By Bob Sutton
Special to The Alamance News
Elon University golfer Garrett Risner won the Carolinas Amateur earlier this month.
By winning, the rising senior has an exemption into the U.S. Amateur next month in Minnesota.
Risner, from Holly Springs, posted scores of 69, 69, 67, and 72 for 11-under-par at the Cliffs at Mountain Park in Marietta, South Carolina.
Elon teammate Jack Wieler of Bluffton, South Carolina, and Colin Salema of Matthews tied for second at 10 under. Wieler led by two shots entering the final round. Elon golfers Matthew Doyle of Summerville, South Carolina, and Bronson Myers of Columbia, South Carolina, were tied for sixth (6 under) and in 16th (1 under), respectively.
A couple of area golfers missed the cut among the field of 137 entrants. Eastern Alamance alum Caden Baker of Mebane at 15 over (73, 86) and Alamance Chirstian School golfer Holden Yakola of Mebane at 20 over (82, 82) didn’t advance to the final two rounds.
Yakola made the tournament field based on a 4-under 68 at Gates Four Country Club in Fayetteville, tying for second place in the qualifier earlier this month.
Father-son events
Numerous pairs of golfers from Alamance County competed in several Carolinas Golf Association family tournaments last Friday in the Pinehurst area.
In the Carolinas father-son at Longleaf Golf & Family Club, Mebane’s Scott Yakola and Holden Yakola tied for 49th place in the at 7-over 79. They were in the main amateur division.
There were other classifications. Here’s an overview:
- In Flight G at the Country Club of Whispering Pines’ River Course, the team of Graham’s Mike Shoffner and Whitsett’s Chase Shoffner were tied for 11th at 8-over 79.
- In the Flight J at Legacy Golf Links, Mebane’s Al Austin and Raleigh’s Kyle Austin checked in at 12-over 84 for 11th-place tie
- In Flight K at Mid Pines Inn & Golf Club, the Burlington entry of Chad Danforth and Parker Danforth were seventh at 21-over 93.
- In the super senior division at Pinewild Country Club’s Holly course, Apex’s John Straub and Elon’s Warren Straub tied for fifth place at 2-under 70. One stroke back in a six-way tie for seventh place were Burlington’s Dick Hogan and Charlotte’s Brian Hogan.
Then at even-par 72, the pairing of Mount Olive’s Donald Hill and Burlington’s Don Hill were among eight teams tied for 13th place. The Hills were the Flight C runners-up within the super senior division.
- In super senior Flight E at Legacy Golf Links, Greensboro’s Bryan Valentine and Burlington’s Jim Valentine were 13th at 16-over 88. The entry of Elon’s Clifton Fogleman and Vaughn Fogleman came in 15th at 26 over.
- In the parent-child open (pro-am) class at Mid Pines Inn & Golf Club, Mebane’s Avery Chunn and Rural Hall’s Randy Chunn were 12th at 3-over 75.
Other tournaments …
• In June’s Carolinas Senior Women’s Four-Ball Championship Graham’s Lisa Mooneyham and Cornelius’ Kathy Binkley combined to tie for seventh place at 1-over 145 (76, 69) at Carolina Lakes Golf Club in Indian Head, South Carolina.
• In June’s North Carolina Junior Girls’ Championship, Laura Allen of Graham tied for 25th at 47-over 263 (89, 86, 88) at Brook Valley Country Club in Greenville.
