Spring Creek will challenge Heels

By Jerry Ratcliffe

Published: June 17, 2008

The top four money winners on the Tarheel Tour will tee it up with 148 of their closest friends — or at least competitors — today in the second annual Spring Creek Classic at the Spring Creek Golf Club.

What those mini tour pros discovered during Tuesday’s practice round was that Spring Creek’s par-72 layout has more bite than in last year’s inaugural event. If nothing else, the formerly-short par-5 ninth hole has been lengthened from 495 yards to 615.

“That alone could bring the tournament back to a shot per day,” said Jack Snyder, Spring Creek’s master professional.

Tarheel Tour players were easily reaching the hole in two shots last year, but that won’t be the case this time around. The par-5 opening hole has also been lengthened by about 40 yards and now plays 465 yards.

“We have a really good field,” said David Siegel, president and director of the Tarheel Tour. “We have 152 players entered. There was so much good word of mouth after last year’s event here, that everybody was anxious to come back.”

Last year, players boasted that Spring Creek was far and away the best course on the Tarheel Tour schedule. A few months after that tour stop, Golf Digest named Spring Creek the best new affordable course in the nation.

No wonder most of the tour’s top 10 money winners will be competing, including David Robinson, a Sandersville, Ga., native who leads the Tarheel money list with $55,000 thus far in 2008. Kevin Kisner, Andy Bare and Paul Butler, who trail Robinson, also will be fighting it out, along with Will McGirt, who owns the Spring Creek course record after blistering the track with an 8-under 64 last June.

Bare will be looking for his third win of this season and two in a row after having captured the Warrior Classic last week. The former UNC Greensboro golfer finished 20th in the PGA Tour’s Wyndham Championships (formerly the Greater Greensboro Open) with a 14-under par performance, earning him a $52,000 payday.

First place at Spring Creek will earn the winner $20,000 out of the total $100,000 purse.

Roberto Castro, a former Georgia Tech All-American, who won last year’s event in his first professional outing, will be unable to return and defend his title. Castro has appeared in two Tarheel Tour events this season, finishing third and 12th.

The three-day event begins this morning and the low 35 percent of the field and ties will survive Thursday’s cut for Friday’s final round.

Siegel predicted that it would likely require a collective 10- to 12-under par to win the event.

“We have the course set up tough, but we have a great field,” he said. “I doubt anyone is going to shoot another 64, but nothing really surprises me.”

Siegel said there’s so many great players in the field that he’s no longer surprised by some of their accomplishments.

“I truly believe that at least 10 of these guys will be playing on the PGA Tour within the next three to four years,” Siegel said.

Kevin Haney, Spring Creek’s head professional, said that recent rains will make the course play a little longer in the opening round, but with no more rain in the forecast the greens will dry out and get much faster as the tournament progresses. Rough around the greens stands at three inches.

The public is invited to attend the tournament at no charge.