Published: July 25, 2009 10:27 pm         

It’s sudden victory for Raughton-Bray

Saturday’s finale to the Dalton Golf and Country Club’s Member-Guest golf tournament may not have had the crowd or worldwide audience of last weekend’s British Open, but it still came down to a playoff in the championship flight.

After James Coker’s 20-foot put on No. 18, which would have been good for par, fish-hooked the cup and rested on the edge, Jason Raughton calmly sunk his 2-foot put to give himself and guest Beau Bray a one-stroke win in the sudden-death playoff round.

Raughton-Bray finished the two-round tournament tied with Coker and Mike Godfrey at 21-under 121. Coker-Godfrey built a two-stroke lead Friday in the best ball round, but Raughton-Bray stormed back Saturday in the select shot round with three eagles — including an 87-yard shot by Bray for eagle on No. 7 — which helped them overcome two bogeys on the final three holes to force a playoff.

“I didn’t think we had a chance,” Raughton said of the late collapse. “I was surprised we were going to a playoff.”

For Raughton, a DGCC member the past six years, it was his second Member-Guest win. He won the third flight in 2007.

Bray, a guest, is no stranger to winning either.

He was on the 1998 Dalton High School team that won the Class 4A state championship and went on to play for Columbus State.

“It was like the good old days,” Bray, who just recently began playing again, said of the playoff win. “It was fun.”

Howell Kerr and Joe Markham rounded out the top three with a 124.

In the first flight, Dan Peeples and Eric Kyer followed up their first-round-leading 58 with a 66, but their final score was still good enough for a first-place finish over Steve Townsend-Charles Pledger and Matt Donahue-Neil Avent (126).

Todd Nelson and Todd Cook took the second flight with a 123, despite a 13-stroke drop-off from their first round score of 55. Clyde Willocks-Chad Defoor took second place with a 127 and Gregg Hayes-Steve Watson’s 128 was good for third

The third flight also came down to a playoff, with George King-David Gibson edging out Jerry Kyer-David Viens after both tied with a 133. Jim Lord and Vern Phillips took third place with a 135.

     

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