Stephen Abrams buys into close friend/staunch opponent Mark Whitley’s suggestion that the so-called Triple Crown for a Wilson County golfer should consist of the championship of the Wilson County Amateur, that golfer’s club championship along with a top finish in the Wilson Cup interclub competition.
The now mythical Triple Crown was unattainable in 2023. However, Abrams came closest by winning two of the three legs. However, the former Beddingfield High standout never had a chance at winning the crown since the Wilson Cup was the first of the three events contested.
Abrams landed a spot on Wilson Country Club’s elite squad for the first time and, after several years of dominating the Cup, the WCC team that included Abrams failed to reach the championship match.
Abrams would go on to claim the Wilson County Amateur and, most recently, outdueled Whitley in his first appearance in the WCC Men’s Championship.
The 25-year-old Abrams carded rounds of 72-70 for a 2-under-par 142. Whitley, also in his WCC club debut, led after the opening round with a 71. He slid to a 76 the final round but still finished the runner-up at 147.
Abrams fired a 36-34 the final round and notched nine pars the front nine despite hitting just three greens in regulation. Whitley remained a shot out front with his 36.
But the shift in Abrams’ favor began on No. 10 – where Abrams birdied and Whitley bogeyed. Abrams holed his second shot for an eagle on the difficult par-4, No. 13 layout — where Whitley bogeyed to suddenly go from 1-up to 4-down. Abrams was without a bogey the final round until suffering a double bogey at No. 18. By then, his lead was insurmountable.
“It happened really quick,” Abrams said of the turnaround. “I putted extremely well, but did not hit the ball great. I had rather putt good and hit it bad any day.”
“He can putt the eyes out of it,” Whitley commended Abrams. “He’s the best putter I’ve ever seen.”
“I figured I had to shoot a 69 or 68 (the final round) to have a chance,” Abrams said of his final-round assignment. “Mark had a lot of opportunities, but couldn’t make any putts.”
In posting a 37-35 the opening round, Abrams birdied Nos. 2, 10, 12, 15 and 18 to offset five bogeys.
The next day, he celebrated his first club championship.
“I really enjoyed playing,” Abrams commented. “I really enjoy winning. Getting my name on the wall in the clubhouse is pretty cool.
“First, I won the county and winning the club championship makes (the Triple Crown try) seem better.”
BOYETTE ON THE VERGE
The GPro Tour, two levels away from the PGA Tour, concludes the 2022-23 year with its 54-hole tour championship Dec. 5-7 at the Albemarle in Hertford.
The occasion finds rookie Wilson pro Bryson Boyette on the verge of a most noteworthy feat.
The top 35 finishers qualify for the Tour championship, and Boyette comes into the last regular-season event, the Mimosa Challenge at Mimosa Hills Golf Club on Tuesday through Thursday, ranked No. 40 in the standings. Boyette, in a recent telephone interview, said that climbing five spots to 35th can be done.
“I’m on the bubble,” admitted Boyette, who is playing his best golf to wind up his rookie year. “It will take a good week, but it’s definitely within reach. A top 10 or so will probably get it done comfortably. But above that …”
Especially noteworthy is that, if Boyette accomplishes the feat, he will do so despite not playing a full schedule The star golfer at Fike High and Barton College has participated in 12 of 21 tourneys.
Boyette has made the cut in six of his last eight tourneys and is 8 of 12 for the season. In his last five stops, Boyette finished 7th at Bell Meade, 24th at Albemarle, 16th at the Colonial (Thomasville), 5th at Columbia, South Carolina; and 18th at the Cardinal (Greensboro).
At Columbia, Boyette sizzled with rounds of 71, 64, 65. That’s 15 under for 54 holes.
“When I shot 64, I thought I was making a run,” Boyette said. “When I got in, I was still six strokes back.”
A score of 22 under won the tournament.
Of the many things Boyette has learned in Year 1, he notes: “The biggest thing that separates the best from the rest is that you’ve got to have self-belief all week.”
PROMISING START FOR TWINS
The O’Neal twins, Nate and Drew, wasted no time leaving an impact upon joining the East Carolina University golf program as scholarship performers in late August.
Coming off sensational careers at Beddingfield High, the freshman twins grabbed plenty of attention in qualifying and continued with promising performances in fall tournaments.
Both twins, however, were not as pleased with their tourney efforts as with qualifying.
