Sports
Archives

Doublegate dominates

• Doublegate Country Club members win all three major devisions in the Albany Amateur City Championship.

Tim Miller
Staff Correspondent

ALBANY — Doublegate Country Club took the triple crown in the Albany Amateur City Championship on Sunday as members won the three major divisions.  With one or two trophies at Stonebridge since the tournament was founded in 2004 by Dan Rhoads, Sunday at Doublegate was the first time one club has grabbed all three cups.   

Mike Cooper, 51, won the men’s championship trophy with a tournament-low score of 213, finishing just one stroke ahead of Brandon Anthony and 3 under par for the three-day championship. Craig Taylor placed third in the men’s division.

“I got off to a great start (Sunday),” Cooper said, “I almost had a hole-in-one on two. I came within six inches and birdied that. I birdied three, five, and seven to shoot a 33 on the front (nine), so that got me off to a real good start.”

Playing in his third consecutive Albany Amateur City Championship, Cooper slowed down on the back nine but had strokes enough to finish even par on the day. He was leading the tournament by two strokes approaching the final hole.

“You can win by one or you can win by 10,” said Cooper, a former Doublegate club champion. “It means a lot to me because all the club champions were playing. I’m real pleased. This is championship quality golf on some great courses.”

The women’s championship trophy was won by two-time champion Helen Kirbo with a women’s low of 241, 10 strokes ahead of the tournament’s youngest competitor, 15-year-old Kelly Pearce of Sherwood Christian Academy. Nancy Abraham was third.

“The courses were great,” Kirbo said, “and the tournament is great. Kelly Pearce played well and hung in there. She’ll be back next year. We’re hoping to get more younger players. You can’t learn to play tournaments unless you play in tournaments.”

Kirbo won the first ladies crown in the Amateur Championship but fell to Abby Fitzgerald the past two years. Fitzgerald, graduated from high school and currently plays at Kennessaw State. She was not able to play this year.

“We hope Abby (Fitzgerald) will be back next year,” Kirbo said. “I was pleased with my play except for the back nine (Sunday).”

Pearce played just five strokes behind the more experienced Kirbo until Sunday when she took a two-stroke penalty and seemed to lose momentum. Pearce mistakenly played the wrong ball during Sunday’s round and violated the tournament’s “one-ball” rule.

“I started well (Sunday) but made a few mistakes and then got a penalty,” Pearce said. “I got wrapped up in that.”

In the tournament for the first time and having played golf for just four years, Pearce indicated she intends to work on her putting and chipping.

“I need to be more consistent in driving,” Pearce said.

Ben Benford, a two-time second-place finisher in the senior men’s division, edged out both Rhoads and Tom Hall for first place and the third of his club’s three major awards.  Benford posted a 229 after shooting a 77 Sunday, four strokes ahead of Hall and five lower than Rhoads.

Fifty-four amateur golfers, all local residents, competed three days at three local courses for trophies and gift certificates in ten divisions. The tournament also raised over $2600 for two local charities which were on hand to express their appreciation to golfers.

“I thought moving the tournament off Father’s Day would help,” Rhoads said, “and we have all these new players that we didn’t have before.”

The Albany Amateur City Championship rotates among five local courses and is played on three different courses over the three days of the tournament each year.

Back to today's Sports>>