Hannon Secures Victory in SCGA Seniors Championship

Myrtle Beach, SC -  Vic Hannon of Camden surged past the three frontrunners with a final round score of 69, 2-under-par to capture the 2002 title in the SCGA's 44th Annual Seniors' Championship.  The event was being played for the seventh consecutive year at The Legends Resort in Myrtle Beach. Two rounds including the final, were played over the 6335 yard, par 71 Heathlands Course.  The other round was played over the 6407 yard, par 72 Parkland Course.

Hannon began the day in the next to last group, four strokes back of 36-hole leader LeRoy Rabon of Irmo.  A bogey five at the first hole was followed by a birdie three at the second.  Hannon then reeled off ten straight pars, before he canned a birdie at the par-5 thirteenth to get into contention. 

Rabon made bogey at both the second and third holes.  He then made another bogey at the par-4, sixth before a birdie at the short eighth brought him back to even par for the tournament.  Bob Stringer of Columbia and Randy Mahaffey of Spartanburg, both made early mistakes which dropped them out of contention.  Stringer made a double bogey-6 at the first and Mahaffey with a par at the first could only manage a bogey at the second and double bogey-5 at the short third.

Hannon, playing in front of Rabon almost had disaster strike on the very short par-4 fifteenth when he bladed a shot from close range which bounced in and out of the high grass near the green.  A good chip and a short putt garnered the par, and he stayed at one over for the tournament. 

Meanwhile, Rabon was settling into a steady streak of pars.  Hannon managed to hit an iron to within six feet of the hole on the par-4 sixteenth.  After converting the birdie effort, he stood at even par, tied with Rabon with two holes to play.  Pars on the final two for Hannon and a bogey-par finish by Rabon gave Hannon his first lead of the event and the Championship.

Also being contested at the same time was the "Old Friends" Championship.  This group of seniors played a little shorter course, 5738 yards, but had the same kind of dogfight at the end.  Second round leaders, Greg Schachner of Elgin and defending "Old Friends" Champion, Floyd Eilber of Pawleys Island were tied at 5-over par 148 heading into the final round.  Identical scores of 1-under-par-34s on the back, their first nine, left them tied with nine to play. 

The sixty year old Schachner took the lead by two strokes with birdies on the first and fourth holes as both he and Eilber made bogey-5s on the second.  The 75-year-old Eilber closed the gap with a birdie at the fifth.  Eilber then missed from very close range at six, but Schachner faltered with bogey-5.  The seventh hole proved to be the final difference as Eilber gained a one stroke advantage when he three-putted the 450 yard par-5 for par and Schachner made bogey when he dumped a short wedge into the front bunker and could not get up and down.  Pars at the final two gave Eilber a repeat trip to the winner's stand.