SENIOR GOLF GOURNEY GROWS

Larry Dowdy takes his ball out of the hole while Darryl Jackson of Evansville, Ind., walks up to make his putt.

The second annual senior golf tournament at Bent Creek Golf course in Jackson was bigger this year than last year and is expected to keep growing by word of mouth.

The 36-hole individual stroke play tournament attracted golfers from Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Indiana and even as far away as Texas to the Bent Creek course in Jackson.

The tournament field doubled over last year's competitors, according to Preston Baker, golf pro at Bent Creek.

Monday was the optional practice round day and tournament play began on Tuesday.

There were six ages division with golfers ranging in ages from 50 to over 75.

Harold Schott of Cape Girardeau was the tournament's overall winner by firing a 74 on Tuesday and a 76 on Wednesday for a tournament low score of 150.

Schott also won his age group of 60-64 year old golfers.

Dennis Walters entertained on Tuesday night with his inspirational golf show.

Baker said that this tournament gives seniors one more event to play individual stroke play and it also exposes Bent Creek to the senior golfers.

"By providing a variety of tee boxes, we made it more accessible to the senior player," Baker said.

"It will become more playable in the future," he added.

Baker said that he expects the tournament will draw a couple of hundred golfers from around the nation.

"This is an upper end tournament with all the frills without the high cost," Baker said.

The tournament sponsors went a long way to make sure that the tournament had plenty of incentives to draw senior golfers to the event.

The winners in each age division were as follows:

Age group 50-54

Gross score

Name Tues. Wed. Total

1. Cliff Mills 77 75 152

Murphysboro, Ill.

2. Jack Smith 78 76 154

Jackson

Net (handicap figured into score) Score

1. Tim Harrison 70 68 138

Cape Girardeau

2. Larry Fulkerson 74 76 150

Evansville, Ind.

Age group 55-59

Gross Score

1. Troy Dooley 77 79 156

Jackson

2. George Glasscock 78 80 158

Oran

3. Joe Garland 79 83 162

Fancy Farm, Ky.

Net Score

1. Don Jenkins 72 71 143

Jackson

2. Dick Miller 75 78 153

Cape Girardeau

2. Frank Kessler 78 75 153

Sparta, Ill.

Age group 60-64

Gross Score

1. Harold Schott 74 76 150

Cape Girardeau

2. John Colgate 78 73 151

Macomb, Ill.

3. Duane Laird 82 79 161

Bonne Terre

Net Score

1. Richard Dishong 68 73 141

Poplar Bluff

2. Jim E. Hendrick 73 74 147

Beaumont, Texas

3. Gus Richards 76 74 150

Horseshoe Bay, Texas

Age group 65-69

Gross Score

1. Don Basso 79 84 163

Sesser, Ill.

2. Richard Friel 83 81 164

West Frankfort, Ill.

Net Score

1. Bob Scott 76 73 149

Bonne Terre

1. Bill Miller 75 74 149

St. Louis

Age group 70-74

Gross Score

1. Earl Gilmore 80 82 162

Dexter

2. Jan Chick 88 85 173

Cape Girardeau

Net Score

1. Ed Kaiser 74 71 145

Cape Girardeau

2. Charlie Uhr 82 71 153

Cape Girardeau

Age group 75+

Gross Score

1. Jim Wilson 86 86 172

Jackson

Net Score

1. Walter Fiehler 87 79 166

Cape Girardeau