Around the Green

Lee Sandlin Wins North Senior Amateur at Texas Star

The 2013 North Senior Amateur presented by UST Mamiya
concluded on Wednesday at Texas Star Golf Course in Euless. The tough
conditions caused the starting field of 78 to dwindle considerably for the event
and a one-hole playoff was required to determine the eventual champion.               

Round 2 greeted players with temperatures that hung in the high
30’s for most of the day. Second round play got underway promptly at 8:00am under
strong winds and light rain.  Round 2 was
interrupted about half was through the day when play was suspended do to lightning
for an hour and a half.

Richard Waggoner started the day two shots out of the lead
but determined to make a run. Waggoner shot four over on each side of the
course and carded a 78, the low round of the day and was the early leader in
the clubhouse at 154. Playing immediately behind Waggoner was first round
leader Lee Sandlin. Sandlin started his round with five bogeys on the front
nine, and followed that with five more on his first eight holes on the back
nine. Suspecting that he needed to get at least a shot back on his last hole,
Sandlin went on to birdie the 18^th to tie Waggoner in the clubhouse
at 12-over, 154.  The two players headed
back to the 18^th tee for a sudden death playoff to determine the
champion. In the first and only hole of the playoff, Waggoner’s second shot
went slightly farther than he had hoped on the par five and rolled into the
water hazard crossing the fairway. After dropping, he hit his next shot behind
the hole about 20 feet away for par. Sandlin set himself up perfectly hitting
his third shot from the fairway to within five feet. After Waggoner’s missed
par putt, Sandlin easily two-putted for his par to become the 2013 North Senior
Amateur champion.

Michael Hastings, one of the four players tied for the lead
after round one, posted a solid round of 82 to pull away from the field in the Super Senior division.
Hastings total of 161 was three shots better than his playing partner, Paul
Nuckolls of Garland. Nuckolls began the round also tied for the lead and shot
85 in the second round to finish alone in second place at 164.

The TGA would like to thank Texas Star for playing a great
host, as well as north regional presenting sponsor UST Mamiya for their support
of amateur golf. Full results for the event can be found at www.txga.org.