Nate and Drew each qualified as members of the starting lineup in their debut and posted several scores around par or below. Nate earned the No. 3 spot in the six-member lineup, while Drew was No. 5.
Nate qualified for four of the five tournaments and Drew managed that accomplishment in three of five.
The best finish for Nate was a tie for 32nd in the Intercollegiate at Outer Banks. He earned a share of 44th in the River Run Intercollegiate and wound up tied for 4th in the Ironwood Collegiate. He fired a 66 in qualifying at Kilmarlic Golf Course at the Outer Banks, and posted a score of par or lower in 7 of his 12 qualifying rounds.
Drew’s best finish came at Davidson College’s River Run Intercollegiate – where he carded rounds of 70, 72, 74 for a tie for 18th. Seven of his scores in 12 qualifying rounds were at even par or lower. After the Davidson event, Drew played in the Rod Myers Intercollegiate at Duke University, the Ironwood Intercollegiate (ECU’s home tournament) and the ODU/OBX Intercollegiate (Old Dominion) at Powell’s Point.
The Pirates, as a team, claimed second at Davidson, third in their tournament at Ironwood and 10th out of 12 at Duke. The O’Neals were in the lineup for the Davidson and Duke events and competed as individuals at Ironwood.
DEAL SETS RECORD AT FARMVILLE
Tommy Deal has functioned as the head golf professional at Maccripine Country Club in Edgecombe County for more than two decades and took on added responsibilities as golf course superintendent in 2008.
The best round of his career over the par 36-35–71 Maccripine course was a 11-under-par 60. However, Deal, now age 51, carded his overall career low round recently at neighboring Farmville Country Club. Deal periodically accomodates his members and visits the Farmville course.
In his latest trip, Deal established a Farmville Country Club course record from the white (middle tees) with a 12-under 59 over the par-71 layout. Deal quipped that he played the white tees because he’s now considered a senior golfer and explained “the seniors play the white tees.”
Deal needed to birdie four of the last six layouts to put up a 59. That wasn’t going to happen; so, he responded with an eagle on the par-4, No. 18 layout — where he holed a 30-foot putt to come in at 29-30. Deal birdied Nos. 13 and 15 before playing partners Eric Watts and Raymond Cobb jubilantly witnessed the eagle.
“I always play good (at Farmville Country Club),” Deal said. “It plays 5,800 yards from the white tees and, if you get the driver going, it’s pretty easy. That was fun. But everybody was more excited than I was. It was one of those days. But it gave me zero status.”
Deal needs status is his bid to qualify for the PGA’s Champions Tour. At age 51, he’s eligible. But the going has been tough thus far in Monday qualifiers.
In his Maccripine round of 30-30–60, Deal birdied the first eight holes, then toured the back nine in 5-under.
“I have gotten better over the years,” Deal joked.
If unsuccessful in his Champions Tour bid, Deal remarks: “I guess I’ll give lessons and grow grass.”
FIKE GOLFERS WELL SUPPORTED
Fike High expenses as the host for the recent NCHSAA 3-A East Regional girls golf tournament at Wedgewood Public Golf Course totaled approximately $1,000.
Fike was not asked to spend that kind of money but Fike head golf coach and assistant athletic director Glenn Jones said the school wanted to make the event special for the 90-plus entrants from across the Eastern part of the state.
The Fike folks hoped the golfers enjoyed the trip to Wilson and the course and went home with memories to cherish.
Thus, the course was dressed up a bit and the golfers were treated to breakfast and a lunch of pizza, cookies and a variety of soft drinks. Water was plentiful.
However, Fike was rewarded for its good intentions. The Wilson Rotary Club helped with a gift of $700 and received a hearty, sincere “thank you” from Jones and numerous others.
The Demons didn’t extend their string of regional victories to four, but again qualified for the NCHSAA 3-A championship with a second-place finish and got a tie for fourth place from standout senior Bree Council.
The following week, the Fike foursome of Council, Avery Briley, Payton Durham and Rachel Thomason, along with Jones, headed to Foxfire Village on the other side of Pinehurst for the 3-A state championship. More expenses were incurred.
This time, the Fike Athletic Boosters Club came to the Demons’ aid, financing the travel, lodging and food for two days.
Council managed a top-five finish for the third straight year and the team, although not repeating as state champion, salvaged a commendable fourth-place showing.
