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Peck Wins State Senior Amateur Championship
(Tyler, TX) – The 2013 season of the Texas Golf Association crowned their final individual state champions in dramatic fashion. Tyler’s Willow Brook Country Club provided the perfect backdrop for the State Senior Amateur Championship, which saw Mike Peck win the Senior division and Mike Arnold win the Super Senior division.
Peck, from Irving, began the day one stroke behind second round leader Tim Carlton. Peck got off to a hot start with birdies on the first two holes before bogeying the fifth and seventh holes. A pair of birdies to round out his opening nine allowed Peck to make the turn at 2-under par 34. Peck was able to register one more birdie and bogey on the closing nine for a final round score of 2-under par 69. His three round total of 4-under par 209 was good enough for a two stroke victory.
“To win a state event is really an honor and I am very proud of it” said Peck of his TGA championship. Peck closed out a memorable three-week run with his strong play in the US Mid-Amateur, Texas Mid-Amateur and the State Senior Amateur.
Finishing in a tie for second place at 2-under par 211 were Montgomery’s Tom McGraw and Bill Holstead, of Wichita Falls. Both players were able to finish their championship with a final round 1-under par 70.
Bob Kearney, of Houston, and Tyler’s Jimmy Wheeler rounded out the top five with a tie for fourth place at even-par 213.
The Super Senior division title came down to the wire between San Antonio’s Mike Arnold and Chip Stewart, of Dallas. Stewart entered the final round with a one stroke lead over Arnold and Gary Kirwan. It was the dramatic hole-out from the greenside bunker, Willow Brook CC’s ninth hole, which sealed the victory for Arnold.
Arnold, the 2007 State Senior Amateur champion, was able to roll in four birdies during the final round. With two bogeys as his only blemishes of the day, Arnold was able to turn in a 2-under par 69 and finish the three day championship alone at 2-over par 215.
“We really weren’t worried about them (anyone else in the field) because we were basically playing heads up” Arnold said when asked about sharing a cart with Stewart in the final pairing.
Stewart played steady golf which proved to be good enough for a solo second place finish at 3-over par 216. Rounding out the top three at 5-over par 218 was McAllen’s LD Clopton.
The Texas Golf Association would like to extend their appreciation to the staff and volunteers of Willow Brook CC for being gracious hosts for this year’s championship. The 2014 State Senior Amateur Championship will be conducted at Shady Oaks Country Club in Fort Worth.
