The following report is courtesy of Graham Gilmore and Leah Davis of the Pine Needles and Mid Pines Golf Resort.
For a photo gallery from the 2014 Mid Pines event, please click here.
Southern Pines – A field of 94 competitors from 18 states as well at Toronto, Ontario, teed off Saturday, November 8th in the 11th Annual Mid Pines Hickory Open Championship at Mid Pines Inn & Golf Club in Southern Pines, North Carolina. This has become one of the most popular events using clubs primarily from the 1920’s and players dress in plus fours and ties. The event is played over the first weekend in November on the Donald Ross Designed layout, a course that is valued among one of the best in North Carolina.
The 2014 Mid Pines event also is the season opener in the 2014-15 Championship Series of the Society of Hickory Golfers. The other four events, played in 2015 include the Mountain Valley Hickory Open, the Southern 4-Ball Hickory Championship, the Belvedere Hickory Open, and the U.S. Hickory Open.
The following represent the results from the 2014 Mid Pines Hickory Open. The results and point totals of the SoHG-related event will be added shortly.
Rick Woeckener from Fredricksburg, Va., (pictured above) won the gold medal in the Donald Ross Division (Gross Division) with a score of 80-72-152. Mark Hollingsworth from West End, N.C. won the silver medal in a scorecard playoff with a score of 78-79-157 over Jeremy Moe from Fort Smith, Ark. who finished in third place winning the bronze medal with a score of 78-79-157.
Gary Briggs won the gold medal in the Julius Boros Division (Net Division) with a score of 70-69-139. Rich Schmidt finished second and won the silver medal with a score of 70-70-140 and Jonathan Hyman of Conway, S.C. finished in third place winning the bronze medal with a score of 75-66-141.
Tony Smarelli won the gold medal in the Skip Alexander Division (Gross Senior Division) with a score of 76-72-148. David Brown from Omaha, Neb. finished second and won the silver medal with a score of 84-78-162. Ken Holtz from Sun City West, Ariz. finished third and won the bronze medal with a score of 83-81-164.
Paul Dietz from Sarnia, Ontario won the gold medal in the Bobby Jones Division (Senior Net Division) with a score of 69-70-139. Bob Platt of Lynchburg, Va., finished second and won the silver medal with a score of 70-70-140. Ed Jackson from Oakville, Ontario, finished third and won the bronze medal with a score of 74-67-141.
Tad Moore from Selma, Ala., won the gold medal in the Old Tom Morris Division (Super-Senior Gross Division) with a score of 86-82-168. Rusty Wells of Pinehurst, N.C., finished second and won the silver medal with a score of 87-86-173.
Hampton Munsey from Greensboro, N.C., won the gold medal in the Walter Hagen Division (Super-Senior Net Division) with a score of 73-69-142. Wayne Aaron from San Antonio, Texas, finished second and won the silver medal with a score of 75-76-151.
Andrea Hodel from Southern Pines, N.C., won the gold medal in the Peggy Kirk Bell Division (Gross Ladies Division) with a score of 91-92-183. Barbara Kopec from Niceville, Fla., won the gold medal in the Peggy Kirk Bell Division (Net Ladies Division) with a score of 75-76-151.
Pine Needles hosted a Foursomes Competition on Friday, Nov. 8, 2014 for the Mid Pines Hickory Open Weekend. We had 10 teams compete using a true alternate stroke format played on the Pine Needles Golf Course. Jeff Smith and Jeremy Moe finished first in the Gross Division of the Foursomes Competition, and Andy Moye and Sherrill Norman came in second place. Mark Hollingsworth and Jim Rohr finished first in the Net Division, and David Ellis and Jim Clawson finished in second place.
The 12th Annual Mid Pines Hickory Open will be played on Nov. 6-8, 2015.