2008 Senior Championship

Bill Ploeger Captures Fourth Georgia Senior Championship
Title Decided on 18th Green as Ploeger Tops Second-Round Leader Crump

SAVANNAH, Ga. – After coming from behind twice during the back nine, Bill Ploeger of Columbus sank a 4 ½ -foot par putt on 18 and watched as second-round leader Donald Crump slid his 3 ½ -foot putt just past the hole to give Ploeger his record-tying fourth title at the Georgia Senior Championship. Ploeger shot a final-round 70 and finished at 3-under 213 while Crump, of Atlanta, closed with a 74 to come in at 214. The 22nd annual championship took place at The Landings Club, August 27-29.

Curt Knorr of Dunwoody, who played in the final group with Ploeger and Crump, finished third at even-par 216. Macon's Phil Pavoni shot 72 in the final round to place fourth at 217. Ernie Venet of Moultrie took fifth at 219, while 2006 champion Larry Clark of Kingston, Wally Adams Jr. of Vidalia and Mike Jackson of Martinez tied for sixth at 220. Three players tied for ninth at 221, including first-round leader James Jackson of Macon, Dave Sexton of Suwanee and Mike Cohen of Savannah. Cohen shot a tournament-low, 5-under-par 67 in the final round.

Defending champion Spencer Sappington of Milton tied for 12th place at 222 along with Savannahian and Landings Club member Fred Laist.

Ploeger was in a tie for third and trailed Crump by three strokes going into the final round, but quickly went to work on the deficit with birdies on No. 5 (544 yards) and No. 9 (392 yards). He trailed by just one at the turn after Crump, playing in his first Senior Championship after turning 55 earlier this year, carded nine straight pars on the front. Knorr, who trailed Crump by two going into the final round, fell back with three bogeys and turned at 3-over-par 39.

After both Crump and Ploeger bogeyed No. 11, the par-3 12th hole produced a two-shot swing and a lead change. Ploeger sunk a 10-foot birdie putt to move to 3-under after Crump found a greenside bunker and missed his par putt. Crump quickly gained the stroke back, however, with a 15-foot birdie on 13 after Ploeger missed a slightly shorter birdie attempt. Crump regained the lead with par on 14 as Ploeger's approach was just shy of the green and he missed his par putt.

Crump increased his lead to two shots and moved to 4-under for the Championship on No. 15 with an 18-foot birdie putt, after Ploeger was short on a 20-footer.
The back-and-forth battle between Crump and Ploeger continued on No. 16, as Ploeger hit his approach to five feet and made the birdie putt. Crump conceded a stroke, as he could not connect on his long birdie attempt, but still led by one with two holes to go.

The 17th hole proved to be pivotal, as Crump's tee shot found a bunker and he had to punch out into the fairway. Ploeger, meanwhile, was on the green in two, but missed the birdie opportunity to take the outright lead. The two players headed to the final hole tied at 3-under-par.

At 18, both players were on the green in two – Ploeger about 50 feet away near the edge of the green and Crump hole-high about 20 feet. Ploeger's first putt came up about 4 ½ feet short, and Crump's stopped about a foot closer. Ploeger's par putt trickled in, then Crump's just slid by, giving Ploeger the title.

At age 68, Ploeger becomes the oldest champion in the history of the event. He also won the Senior Championship in 1995, '97 and '99, and ties his good friend and frequent four-ball partner Sappington, who set the record with his fourth title in 2007. As Sappington and many of the other players finished their rounds, they headed back out to watch the leaders on the final few holes – a gesture which Ploeger noticed and truly appreciated.

"On the 16th hole I saw Sappington, Don Marsh and Jerry Greenbaum, such good friends of mine, out there pulling for me and it meant so much," he said. "It really pepped me up for those final few holes."

"Don Crump is a wonderful player," Ploeger continued. "I felt badly for him to lose it on 18 like that, but he'll be back and will probably win several of these titles down the road. I think I've finished second in the Championship four or five times, so I know how it feels."

The Landings Club's Marshwood Course played to 6,468 yards and a par 72.

The Georgia Senior Championship is conducted by the Georgia State Golf Association. Entries were open to male amateur golfers at least 55 years old as of August 27, 2008, who belong to a GSGA Member Club. The field of 144 was determined by the lowest USGA Handicap Indexes.

After the second round, the field was cut to the low 70 players and ties, with the cut line falling at 15-over-par 157 and 75 players advancing.

Founded in 1916, the Georgia State Golf Association (GSGA) received its official charter on June 24, 1924. Since that date, the GSGA has grown to one of the largest state amateur golf associations in the country, with over 365 member clubs and 85,000 individual members. With a mission to promote and preserve amateur golf in the state of Georgia, GSGA offers a computerized handicapping service, course rating and measuring, and annually conducts a full schedule of statewide competitions for men and women of all age groups. Other services include a summer-long junior sectional program, award-winning Golf Georgia magazine, membership recognition and rewards programs and a charitable foundation administering two college scholarship programs.

