Senior Temple Cup: Cartwright and Hopson Hang On
Lufkin’s Ford Cartwright follows through during the
Senior Temple Cup at Crown Colony Country Club
(photo by Joel Andrews, Lufkin Daily News)
LUFKIN, TX (April 10, 2010)--Ford Cartwright and Michael Hopson knew that a championship at their home golf course wouldn’t be easy. Despite holding a four-shot advantage entering the final day, they knew they had plenty of work ahead of them to capture the Senior Temple Cup.
The local team was pushed to the final hole, but some clutch play over the final two holes was just enough to hold off the hard-charging team of Brad Mosing and Robert Shelton as Cartwright and Hopson claimed their first ever Senior Temple Cup.
“It’s just so tough to win at your home course,” Hopson said. “Everybody thinks that you have the advantage because you’re used to it. But you really have to be mentally tough to be able to win a tournament here.”
Hopson and Cartwright shot a final round 70 to finish the tournament with a 14-under par 202. That was just good enough to outlast Mosing and Shelton, of Lafayette, La., who trailed by five shots entering the final round before surging to a 66 on Saturday, missing the championship by one shot.
Hopson and Cartwright appeared to be coasting to the title as they had a comfortable lead for much of the day and led by three shots entering the final three holes.
But Mosing sunk a lengthy birdie putt on the 17th hole and Hopson and Cartwright bogeyed the 16th hole, narrowing the margin to one.
Mosing and Shelton made par on the final hole while Hopson and Cartwright also made par on the 17th hole.
That left Cartwright and Hopson needing a par on the final hole to win the tournament. Hopson hit an approach shot to within six feet of the hole, and after just missing a birdie putt, tapped in for par to give the local team the title.
“If it weren’t for the bogey at 16, it would have been a lot easier for us,” Cartwright said. “But Mike’s third shot on the last hole was just superior. That was a clutch shot that really won it for us.
“Coming into the tournament, I thought that if we could get over the hump of the first day, then we’d have a good shot at it. We played well as a team because when one of us hit a bad shot, the other would hit a good one. I’m just speechless right now about being able to win this.
The teams of Jud Grace and Bev Hargraves and Chip Stewart and Larry Thomas finished the tournament tied for third with a total of 206. Howard Knowles and Tim Carlton finished in fifth place with a 207 and Pat Teague and Daniel Cook and John Kennedy and Jamie Easterly finished tied for sixth with a 209.
Andy Wall and Todd Lusk claimed the Super Senior Division title with a 208, beating out the team of Tom Miller and Joe Cadel, who shot 211. Steve Seavall and Jim Davidson finished in third place with a total of 213.
ABOUT THE
A popular 54-hole four ball invitational played
on one of the best courses in Texas. The
tournament honors Arthur Temple, a highly
successful businessman in the timber and
paper goods industry, whose vision resulted in
the creation of Crown Colony Country Club. Age
divisions: 55-64, 65-
74, 75 and up.
View Complete Tournament Information