...Carolina Golf News Line

McLUEN CLAIMS TITLE IN PLAYOFF WIN!

    MARSHVILLE, N.C. –  Jay McLuen of Charleston, SC referred to his play in the final round of the Eagle Chase Classic as somewhat “ugly”, but at the end of the day, “ugly” was good enough to get his name on a winner’s check worth $11,000.

            McLuen battled for most of the day with fellow competitor and second round co-leader Jonathan Hill of Greenville, NC. Neither player began their round in a fashion they dreamed of the night before. While standard golf tends to reward steady play, the tour was using the Stableford scoring system this week. Players record points on each hole – a format used by the PGA Tour at The International and loved by birdie makers everywhere. McLuen came out slow with pars on his first six holes while Hill managed to record only three points in that same span thanks to a double-bogey at the devilish par-3 3^rd.

            “We went back and forth all day but it was pretty ugly out there,” McLuen said, clearly elated after notching his first win on the Tarheel Tour.

            Both players would continue to trade shots for much of the back nine before coming to the reachable par-5 18^th.  McLuen and Hill each made birdie and would find themselves heading to extra holes to determine the winner.

            On the first playoff hole, the 18^th again, McLuen was able to barely out drive Hill and watched as his opponent put his second shot in the greenside bunker. From there, McLuen hit his approach to the middle of the green and left himself 20 feet for eagle.

            “I lost the Georgia Open last week in a playoff when the other guy chipped in, so I was kind of wondering if something like that might happen two weeks in a row.”           

            Luckily for the former College of Charleston golfer, Hill was unable to convert the up and down, leaving McLuen to simply two putt for the win.

            “This was my first time playing the Stableford scoring format. It seems to fit my game as I tend to make a lot of birdies but also some bogies here and there,” said McLuen.

            For his runner-up finish, Jonathan Hill was able to pocket $6,000, his largest Tarheel Tour check to date.

            Former Colgate University basketball star David Siegel recorded his best finish of the year with a solo third place finish. The Matthews, NC resident finished four points behind the playoff with a total of 29. Siegel never got on the birdie tear in the final round, making only three birdies against one bogey. His best chance to make a move came at the par-5 11^th where he had a ten foot eagle putt that just missed the hole. The five time Tarheel Tour winner is still looking for his first tour title since the 2004 season.

            Fourth place went to Tarheel Tour rookie John Eades of Charlotte. The former Maryland Terrapin’s round featured two eagles, but bogies at 13, 16, and 17 left him on the outside looking in.

            The tour would like to thank Head Golf Professional Wally Moore and his entire staff for their help and continued support of the Tarheel Tour. The tour would also like to thank Golf Course Superintendent Andy Foil and his staff for their work in preparing the golf course for play each day.

            The Tarheel Tour will move north to Kannapolis, NC next week for the Kannapolis Open at Kannapolis Country Club on August 22-24.

For more information, visit www.tarheeltour.com. 

Tarheel Professional Tour

Eagle Chase Classic

Final Round Results

Eagle Chase Golf Club

Par 72 – 6,667 yards

 Jay McLuen, Charleston, SC                   $11,000                                 33 points**

Jonathan Hill, Greenville, NC                    $6,000                                  33

David Siegel, Matthews, NC                       $5,000                                  29

John Eades, Charlotte, NC                          $3,750                                  28

Chris Mundorf, Greensboro, NC                $3,000                                  27

Frank Adams III, Laurinburg, NC                 $2,500                                  26

William McGirt, Spartanburg, SC               $2,000                                  25

Tim Pemberton, Charlottesville, VA           $2,000                                  25

Daniel Sloan, Greenville, SC                       $2,000                                  25

Matt Cannon, Huntersville, NC                   $1,600                                  24

Aaron Black, Australia                                  $1,241.67                            23

Jason Martin, Lenoir, NC                             $1,241.67                            23

Adam Rushin, England                                   $1,241.67                           23

Scott Brown, N. Augusta, SC                         $1,050                                22

Ben Case, England                                          $945                                    21

Scott Feaster, Columbia, SC                          $945                                    21

Richie Hunt, Elm City, NC                             $945                                   21

Brian Quackenbush, Fairfax, VA                    $945                                   21

Braxton Wynns, Clayton, NC                         $945                                   21

Brad Heaven, St. Simons Isl., GA                  $800                                   20

Andy Crain, Goldsboro, NC                           $708.33                             19

Jason Fober, Columbus, GA                           $708.33                             19

Shaun Norris, South Africa                            $708.33                              19

John McAllister, Spartanburg, SC                  $650                                  18

Tucker Evans, McDonough, GA                     $600                                  17

Jason Moon, Australia                                    $600                                  17

Chris Yoder, Winston-Salem, NC                 $600                                  17

Drew Nelson, Marietta, GA                            $550                                 15

Yohann Benson, Canada                                   $500                                14