Final Results

1 Bill Ploeger, Columbus 73 70 70 213 -3
2 Donald Crump, Atlanta 71 69 74 214 -2
3 Curt Knorr, Dunwoody 74 68 74 216 Even
4 Phil Pavoni, Macon 72 73 72 217 1
5 Ernie Venet, Moultrie 71 74 74 219 3
T6 Larry Clark, Kingston 73 76 71 220 4
T6 Mike Jackson, Martinez 75 70 75 220 4
T6 Wally Adams Jr., Vidalia 71 74 75 220 4
T9 Dave Sexton, Suwanee 72 72 77 221 5
T9 James Jackson, Macon 70 73 78 221 5
T9 Mike Cohen, Savannah 80 74 67 221 5
T12 Frederick Laist, Savannah 73 71 78 222 6
T12 Spencer Sappington, Milton 74 75 73 222 6
T14 Bill Heys, Atlanta 74 79 70 223 7
T14 Don Marsh, Alpharetta 74 71 78 223 7
T14 Steve Schwartz, Savannah 75 73 75 223 7
T17 Joe Brogdon, Macon 77 71 76 224 8
T17 John Holle, LaGrange 74 74 76 224 8
T17 Taylor Adams, St. Simons Island 76 72 76 224 8
T20 Karl Simon, Lawrenceville 75 76 74 225 9
T20 Ron Hunter, Jasper 73 75 77 225 9
T22 Eddie Register, Sugar Hill 77 74 75 226 10
T22 Frank Costanzo, Savannah 72 77 77 226 10
T22 Richard Van Leuvan, Roswell 73 76 77 226 10
25 Bill McCauley, Atlanta 75 76 76 227 11
T26 David Nichols, Roswell 77 76 75 228 12
T26 Jim Planche, Lawrenceville 77 76 75 228 12
T26 Ken Benson, Alpharetta 77 78 73 228 12
T29 Boyd Johnson, Statesboro 74 80 75 229 13
T29 Cliff Cleveland, Atlanta 77 74 78 229 13
T29 Fred Atterberry, Dahlonega 74 78 77 229 13
T29 Jimmy Thomas, Johns Creek 76 76 77 229 13
T29 Nick Kirkland, Snellville 74 77 78 229 13
T34 Bob Espy, Stone Mountain 78 74 78 230 14
T34 Bobby Smith, Statesboro 80 75 75 230 14
T34 Brett Kieffer, Thomasville 77 74 79 230 14
T34 Charlie Busbee, McDonough 77 77 76 230 14
T34 Daniel Rhoads, Albany 75 74 81 230 14
T34 Jerry Greenbaum, Atlanta 76 75 79 230 14
T34 Matthew Obrien, Decatur 75 77 78 230 14
T34 Pete Malcolm, Duluth 75 75 80 230 14
T42 Bill Newsom, Clarkesville 73 78 80 231 15
T42 Ken Powers, Savannah 76 75 80 231 15
T42 Lanny Bailey, Dalton 74 78 79 231 15
T42 Rob Lauer, Newnan 73 77 81 231 15
T46 Alan Thielemann, Woodstock 81 71 80 232 16
T46 Bill Evans, Columbus 80 74 78 232 16
T46 Don Russell, Atlanta 75 78 79 232 16
T46 Jim Kamis, Marietta 79 76 77 232 16
T46 Tommy Reid, Macon 82 74 76 232 16
T51 Bill Blalock, Atlanta 72 80 81 233 17
T51 Edward Rock, Bogart 77 79 77 233 17
T53 Christopher Demarco, Acworth 77 77 80 234 18
T53 Earl Johnson, Lawrenceville 75 80 79 234 18
T53 Tom Hall, Albany 78 77 79 234 18
T56 Al Everett, Cumming 78 77 80 235 19
T56 David Holcombe, Savannah 79 77 79 235 19
T56 Jim Watson, Marietta 73 80 82 235 19
T56 Ladell Norton, Rome 76 80 79 235 19
60 Carl Carroll, Odum 80 73 83 236 20
T61 Bill Boyden, Savannah 79 77 81 237 21
T61 Murray Calhoun, Columbus 76 81 80 237 21
T63 Barry Peets, Lilburn 77 80 81 238 22
T63 Billy Hatton, Roswell 80 77 81 238 22
T63 Sherold Skinner, Fayetteville 76 80 82 238 22
T63 Victor Jarvis, Savannah 82 75 81 238 22
67 Edsel Davis, Macon 78 78 83 239 23
T68 Ron Ford, Dunwoody 74 78 89 241 25
T68 Sid Gilstrap, Columbus 79 78 84 241 25
T70 Jim Weeks, Savannah 79 78 85 242 26
T70 Kenneth Horton, Atlanta 74 82 86 242 26
72 Larry Hines, Sharpsburg 83 74 88 245 29
73 Donald Lieb, Savannah 76 80 DQ
T74 Brett Blevins, Canton 77 77 WD
T74 Tom Toombs, Perry 78 79 NS