2002 Senior Four-Ball Championship

Ploeger, Sappington Unbeatable at Georgia Senior Four-Ball Championship

WAYCROSS, Ga. - Bill Ploeger of Columbus and Spencer Sappington of Alpharetta compiled an insurmountable 26-under par 190 to win their second Georgia Senior Four-Ball Championship in three years. They finished with a an eight-under 64 for a twelve-stroke victory over their nearest competitors, Mark Kirk of Marietta and Larry Clark of Kennesaw, who also shot 64 in the final round at Lakes at Laura S. Walker.

Ploeger and Sappington, who are ranked first and ninth among the nation's senior amateurs respectively, never gave the field a chance. On a mission to avenge their lackluster title defense in 2001, the formidable pair blistered the field, opening with back-to-back 63s and a nine-stroke advantage heading into the final round.

Their bogey-free play included 11 birdies from Ploeger and 13 birdies and an eagle from Sappington, with four coming in the final eight holes. Sappington picked up his eagle in the second round with a hole-in-one on the 163-yard 14th at Okefenokee Country Club in Blackshear, where he used a six iron. Using his new mid-length putter, Sappington also nearly holed a fifty-foot eagle putt in the final round on the par-five 11th at Laura S. Walker.

Don Marsh and Stan Thorn of Alpharetta carded a 66 to move into a tie for third overall with Championship B winners William Lepley of Alpharetta and Benny Tumbleston of Marietta at 203. Finishing alone in fifth at 204 were John Felker of Atlanta and J.P. Sale of Alpharetta. 1993 champion Paul Cobb, Jr. of Norcross and partner Ron Lowery of Atlanta took sixth at 207. Defending champions and first-flight competitors Frank Vallo of Peachtree City and Charlie Edwards of Newnan shot a final-round 67 to move into a tie for seventh overall at 208 with Mike Sprouts and Bob Coleman of Greensboro, who closed with a 66.

Ploeger, a three-time Georgia Senior and 1999 USGA Senior champion, now holds four Senior Four-ball titles, having also won with Billy Key in 1997 and 1999.  Sappington partnered with Jerry Greenbaum to win in 1998. Ploeger and Sappington became a team by happenstance. They were competing with Greenbaum at the 2000 U.S. Senior Challenge, when Sappington learned his partner could not make the Senior Four-Ball. Ploeger quickly offered "I'll play with you."

Other flight winners were second - Russ Collett and Berney Armstrong of Valdosta (212); third - Fred Laist and Ed Nelson of Savannah (211); fourth - Roland Sorel of Dunwoody and Jack Callahan of Doraville (216); fifth - Billy Forston and Bill Taylor of Covington (217); and sixth - Bill Durham of Dalton and Ron Durham of Cohutta (228).

Competitors in the Championship through Second flights played from the same tees and were eligible for the overall title. The Championship flights were determined by the low 24 teams based on combined handicap index. The other 72 teams were chosen by lottery and flighted by team handicap. Entries were open to male amateur golfers who are at least 55 years old, members of a GSGA member club and residents of Georgia. The maximum handicap differential between partners was six strokes.

GSGA conducts 18 statewide competitions for men and women of all age groups, three interstate matches, one Atlanta area competition and 17 USGA qualifying events each year. Other services include computerized handicapping, course rating and measuring, a summer-long junior sectional competitions program, Golf Georgia magazine and two college scholarship programs.

Final Results

Top Ten Overall  
1 Bill Ploeger, Columbus 63 63 64 190
Spencer Sappington, Alpharetta
2 Mark Kirk, Marietta 69 69 64 202
Larry Clark, Kennesaw
3 Don Marsh, Alpharetta 69 68 66 203
Stan Thorn, Alpharetta
3 William Lepley, Alpharetta 66 69 68 203
Benny Tumbleston, Marietta
5 John Felker, Atlanta 68 69 67 204
J.P. Sale, Alpharetta
6 Paul Cobb Jr., Norcross 67 70 69 206
Ron Lowery, Atlanta
7 Mike Sprouts, Greensboro 69 73 66 208
Bob Coleman, Greensboro
7 Ted Vallo, Peachtree City 69 72 67 208
Charlie Edwards, Newnan
9 Roger Stapp, Gainesville 70 69 71 210
Rodney Allen, Gainesville
10 Curtis Wagner, Peachtree City 74 70 67 211
Richard Tatum, Atlanta
10 Ron Baggett, Warner Robins 67 75 69 211
Eddie Wiggins, Warner Robins
10 Jim Crayton, Zebulon 73 68 70 211
Joe Crayton, Peachtree City
10 Ben Cornett, Dunwoody 68 74 69 211
Les Noel, Dunwoody
10 David Vaughn, Norcross 70 69 72 211
Jere Killingsworth, Suwanee

