Starkjohann Ties Record; Pros Win Event

Their hero from last year, Scott Bentley, wasn’t on his game Sunday--shooting a six-over par 78. Fortunately for the professionals, Chris Starkjohann’s game was never better as he sank seven birdie putts en route to a course-tying 67 to lead his team to 75-60 victory over the amateurs in the Century Club Matches at Fairbanks Ranch Country Club.

With the victory, the professionals won their second consecutive match to take a 10-9 series lead.

Starkjohann, pro at Pala Mesa Resort, had to play well to outshoot his amateur opponent, Frank Merhar, who was the low amateur with a three-under 69.

“Frank kept sinking putt after putt and I was just trying to keep up with him,” Starkjohann said. “It’s important to play well here. You don’t want to let your teammates down. We take this seriously. We have a battle all year to see who plays in this.”

Starkjohann’s course record was somewhat tainted, but it didn’t seem to matter much. Because of the tees used in Sunday’s matches, Starkjohann played a course measuring 6,752 yards, while pro Donnie Hammond shot his 67 on a 7,200-yard layout in a Craig Stadler benefit tournament.

‘I’m sure (Hammond) played it a lot further, but I’ll take mine,” he said.

Starkjohann made four of his birdies on the front nine, including a 20-footer uphill on the par-four seventh hole. He missed only three greens and did not three-putt a hole. His bogeys were on the 12th and 18th holes.

“I played this course yesterday for the first time in two years,” Starkjohann said. “Yesterday, I was too indecisive, but today I just came out and hit the ball. I was hitting it down the middle on almost every hole.”

Starkjohann was hitting his drives and approaches so solidly that six of his seven birdie putts were from eight feet or less.

Merhar, who made the turn at one under, said he just ran into a hot golfer.

“I drew the wrong guy both days,” Merhar said. “(Starkjohann) just played tremendous golf two days in a row. We shot five under yesterday and lost, and today I shot three under and lost.”

Saturday, Starkjohann and his partner, Scott Mahlberg, lead all 10 teams with a 65 in the Pinehurst Scotch scoring system.

Sunday, there were 18 points up for grabs in each match. Twelve points for the two individual matches and six points for the best ball of the partners.

Starkjohann and his partner, Garry Griggs, took 12 of the 18 points against Merhar and his partner Ken Earle. Griggs and Earle both shot 75s.

The only other competitors to shoot par were amateur Jim Meyers and pro Joe DeBock, who shot par 72s. Meyers and Matt Reno gave the amateurs 18 of their 45 points.