World Amateur Handicap Championship Results

Editor’s Note: Myrtle Beach is a favored destination of Michiganders and other Midwesterners seeking a golf vacation during the cooler months. From time to time, I like to pass on information about happenings and deals in the Myrtle Beach area.

Reno’s Terry Ream Captures Flight Winners’ Playoff At PlayGolfMyrtleBeach.com World Amateur Handicap Championship

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. — Terry Ream (Reno, Nev.) shot a net 71 (gross 74) to win the Flight Winners’ Playoff at the 39th Annual PlayGolfMyrtleBeach.com World Amateur Handicap Championship Friday at TPC Myrtle Beach.

[Final Leaderboard]

Ream finished one shot ahead of Steven Keener (Rocky Mount, Va.) and Chris Hebert (Picayune, Miss.), both of whom carded net 72. Keener shot a gross 79 while Hebert fired a gross 82.

David Hunt (Orlando, Fla.) fired a 74 to best Danny Oh (Lewisville, Texas) and win the Men’s Gross Division title in an 18-hole playoff.

Steve Crossland (Houston, Texas) shot a 288 to beat Russell Burnham (Dallas, Texas) by eight shots en route to victory in the Men’s Senior Gross Division.

Mike Bivins (Boynton Beach, Fla.) finished three shots ahead of Charles Wilson (Cartersville, Ga.) to capture the Men’s Mid-Senior Gross Division crown.

Alexis Bennett (Santee, S.C.) finished with a four-round total of 297, six strokes better than second-place Jill Pilkington (Lincoln, Neb.) to win the Women’s Gross Division title.

Keener and Matt Thurman (Rocky Mount, Va.) combined to win the Casa de Campo Pairs Competition. By virtue of winning, the pair received a 4-day, 3-night stay at luxurious Casa de Campo with unlimited golf.

Entry into the event, which included at least four rounds of golf, nightly admission to the World’s Largest 19th Hole and a gift bag, was $699.

The World Am placed players into 11 divisions – men 49 and under, senior men (50-59), mid-senior men (60-69), super senior men (70-79), seasoned seniors (80+), women 59 and under, senior women (60+), the gross division, senior (50+) gross division, mid-senior (60+) gross division, and women’s gross division. There is also a “Just For Fun” flight, created for players who want to enjoy the World Am experience without the pressure of competition.

After four days of play, all flight winners and ties advanced to the World Championship Playoff at TPC Myrtle Beach, an 18-hole shootout that crowns the event’s winner. A Tom Fazio/Lanny Wadkins design, TPC Myrtle Beach has long been ranked among the best public courses in all of the golf-rich Palmetto State.

While the competition is initially what lures players to the tournament, it’s only part of what keeps them coming back. At the heart of the World Am’s appeal is the camaraderie among its participants and much of that kinship is fostered at the World’s Largest 19th Hole.

Each night of the event, the 19th Hole overtakes all 120,000 square feet of the Myrtle Beach Convention Center, providing participants with free food and drinks, live entertainment, celebrity guest appearances, a golf expo and more. Among the big names that have appeared at the 19th Hole in recent years are David Feherty, Brandel Chamblee, Charlie Rymer and John Daly.

Players also received a gift bag that included a polo, pullover, golf towel, logo’d hat, PGA TOUR Superstore gift card and an assortment of other goodies valued cumulatively at $250.

For more information, please visit www.MyrtleBeachWorldAmateur.com.