 

Championship A Flight
1 Bill Ploeger, Columbus 63 63 64 190
Spencer Sappington, Alpharetta
2 Mark Kirk, Marietta 69 69 64 202
Larry Clark, Kennesaw
3 Don Marsh, Alpharetta 69 68 66 203
Stan Thorn, Alpharetta
4 John Felker, Atlanta 68 69 67 204
J.P. Sale, Alpharetta
5 Mike Sprouts, Greensboro 69 73 66 208
Bob Coleman, Greensboro
6 Curtis Wagner, Peachtree City 74 70 67
211 Richard Tatum, Atlanta
6 Ron Baggett, Warner Robins 67 75 69 211
Eddie Wiggins, Warner Robins
8 Franklin Otten, Bogart 70 74 68 212
Fred Atterbury, Dahlonega
8 Boyd Johnson, Statesboro 69 74 69 212
Bob Smith, Swainsboro
10 Ken Benson, Alpharetta 71 70 72 213
Dennis McNamara, Alpharetta
11 Amos Jones, Atlanta 71 75 70 216
Joe Estes, Atlanta
12 Don Heilman, Roswell 71 78 69 218
Larry Eglen, Marietta

 

Championship B Flight
1 William Lepley, Alpharetta 66 69 68 203
Benny Tumbleston, Marietta
2 Paul Cobb Jr., Norcross 67 70 69 206
Ron Lowery, Atlanta
3 Jim Crayton, Zebulon 73 68 70 211
Joe Crayton, Peachtree City
3 Ben Cornett, Dunwoody 68 74 69 211
Les Noel, Dunwoody
5 Karl Simon, Lawrenceville 72 72 71 215
Glenn Vaughn, Dallas
5 Andy Bargeron, Chatsworth 72 72 71 215
Walt Fugate, Macon
7 Robert Alterman, Atlanta 72 74 70 216
Gary Unell, Atlanta
7 Frank Costanzo, Savannah 68 75 73 216
Thomas Rood, Savannah
9 Bob Nance, Calhoun 69 74 75 218
Jeff Schultz, Calhoun
10 William Bader, Roswell 73 75 72 220
John Disosway, Greensboro
11 Danny Hughes, Carrollton 74 79 68 221
John Malloy, Carrollton
12 Ed Barnes, Peachtree City 74 76 73 223
Roy Johnson, Alpharetta

 

First Flight
1 Ted Vallo, Peachtree City 69 72 67 208
Charlie Edwards, Newnan
2 Roger Stapp, Gainesville 70 69 71 210
Rodney Allen, Gainesville
3 David Vaughn, Norcross 70 69 72 211
Jere Killingsworth, Suwanee
4 Jack Madden, Greensboro 69 73 70 212
Bob Foehl, Eatonton
5 Thomas Blackburn, Peachtree City 71 74 69 214
Paul Van't Hof, Peachtree City
5 Chris Hall, Dalton 71 72 71 214
Gary Cole, Dalton
7 Eddie Brown, Duluth 73 73 70 216
Joe Jillson, Ball Ground
8 Bill Flinn, Norcross 74 73 70 217
Jim Montgomery, Alparetta
8 Wayne Harrell, Stone Mountain 70 75 72 217
Cliff Cleveland, Atlanta
8 Arthur Gunter, Roswell 70 74 73 217
Bob Mills, Macon
11 C.J. Dodd, Adairsville 74 73 73 220
John Meadows, Calhoun
12 Peter Chanin, Cumming 71 79 71 221
Bill Abbott, Douglasville

 

Second Flight
1 Russ Collett, Valdosta 69 69 74 212
Berney Armstrong, Valdosta
2 Johnny Capes, Covington 71 71 71 213
John Chestnut, Covington
3 Thomas Toombs, Perry 70 73 72 215
Willis Ward, Warner Robins
4 Paul Hensler, Marietta 70 77 70 217
Dean Anderson, Kennesaw
4 Ron Eulenfeld, St. Simons Island 73 74 70 217
Royce Wood, St. Simons Island
6 Gene Drew, Albany 72 77 70 219
Tom Hall, Albany
6 Ted Colbert, Fayetteville 73 77 69 219
Davis Camp, Haralson
6 Sydney Welch, LaGrange 75 73 71 219
Wayne Anderson, Lagrange
9 Lee Cassady, Savannah 71 75 74 220
Lanier Browning, Savannah
10 Tracy Dixon, Bainbridge 76 71 74 221
Billy Howell, Bainbridge
11 Bobby Wind, Cairo 76 74 73 223
James Hester, Cairo
12 George LaPorte, Peachtree City 73 79 73 225
Ronnie Tatum, Peachtree City

