Grimes battles through back pain to take Columbia City Golf Championship

Jarrett Grimes came close twice to withdrawing from the Midlands Chevy Dealers Columbia City Golf Championship to nurse an aching back. Instead, he earned his second city title Saturday at The Spur at Northwoods.

Doses of Aleve allowed him to get to the tee on time both Friday and Saturday, and he made an adventuresome par on the finishing hole to give himself a belated birthday present with one stroke to spare.

Grimes, who turned 47 on Tuesday, “didn’t know if I could go” a couple of hours before the second and third rounds. In the end, he shot an even-par 72 Saturday for a three-round total of 1-under 215.

He edged John Obrien and Zach McLain by a shot. Obrien and McLain shot final-round 70s to emerge from a packed leaderboard and present the champion’s strongest challenge.

Grimes needed a par on the closing hole, but he did not know the scores and took driver off the tee on Northwoods’ 520-yard 18th. The ball came to rest within a yard of an out-of-bounds stake.

“I got lucky,” he said.

The adventure did not end there. He laid up, hit the green with his third — and ran his 20-foot birdie attempt about six feet past the hole. “Thankfully, I made it,” he said.

Asked on the 17th hole if he wanted to know the scores, Grimes declined. In retrospect, he said, “If I had known, I would have taken a 4-iron off the tee on 18.”

Grimes and Robert Dargan shared the lead going into Saturday’s final round that began with eight players bunched within three strokes of the lead.

Obrien and McLain shot the only sub-par scores Saturday in the tournament’s top division and shared second place. David Dargan finished fourth at 218 and Robert Dargan placed fifth at 219.

Walter Ordiorne captured his third straight Senior division, but this championship did not come easily even though he began the final round with a four-stroke lead. His final 77 opened the door to challengers, and Bob Edens came from five back with a final 72 to forge a tie after 54 holes at 6-over 222.

In a sudden death playoff, Ordiorne secured the title on the third extra hole.

Jimmy Martin posted a final 70 to win his second straight Super Senior championship at 4-under-par 212. Bernie Shealy finished second, five strokes back.

In the Professional division completed Friday, Northwoods assistant Burke Cromer edged Mid-Carolina Club pro Rohan Allwood for the title.

The tournament presented the David Bennett Service to Golf award to Joe Rice and The Spur at Northwoods. A firm owned by Rice, a Charleston attorney, purchased the club in 2015 and invested in significant improvements. Jimmy Martin received the Scott Hannon Sportsmanship award.

Amateur Division

Senior Division

X—won sudden death playoff on third extra hole

Super Senior Division

Professional Division

This story was originally published July 20, 2019 at 5:01 PM.