May 18th, 2012
By Mike Blum
For the second straight year, Sonny Skinner and Craig Stevens finished 1-2 in the Yamaha Georgia Senior Open at Newnan Country Club.
But the similarities between last year’s tournament and the one played recently pretty much end there.
Last year, Stevens romped to an 8-stroke victory after trailing late on the front nine.
This time, Skinner and Stevens engaged in a tight 18-hole duel that was not decided until Skinner broke a tie with a birdie on the final hole.
Skinner, who shared the lead after an opening round 67, followed with a 69 for a 36-hole total of 8-under 136. Stevens posted scores of 68 and 69 for a 137 total and his third runner-up finish in the three Georgia PGA events in which he has competed this year.
The final round was more than just a two-player battle. Stephen Keppler, like Skinner and Stevens a relatively new member of the senior set, shot the low round of the tournament – a 6-under 66 – in the second round to make a strong run at the lead. But came up just short when his birdie attempt failed at the final hole. Keppler was 3rd at 138.
Amateur Don Marsh, who shared the first round lead with Skinner and played in the final pairing the second day, finished 4that 139, remaining in contention until the final hole. He earned low amateur honors by three strokes.
Skinner and Stevens have been frequent practice round partners and tournament competitors in recent years, particularly last year when both were trying to play their way into Champions Tour events.
Stevens, an instructor at Brookstone CC, has largely abandoned that quest – at least for this year – while Skinner continues his efforts to compete against golf’s best players over the age of 50 following a strong showing in the finals of Champions Tour qualifying last year.
“We’ve played so much golf together,” Skinner said after his victory. “We traveled and played practice rounds together all over the country. Our games match up pretty good. We’re both pretty steady.
“You like beating your buddies, but at the same time it’s different competing against a good friend.”
The tournament served as a tune-up for both players, who will compete in the Senior PGA Championship in Michigan, scheduled for May 24-27. Skinner, who plays out of Albany’s River Pointe GC, was the low finisher among the country’s club professionals in last year’s event, but his status on the Champions Tour this year has increased his playing opportunities.
The Senior PGA Championship will be Skinner’s fourth start in seven full field events on the Champions Tour this year, with Skinner getting into two off his status from Q school and once as a Monday qualifier. He played respectably in two of his first three starts, finishing around 30th in the Mississippi Gulf Resort Classic and in Houston.
“I haven’t played as well as I think I can play,” Skinner said of his Champions Tour efforts so far this season. “It’s tough getting in tournaments at the last minute.”
Skinner says it’s equally difficult trying to make it through Monday qualifiers, where he is just 1-for-5 so far in 2012.
“You have to shoot 68 or better, but it seems like the guys who shoot low scores in the Monday qualifiers don’t play as well in the tournament.”
Skinner played well both days at Newnan CC, carding seven birdies in the opening round when he enjoyed an outstanding day on Newnan’s excellent greens. He holed a pair of putts he estimated at 40 and 60 feet and needed only 26 putts on the day.
He did not putt quite as well the next day, holing three birdie putts in the 10-to-15-foot range but also missing even more opportunities of that length and shorter. Two of Skinner’s four birdies came on the first four holes of the second round, as he moved out to an early lead that he at least held a share of the rest of the day.
Stevens pulled into a tie for the lead with back-to-back birdies at 8 and 9, with the latter hole exemplifying the biggest difference between the two players. Skinner hit his approach shot on the ninth inside five feet, while Stevens faced a considerably longer birdie putt.
“Craig has the upper hand chipping and putting,” said Skinner, who missed his short birdie try after Stevens made his. “I didn’t putt that well today. My 69 could have been a 64 without much effort.”
The difference between the two was one costly slip by Stevens, who did not take his time over a par putt of less than two feet on the 13th and missed it.
That dropped Stevens two behind Skinner, who had reclaimed the outright lead when he holed a nice birdie putt at the 10th. But Stevens pulled even with birdies at 14 and 16. He used his short game touch to birdie the long par-5 14th, and tied Skinner after both hit it close at 16, but Skinner missed his birdie putt.
Both players came up just short of the green in two on the par-5 18th, but Skinner’s low pitch and run left him with a short birdie putt, while Stevens’ pitch came up well short. After Stevens missed, Skinner holed his for the win.
Skinner, who frequently displays his frustration on the greens after missing relatively short putts, said he was able “to keep a good attitude” throughout the final round despite failing to capitalize on several birdie opportunities.
“Instead of getting down, I had a positive-ness today. That helped.”
Skinner has been among the top players in the Georgia PGA since he quit competing as a full time tour player in 2005. He was the Section’s Player of the Year in 2006, but the ’06 Match Play title and the 2009 Georgia PGA Championship are his only victories in Section events.
During his career as a tour player, Skinner played four years on the PGA Tour and 11 on the Nationwide Tour, winning twice on the latter.
Marsh held steady all day, but managed just two birdies, the first coming on the sixth that briefly pulled him even with Skinner.
Keppler, the Director of Golf at Marietta CC, made a move with consecutive birdies at 5, 6 and 7, but was unable to birdie either of the par 5s on the front nine, including the short and inviting eighth. Three more birdies in a 4-hole stretch on the back nine pulled him within one of Skinner’s lead, but he parred the last four holes, including the 18th after almost reaching the green in two.
Taking 5th at 140 was Chick Berry, who shot a second round 68 after beginning the day with a double bogey and bogey on the first two holes. He played his last 15 holes in 7-under.
Russ Davis, the Director of Instruction at Cherokee Town & CC, was 6th at 141, with Ansley GC Director of Golf Phil Tayloramong three players tying for 7th at 142. Also shooting 142 were amateurs Mel Mendenhall and John Cochran. Mendenhall was in a tight battle with Stevens midway through the final round last year before falling out of contention, but rebounded with a solid 36-hole showing.
Amateur Bob Royak, a former Atlanta Open champion, was 10th at 143.