 

Third Flight
1 Fred Laist, Savannah 76 67 68 211
Ed Nelson, Savannah
2 Dick Donegan, Kennesaw 73 68 74 215
Doug Tindall, Marietta
2 Jeff Tindle, Alpharetta 70 69 76 215
Robert Dutlinger, Alpharetta
4 Nick Kirkland, Snellville 72 71 74 217
Larry Askew, Lilburn
5 Jim Carter, Snellville 74 71 74 219
Rick Wagner, Snellville
5 Jim Naylor, Savannah 73 71 75 219
Bud Baker, Savannah
7 Larry Boddie, Williamson 76 71 73 220
Asa Candler, Atlanta
8 Charles Strong, Alpharetta 73 72 76 221
Andy Weidener, Alpharetta
9 Dale Dover, Camilla 75 75 75 225
Lenny Delamar, Albany
9 Mickey Coffey, Savannah 76 72 77 225
Robert Cavedon, Savannah
11 Rick Barnett, Savannah 78 74 76 228
Jack Munroe, Savannah
11 Jack Bailey, Lawrenceville 75 74 79 228
Tom Brennan, Lawrenceville

 

Fourth Flight
1 Roland Sorel, Dunwoody 71 73 72 216
Jack Callahan, Doraville
2 John Somers, Atlanta 73 71 74 218
John Dazey, Marietta
3 Petter Crosby, Savannah 74 73 73 220
Steve Wilk, Savannah
4 Kenneth Newsome, Sharpsburg 76 73 72 221
John Lee, McDonough
5 Aubrey Alford, Cordele 73 72 77 222
George Pass, Cordele
6 Glenn Whitmire, Gainesville 78 71 76 225
William Sykes, Gainesville
6 Carl Wade, Kingsland 77 72 76 225
Tony Caltaldi, Kingsland
8 Richard Doyle, Fayetteville 76 76 77 229
Gerald Patrie, Fayetteville
9 Jim Hester, St. Mary's 79 76 75 230
Mike Ambrose, St. Mary's
10 John Gueovjian, Savannah 81 77 73 231
John Marsh, Savannah
11 Preston Kirkendall, St. Simons Island 80 80 78 238
Richard McKinna, Brunswick
12 Marlon Beam, Tallapoosa WD
Danny Harrison, Lithia Springs

 

Fifth Flight
1 Billy Fortson, Covington 74 72 71 217
Bill Taylor, Covington
2 Edward Santos, Stone Mountain 75 69 74 218
Don Schrum, Lithonia
3 Garry Briddon, Duluth 74 72 74 220
Bruce Swinsky, Dunwoody
4 J.R. Nichols, Smyrna 74 74 76 224
Ed Crump, Hartwell
5 Bob Burgess, Woodstock 80 75 70 225
Bill Newbold, Newnan
5 Carl Ryals, Peachtree City 80 73 72 225
Wayne Farley, Peachtree City
5 Royce LeVaughn, Newnan 79 72 74 225
Pete Fleming, Newnan
8 Fred Lindstrom, Peachtree City 79 72 76 227
John Kennedy, Senoia
9 James Whitlock, Roswell 82 73 79 234
William Davis, Marietta
9 Charles Dabbs, Marietta 79 76 79 234
Ruel Hawkins, Marietta
11 Phil Colston, Peachtree City 79 76 80 235
Paul Murphy, Fayetteville
12 Joe Hamilton, Jonesboro 82 80 79 241
Jerry Atkins, Jonesboro

 

Sixth Flight
1 Bill Durham, Dalton 78 73 77 228
Ron Durham, Cohutta
2 Bob Dorsey, Sharpsburg 80 76 78 234
Jim Lowell, Newnan
2 Robert Davis, Cordele 81 74 79 234
Fred Brown, Cordele
4 John Chastain, Jasper 80 79 77 236
Jerry Chastain, Jasper
5 John Cooper, Peachtree City 82 82 77 241
Randy Taylor, Atlanta
6 Bobby Johnson, Snellville 86 79 81 246
Jim Stuwers, Snellville
7 Reid Bowman, McDonough 84 81 83 248
Nick Smith, Stockbridge
8 Dick Holden, Atlanta 83 85 81 249
Don Holden, Tyrone
9 Carl Rainey, Peachtree City 84 82 86 252
James Golden, Peachtree City
10 Sidney Avesian, Marietta 89 82 85 256
Joe Perusse, Marietta
11 Alan Katz, Marietta 88 88 87 263
Bob Henning, Roswell
12 Bob Magee, Marietta 95 88 92 275
Tom Comsudes, Marietta