Half a point or less separates the top two teams in three of the eight flights at the Tega Cay Member Guest golf tournament heading into today’s final matches.
Teams played three nine hole matches Friday inside their own flights of six, with each match worth 10 points between the two sides. Two more matches remain today, Saturday, putting another 20 points in play before the flights are settled.
The closest race is in Flight 8, where Vince Louther and Clint Stephens are tied with Dave Kimpel and Blair Creedmore at 18 points, and Robert Kraft and Doug Hider sit 1.5 back at 16.5.
Flight 2 and Flight 4 are each decided by half a point so far. Andrew Zondervan and Lee Chatfield lead Flight 2 at 18.5 over Chris Hart and Steven Lorenzen at 18, with John van Vranken’s team another point back at 17. In Flight 4, Steve Young and Randy Hinsley hold 19.5 to the 19 posted by Paul Dustin and Caleb Dockery.
Flight 1 and Flight 7 are separated by a single point, and both have three teams within striking distance. Justin Sutton and Bobby LeFear lead Flight 1 at 17, with Jason Hnat and Tyler Forbes and Matthew Bowman and Robert Briggs both at 16. Jeff Roesler and Dave Klaus top Flight 7 at 17, with Thomas Foy and Jack Keefer and Joe Marcsik and Patrick Splane tied at 16 and John Shave and Scott Novak at 15.5.
The most comfortable margin belongs to Larry Elia and Ken Berko, who lead Flight 6 by 3.5 points at 20.5. Jeff Bridges and TJ Bridges carry a 2 point lead in Flight 3, and Chris Burns and Michael Frederich lead Flight 5 by 1.5 at 21, the highest total any team put up Friday.
Ten teams advance to the shootout that decides the championship. The eight flight winners take those spots, along with one runner up and one team drawn at random from the rest of the field.
The final two matches go off this morning at Tega Cay Golf Club, with the shootout to follow.
Day 1 flight leaders
Flight 1: Justin Sutton and Bobby LeFear, 17
Flight 2: Andrew Zondervan and Lee Chatfield, 18.5
Flight 3: Jeff Bridges and TJ Bridges, 19
Flight 4: Steve Young and Randy Hinsley, 19.5
Flight 5: Chris Burns and Michael Frederich, 21
Flight 6: Larry Elia and Ken Berko, 20.5
Flight 7: Jeff Roesler and Dave Klaus, 17
Flight 8: Vince Louther and Clint Stephens and Dave Kimpel and Blair Creedmore, tied at 18
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Thomas Hyslip lives in Tega Cay with his wife and daughter. After 27 years in the U.S. Army and Federal Law Enforcement, he retired to pursue his passion for teaching. Tom is now an Associate Professor of Instruction at the University of South Florida. In 2 short years he has won 10 awards from the South Carolina Press Association, including first place in column writing, education beat reporting and best podcast.
