“Neil doesn’t have a weakness, hits the ball down the middle and is the best senior golfer in the state.”
-- Richard Keene describing Neil Spitalny’s game after the latter won the Tennessee State Senior Amateur today at Lookout Mountain.
The Neil Spitalny Victory Tour continued this afternoon as the Chattanooga doctor continued his assault on local courses as his +4 215 was good enough to win the Tennessee State Senior Amateur at Lookout Mountain by one stroke over good friend and Chattanooga native Ricahrd Keene (72-69-74 = 215).
Other titles for Doc this year have been at Dalton (March), Signal Mountain (May), Cleveland (May) and the Choo Choo (July).
“I am definitely playing my best golf and now head to Nashville Monday to try and qualify for the U.S.
Senior Open,” stated Spitalny who placed fourth at the British Senior Open in Northern Ireland earlier this month.
Shooting 69-72-73= 214 (+4), Spitalny was tied or held the lead outright after each day, had six birdies, 10 bogeys, stayed out of trouble with no double bogeys or worse and higher and made the big shots when needed.
No.15 Was the Key: Down one to Keene (+3) and tied with Stuart Smith (Nashville) at +4 after 14, Spitalny hit a 5-iron second shot 25-30 feet below the hole and rolled in his birdie putt, while Keene and Smith posted bogey’s for the two shot swing and Spitalny held the lead by one.
“Hole 15 was of course key to his win with the two shot swing in Neil’s favor, as we each parred 16 and then he got up and down on 17 for a par as I bogeyed both (15 and 17) and Stuart had a double on 17,” said Keene a Notre Dame High School grad who has won three state mid-amateur titles.
Spitalny said, “My birdie putt on 15 of course was big which gave me the one shot lead with three holes to go and then to get up and down on 17 for a two shot lead was huge,” stated Spitalny who becomes only the fourth Chattanooga golfer to win the state senior title (Lew Oehmig, Ira Templeton, Ed Brantly the other three) and the first local golfer to take home the trophy since Brantly won his third of three championships in 1989.
“If I had missed the 12 footer (for par) on 17 then I still would have had a one shot lead heading to 18.”
Spitalny actually needed that two-shot cushion after 17 as the 64-year-old surgeon found the green side bunker on 18, while Keene had a down hill birdie putt. Spitalny bogeyed from the sand, but Keene missed the tying birdie putt and Doc had his long-awaited title.
“It feels good to win my first state title, as I played well and was a little lucky,” said Spitalny who has lived in Chattanooga since Aug. 1984.
Keene Held Early Lead: Keene and Spitalny started the day the co-leaders at +1, and Keene increased the lead to two (+3) with a birdie on No.2, while Spitalny had bogey’s on Nos. 1 and 3 ??????.
But Keene found trouble later on the front nine with bogey’s on Nos. 6-7 and 9, while Spitalny had three pars and a birdie Nos.6-9 for a one shot lead at the turn.
Keene re-gained a one shot lead after No.14 with five straight pars (Nos. 10-14) while Spitalny had a par of pars and two bogey’s before the aforementioned No.15.
Kudos To LMGC: The staff and management did a superb job in hosting the 45th the annual event and made sure the course was in great shape even with all the rain earlier in the week.
contact B.B. Branton at william.branton@comcast.net