...Carolina Golf News Line                          Anderson Creek Golf Hole

Gealy Heats Up on Back Nine to Capture the Southern Open Championship

CONCORD, N.C. -- Elliot Gealy of Salisbury poured in four birdies on the back nine and parred the final hole after hitting into a fairway bunker to capture the $15,000 first-place prize in the 2005 Southern Open.


Gealy strung together rounds of 67, 68 and 69 for a 12-under total of 204 in the first edition of the Southern Open, played at Cabarrus Country Club and Kannapolis Country Club.


In the final round at Cabarrus, Gealy navigated between the four-inch-high rough with back-nine birdies on holes 10, 11, 14 and 16. During the process, he outlasted playing partners Charles Frost of St. Simons Island, Ga., and Raleigh's Justin Walters, who both finished a shot back.
 "My wedges were good this week for the first time all year," said Gealy, who's struggled after leading the Hooters Tour in earnings in 2004.

 "It's just fun to be in contention again. I enjoy the pressure and trying to hit shots under pressure. And the course conditions were wonderful. It was nice to play a course with high rough the way golf was meant to be played."

Frost and Gealy were tied at 12 under after Gealy's six-foot birdie on No. 16, but Frost's errant tee shot on the par-5 18th led to a bogey, dropping him one shot back. The former Emory standout finished at 11-under 205 along with Walters and Karl Mitchell of nearby Rockwell. Walters and Mitchell both shot final-round 69s, and all three earned $5,216.66.

Frost and Gealy were tied at 12 under after Gealy's six-foot birdie on No. 16, but Frost's errant tee shot on the par-5 18th led to a bogey, dropping him one shot back. The former Emory standout finished at 11-under 205 along with Walters and Karl Mitchell of nearby Rockwell. Walters and Mitchell both shot final-round 69s, and all three earned $5,216.66.
Brian Joyce of Wilson closed with an impressive 68 to vault into fifth place at 206 and take home $2,750, while Ryan Gioffre of Greensboro shot 69 to finish sixth at 207 and win $2,250.
The low amateur was 20-year-old David Helms of Concord. Helms, a member at Cabarrus Country Club, credited his home course advantage for helping him shoot 71-74-77--222 to win the $750 gift certificate for the amateur champion. Second place in the amateur division went to fellow Cabarrus Country Club member Thomas Cone of Concord at 229, while Wingate University golfer Lorcan Morris of Monroe was third at 230.
Tournament organizers drew a field of 201 participants for the inaugural Southern Open, making it one of the largest individual professional stroke play tournaments in the Carolinas.
"I really thought it was run well," said Gealy, who played collegiately at Clemson. "It's been awhile since I've played a two-course tournament and I enjoyed the format." 
2005 Southern Open
Final Results*
Cabarrus Country Club
Par 72 -- 6,924 Yards
Kannapolis Country Club
Par 72 -- 6,847 Yards
Professionals
Elliot Gealy, Salisbury, $15,000 67-68-69--204
Charles Frost, St. Simons Island, Ga., $5,216.66 67-68-70--205
Justin Walters, Raleigh, $5,216.66 71-65-69--205
Karl Mitchell, Rockwell, $5,216.66 69-67-69--205
Brian Joyce, Wilson, $2,750 67-71-68--206
Ryan Gioffre, Greensboro, $2,250 68-70-69--207
David Sanchez, Pinehurst, $1,875 70-68-70--208
Bryan Conway, Clearwater, Fla., $1,875 67-69-72--208
Braxton Wynns, Buies Creek, $1,287.50 72-70-67--209
Jared Garrity, Hamilton, Ga., $1,287.50 69-71-69--209
Dooz Forshey, Montgomery, Ala., $1,287.50 70-72-67--209
Jay McLuen, Mt. Pleasant, S.C., $1,287.50 69-70-70--209
Rob Butler, Camden, S.C., $955 69-72-69--210
Terry Mauney, Charlotte, $955 71-70-69--210
Matt Cannon, Huntersville, $955 67-73-70--210
Steve Gilley, Newnan, Ga., $955 71-71-68--210
Andrew Pratt, Bartlett, Tenn., $955 70-70-70--210
Ben Duncan, Greenville, S.C., $955 67-72-71--210
Brian Farrer, Mt. Berry, Ga., $955 71-68-71--210
Andy Crain, Goldsboro, $955 74-69-67--210
Dave Hill, Albany, Ga., $955 71-67-72--210
Rich Mudd, Kiawah, S.C., $955 70-68-72--210
John Luddy, Belmont, $775 68-72-71--211
Ryan Healy, Wilmington, $673.33 72-68-72--212
Brent Delahoussaye, Greenville, S.C., $673.33 72-68-72--212
Brian Quackenbush, Fairfax, Va., $673.33 71-69-72--212
Jason Martin, Lenoir, $673.33 70-72-70--212
Ben St. John, England, $673.33 71-71-70--212
Kyle Bradley, N. Augusta, S.C., $673.33 70-69-73--212
Garth Mulroy, Raleigh, $673.33 69-74-69--212
Jay Mills, Naples, Fla., $673.33 69-70-73--212
Matt Johnson, Fairfax, Va., $673.33 66-72-74--212
Korky Kemp, Greensboro, $595 71-70-72--213
Frank Adams III, Laurinburg, $595 70-70-73--213 
Cortney Brisson, Wilmington, $595 71-69-73--213
Uly Grisette, Raleigh, $595 67-73-73--213
Rick Morton, Jacksonville, N.C., $595 68-72-73--213
Aaron Black, Aiken, S.C., $595 69-74-70--213
David Seawell, Columbia, $555 73-69-72--214
Kevin Taylor, Mocksville, $555 71-71-72--214
Mike Walls, Winston-Salem, $520 73-68-74--215
Erik Herberth, Cornelius, $520 72-70-73--215
Derek Watson, Murrells Inlet, S.C., $520 70-73-72--215
Michael Swiger, Raleigh, $520 74-69-72--215 
Jordan Dempsey, Jacksonville, Fla., $520 70-73-72--215
Scott Volpitto, Jupiter, Fla., $470 71-70-75--216
Stewart Moore, Charlotte, $470 68-73-75--216
Fernando Mechereffe, Charlotte, $470 65-76-75--216
Yohann Benson, Pincourt, Quebec, $470 70-72-74--216
Scott Smith, Charlotte, $470 69-73-74--216
Kyle Owen, Atlanta, $470 73-70-73--216
Hank Smith, St. Simons Island, Ga., $470 69-70-77--216
Robbie Craft, Vinton, Va., $470 70-68-78--216
David Siegel, Charlotte, $470 70-68-78--216
Amateurs
David Helms, Concord 71-74-77--222
Thomas Cone, Concord 70-75-84--229
Lorcan Morris, Monroe 78-75-77--230
Josh Williams, Martinsville, Va. 74-78-79--231
John Dyer, Concord 82-74-76--232
Robert Smith, Charlotte 81-75-80--236
Brian Howie, Charlotte 74-84-79--237
Todd Deeds, Ft. Mill, S.C. 77-75-87--239
* -- final round at Cabarrus Country Club
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