PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. -- Paul Erdman (Erie, Colo.) and Charles Lyon (San Diego, Calif.) boasted rounds of 68 Wednesday at the Golf Channel Am Tour National Championships, recording the lowest score of the tournament after three rounds. Lyon went from tied for 17th place to sixth on the leaderboard, while Erdman jumped four places to claim third place with one round to go.
Missoula, Mont., resident Brian Beach retained his top spot in the Championship Flight (handicap range 3.9 or lower) after at third-round score of 70 at the Ponte Vedra Inn and Club’s Lagoon Course. He extended his lead over Jeffrey Perkins (Glen Burnie, Md.) by one shot to lead the field by three. Erdman’s low score of 68 put him in third place.
Also leading their respective flights after the third round are: Michael Healey (Franklin, Tenn., Palmer Flight); Steven Paul (Waltham, Mass., Hogan Flight); Terron Gaines (Houston, Texas, Sarazen Flight); Rich Ramsey (Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., Jones Flight); and Scott Fjelstad (Trabuco Canyon, Calif., Snead Flight).
Of special note, former Major League Baseball pitchers Mark Mulder and Orlando “El Duque” Hernandez continued to compete in their respective divisions. Hernandez jumped seven spots into tie for 45th place in the Palmer Flight with a third-round score of 85, while Mulder shot a 75, falling two spots in a tie for 10th place in the Championship Flight.
They are among the record 635 competitors representing 39 U.S. States, Canada and Puerto Rico competing this week for national championship honors. The 72-hole tournament, broken up into six divisions, is taking place on four Ponte Vedra Beach golf courses headlined by famed TPC Sawgrass. The national championships began Monday.
Information on the round two leaders in the six flights appear below:
Championship Flight (<3.9)
1 Brian Beach Missoula, Mont. 73 – 73 – 70 -- 216 +2
2 Jeffrey Perkins Glen Burnie, Md. 74 – 74 – 71 -- 219 +5
3 Paul Erdman Erie, Colo. 77 – 76 – 68 -- 221 +7
Palmer Flight (4 – 7.9)
1 Michael Healey Franklin, Tenn. 80 – 79 – 74 -- 233 +17
2 Michael Stephanik Monroe, N.J. 80 – 73 – 85 -- 238 +22
3 Brian Davis Amherst, N.Y. 82 – 82 – 76 -- 240 +24
Hogan Flight (8 – 11.9)
1 Steven Paul Waltham, Mass. 76 – 83 – 83 -- 242 +28
2 Jason Conner Piedmont, Okla. 81 – 80 – 83 -- 244 +30
3 Jeff Blackwood Midland, Texas 82 – 77 – 86 -- 245 +31
Sarazen Flight (12 – 15.9)
T1 Terron Gaines Houston, Texas 87 – 83 – 81 -- 251 +37
T1 Kenneth Ambrosio White Plains, N.Y. 76 – 87 – 88 -- 251 +37
3 Dag A Rasen Palm Harbor, Fla. 81 – 82 – 89 -- 252 +38
Jones Flight (16 – 19.9)
1 Rick Ramsey Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. 91 – 83 – 83 -- 257 +43
2 Richard Kelley Katy, Texas 86 – 86 – 86 -- 258 +44
3 Philip Sumang Missouri City, Texas 88 – 95 – 85 -- 268 +54
Snead Flight (20+)
1 Scott Fjelstad Trabuco Canyon, Calif. 82 – 95 – 94 -- 271 +57
2 Don Fiets Valparaiso, Ind. 92 – 91 – 95 -- 278 +64
3 Paul Nault Victoria, BC, Canada 91 – 95 – 93 -- 279 +65
The Golf Channel Am Tour National Championships are divided into two events – the Senior National Championship (age 50+), which took place Sept. 4-7, and the Open National Championship, taking place Sept. 10-13. The PLAYERS Stadium Course and neighboring Dye’s Valley Course at TPC Sawgrass, along with Ponte Vedra Inn and Club’s Lagoon Course and Ocean Course, are serving as host courses for the Golf Channel Am Tour National Championships, featuring a record combined field of 1,135 golfers. Sawgrass Marriott Golf Resort & Spa serves as host resort and tournament headquarters.
All six national champions from the 2011 Golf Channel Am Tour National Championships are defending their titles this week:
• Paul Erdman, Erie, Colo. (Championship Flight)
• Patrick Polzin, Indian Head Park, Ill. (Palmer Flight)
• Tim Williams, McKinney, Texas (Hogan Flight)
• Bradley Bishop, Alden, N.Y. (Sarazen Flight)
• Suneil Aggarwal, Alpharetta, Ga. (Jones Flight)
• Bilal Jordan, Houston, Texas (Snead Flight)
As the largest amateur golf tour in North America with more than 6,500 members, the Golf Channel Am Tour is open to the public and provides the most professional tournament experience for players of all ages and abilities, as well as offering unparalleled access to some of the most renowned and challenging golf courses across the country. Broken up into 60 local chapters throughout North America, the Golf Channel Am Tour conducted more than 800 local championships and 25 two-day “Major” Championships throughout the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico in 2012.
For more information about the Golf Channel Am Tour and the national championships, visit www.gcamtour.com.
