Win or lose, Kenny Larry and Jay Blackburn are always among the last golfers in the clubhouse at Regions Cup tournaments, chatting it up and often buying beverages for their fellow competitors.
They had much to celebrate after Sunday's Jones Creek Invitational, the 10th and final Regions Cup event of the season.
Larry, 53, closed out a wire-to-wire victory in the senior division, winning by four shots after rounds of 70-73--143.
Blackburn ended a two-year winless drought in the regular division by closing with 1-under-par 71 to finish at 144, two shots ahead of first-round leader Eric Ledford (71-75).
Gil Price (78-71--149) finished third in his fourth tournament back after a 14-year break.
The victories held extra significance for both Larry and Blackburn.
Larry's win helped the Augustan win his second consecutive Regions Cup Senior Player of the Year title, while Blackburn tied the regular division's career victory mark of nine. Two of his wins have come at Jones Creek.
Larry, who entered the tournament with an 18-point lead in the points race for player of the year honors, ended up winning by 73 points over Glen Hurt, who finished sixth in the tournament after rounds of 74-76--150.
Robert Samuels, who shot 72-75--147, finished second in the tournament.
Larry, who had two victories and two runner-up finishes this year, finished with 393 points, 93 more than last year.
Asked how difficult it was to win two in a row, Larry said, "It's hard to win one in a row. It's hard to win golf tournaments."
Having tied for 16th in the first tournament of the year, Larry fell 72 points behind Hurt after six tournaments.
In the final four events, Larry earned 200 points to Hurt's 55. Larry didn't take the points lead until after last week's event at Midland Valley Country Club, where he finished second.
"He kind of turned it on in the last few tournaments when he needed to," Hurt said. "He's very deserving."
Blackburn, 43, last won in the 2006 Perry Watson Memorial. He'd gone nine tournaments without a victory since then, including four this year.
Blackburn is now tied with former Regions Cup players Mitch Marchman and Michael Carlisle for most career victories.
"It's a big weight off my shoulders to tie the record," Blackburn said. "Everybody's been asking me when I was going to do it. It didn't come easy. There is a lot of good competition out there.
"I'd gotten used to winning, but it takes a lot to win. It's got to be your time and place," added Blackburn, who dedicated the victory his mother, Mareese Stone, of Pooler, Ga., who is battling Parkinson's disease.
This was the fourth time this season Blackburn had been in the final group in the closing round. Putting problems cost him in some of those. His putter wasn't working for him this weekend, either, but everything else was.
"If it kills me, I'm going to get that putting straightened out," said Blackburn, who did make an 18-footer for birdie on No. 1 on Sunday.
There was only one change in the makeup of the 16-player Georgia and South Carolina teams that will play each other in the Regions Cup Matches on Sept. 12-14 at Belle Meade Country Club.
Rusty Flanders moved onto the South Carolina team by virtue of a fourth-place finish in the regular division.
Reach David Westin at (706) 724-0851 or david.westin@augustachronicle.com.
Jones Creek Invitational
At Jones Creek Golf Club, Evans
August 23 & 24, 2008
Championship Flight
Final Results
Yardage: 6,800 yards, Par: 72 (36-36)
Jay Blackburn 73-71-144
Eric Ledford 71-75-146
Gil Price 78-71-149
Rusty Flanders 74-76-150
Jonathan Ivey 73-79-152
Josh Chamineak 75-78-153
Bryson Jones 78-76-154
Chris Waters 78-77-155
Mike Phelps 78-77-155
Kelby Burton 76-80-156
Harold Bishop 76-81-157
David Hogan 76-82-158
Chris Butler 80-79-159
Brannen Corley 81-84-165
Dylan Lyons 81-86-167
First Flight
165-Brandt Patton (84-81). 166-Scot Seabolt (84-82). 167-Jacob Tilton (86-81). 171-Patrick Flake (93-78). 172-Jim Seagle (91-81). 177-Keith Downs (91-86). 179-Jack Wilson (87-92). 180-Ethan Chamineak (92-88). 185-Charlie Barmore (96-89). 186-Amos Captain (100-86). 194-Jesse Melton (100-94). 203-J.P. Hatcher (115-88).
