...Carolina Golf News Line

“TARHEEL TOUR NICE GUY CLAIMS FIRST TITLE”   

LEXINGTON, N.C. – In professional golf, every major tour has a player who marches to the beat of their own drummer. Sometimes, the player is seen as a rebel. Other times, the player morphs into a fan favorite. The latter is certainly the case this week on the Tarheel Tour as Kevin Taylor of Mocksville, NC collected his first tour win with a final round 65 and a three-day total of 197.

            Taylor, who is easily recognized as the pro with a ponytail, entered the final round tied for the lead with “Big Break” star Tommy Gainey. Taylor, who came close to tasting victory at last year’s Anderson Creek Open, came out of the gates swinging with birdies on four of his first six holes. Gainey would birdie the par-5 1^st hole and bogey the short 6^th, leaving him four behind Taylor after the first six, and on the outside looking in. “KT” had built up too much of a lead for Gainey to overcome and he would eventually finish in second place, four shots behind the winner.
            “I just tried to play shot by shot after my quick start. I know Tommy can make a lot of birdies so I knew no lead was safe,” said Taylor before heading back to his job as the head pro of Tanglewood Park’s par-3 course.
            Taylor credited his playing partners with making the round more enjoyable than nerve racking.
            “Tommy and Brian (Quackenbush) are easy guys to play with, so it really felt like a normal round of golf, not a final group pairing."
           Taylor and his wife welcomed their first child into the world last September. The $12,000 payday should go towards the purchase of plenty of diapers.
            “Yeah, I was down to my last $100 in the checking account, so this helps more than you could imagine.”
            The win will certainly be a popular one among the Tarheel Tour regulars. “KT” is known as the easygoing guy who is always willing to offer advice or a kind word. He is especially known for reminding other players how much better they are than him. That argument won’t hold much weight anymore.
            Ryan Gioffre, Steve Marino, Jack Ferguson, and Brian Quackenbush all tied for third at 10-under par 203. Joe Katter of Jasper, GA and Neil Maurer of Ocean City, MD wound up tied for seventh at 204.
            The tour would like to thank Head Pro Jeff Biggers and his staff for all of their help this week. A special thanks also goes to Keith McKenzie and his respective staff for their work in presenting such a well-conditioned golf course.
            The Tarheel Tour will take a week off before heading up to Durham, NC and Treyburn Country Club for the Treyburn Open on May 23-25.

            For more information, visit www.tarheeltour.com.

 Tarheel Professional Tour
Sapona Classic
Final Round Results
Sapona Country Club
Par 71 – 6,398 yards 

Kevin Taylor, Mocksville, NC           $12,000                      65-67-65=197

Tommy Gainey, Bishopville, SC             $7,000                         64-68-69=201

Ryan Gioffre, Greensboro, NC              $3,562.50                    68-69-66=203

Steve Marino, Fairfax, VA                     $3,562.50                    67-70-66=203

Jack Ferguson, High Point, NC             $3,562.50                    67-68-68=203

Brian Quackenbush, Fairfax, VA            $3,562.50                    66-68-69=203

Joe Katter, Jasper, GA                           $2,125                         70-66-68=204

Neil Maurer, Ocean City, MD                $2,125                         67-68-69=204

Andy Bare, Jacksonville, FL                   $1,766.67                    70-69-68=207

Charles Frost, Sea Island, GA                $1,766.67                    74-64-69=207

Chris Mundorf, Greensboro, NC            $1,766.67                    69-68-70=207

Mark Baggarly, W. Palm Beach, FL        $1,350                         68-70-68=206

David Siegel, Matthews, NC                    $1,350                         69-70-69=208

Jason Martin, Lenior, NC                         $1,350                         67-70-71=208

Chad Wilfong, Thomasville, NC               $1,350                         66-70-72=208

Brent Delahoussaye, Greer, SC                $1,125                         70-68-71=209

Ben Case, England                                   $1,125                         72-65-72=209

Jonathan Jenkins, Jonesboro, GA             $950                            72-68-70=210

Stan Gann, Kathleen, GA                         $950                            67-73-70=210

Jason Harris, Clemmons, NC                    $950                            69-71-70=210

Walter Hall, Winston-Salem, NC               $950                            70-69-71=210

Mayson Petty, Tuscaloosa, AL                   $950                            67-70-73=210

David Sanchez, Pinehurst, NC                    $760                            68-71-72=211

Javier Sanchez, Mexico                              $760                            68-71-72=211

Gregg Jones, Florence, SC                         $760                            72-67-72=211

Jared Garrity, Charlotte, NC                      $648.33                      72-69-71=212

Derek Lamely, Fort Myers, FL                   $648.33                      65-75-72=212

Adam Rushin, Hilton Head Isl., SC             $648.33                      66-74-72=212

Karl Mitchell, Rockwell, NC                       $617.50                      74-67-72=213

David Seawell, Columbia, SC                     $617.50                      73-67-73=213

Mitch Adams, Cary, NC                            $600                            71-70-73=214

Alex Hamilton, Aiken, SC                           $600                            74-67-73=214

Erik Herberth, Cornelius, NC                      $600                            69-72-73=214

Tommy Schaff, Savannah, GA                     $600                            68-71-75=214

Karl Diewock, Fayetteville, GA                   $580                            73-68-75=216

Steve Thomas, Lake City, FL                      $570                            72-69-77=218