2012 Super Senior Championship

Dick Van Leuvan Wins Georgia Super Senior Championship
Becomes third different winner in fifth year of event

WOODSTOCK, Ga. – Dick Van Leuvan of Roswell held on to his own lead to win the fifth annual Georgia Super Senior Championship. Van Leuvan finished with an overall score of 5-under-par 139 (66-73), five strokes ahead of runner-ups Earl Johnson of Lawrenceville (72-72) and Marvin Davenport of Hiawassee (72-72), who finished at even-par 144 for the championship. The fifth annual competition took place April 11-12 at Capital City Club-Crabapple in Woodstock.

The 66-year-old Van Leuvan shot his age (6-under-par) in round one, breaking the 18-hole record in the process, to take a four-stroke lead into the final day and never looked back. Throughout the final round, Van Leuvan managed to keep his distance from all other competitors, as he turned in a 1-over-par 73 on day two. Back in 2000, Van Leuvan won the Georgia Senior Championship at Green Island Country Club in Columbus. Last year at his first Georgia Super Senior Championship, Van Leuvan finished tenth at 7-over-par 151.

Van Leuvan is just the third different winner the Georgia Super Senior Championship has seen in its five-year existence. Spencer Sappington of Milton won the inaugural event in 2008 at Cherokee Town and Country Club in Atlanta. Matt O'Brien of Decatur won the following year (2009) at Ansley Golf Club-Settindown Creek in Roswell, while Sappington went back-to-back in 2010 at Polo Golf and Country Club in Cumming and last year at Cartersville Country Club. This week, Sappington tied for ninth and finished at 5-over-par 149 (75-74) and O'Brien tied for 29th at 11-over-par 155 (76-79).

Three players tied for fourth at 1-over-par 145, including Frank Costanzo of Savannah (75-70), Don Marsh of Johns Creek (71-74) and Jimmy Smith of Macon (70-75). Ken Benson of Alpharetta (77-71) tied for seventh with Bill Newsom of Clarkesville (73-75) at 4-over-par 148. Rounding out the top-10 were Sappington and Stephen Schwartz of Savannah (74-75) at 5-over-par 149.

Johnson and Davenport tied for first flight honors at even-par 144. Scott Northey of Roswell won the second flight at 10-over-par 154 and Smith won flight three at 1-over-par 145. In the fourth flight, John Darnall of Norcross finished on top with a 13-over-par 157, and Terry Berdis of Alpharetta finished at 11-over-par 155 to take the fifth flight. Ralph Meyer of Roswell won the sixth flight at 14-over-par 158, and Terry Moon of Powder Springs won the seventh flight at 18-over-par 162. Flight eight was claimed by Don Schrum of Flowery Branch at 25-over-par 169, and the ninth flight was claimed by Joe Linden of Woodstock at 34-over-par 178.

Entries were open to male amateur golfers who are GSGA members and age 65 or older as of the first day of the tournament. The field of 126 players was divided into 10 flights by handicap index (Championship, Flights 1-9) and played 18 holes of stroke play each day (36 holes total) at Capital City Club-Crabapple in Woodstock.