SOUTHERN INTERNATIONAL FOUR-BALL CHAMPIONSHIP

The Board of Directors of the Southern Golf Association accepted responsibility for conducting the International Four-Ball Championship in 2003 and began doing so in 2004, under the title Southern International Four-Ball Championship.

This idea was first presented to the Board by John McKey, Jr., past President of the SGA and long-time Board member, who had singularly conducted this venerable championship for 25 years. It was Mr. McKey’s desire to turn the reins over to the Southern to ensure the future of this 70 year old, nationally prominent championship. The list of previous winners reads like a who’s-who of championship golf and the SGA is currently working on a complete list of those champions.

The Championship is comprised of two divisions, Mid-Amateur and Senior, and is 72 holes of Four-Ball Stroke Play. The 2004 Champions were the Mid-Amateur team of Jeff Knox, Augusta, Georgia and Steve Johnson, Signal Mountain, Tennessee and the Senior team of William Boles of Wilson, North Carolina and Marty West, Bethesda, Maryland.

1957. . . . .Howard Everitt/Jacques Houdry
1958. . . . .Bob Brue/Lee Raymond
1959. . . . .Jimmy Lee, Jr./Harry Root, Jr.
1960. . . . .Deane Beman/Jack Nicklaus
1961. . . . .Armand Cerami/Chuck Kocsis
1962. . . . .Paul Desjardino/John Laponzina
1963. . . . .John Guenther/Dick Siderowf
1964. . . . .Truman Connell/Jack Veghte
1965. . . . .Truman Connell/Jack Veghte
1966. . . . .Downing Gray/Dale Morey
1967. . . . .Steve Eichataedt/Jack Kersten
1968. . . . .Dale Morey/Ed Tutwiler
1969. . . . .John Emmel/Bruce Fleisher
1970. . . . .Dale Morey/Ed Tutwiler
1971. . . . .Downing Gray/Allen Miller
1972. . . . .Mark Hayes/Joe Inman
1973. . . . .Kevin Butler/John Darr, Jr.
1974. . . . .Gary Koch/Mickey Van Gerbig

1975. . . . .Bob Ault/Mark Lye
1976. . . . .Dale Morey/Ed Tutwiler
1977. . . . .Dallas Apelgren/Mickey Van Gerbig
1978. . . . .Vance Heafner/Dick Horne
1979. . . . .Downing Gray/Bob Rawlings
1980. . . . .Jim Holtgrieve/Mick Wellington
1981. . . . .Tommy Armour, III/Randy Kahn
1982. . . . .Harcourt Kemp/John McKey, Jr.
1983. . . . .Chip Hall/Jay Townsend
1984. . . . .Scott Dunlap/Jay Townsend
1985. . . . .Gary Emmons/Per Segerstrom
1986. . . . .Bill McDonough/Bill Rosenberg
1987. . . . .Bill Hamilton/Tom Knapp
1988. . . . .David Eger/Billy Varn
1989. . . . .Larry Boswell/Randy Brownlow
1990. . . . .Bill Hadden/James Taylor
1991. . . . .Bill Hadden/James Taylor
1992. . . . .Vinnie Giles/Buddy Marucci

Senior Division		Mid-Amateur Division
Fred Kask/NormLutz . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	1993. . . . . . . . . .	Bob Kouwe/Doug Lacrosse
Moss Beecroft/TomLangley. . . . . . . . . . .	1994. . . . . . . . . .	Mike Bright/Dick Horne
Fred Kask/Norm Lutz. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	1995. . . . . . . . . .	Bill O'connor/Dave Olson
Bob Hullender/John Proctor. . . . . . . . . . .	1996. . . . . . . . . .	Duke Delcher/James Taylor
Harcourt Kemp/Jim Stahl. . . . . . . . . . . . .	1997. . . . . . . . . .	Rocky Costa/Robbie Dew
Billy Key/Bill Ploeger. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	1998. . . . . . . . . .	Frank Strafaci/Rick Woulfe
Joel Hirsch/John McKey, Jr.. . . . . . . . . . .	1999. . . . . . . . . .	J.P. O'Hara/Joe Sommers
Barry Boswell/Ronnie Grove. . . . . . . . . . .	2000. . . . . . . . . .	Danny Green/Richard Smith
Bob Hullender/Mike Rice. . . . . . . . . . . . . .	2001. . . . . . . . . .	David Eger/Danny Green
Jerry Greenbaum/John McKey, Jr.. . . . . .	2002. . . . . . . . . .	Chris Dalrymple/Kelly Miller
Bob Hullender/Mike Rice. . . . . . . . . . . . . .	2003. . . . . . . . . .	Jerry Courville/Tim Jackson
William Boles/Marty West. . . . . . . . . . . . .	2004. . . . . . . . . .	Jeff Knox/Steve Johnson
*Russ Berkoben/Dan Smith. . . . . . . . . . .	2005. . . . . . . . . .	Buddy Marucci/Mike McCoy
*Steve Earsley/Mike Rice

MARUCCI-MCCOY WIN 2005 FOUR-BALL CHAMPIONSHIP
Larry Guest, Orlando, Fla

Two was the magic number for Mike McCoy in the 71st Southern International Four-Ball Championship Friday at Emerald Dunes Golf Club. McCoy, five-time Iowa amateur of the year, scored an eagle two, two days in a row, on hole No. 2.

After knocking in a wedge on the 408-yard hole in Thursday's third round, he duplicated the feat in Friday's finale to kick start his and partner Buddy Marucci's 3-stroke victory in the featured Mid-Am division. McCoy and Marucci, a two-time Walker Cupper, closed with a 6-under-par, better-ball 66 for a 263 total.

"We played great and really teamed well,'' beamed McCoy, an insurance exec in Des Moines. "Buddy is a great putter. The eagles are fun. I've had it go the other way, but it's nice when it goes your way."

Former Walker Cuppers Trip Kuehne and Danny Green put pressure on the winners, pulling within a stroke until suffering a bogey 5 at the 15th hole to fall two behind. McCoy made it three when he canned a sweeping, 60-foot birdie putt on the next hole.

Defending champs Steve Johnson of Chattanooga and Jeff Knox of Augusta opened the day two back, but failed to mount a charge and finished six back tied for third.

In the Seniors division, Steve Earsley of Stuart and Mike Rice of Houston let the title slip away when Earsley missed a 4-foot par saver on the final hole. That dropped them into a tie with Russ Berkoben of Perrysburg OH and Dan Smith of Naples and the two teams were declared co-champions when a heavy thunderstorm just as play was ending left the course unplayable.

Players from 26 states and the District of Columbia competed in the storied Southern Golf Association event.

International Four-Ball Trophy

Mid-Amateur Champions
Mike McCoy (L) - Buddy Marucci

Click Here for Final Results