Some ‘pretty amazing’ competition highlights Columbia City Golf Championship
Back and forth competition stirs the sports aficionado’s soul like little else, and last week’s Midlands Chevy Dealers Columbia City Golf Championship provided a generous dose.
By the time the final putt fell at The Spur at Northwoods, Jarrett Grimes had earned his second city amateur crown by one stroke, Walter Odirone had notched his third straight seniors title in a playoff and Jimmy Martin had claimed the super senior division with a final nine rally.
“Pretty amazing,” said tournament director Allen Knight.
Yes, it was, and there were sub-plots aplenty.
Let’s look.
▪ Jarrett Grimes: The 2016 champion did not know — by choice — he had a one-shot lead going to the final hole, and the tee that was moved 30 or so yards forward spooked him. “I didn’t know what to hit,” he said. Finally, he chose driver, and his tee ball came to rest dangerously close to out of bounds.
He survived, though, parring the 18th for three-round total of 1-under-par 215.
▪ John Obrien: He missed a birdie putt at the last that would have tied him with Grimes. “A six- or seven-footer,” he said. “I hit a good putt, just like the ones (that missed) on 14 and 17. If you hit a good putt, that’s all you can ask. It happens to the guys on TV and it happens to us, too.”
▪ Zach McLain: He believed a bogey on No. 17 left him needing eagle on the final hole to catch the leader. “I didn’t know Jarrett had dropped a shot, too,” he said. “If I had known I only needed birdie, I would never have hit the second shot I did. I tried to stiff it in there tight and pulled it left” to make par.
“I played a little loose the whole tournament,” he said. “I had a triple (bogey) on 18 in the second round and had two doubles (and seven birdies) in the last round” and finished one shot behind.
▪ Walter Odiorne: He began the final round four shots clear of Heung Kim and five ahead of Bob Edens. But his putter went sour and Edens charged. “I thought Bob had won,” he said. “We had a couple of holes with two-shot swings and the scoring got crazy.”
Odiorne three-putted No. 18 in the playoff, “just like I did on two of the final three holes” in regulation. They exchanged pars in playing 18 twice, then Edens’ approach on the third playoff hole, No. 17, found the water and Odiorne had his third title.
▪Jimmy Martin: Seeking his second straight super senior title, he began the final round with a one-shot lead over Bernie Shealy. At the turn, Shealy had moved in front by one, “but I played well over the final nine,” he said, and he won by five.
Martin also received the tournament’s Scott Hannon Memorial Sportsmanship award, a presentation “that got pretty emotional for me,” he said. “I know the Scott Hannon story and getting that award means a lot to me.”
The tournament also presented the David Bennett Service to Golf award to Joe Rice and The Spur at Northwoods. Rice’s firm bought the course, invested in badly needed improvements and, the citation read, “made The Spur Northwoods a special place again.”
Pro Greg McBride and his maintenance staff received accolades all around.
“They did an outstanding job,” Jimmy Martin said. Added long-time tournament chairman Bobby Foster: “You couldn’t ask for more in terms of conditioning or competition.”
Chip shots. Robert Lukowski (Simpsonville), the state’s 2018 player of the year, and Jack Parrott (Columbia/USC), the current points leader, will be among the players to beat the in the 88th South Carolina Amateur set Thursday-Sunday at Thornblade Club in Greer. . . . Former USC All-America Scott Stevens advanced to the U.S. Amateur in qualifying in Rocky Mount, N.C. . . . Mike Gravley (Greer) and Walter Todd (Laurens) earned spots in the U.S. Senior Amateur in qualifying at the CC of Lexington. . . . Victoria Huskey (Greenville/College of Charleston) won the CGA’s Carolina’s Women’s Match-Play title at Furman University GC. . . . The South Carolina squad defeated Georgia 10-6 in the 44th annual South Carolina-Georgia Junior Team Matches at the CC of Spartanburg.
This story was originally published July 27, 2019 at 12:19 PM.