Summer of success still for Simmons
Rob Simmons credits a lesson he received a little more than a month ago for a recent solid stretch of golf.
Golf instructor Shane LeBaron convinced Simmons to play a fade, and the amateur's outlook has been different since.
His latest success story was a win Sunday at the Beaufort City Championship on Fripp Island's Ocean Creek course. Simmons closed with a 3-under 68 to win by two over Bluffton's J.D. Hoft.
Simmons, a Beaufort resident, finished with a two-day total of 138.
The victory was Simmons' second since the lesson. He won the Hilton Head Amateur last month at Bear Creek Golf Club and finished tied for second at the Hilton Head Open at Hampton Hall Club.
Simmons says his misses are smaller since embracing the cut and that he has eliminated the big numbers.
"You're going to make bogeys," Simmons said. "But if you don't make double or triple, you're going to have a chance to win."
Lady's Island Country Club's Denton Moore finished as low professional, with a two-day total of 148. Defending champion Char Cormier, Fripp Island's director of golf, finished at 155.
Simmons' victory was secure when his closest competitors succumbed to the big numbers. Terry Lanning made birdie on four of his first five holes Sunday to grab a two-shot lead. But he faded to a 76 and finished nine shots behind.
Hoft played his final 10 holes 6-under par, but it wasn't enough to offset a poor start.
"It was a good run," Hoft said. "But he played solid all day. He's a good player."
Simmons, who played golf for the University of North Carolina, competed in the Beaufort City Championship the past three years without much success. He said he couldn't solve the opening round at the links-style Ocean Point, where one bad hole can doom your round.
He approached this year with a plan, to stay around par the first day and attack the tamer Creek layout. His more consistent misses helped him execute, he said.
"I'm not hitting any bad shots," Simmons said. "Which is pretty important on this course and the other one, because they're so tight."
A new father and sales professional in his family's irrigation business who travels often for work, Simmons said he tries to squeeze in practice when he can. The next test for Simmons' new outlook will be today at Callawassie Island, where he will try to qualify for the U.S. Mid Amateur Championship.
"We'll see if I can keep it going," he said.
Beaufort City Championship
Sunday's scores, at Fripp Island Club, Ocean Creek Course
Final Round
Rob Simmons 70-68-- 138
J.D. Hoft 70-70-- 140
Jeff Abrams 75-70-- 145
Belton McCarty 77-69-- 146
Patrick Mitchell 75-71-- 146
Terry Lanning 71-76-- 147
Bruce Kline 74-74-- 148
Denton Moore 76-72-- 148
Jamie Manning 76-72-- 148
Randy Glover 74-75-- 149
Jeff Pinckney 77-74-- 151
Dave Cunningham 78-74-- 152
Russ Fickes 78-74-- 152
Josh Fickes 72-80-- 152
Dan McCormick 77-75-- 152
Larry Mathias 77-77-- 154
Austin Shlosser 74-80-- 154
Char Cormier 79-76-- 155
Gibby Young 80-75-- 155
Mike Marusha 77-79-- 156
Phil Kelly 74-82-- 156
Shannon Boyles 82-74-- 156
Marcus Byler 82-74-- 156
Gavin Lindstrom 80-76-- 156
Bobby Gecy 83-73-- 156
Benji Gecy 76-81-- 157
John Adams 78-80-- 158
Dennis Robinson 78-81-- 159
John Reaves 74-86-- 160
Reed Weatherford 78-82-- 160
Todd Stone 86-74-- 160
Dan Bostick 77-85-- 162
Jason Carson 80-82-- 162
Paul Hummer 83-79-- 162
Tim Cope 81-84-- 165
Tom Westlake 82-83-- 165
Don Johnson 80-87-- 167
Lewis Turner 86-81-- 167
Rick Thrasher 80
Dave Zanone 87-83-- 170
Cooper 84-86-- 170
Eddie Andrews 91-79-- 170
Frank Porter 91-80-- 171
Cave 87-86-- 173
Jeff Selvey 87-86-- 173
Cody Smalls 94-79-- 173
Todd Taylor 88-85-- 173
Brian Gecy 93-81-- 174
Jimmy Boozer 93-86-- 179
Rich Snow 88-91-- 179
Craig Ehde 96-84-- 180
Mike Burke 95-88--183
Katz Fujino 87-WD
Jerry Ross 91-WD
Charlie Sheftall 100-WD
This story was originally published August 29, 2011 at 12:42 AM with the headline "Summer of success still for Simmons."