the fairways calmed his nerves, helping him cruise to his first national championship.
Hogan Flight (8.0-11.9)
Tim Williams (McKinney, Texas) needed all 72 holes to capture his first Golf Channel Am Tour National Championship. The 43-year-old made a crucial par on the final hole to card a final-round 83, winning the Hogan Flight by one shot over fellow Texan Bryan Wood (Leander, Texas).
“Today was challenging. It wasn’t a very difficult course but I made it difficult, and the nerves made it difficult,” said Williams following his round. “I said to myself, this is it. You are in the last group, let’s step on the pedal. And that is exactly what I did.”
Palmer Flight (4-7.9)
PGA West is a special place for Patrick Polzin. The 2009 Golf Channel Am Tour national champion at PGA West overcame a five-stroke deficit Tuesday to win the Palmer Flight by six shots with a final-round 77 at TPC Stadium Course. Polzin, 45 (Indian Head Park, Ill.), was asked how it feels to be a two-time national champion, both happening at PGA West.
“Hasn’t sunk in yet,” said Polzin. “I don’t know which one is better. This was a bigger field [compared to 2009] so I guess it is a better accomplishment. I was fortunate enough to play steady today.”
Championship Flight (<3.9)
Paul Erdman is undefeated for the 2011 Golf Channel Am Tour season.
Prior to the national championships this week, Erdman accumulated victories in all five events he competed on the Am Tour, including the Pacific Northwest Championship at Chambers Bay Golf Club. He now can add the Golf Channel Am Tour National Championship to his roster of victories.
“I just won something that I have been thinking about winning for years and years, said Erdman. “It feels great.”
A former PGA Club Professional who regained his amateur status in 1999, Erdman has had several close calls to compete in high profile amateur tournaments. He missed qualifying for the U.S. Open, U.S. Amateur, U.S. Mid-Amateur and U.S. Amateur Public Links by all by one shot in the past. With his final round 2-under-par 70 at the Nicklaus Tournament Course on Tuesday, he finally recorded the breakthrough he needed, winning the championship flight by three shots at 2-under-par, the only one under par in the 570-player field.
When asked where he plans are to put his new trophy, the Colorado National Golf Club member smiled and had a simple response.
“Right next to Rashaan Salaam’s Heisman Trophy at Colorado National,” said Erdman. “I think we can create a spot for it.”
As the largest amateur golf tour in North America with more than 5,000 members, 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. Broken up into 60 local chapters throughout North America, the Golf Channel Am Tour conducted more than 800 local championships and 25 two-day “Major” Championships throughout the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico in 2011. For complete information about the Golf Channel Am Tour and the national championships, visit www.gcamtour.com.
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