The foursome, from left, of Roland Gurley, Jim Alford, Howard Tyndall and John Zambelli were the first group to tee off Friday morning in the 2023 Wayne County Golf Amateur at Walnut Creek Country Club. The quartet entered the weekend with a combined 15 WGCA titles. Zambelli is the lone golfer in WCGA history to win titles in three different divisions. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
Jonathan Burke reacts to missing a short putt on No. 6 at Southern Wayne Country Club Sunday afternoon. Burke shot a final-round 68 and finished runner-up in the Wayne County Golf Amateur Open Division. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
Hayden Gardner walks off the No. 9 green after missing a short putt. Gardner recorded three birdies on the back nine and finished the day with a 76 at Southern Wayne Country Club. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
Robert Garris reacts after his putt rolls just left of the cup on No. 18 at Southern Wayne Country Club on Sunday evening in the 2023 Wayne County Golf Amateur. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
Former James Kenan High School football coach Ken Avent Jr. sinks a putt on No. 2 at Southern Wayne Country Club on Sunday afternoon. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
Jeremy Joyner, president of the Wayne County Golf Association, chips onto the green at the par-3, No. 3 hole at Southern Wayne Country Club on Sunday afternoon. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
Southern Wayne head baseball coach Trae McKee tells his putt to roll right into the cup on No. 3 at Southern Wayne Country Club on Sunday afternoon. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
Roland Gurley watches his tee shot at No. 1 on Walnut Creek Country Club Friday morning. Gurley entered the 2023 Wayne County Golf Amateur as the two-time defending Masters Division champion. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
Nick Adams chips onto the green at No. 3 and makes one of his five birdies on the front nine during final-round play in the 2023 Wayne County Golf Amateur at Southern Wayne Country Club on Sunday afternoon. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
Lee Sutton reacts as he watches his tee shot on No. 4, a dog-leg left hole, at Southern Wayne Country Club Sunday afternoon. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
The Wayne County Golf Association celebrated its silver (25th) anniversary this weekend with the Wayne County Golf Amateur held at Walnut Creek Country Club, Goldsboro Golf Course and Southern Wayne Country Club. From left, WGCA vice president Parker King, Open Division champion Dane Jones, Senior Division champion Stan Adams, Super Senior Division champion Ray Smeltzer, Masters Division champion Jim Alford and WCGA president Jeremy Joyner. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
Former Wayne County Golf Amateur Open Division champ Chris Bitzenhofer tightens up his glove as he steps onto the No. 4 tee box at Southern Wayne Country Club Sunday afternoon. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
Collin Nix watches his birdie putt drop into the cup on No. 1 at Southern Wayne Country Club Sunday afternoon. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
Cody Gurley watches his fairway shot on hole No. 1 at Southern Wayne Country Club Sunday afternoon. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
Will Caughron measures the distance from the fairway to the flag on No. 1 at Southern Wayne Country Club Sunday afternoon. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
Ray Smeltzer, the Super Seniors Division champion, measures the distance from fairway to the pin at No. 4 on the Southern Wayne Country Club links Sunday afternoon. (Rudy Coggins}mountolivetribune.com)
Dane Jones lines up a putt on No. 4 during final-round action in the 2023 Wayne County Golf Amateur held at Southern Wayne Country Club Sunday afternoon. Jones emerged as the Open Division champion for the third time in his career after carding a three-day total of 6-under-par 209. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
Howard Tyndall prepares to hit off the No. 1 tee at Walnut Creek Country Club Friday morning during opening-round play of the 2023 Wayne County Golf Amateur. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
Senior Division champion Stan Adams watches his tee shot at No. 3 during final-round play Sunday afternoon at Southern Wayne Country Club. Adams claimed his third WCGA title and first since 2020. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
Eric Williams watches his putt roll toward the cup on No. 18 at Southern Wayne Country Club on Sunday afternoon. Williams entered the day one stroke behind the overall leader in the Open Division. Williams ended up among the top five in the 2023 Wayne County Golf Amateur. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
Alex Happer watches his playing partners tee off at No. 4 Sunday afternoon at Southern Wayne Country Club. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
Bob Phillips decides where to place the ball for his tee shot on No. 4 during final-round play of the 2023 Wayne County Golf Amateur at Southern Wayne Country Club. Phillips finished third overall in Super Seniors Division play. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
Dane Jones started the day up by one stroke.Nearly five hours later, he stood on the 18th green as a Wayne County Golf Amateur champion at Southern Wayne Country Club.
