--UPDATED RECAP to add detail and division winners-- Gainesville’s Forehand Edged in Battle of 441 Playoff OCALA – The Battle of 441, a tournament jointly presented by the Chain Hawks Disc Golf Club of Gainesville and the Ocala Disc Golf Club, ended up as a showcase for a player more familiar with U.S. 19 than the namesake highway between the host cities. Colin Forehand of Gainesville fell on the first hole of a playoff at the Ocala Greenway Disc Golf Course on Sunday, as Charlie Goodpasture of Clearwater laid up for an easy par to win the tournament after Forehand threw into the trees. The two had been tied at 19-under 173 after three rounds. Goodpasture took home the $600 winner’s purse, and also was the biggest individual money winner in a subsequent skins round for the tournament’s top players. Another player from the Clearwater area, Calvin Heimburg of Safety Harbor, finished third, two throws back. Goodpasture was three throws off the lead after Saturday’s opening two rounds at Northside Park in Gainesville. But he capitalized on several missed putts by Forehand late in the final round to force the playoff. “I felt good beginning to end,” Goodpasture said of his bogey-free final round. He said he did not feel any pressure, but added, “It gets tough making those 20-foot putts.” Goodpasture said that a CE Eagle had been the most essential disc for his victory in the Battle. He also tipped his hat to the runner-up, who despite his surname throws mostly backhand: “I’ve got to give it up to Colin,” Goodpasture said. “He played a great tournament.” Sara Senkbeil of Spanish Fort, Alabama, won the women’s open. Jon Strickland of Fort McCoy emerged as the Grandmasters victor. Another Gainesville player, Noel Smith, tied the tournament’s best score of the final round (65) to win the top amateur division in Advanced. Heimburg, the third-place finisher, and Kris Smith of Jacksonville equaled Noel Smith’s low round of seven-under at the Greenway. Jordan Morris of Daytona Beach had shared the first-day lead with Forehand on the strength of his 12-under 48 in the second round at Northside, which matched Matt Tittle of Gainesville for the tournament’s hottest round. But Morris slipped down the leaderboard with a final-round 77, one of the many golfers vexed by the Greenway’s unforgiving trees and the expanded out-of-bounds marked for the Battle. Perhaps the brightest spot among the Ocala players was Dave Thomas, who holed No. 1, A position, in his second round at Northside to solely claim the $335 ace fund. Thomas, who threw an Aviar putter from the short pad, said it was his 13th ace but his first in a tournament. In the skins game after the tournament, the advanced winner Smith joined the top three pros, Goodpasture, Forehand and Heimburg, for $25 per hole. Goodpasture won No. 1; No. 2 pushed; Goodpasture took double on No. 3; Heimburg won No. 4; play then moved to No. 14, which pushed; Smith got his buy-in back, taking double on a beautiful long drive on No. 15; then 16, 17 and 18 all pushed, and the players agreed to a split. The Battle, a B-tier PDGA event, represented a culmination of the growing ties between the Chain Hawks of Gainesville and the Ocala club, known to some by its unofficial gopher tortoise mascot. Tom Boggs of Gainesville and Matt Judy of Ocala served as co-directors of the tournament, assisted by Shawn Harrigan and Tim Willis, and members from both clubs volunteered. “These are two of the best clubs in Florida for sure,” Forehand said. Boggs, also the president of the Gainesville club, in turn gave credit to the Battle’s sponsors, including Dr. Charlie Booras, Paragon Disc Golf and Aero Pics, which provided aerial photography. Another highlight of the Battle, and one that several players cited as unique, was the playing of “The Star-Spangled Banner,” on trumpet by Matt Foller of Gainesville, before the opening round horn. Competitors endured rain on both days of the event, but the showers never stopped play, and the golfers never quit giving it their best. “I love playing disc golf!” Goodpasture said after accepting his trophy. “I’m happy.” DIVISION WINNERS Open Men: Charlie Goodpasture, Clearwater (173) Open Women: Sara Senkbeil, Alabama (208) Grandmasters: Jon Strickland, Fort McCoy (195) Senior Legends: Paulie Bagwell, Beverly Hills (223) Advanced Men: Noel Smith, Gainesville (178) Advanced Women: Jessica Hill, Jacksonville (211) Advanced Masters: Chris Adams, Gainesville (190) Advanced Grandmasters: Wayne Shafer, Ocala (192) Intermediate Men: Jason Rigler, Jupiter (186) Intermediate Women: Jessica Pruder, unknown (223) Recreational Men: Paul Speed, unknown (193) Recreational Women: Jessica Burnett, Gainesville (243)
Posted on: Mon, 02 Jun 2014 04:37:20 +0000
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