SWISS GOLF PRO ONE-UPS LOCALS AT USGTF-SPONSORED US PRO HICKORY

Switzerland’s Paolo Quirici contemplated his approach to the 18th green at the third annual United States Professional Hickory Golf Championship held in Temple Terrace, Florida. Clearwater’s Richard Bullock was in the house at 75 and Sarasota pro John McCann was teeing off tied with both Quirici and Bullock at 2-over par. It was Quirici who stepped it up. An excellent approach and putt for birdie wrapped up the John Shippen Cup for the former European Tour player, who now spends his days helping the average Joe improve his or her golf game. Jennifer Cully of St. Petersburg was the low female professional for the third year with a fine 82. While several places north of the Florida border were dealing with freezes and wind chill, 25 golfers teed off in picture-perfect weather at the Temple Terrace Golf & Country Club with clubs and balls from a long-forgotten era of American golf. It was as if Gene Sarazen and Walter Hagen stepped out of the Model T Ford parked at the front door of the stately clubhouse replete with wooden-shafted clubs, plus-four trousers, and argyle stockings. As tournament director Mike Stevens put it, “This is a day to celebrate and remember how the game of golf came to this country and the great champions who made the game popular with the masses.”

And, celebrate they did, men and women from the United States, Canada, Switzerland and Scotland, toting implements that Mark Twain proclaimed unsuitable for the job required. In modern lingo it is referred to as hickory golf, and many in the field play it regularly while others were here out of curiosity and the chance to collect a piece of the $5,000 prize fund. Tournament Results:

Paolo Quirici, Switzerland	74	$1500
Richard Bullock, Florida	75	$850
John McCann, Florida	75	$850
Adam Varney, Florida	78	$450
Jon Benson, Florida	78	$450
David Rummells, Florida	79	$300
Mike Stevens, Florida	80	$162.50
Mark Harman, South Carolina	80	$162.50
Jim Garrison, Florida	81	$100
Jennifer Cully, Florida	82	$62.50
Jeff Leonard, Florida	82	$62.50
Eddie Peckels, Florida	83	$17
Tom McCrary, Florida	83	$17
Bill Geisler, Florida	83	$17
Brian Schuman, New York	84
Ben Plaunt, Canada	85
Ron Tickle, Scotland	85
Willie Ducherer, Canada	85
Clay Thomas, Florida	88
Greg Vogelsang, New York	90
Cathy Reynolds, Pennsylvania	92
Troy Schnelle, Canada	92
Kevin McDowell, Florida	93
Ewan Glen, Scotland	93
Jim Peters, Kentucky	94