The soft-spoken, but competitive Jones carded a three-day total of 6-under-par 209 and claimed the 2023 WCGA Open Division crown. It was his first since 2018 and third overall in his career.
Down by five strokes after opening-round play, Stan Adams put together back-to-back 1-under-par rounds to edge Tom Dawson, 216-218, for the Senior Division title. It was his third WCGA championship overall and first since 2020.
Ray Smeltzer emerged as the Super Division winner for the first time, while Jim Alford topped the field in the Masters Division. Each defeated their nearest competitor by six strokes.
The pristine, par-71 layout presented a myriad of challenges.
Golfers played in breezy conditions and needed near-precise iron play on the course’s tree-lined fairways. Difficult pin placements on rolling greens required accuracy on putts. Just 11 competitors scored either par or lower in all four divisions combined on the day.
Jones held a one-stroke advantage over Eric Williams after second-round play Saturday at Goldsboro Golf Course. Williams climbed into contention with a 5-under 67, while Jones finished at even par.
Williams encountered trouble early and slowly faded into the background.
“Had a big couple of numbers early … lost ball on the first hole and triple [bogey] on number eight, so I really played okay after that,” Williams said. “I wanted to be close coming down the stretch just to see what would have happened, but I shot myself out of it early. It’s always a blessing to be out here.
“I try to keep my perspective in the right way.”
While Williams dropped back, another golfer immediately caught Jones’ attention.
University of Mount Olive alum Nick Adams posted five birdies on the front nine and made the turn at 5-under 31. He kept up the pressure with eight pars on the back side.
“I wanted to play my game that I know I can play, just didn’t want to make any mistakes early to let the [Open] field back in,” Jones said. “I knew Nick was on my tail after nine holes. I had to buckle down and grind. I had good, key up-and-downs coming in. It was good enough to finish off the third victory [in WCGA].
“So, I’m pretty happy with the way I played.”
Adams finished with a 67 and took third overall at 3-under 212.
Former collegiate All-American Jonathan Burke had his two-year as Open Division champ end, despite shooting a 68 on the SWCC links. He recorded an eagle on the par-5 fifth hole, but left several putts on the course. He hit the flag on No. 9 from the fairway.
Burke placed second at 4-under 211.
Hunter Brock seized fourth at even-par 215, while Williams shot 217.
“It was a blast, my first time playing in the final group and it played up to the hype,” Williams said. “[Had] a lot of people out there watching us. [A] good day playing golf and everyone in the final group, we’re all good friends.”
Smeltzer completed a wire-to-wire run that started with a 5-over par 77 at Walnut Creek Country Club on Friday. He extended his two-shot advantage to five strokes with an even-par effort at GGC.
But one hole bad hole gnawed at him.
“I took an eight on number eight,” Smeltzer said. “I was very frustrated with myself. I just tried to get locked in, play relaxed and get that out of my head. I made a commitment to hit the ball in the middle of the fairways and put the ball on the middle of the green.
“With a five-shot lead going into the day, I just felt like if I made pars, I would win.”
Former WCGA champ Tim Rose ended up six strokes behind Smeltzer. Bob Phillips was third at 229, followed by Phillip Mobley at 231.
Alford dethroned two-time defending Masters champ Roland Gurley, who shot a 224. Bill Holliday (234) and Larry Dawson (236) concluded the 54-hole, stroke-play event at third and fourth, respectively.
