Rob Simmons wins 2nd straight Beaufort City Championship
According to Rob Simmons, the key to the Beaufort City Championship is really how well you know the golf courses -- Fripp Island's Ocean Point course and Sanctuary Golf Club at Cat Island.
He must know them pretty well.
Simmons shot an even-par 71 Sunday at Sanctuary to edge former Beaufort High standout Josh Fickes by two strokes and win his second straight title and his third in five years. He joins Beaufort's Mark Anderson, playing this week on the Web.com Tour, as the only three-time winners of the 18-year-old event.
He may know the courses well now, but that wasn't always the case.
"A couple years ago, I didn't know how to play Fripp," Simmons said. "I had to come up with a game plan to get me through the first day there. And I did it yesterday and I did it last year. It makes it easier coming here, knowing you played a pretty good round the day before.
"Once I figured out how to play Fripp, what shots to hit and not hit off the tee, you come here and it's not a birdie fest at this course. It's a little longer, a little firmer, a little harder."
Simmons thought even-par would be good enough to hold on to the lead Monday and took a conservative approach. He made par on every hole on the front nine.
But the weather and birdies on Nos. 6, 7 and 8 by Fickes put Simmons in a one-shot hole midway though the round. But Fickes couldn't hold that lead and back-to-back birdies on Nos. 11 and 12 put Simmons back out front to stay.
"He just didn't make any mistakes," Fickes said of Simmons. "I was looking for an opening late, but I struggled and he was good."
"Josh is a really good player," Simmons said. "He hit some really good shots. And I didn't do anything special. Mostly middle of the green, and I made several good up and downs. But nothing crazy good or crazy bad."
But it was good enough.
Despite the close loss, Fickes had fun on the weekend.
"This is the one tournament of the year you can just enjoy and see familiar faces and talk to guys you haven't seen in a while," the rising sophomore at Clemson said. "I played well on the front and for a few holes on the back and started to feel the pressure on the back side."
Simmons and Fickes played most of the back nine as a twosome. Bluffton's JD Hoft withdrew after suffering an injury on No. 11.
In the professional flight, Sanctuary's Reed Weatherford was the champion with a two-day total of 73-71--144.
John Garrison won the first flight with a score of 82-77--159. And Tim Stewart won the second flight with a score of 92-85--177.
John Franklin was the winner of the first senior flight with a score of 74-76--150. The second senior flight winner was Neilo Gifford with a score of 85-78--163.
For Simmons, next up is the Hilton Head Open to be held Saturday and Sunday at Port Royal Plantation's Robber's Row.
"That'll be exciting," he said. "I've never played that golf course."
Beaufort City Championship Scores
Sunday at Sanctuary Golf Club at Cat Island, Par 71
Saturday at Ocean Point Course at Fripp Island, Par 72
Championship Flight
Rob Simmons 68-71--139
Josh Fickes 69-72--141
Benji Gecy 71-76--147
Patrick Mitchell 75-75--150
Matt Campbell 77-73--150
James Emerson 73-80--153
Keaton Butler 82-72--154
Brian Gecy 77-79--156
Corey Johnson 78-86--164
JD Hoft 71-W/D
All-time Champions
1998: Mike Ingram
1999: Patrick Mitchell
2000: Mike Ingram
2001: Mark Anderson
2002: Gary Shimmin
2003: Jeff Pinckney
2004: Trey Testino
2005: Terry Lanning
2006: Char Cormier
2007: Christian Sherbert
2008: Mark Anderson
2009: Mark Anderson
2010: Char Cormier
2011: Rob Simmons
2012: JD Hoft
2013: Reed Weatherford
2014: Rob Simmons
2015: Rob Simmons
This story was originally published August 3, 2015 at 1:05 AM with the headline "Rob Simmons wins 2nd straight Beaufort City Championship."