Orangeburg golfer hopes magic extends to Senior Open
Since Walter Pitkin wrote that “Life Begins at Forty” in 1932, many others have attempted to solve the “life begins ...” puzzle. For Marion Dantzler, professional golfer from Orangeburg, he hopes the answer is somewhere between 51 and 52.
Dantzler, who soon will turn 52, will be in California this week to compete in the U.S. Senior Open with hopes of using the tournament for a springboard that leads to more events on the PGA’s Champions Tour. He has spent most of his professional life on mini-tours, and a good showing in the national tournament that starts Thursday could work wonders.
He illustrated the possibilities by Monday qualifying and earning a few bucks in the Champions Tour’s tournament in Cary, N.C., last year, and his performance in the recent U.S. Senior qualifier – a 2-under 70 at Berkeley Hall that led the field – provided more encouragement.
“With only two spots available (in the qualifier), you have to play well, and I did,” Dantzler said. “Making the Senior Open is exciting; people have taken notice, and the way I played gave me a ton of confidence.”
Yet, he says he headed to Del Paso Country Club in Sacramento, Calif. “with not a lot of expectations.” Rather, he said, “Let’s see what happens.”
He understands the competition will be stiff. The entry list includes a who’s who among senior golfers in the world – Fred Couples, Colin Montgomerie, Kenny Perry, Jay Haas, Miguel Angel Jimenez and Bernhard Langer.
“It’s really neat to get into a Champions event,” Dantzler said. “It’s like an old-time get-together for me. I know 15-to-20 of the regulars; I played with them or got to know them when I lived in Orlando.
“In the Champions tournament in North Carolina last year, I ran into Gene Sauers. I went to school with him (at Georgia Southern). I saw Brad (Faxon). Gary Hallberg played in the Palmetto (at Orangeburg Country Club) years ago, and I knew him from then. I was paired with Kenny Perry on Saturday, and I enjoyed that. It’s great to see them again.”
He looked at this week and said, “It goes without saying that the competition will be at a high level. You can see that watching the tournaments on television, and I saw first-hand in the (Champions) tournament I play in last year.”
Every tournament is different, and this could be the one that changes his professional life. His name is on the exclusive – and small – list of players who have won both the Carolinas Amateur and the South Carolina Amateur, and his most memorable pro win came over Gary Nicklaus at Pinehurst with Jack Nicklaus watching.
Dantzler laughed at the memories and said, “I played on the Hooters Tour forever.” But he cut back on his playing and travel after the death of his father about five years ago. He moved back to Orangeburg, teaches a bit and plays occasionally on the Sunbelt Senior Professional tour, winning a 2014 tournament “against some guys who had won PGA Tour events.”
Now, he’s playing some of the best golf of his life, and opportunity is knocking. Maybe his professional life begins this week.
Chip shots Jack Parrott (Columbia) and Christian Baliker (Simpsonville) earned places in the U.S. Junior Amateur in qualifying at Santee National. Both posted two-round scores of 140 to advance to the national tournament scheduled for late July at Colleton River Plantation in Bluffton. Christian Salzer (Sumter) is first alternate and Logan Sowell (Kershaw) is second alternate. Another 36-hole qualifier is set for June 29 at Berkeley Hall in Bluffton. ... The South Carolina Festival of Flowers tournament will be played next Saturday and Sunday at the Patriots GC at Grand Harbor in Ninety Six. Competition is open to male amateurs age 15 and over, and all handicaps are welcome. Call director of golf Craig Malone at (864) 543-2000 for more information. ... Lea Venable (Simpsonville) ended the five-year-rein of Dawn Woodard (Greer) by capturing the WSCGA Match-Play champion with a 4 and 3 victory at Carolina CC in Spartanburg.