Senior Division
Championship Flight
Yardage: 6,300 yards, Par: 72 (36-36)
Kenny Larry 70-73-143
Robert Samuels 72-75-147
David Mulherin 74-74-148
Rob Bissell 76-72-148
Glen Hurt 74-76-150
Jim Brisson 73-78-151
Chuck Withers 73-78-151
Jerry Beard 74-79-153
Mike O'Rourke 76-79-155
First Flight
149-Mike Jackson (78-71). 154-Robert Abernathy (80-74). 156-Russell Gilliam (78-78), Billy Rangos (77-81). 161-Bob Rickman (80-81). 162-Gunnar Bennett (77-85). 165-Nick Pulliam (86-82). 170-Mark Givens (80-84). 172-Carl Pilcher (94-78). DNS-Doug Hathaway (94).
Regions Cup Standings
Regular Division
Through 10 of 10 Tournaments
Georgia Team
x-Player of year
x-Doug Weiss 275
Jay Blackburn 189
Yong Lee 133
Jamie Felder 133
Willie Williams 107
Ryan McCook 91
Chris Waters 91
Mike Phelps 84
South Carolina Team
Eric Ledford 153
Jim Dyer 115
Benji Thompson 95
Harold Bishop 94
Bryson Jones 88
Bryan Covar 80
Allen Tipton 76
Rusty Flanders 64
80-Gil Price. 64-Jordan Riner. 62-Josh Chamineak. 57-Brannen Corley. 50-Chris Kuhlke, Rick Hopper, Josh Gregory. 43-Frank Burau. 40-Randy Lamb, Jack Shick, Chase Epting, Corey Huss. 38-Young Kim. 36-Paul Moore. 34-Rusty Flanders, Jeff Pope. 31-Wes Herlong, 30-Alex Dye. 28-Rhett Baker. 27-Wesley Brown. 25-Kirby Barron, Ian Price, 23-Mark Ernyei. 22-Chad Blackston. 21-David Hogan, Rob Lee. 18-Kevin Grady, Matt NeSmith, Gordon Parker, Mike O'Grady, Bill Willingham, James Kim. 14-Trey Keepers. Joey Sanders, Ryan Craven, Todd Mercer, Tripp Kuhlke, Phil Nunnery, Tommy Meacham, Durant Smith, Donnie Smith, Wade McDonald. 12-Kelby Burton, Zac Lawless, Jefferson Murray, Chris Neal, John Jones, Kevin Coleman. 11-Jacob Tilton, Chet Dye. 10-Paul Arrington. 9-Dalton Wates. 8-Chris Butler, Steve Dye Jr., Donovan Daniels. 7-Brandt Patton, Doug Hogan, Nicholas Tarver. 6-Steve Horrell, Johnathan Nichols, Darren Davenport, Casey Smith, Wes Herlong. 5-Scot Seabolt, Jonathan Wingate, Todd Marsh. 4-Dylan Lyons, Thomas Capell, Ryan Blackburn, Anthony Spencer. 3-Christian Longcrier, Eddie Hutchinson, Jesse Key, Ben Herlong, Doug Hathaway. 2-Patrick Flake, William Anderton, Lance Johnson. 1-Jim Seagle, Ben Lown, Vic Dye, Crane Garren, Micah Jacbosen.
Senior Division (50-over)
Georgia Team
x-Player of year
x-Kenny Larry 393
Mike Jackson 259
Robert Samuels 211
Greg Scurlock 166
David Mulherin 162
George Bullard 160
Chuck Withers 146
Jerry Beard 138
South Carolina Team
Glen Hurt 320
Jim Brisson 306
Lance Jones 179
Lad Wright 163
Bob Varn 138
Gerard Maxfield 93
Joe Fairey 80
Bob Rickman 66
122-Rob Bissell. 95-Frank Perry. 60-Robert Abernathy. 56-Richard Felder. 48-Robert Abernathy. 43-Mark Givens. 41-Billy Rangos. 40-Steve Dye. 38-Mike Kelley. 29-Scott Schwarz. 25-Wesley Ellis. 23-Mark Cooper. 21-Marion Moore, Roger Tant. 20-John Nikander. 18-Danny Daniels. 14-Nick Pulliam, Owen Chivers. 13-Jim Wallace. 12-Jimmy Hamilton, Doug Hathaway. 10-Mike O'Roure, Olin Logan, Eddie Williamson. 9-Russell Gilliam, Stew Butler. 8-Bill Dunham. 6-Gunnar Bennett, Harry Elsey. 5-Dick Horne, Bill Hardy, Richard Korzen, David Wright. Bobby Gause, James Kile, Jack Demyan. 4-Ed Payne. 2-Carl Pilcher. 1-Steve Moody.
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