OAK VALLEY GC

The Carolina Triad Amateur Players Tour returned to Oak Valley Golf Club on Sunday, November 8 in Advance, North Carolina, for one of the fall’s most competitive Triad amateur golf tournaments. A field of 40 players competed across five divisions, with two net games running alongside them, and players are flighted into divisions based on their APT Tournament Index.

Oak Valley is a semi-private club carved into old dairy farmland, a four-star layout whose spectacular white sand bunkering frames nearly every approach, with a full-service clubhouse, grill, event space, putting green and complete range on site. The closing stretch did the defending. The par-4 17th did not surrender a single birdie all day and played better than a shot and a half over par, and the par-5 18th gave up none either, playing more than a stroke over par for the field.

Division 1 came down to the last three holes. Ivan Jones of High Point, North Carolina posted a 2-over 74 for a one-shot win, turning in 1-over 37 and coming home in 1-over 37 with 14 pars on the card and a birdie at the par-4 9th. Bobby Lutz of Denver, North Carolina had the lead by one after six, was level after twelve and was a stroke clear again with three to play before Jones closed it out. Lutz signed for a 3-over 75 after an even-par 36 on the front, with birdies at the par-5 2nd, the par-4 9th and the par-5 15th. Alex Jackson of Monroe, North Carolina took third at 4-over 76 and owned the best turnaround in the division, going out in 5-over 41 and coming home in 1-under 35 with birdies at the 10th and the par-5 15th.

Juan Sedano of Kernersville went low early and often in Division 2, posting the low round of the day at 1-over 73 for a six-shot win. Sedano made five birdies, four of them before the turn, at the par-5 2nd, the par-4 5th and the par-3 8th on his way to a 3-under 33, then added more at the 12th and the par-5 15th. Mr. Showtime McMillan of King claimed runner-up honors, his lone birdie coming at the par-4 14th. Cuong Ton of Greensboro and Spurling Cook of Wake Forest shared third.

Division 3 belonged to Michael Hawkins, who had the shortest drive to the first tee of anyone in the field from nearby Advance and made it pay with a 5-over 77. Hawkins went out in 2-over 38 with a birdie at the par-4 5th, built his round on 12 pars, and played the last three holes in even par. He needed all of it: Allen Hagen of Indian Trail turned in 1-under 35 and led by two with three holes to play before Hawkins answered where it mattered most, Hagen signing for a 6-over 78. David Dick of Stokesdale finished third at 10-over 82.

Brian Hill of Archdale won Division 4 by a stroke at 18-over 90, birdieing the par-3 6th and the par-5 15th and retaking the lead over the closing stretch after Rocky Griggs of Winston-Salem had moved two clear through twelve. Toney Steele of Charlotte finished second, with Griggs third. Four players finished within five shots of the lead.

Division 5 was just as tight. Michael Haselrig of Rock Hill, South Carolina led wire to wire and held on for a one-shot win at 22-over 94, with Joe Hill of Charlotte second at 23-over 95 and Keiner Solis of Clemmons third at 24-over 96.

Dick made it a two-trophy day in the Mid-Am Net, his net 2-under 70 good for a three-stroke win over Jones, whose net 1-over 73 added a runner-up finish to his Division 1 title. Stephen Rhyne of Kernersville was third at net 4-over 76.

Sedano completed the double-dip in the Senior Net, his net 3-under 69 taking that title by two from Hagen’s net 1-under 71 — a second runner-up finish on the day for the Indian Trail player. Ton, Freddie Coffey of Taylorsville and Michael Fitzgerald of Kannapolis all signed for net 1-over 73 to share third and round out the money positions.

Next up in the Carolina Triad chapter — a trip to Forest Oaks CC on Sunday, November 22. Space is limited and registration closes November 15.