2008 Super Senior Championship

Spencer Sappington Captures Inaugural Georgia Super Senior Championship
Sappington Extends First-Round Lead to Win by Nine

ATLANTA --- First-round leader Spencer Sappington of Milton posted the only sub-par round of the Championship, scoring a 1-under 69 to win by nine strokes over Savannah's Frank Costanzo at the inaugural Georgia Super Senior Championship, which took place at Cherokee Town and Country Club, April 16-17.

Sappington held a four-stroke lead over Costanzo and Boyd Johnson of Statesboro after an opening-round 71. His lead remained secure throughout the final round, as he opened with eight straight pars and made the turn at 1-under with a birdie at No. 9. Both Costanzo and Johnson found themselves 3-over at the turn and eight strokes back. Sappington posted his lone bogey of the day at No. 10, but quickly made up for it with a 40-foot birdie putt on the par-5 11th. He then posted pars the rest of the way to finish with a 69 and a tournament total of even-par 140.

Costanzo finished with a 74 to come in at 149. Johnson carded 75 to finish at 150 and tie for third place with Tommy Reid of Macon (76-74). Sappington, Costanzo and Reid are all past winners of the Georgia Senior Championship.

Joe Estes of Atlanta, himself a two-time past Senior Champion, placed fifth overall and won the Championship B flight with rounds of 76-75=151. Another Atlantan, Cliff Cleveland, scored 152 to take sole possession of the sixth place. Curtis Wagner of Peachtree City was one stroke back in seventh. Championship B flight competitor Julian Saul of Dalton and first-flight champion Dick Martin of Alpharetta tied for eighth overall with identical scores of 77-77=154. Hal Baker of Bonaire scored 155 to tie for 10th with fourth-flight champion Neal Alexander of Acworth.

Other flight winners included Donald Hamelink of Dunwoody in the second (158), Amos Jones of Atlanta in the third (159), Roy Thompson of Stone Mountain in the fifth (164) and Bill Cowles of Lilburn in the sixth (171).

The South Course at Cherokee Town and Country Club played to 5,957 yards and a par 70.

The Georgia Super Senior Championship was conducted by the Georgia State Golf Association. Entries were open to male amateur golfers who are GSGA members who are at least 65 years old. The field of 96 players, divided into eight flights by handicap, competed in 36 holes of stroke play over two days. 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

Top Ten Overall
1 Spencer Sappington, Milton 71 69 140
2 Frank Costanzo, Savannah 75 74 149
T3 Boyd Johnson, Statesboro 75 75 150
T3 Tommy Reid, Macon 76 74 150
5 Joe Estes, Atlanta 76 75 151
6 Cliff Cleveland, Atlanta 76 76 152
7 Curtis Wagner, Peachtree City 80 73 153
T8 Julian Saul, Dalton 77 77 154
T8 Dick Martin, Alpharetta 77 77 154
T10 Hal Baker, Bonaire 76 79 155
T10 Neal Alexander, Acworth 80 75 155