...Carolina Golf News Line

Two Tournaments, Two Playoffs, “Two Gloves” Wins!

MOUNT PLEASANT, S.C. – The Tarheel Tour is just two events into the 2006 season and already overtime is becoming the norm. For the second consecutive week, extra holes were needed to crown a champion in the tour’s inaugural Lowcountry Series. 
Tommy “Two Gloves” Gainey managed a shaky two putt par from four feet on the third playoff hole and was able to capture the Patriots Point Open, his third Tarheel Tour victory.
Gainey entered the final round with a one shot lead, but quickly found himself in a dogfight with a group of solid players. Andrew Pratt and Rich Mudd would both make their respective moves in the final round, but each came up one shot short of the playoff number. Mudd, who is from Charleston and frequents Patriots Point, watched his hopes drown in the marsh surrounding the daunting island green par-3 17th hole.
The man who made the big move today was former UNC-Greensboro star Andy Bare. Bare, who is known as one of the longer hitters on tour, shot a final round 67 and was forced to wait in the clubhouse to see if he was in a playoff or going to the bank with $11,000.
Gainey arrived at the 17th hole one shot back of Bare and facing a howling wind off of the Charleston Harbor. His tee shot flew the green and left him with a difficult up and down. He would convert the par and head to number 18 needing a birdie to force extra holes. As Bare watched from the clubhouse, Gainey stoned his third shot on the par-5 finishing hole to 4 feet and made the tying birdie to send the two men out to number 16 for the playoff.
After routine pars on 16, both players hit it in the water on 17 and had two different options. Gainey went back to the drop area, took his drop, and made bogey with a 12 foot putt. Bare, who could get a club on his ball in the hazard, played his shot out to 10 feet and missed the ensuing winning putt. The two headed to number 18 and both players bombed tee shots down the middle. Bare hit his lay-up shot into the hazard left. After that, Gainey pulled out 7-iron and played to win, not to be a hero. His third shot came to rest four feet from the pin. From there, he was able to two putt and put his name on the $11,000 winner’s check.
“Andy played a great round and deserved to win as much as I did. He just hit one bad shot and I was able to take advantage of it,” said Gainey, who gained TV fame for his stint on last year’s “Big Break” on the Golf Channel.
“Before the Big Break, I was nervous in tournaments when I had a chance to win. Now, it seems like nothing compared to the pressures of being on television.”
“You’ve gotta understand, when that camera goes on, it follows you all day and all night. You’re even worried about trying not to cuss on TV, and in the back of your head, you know that all of America is going to see every shot you hit, good or bad. That’s pressure! Out here, I’m just trying to beat the golf course.”
The low round of the day was turned in by fifth place finisher Jay McLuen of Charleston. Jay, whose father Jim is the Director of Instruction at Patriots Point, shot a final round 66 and jumped several players while earning $3000 for his efforts.
Former PGA Tour star Tim Simpson carded a final round 72 in his Tarheel Tour debut. 
“This tour offers a great product for an affordable price. They play great courses and the level of competition is very high,” said Simpson as he headed down the road for next week’s event.
The tour would like to thank Scott Holland and his staff for hosting this tournament and providing exceptional service to the players. The tour would also like to thank Mark Pitassi and his staff for presenting a golf course which was in absolute perfect condition. Finally, the tour owes a special thanks to Jim and Doug for volunteering their time as our starters for the week.
The Tarheel Tour moves to Bluffton, SC and Oldfield Golf Club next week for the Match Play Championship. The top 32 seeds will be filled by the top money winners from the two Charleston events, while the remaining seeds will be filled via a one day qualifier.
For more information, visit www.tarheeltour.com.

Tarheel Professional Tour
Patriots Point Open
Final Round Results
Patriots Point Golf Links
Par 72 – 6,900 yards

Tommy Gainey, Bishopville, SC, $11,000 69-68-70=207
Andy Bare, Jacksonville, FL, $6000 69-71-67=207
Andrew Pratt, Knoxville, TN, $3950 68-70-70=208
Rich Mudd, Charleston, SC, $3950 69-69-70=208
Jay McLuen, Charleston, SC, $3000 71-72-66=209
Mike Valicenti, West Palm Beach, FL, $2375 72-70-68=210
William McGirt, Greenville, SC, $2375 70-69-71=210
Matt Davidson , Greenville, SC, $2000 70-71-70=211
Will Claxton, Auburn, AL, $1900 68-74-70=212
Alex Hamilton, Aiken, SC, $1700 72-70-71=213
Frank Adams III, Laurinburg, NC, $1700 70-71-72=213
Brent DelaHoussaye, Greenville, SC, $1700 67-71-75=213
Adam Gary, Bowling Green, KY, $1400 72-73-69=214
Tommy Biershenk, Boiling Springs, SC, $1400 72-71-71=214
Kyle Bradley, North Augusta, SC, $1400 73-68-73=214
Kevin Haefner, Rochester, NY, $1007.14 73-71-71=215
Derek Watson, Murrells Inlet, SC, $1007.14 76-68-71=215
Scott Hart, Wes Des Moines, IA, $1007.14 68-74-73=215
Jack Ferguson, High Point, NC, $1007.14 68-74-73=215
David Siegel, Matthews, NC, $1007.14 70-72-73=215
Derek Brown, Walnut Cove, NC, $1007.14 70-70-75=215
Scott Feaster, Columbia, SC, $1007.14 73-66-76=215
Neil Maurer, Charleston, SC, $1007.14 68-71-76=215
David Sanchez, Pinehurst, NC, $775 75-70-71=216
Greg Boyette, Aiken, SC, $775 71-73-72=216
Tim Simpson, Greensboro, GA, $775 74-70-72=216