| ...Carolina Golf News Line | |
Indian Trail, NC- Brian Quackenbush made par on the fourth playoff hole to outlast Tarheel Tour leading money winner Matt Cannon and win the Tarheel Tour’s MonaVie Open at Charlotte National Golf Club on Friday.
Quackenbush, a native of Aiken, SC, began the day one shot behind Cannon and trailed by two until back-to-back birdies on 15 and 16 left the two players deadlocked at 13-under par for the tournament heading to the tee at the watery par-4 17th. After finally catching Cannon, the 2006 Southern Open Champion pull-hooked his tee shot into the lake lining the left side of the fairway, but was able to save par after his hybrid from 225 yards settled eight-feet from the pin. Cannon made a routine par and after both players pared the 18th, extra holes were needed to determine the champion.
Both players halved the par-4 first, but on the 547-yard par-5 second, Quackenbush had a chance to end it with a simple two-putt birdie to close Cannon out, but the second putt didn’t fall and the former UVA star had to wait two more holes, when a Cannon three putt left Quackenbush with the MonaVie Open title and the $15,000 winners check.
“I don’t know if I deserved to win this,” Quackenbush mused after being presented with the winners check by former Daytona 500 champion Geoff Bodine. “I didn’t hit it well all week, but I putted it really well every day. A lot of the credit for this win should go to the staff at Charlotte National. I’ve played this event each of the last three years, and every year the greens are just great.”
The MonaVie Open marks Quackenbush’s first start on the Tarheel Tour since the River Run Classic back in April. Quackenbush has spent much of his season chasing the Nationwide Tour and has posted two top-15 finishes this season, but hasn’t been able to crack the field since July.
“Having now played out there I’m a lot more comfortable playing here. I realize that the talent isn’t any better on the Nationwide Tour; it’s just a little deeper. Knowing that has made me much more comfortable. It’s good to know I can still play well in a tournament.”
For Cannon, the consolation prize is an $8,000 payday and his fifth top-2 finish in his last eight tournaments. Cannon has now earned just over $76,500 this season and now leads the race to top the Tarheel Tour money list by $21,000 over Wofford alumnus William McGirt. McGirt finished the day with a disappointing 73 and finished the tournament T-18 with a 4-under-par total of 212.
Jacksonville, FL native Ben McClung shot a final-round 71 to finish the tournament with a total of 10-under par. The third-place finish was McClung’s best in his six events on the Tarheel Tour and earned the former Vanderbilt Commodore $5,000.
Jupiter, Fl native Jeff Curl, posted the low round of the day firing a 6-under-par 66 on a day where 20-mph winds caused havoc on the firm, fast Charlotte National layout. Curl’s round included seven birdies and an eagle, but bogeys at 12, 14, and 18 spoiled what could have been a truly special round.
The Tarheel Tour would like to thank MonaVie for all of their help and support in organizing this event. The tour would also like to thank golf course owner Dave Moore and his staff for all of their help in hosting another successful tournament. Special thanks goes out to head golf course superintendent Mike Thompson and his assistant Dylan Kinnerman for providing some of the best greens the tour has seen thus far in 2007.
The next stop on the Tarheel Tour schedule is the Columbia Open at Columbia Country Club on October 2-4. Last year’s rain shortened event was won by Columbia native and former PGA Tour player, David Seawell with a 36-hole total of 12-under par.
