2005 Senior Tournament

Matt O'Brien Captures GSGA Senior Challenge

ACWORTH, Ga. - Matt O'Brien of Decatur tallied 34 points for a 101 total and a one-point victory over Lithonia's Marty Perez at the 2nd Annual GSGA Senior Challenge, which was held at Sunset Hills Country Club. Perez, playing out of the Championship flight, scored 35 points in the final round and finished with a tournament total of 100 Stableford points.

Paul Cobb, Jr. of Duluth finished in a tie for third place overall with first flight champion Chistopher Demarco of Acworth, who was leading the event after the completion of the second round. They finished two points behind in at 99. Last year's runner-up, Nick Kirkland of Snellville and Bill Flinn of Norcross each tallied 30 points on the final day of competition and tied for fifth position with Jim Schlueter of Canton, winner of the second flight.

O'Brien, who needed to record a bogey or better on the 18th hole to secure the victory, landed his approach shot fifteen feet from the hole. He ran his first putt just past the right edge to two feet and failed to convert the par-putt. O'Brien did, however, make the bogey putt to give him the win.

"Those are the ones that will kill you," O'Brien explained of missing his par putt on 18, "but I really hit the ball of the tee well. Usually I am a little erratic off the tee but over the past couple of days I have really hit a lot of fairways. That makes the game a lot easier."

Billy Hatton of Roswell scored the most points of anyone on the final day (36) and finished in a tie for eighth place with McDonough's Randall Rozier. Bruce Wood of Duluth, who finished third in the 2004 GSGA Senior Challenge, rounds out the top ten with a tournament total of 93 Stableford points.

Other flight included: Third Flight - John Salviski of Alpharetta (87), Fourth Flight - Leonard DeLamar of Albany (80) and Fifth Flight - Tom Phillips of Monroe (66).
The Stableford format awards points on a sliding scale, with one point for bogeys, two for pars, three for birdies and four points for eagles. In this format, an 18-hole score of 36 is roughly equivalent to shooting even par.

The 72-member field was divided into six flights by handicap index, with all participants eligible for the overall title. Entries were open to male amateur golfers age 55 and up who hold USGA handicap indexes of 3.0 or higher and are Georgia residents. The par-71 layout played to 6,099 yards.

GSGA conducts 18 statewide competitions for men and women of all age groups, three interstate matches 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 Matt O'Brien, Decatur 333434101
2 Marty Perez, Lithonia 333235100
3 Paul Cobb, Jr, Norcross 33333399
3 Christopher Demarco, Acworth 32363199
5 Nick Kirkland, Snellville 32343096
5 Bill Flinn, Norcross 31353096
5 Jim Schlueter, Canton 33342996
8 Billy Hatton, Roswell 31283695
8 Randall Rozier, McDonough 31343095
10 Bruce Wood, Duluth 30303393

 

Championship Flight
1 Matt O'Brien, Decatur 333434101
2 Marty Perez, Lithonia 333235100
3 Paul Cobb, Jr, Norcross 33333399
4 Nick Kirkland, Snellville 32343096
5 Billy Hatton, Roswell 31283695
6 Scott Northey, Roswell 27323190
6 Tom Hall, Albany 28313190
8 Rick Donnahoo, Rossville 30283088
8 Tommy Cain, Sandersville 30273188
10 Carson Keller, Lilburn 23313185
11 Bob Nance, Calhoun 32242480
12 Don Rich, Marietta 27242475

 

First Flight
1 Christopher Demarco, Acworth 32363199
2 Bill Flinn, Norcross 31353096
3 Randall Rozier, McDonough 31343095
4 Jeff Talley, Marietta 31303091
5 Chris Fryer, Roswell 28302785
5 Ronald Lowery, Dalton 25312985
7 Danny Hughes, Carrollton 26302884
8 Dick Martin, Alpharetta 32232883
9 Charles Dickerson, Dunwoody 26252980
10 Terry Moon, Powder Springs 26272679
11 V.H. Brady III, Woodstock 21212264
12 J. D. Brock, Acworth 26171861

 

Second Flight
1 Jim Schlueter, Canton 33342996
2 Bruce Wood, Duluth 30303393
3 Fred Kruger, Moultrie 28322585
4 Wendell Couch, Athens 28282884
5 Bob Sharpenberg, Alpharetta 29312383
6 Jim Kamis, Marietta 28252780
7 Ben Pittarelli, Lawrenceville 23272575
8 Don Miller, LaGrange 20233073
9 Don Whittle, Cordele 22232570
9 Virgil Waters, Calhoun 25232270
11 Mike Horn, Temple 22261967
12 Robert Davis, Cordele 20222163

 

Third Flight
1 John Salviski, Alpharetta 33262887
2 Jerry Chastain, Jasper 27262679
3 Sydney Welch, Lagrange 28242678
4 Bob Beach, Dacula 25242776
4 Mike Lingle, Dalton 25282376
6 David Van Valkenburg, Kennesaw 23213175
7 John Kee, Athens 19272672
7 Robert Fowler, Atlanta 31202172
9 Jim Moss, Doraville 15282669
10 Larry Boddie, Williamson 2420WDWD
10 Randy Koster, Acworth 1919WDWD

 

Fourth Flight
1 Leonard DeLamar, Albany 27272680
2 Doug Biddy, Acworth 27262376
3 Royce LeVaughn, Newnan 22282575
4 Richard Wilson, Columbus 28222070
5 David McElroy, Lawrenceville 21252369
6 James Franks, LaGrange 19222566
7 John Mahle, Newnan 24221965
8 Wallace Skinner, Lagrange 22152663
9 George Pass, Cordele 20251661
10 Billy Deal, Dalton 20171855
11 Bill Durham, Dalton 18191754
12 Bob Flynn, Kennesaw 2024WDWD

 

Fifth Flight
1 Tom Phillips, Monroe 21222366
2 David P Weeks, Rome 26191964
3 Tom Coleman, Atlanta 19232163
4 James Benson, Cumming 18271762
5 Edward Guy, Ochlocknee 19202059
6 Phil Novinger, Athens 21201758
7 Walt Rosso, Cusseta 17191955
8 John Chastain, Jasper 20141953
9 Dudley Samford, Loganville 15171749
10 Jerry Gafford, Mansfield 23131046
11 M. F. Morris, Carnesville 13171545
12 Robert Henning, Roswell 610824