2006 Southern Open
July 7 - July 9, 2006
Cabarrus Country Club
Kannapolis Country Club
The Southwest Cabarrus Rotary club is partnering with
the Tarheel Golf Tour, as volunteers for the 2nd Annual Southern Open. The
club members work as spotters, registration desk attendants, and general
helpers for the Tarheel Tour organizers. The Rotary club earned a donation,
from the 2005 Southern Open, of $4775.00. We hope to continue this
relationship with the Tarheel Tour, as the non-profit organization helping
with their labor needs.
Email the club president to
find out more.
TOUR FAVORITE WINS THE BIG ONE!
CONCORD, N.C. – A few weeks ago, Tarheel Tour professional Brian Quackenbush got the idea in his head to make yardage books at each venue for the tour players. He felt it would be a good way to familiarize himself with the host course as well as add a bit of money to his mini tour wallet. Well, Quackenbush just added $17,000 to his wallet with a victory in the 2nd annual Southern Open.
Quackenbush, a former University of Virginia standout, began the day two shots behind the lead held by Tommy Gainey and Kyle Bradley. He would quickly erase the overnight deficit with birdies on the first three holes at Cabarrus Country Club.
“After the first three holes I felt sure I was in the lead, and at that point the nerves began to kick in,” said the Fairfax, VA native.
Quackenbush would go on to shoot 32 on the front nine, a score that would solidify his lead and force him to rely on an old friend from his college days in Charlottesville.
“On the back nine, I used some breathing exercises I learned in college to calm myself down and keep me more in the moment.”
Quackenbush’s road to pro golf was certainly not the one traveled by many of today’s top players. He turned pro out of college in 1993 and quickly realized that a steady job might be a better route. So, he became a club pro and stayed that way until 2002 when he got his amateur status back and began to compete on a national level in amateur events. A win that year at the prestigious Northeast Amateur earned him a ranking of number two in the world among amateurs. More than that, it gave him the confidence to give the professional ranks one more shot.
The back nine would prove to be a test as Quackenbush was forced to get up and down on 16 and 17; two short par-4’s that any pro would hope to have a birdie putt on. He came to the par-5 18th with a one shot lead and a chance at mini tour stardom. The tour good guy played the hole strategically with three shots onto the green followed by a routine two putt for the win.
“Does this mean I’m a better player than I was last week? No. But it is a big relief to know that I can beat a top field after three and a half years of playing mini tours. It certainly makes the rest of the year a bit easier from a financial standpoint.”
Second place was split between Jeff Curl of Jupiter, FL and Scott Feaster of Columbia, SC. Curl put himself in position to capture his second Tarheel Tour win after a 32 on the front nine, but eight pars and a birdie on the back nine would leave him wondering what happened. Feaster’s round was the definition of hectic as the former USC Gamecock carded six birdies, four bogies, and an eagle over the demanding George Cobb layout.
Fourth place was shared by William McGirt of Spartanburg, SC, Kyle Bradley of North Augusta, SC, and Tommy “Two Gloves” Gainey of Bishopville, SC. All three players finished at 205, two shots back of Quackenbush.
In the amateur division, Andrew Younts of Stokedale, NC cruised to a two shot victory with a three day total of 217. Chad Frye of Charlotte, NC finished two shots back in second place with 219.
The Southern Open would never take place without the help of many people. First and foremost, the tour would like to thank the Cabarrus County Visitors Bureau and the Southwest Rotary for all of their help in launching this event. As with any pro tournament, support from the host professionals is essential. We could not have had two better Head Golf Professionals at our side than Ken Guilford of Cabarrus CC and Alan Cress of Kannapolis CC. Both pros and their respective staffs help to make this event what it is today. We feel fortunate to have two superb golf courses at which to host this great tournament. The conditioning this week was fantastic as always, and for that we would like to thank Tim Davis of Cabarrus CC and Artie Helton of Kannapolis CC for their tireless work in getting these courses ready for tournament play. Last but certainly not least, the Tarheel Tour would like to thank the most important people involved with the Southern Open: The members of both courses. We truly feel lucky to have access to both of these great venues on the weekend, and that would never happen without support from the memberships of Cabarrus and Kannapolis Country Clubs.
The Tarheel Tour will take next week off before moving to Salisbury, NC for the Salisbury Classic on July 18-20.
» Learn more about the Tarheel Tour.
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