Weekly golf notes: Augusta pro tops U.S. Open qualifier at Secession

Augusta's Chase Parker withstood an overnight suspension of play and early restart to fire a 6-under-par 66, heading the list of four players moving on from Secession Golf Club to keep their dreams alive of qualifying for next month’s U.S. Open at Oakmont.

Clemson’s Raymond Wooten (68) and Columbia’s Adam Hart (69) grabbed the next two berths, with Matthew Ryan of Huntersville, N.C., claiming the final berth in a three-hole playoff against Bluffton’s Ben Dietrich, a former IJGA student. Both playoff entrants carded 70s.

Dietrich fell to first alternate, awaiting a call if an opening frees up in sectional qualifying. Savannah’s Blaine Bunch claimed second alternate.

Sectional qualifying takes place at 10 U.S. venues on June 6, including sites in Jacksonville, Fla., and outside Atlanta. Last year, 22 players survived both local and sectional qualifying to earn a book their spots in the Open field at Chambers Bay.

LOWCOUNTRY SENIORS

Savannah’s Jack Hall turned in the best round on all three days of the Lowcountry Senior Invitational, cruising to a four-shot victory in Wednesday’s conclusion at Chechessee Creek Club.

Hall, a U.S. Senior Amateur quarterfinalist two years ago, used a Monday 72 at Old Tabby Links to jump in front. Rounds of 68 at Oldfield Club and 69 at Chechessee Creek followed, gradually extending his lead on North Carolina’s Pat Thompson.

Don Marsh, another Georgian, was a five-shot winner in the Super Senior division for entrants 65 and older. The Legends division for golfers 70 and up went to a playoff, where Bluffton’s Jon Verity outlasted Columbia’s Steve Pachol on the second extra hole.

HOLE-IN-ONE SHOOTOUT

The $1 million grand prize went unclaimed, but Hilton Head Island’s Kevin Arnold walked away with the next-best prize at last week’s Touchstone Energy Million Dollar Hole-in-One Shootout at Old South Golf Links.

Arnold’s winning shot settled 3 feet, 5  1/8 inches from the cup, earning a four-day, three-night vacation package in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. The next four places claimed rounds at area golf courses.

In all, some 250 Lowcountry golfers took more than 16,000 shots in their attempts to qualify for the $1 million final round. The event raised more than $13,800 for the Bright Ideas teacher grant program.

ACES & AGE-BEATERS

▪ Tom Horton carded a hole-in-one May 11 at the eighth hole at Bear Creek Golf Club, watching his 6-iron find the cup from 128 yards away. Witnesses were Mark Brown, Jen Farmer and Mitch Pennington.

▪ Stephen Whitney recorded a hole-in-one May 18 at the 10th hole of Moss Creek Golf Club’s North Course, wielding driver to hole out from 148 yards.

▪ Ron Discher posted a hole-in-one May 18 at the 14th hole of Argent Lakes Golf Course, using a 9-iron to find the cup from 118 yards out. Ray Renneberg served as witness.

This story was originally published May 25, 2016 at 9:33 PM with the headline "Weekly golf notes: Augusta pro tops U.S. Open qualifier at Secession."