Photo: Pinehurst Resort/John Patota
It was a beautiful day in Pinehurst for
Todd Hendley to return to the winner’s circle at the 70th North & South Senior Men’s Amateur Championship. The 62-year-old Hendley (Columbus, N.C.) captured his second North & South title with a three-round score of 67-69-72—208 (-8), four strokes ahead of runner-up finisher, 2018 North & South Senior Champion
Eddie Hargett (Blythewood, S.C.). Hendley also hoisted the trophy in 2017.
Hendley, who also won the 2021 Carolinas PGA Senior Open in April, began his final round on the famed No. 2 course as the only player in the field to score in the 60s for both the first and second tournament rounds, held on Pinehurst No. 5 (67/-5) and Pinehurst No. 8 (69/-3), respectively. Entering Wednesday’s final round, he held a six-stroke lead over 2020 Carolinas Senior Player of the Year
Sherill Britt (West End, N.C) and 2020 California Senior Amateur Champion
Robert Funk (Canyon Lake, Calif.), who both started the day at two-under-par.
Early on, it looked like Hendley would run away with the title, carding birdies on the second and third holes. He would come back to even par on the day with bogeys on the fourth and sixth, and completed his roller coaster front nine with a birdie on the par 5 eighth, and a bogey on the par 3 ninth to stay at eight-under-par at the turn.
His inward nine produced a similar end result, though in a much more consistent fashion. He birdied the par 4 tenth, and then parred 7 consecutive holes before a bogey at the last, for an even par 72 in his final round.
His closest challengers weren’t actually that close, and never came within a few strokes. Hargett, who finished in second place, began the day eight strokes behind Hendley at even par, and despite a three-under 33 on the front side and a tournament-low score of 68 on Wednesday, he was only able to gain four strokes on the winning margin.
Britt would finish in solo third place with a 70-72-71—213 (-3), and Funk finished in solo fifth, carding a three-day total of 69-73-73—215 (-1). The pair bookended fourth place finisher
Mel Mendenhall (Marietta, Ga.), who finished with a final score of 214 (-2).
Jerry Ishee II, Photo Credit: John Patota/Pinehurst Resort
In the Super Senior Division,
Jerry Ishee II (Nashville, TN) was also able to claim his second North & South Amateur title with a three-round total of 69-72-74--215 (-1), the sole player in the field to finish under par. The 2018 Super Senior Division Champion finished two strokes clear of Peachtree Corners, Ga.’s
Mark Benefield, in second place.
ABOUT THE
North & South Senior
Part of the annual North & South series of
tournaments at Pinehurst that include Men's,
Women's, Juniors and Seniors. Entries are open
to
male and female golfers who meet the
requirements below. All applicants must
conform
to the USGA Rules of Amateur Status and meet
the requirements of the USGA Gender Policy.
In the Men's Open Division, applicants must
have
reached 55 years of age by tournament date to
be eligible for competition. All applicants must
have a handicap index of 8.4 or less.
In the Men's Super-Senior Division, applicants
must have reached 65 years of age by
tournament date to be eligible for competition.
All applicants must have a handicap index 10.4
or
less.
FORMAT: 54-holes of stroke play will determine
the Champion. Play will be divided into four
divisions (Men’s Open, Men’s Super-Senior,
Women’s Open, and Women’s Super-Senior)
and
contested with one round each on Pinehurst
No.
1, No. 5, No. 8. A full field will consist of 90
Open
Men and 90 Super-Senior Men.
View Complete Tournament Information