Tarheel Tour
MonaVie Open
Charlotte National Golf Club
7237 yards par 72
September 26-28
1. x-Brian Quackenbush, Fairfax, VA, $15,000.00, *65-69-69-203 -13
2. Matt Cannon, Huntersville, NC, $8,000.00, *66-67-70-203 -13
3. Ben McClung, Jacksonville, FL, $5,000.00, *66-69-71-206 -10
4. Jeff Curl, Ellington, CT, $4,200.00, *71-70-66-207 -9
5. Randy Leen, Palm Beach Gardens, FL, $3,050.00, *71-68-69-208 -8
5. Doug Fiese, Smyrna, GA, $3,050.00, *70-68-70-208 -8
5. David Robinson, Sandersville, GA, $3,050.00, *70-68-70-208 -8
5. Richard Hanna, Standardsville, VA, $3,050.00, *67-68-73-208 -8
9. David Sanchez, Pinehurst, NC, $2,000.00, *69-70-70-209 -7
10. Del Ponchock, West Palm Beach, FL, $1,875.00, *68-71-71-210 -6
10. Derek Brown, Walnut Cove, NC, $1,875.00, *71-65-74-210 -6
12. George Bradford, Pikesville, MD, $1,675.00, *70-71-70-211 -5
12. Ryan Sharpe, Greensboro, NC, $1,675.00, *69-72-70-211 -5
12. Matt Short, Hudson, NC, $1,675.00, *69-72-70-211 -5
12. Tommy Gainey, Bishopville, SC, $1,675.00, *65-74-72-211 -5
12. Rohan Allwood, Pinehurst, NC, $1,675.00, *69-68-74-211 -5
12. Steve Gilley, Newman, GA, $1,675.00, *72-65-74-211 -5
18. Johan Kok, Peachtree City, GA, $1,353.57, *72-70-70-212 -4
18. Bobby Collins, West Palm Beach, FL, $1,353.57, *74-68-70-212 -4
18. Kyle Bradley, North Augusta, SC, $1,353.57, *70-70-72-212 -4
18. Jason Martin, Lenoir, NC, $1,353.57, *71-69-72-212 -4
18. Gregg Jones, Florence, SC, $1,353.57, *69-71-72-212 -4
18. William McGirt, Taylors, SC, $1,353.57, *68-71-73-212 -4
18. Matthew Cram-Smith, Jefferson City, TN, $1,353.57, *70-68-74-212 -4
25. Derek Oakey, Atlanta, GA, $1,175.00, *72-69-72-213 -3
25. Ben Lammi, Brisbane, Australia, $1,175.00, *69-71-73-213 -3
25. Bjorn Widerstedt, St. Augustine, FL, $1,175.00, *67-71-75-213 -3
28. Brian Carroll, Crystal Lake, IL, $1,077.00, *75-67-72-214 -2
28. David Ladd, Palm Beach Gardens, FL, $1,077.00, *71-70-73-214 -2
28. Fernando Mechereffe, Charlotte, NC, $1,077.00, *69-72-73-214 -2
28. Matt Vick, Franklin, TN, $1,077.00, *70-70-74-214 -2
28. Jonathan Fricke, Covington, GA, $1,077.00, *74-66-74-214 -2
33. Frank Adams III, Laurinburg, NC, $996.67, *71-70-74-215 -1
33. John McAllister, Spartanburg, SC, $996.67, *71-69-75-215 -1
33. Jake Lowder, Greensboro, NC, $996.67, *70-68-77-215 -1
36. Michael Maness, Galivants Ferry, SC, $925.00, *72-70-74-216 E
36. Brian Duncan, Greenville, SC, $925.00, *70-71-75-216 E
36. Reid Edstrom, Auburn, AL, $925.00, *69-72-75-216 E
39. Kenny Coakley, Bluffton, SC, $862.50, *70-72-75-217 +1
39. Jonathan Hill, Greenville, NC, $862.50, *74-67-76-217 +1
41. Kevin Taylor, Mocksville, NC, $825.00, *69-70-79-218 +2
42. Stephen Woodard, Charlotte, NC, $800.00, *70-72-77-219 +3
43. Chris Barron, Ashland City, TN, $700.00, *72-69-79-220 +4
44. Ben Bockin, Avon, CO, $600.00, *73-69-80-222 +6
45. John Limanti, Jacksonville, FL, $500.00, *69-73-81-223 +7