Columnist Peter Benton: Larsen-Davis duo defend LVCC title

Peter Benton

Wednesday, June 7, 2000 | 10:16 a.m.

Peter Benton's golf column appears Wednesday.

The Las Vegas Country Club's Memorial Weekend Member-Member Golf Tournament was played under hot and muggy weather conditions on a course in absolutely pristine shape.

Format for the three-day event was Chapman Scotch Foursome the first day (both players tee off on each hole, hit each other's second shot and then hit alternate shots with the selected ball until it is holed, using 65 percent of combined handicap).

The second day was best ball and the third was combined low net of partners.

Defending champions Frank Larsen and Gary Davis once again played superbly and won the Champions Flight with a score of 271. The Jim Hagen-Joe Brandise pairing placed second with 276.1 and in third at 276.75 were Bob Frusco and Russ Olsen.

Bill Maupin and Ken Westfield ham-and-egged it to perfection in capturing the President's Flight. Their score was 272.35. Second at 278.25 was the Dan Shapiro-Larry Paluzzi team and third at 280.35 was Mike Conway and Woody Hensley.

The Director's Flight victors with a score of 281.1 were Augie Gurrola and Charlie Silvestri. The Darwin Pilger-Jeff Harmon duo placed second at 282.45 while in third spot with 289.15 was Allen Vogel and Johnny Joseph.

In the Silver Flight, where competitors played only the final two days, Bernie Sindler and Sam Lionel prevailed with a 202. At 211 and garnering second place was the team of Bill Stephan and Dennis Sabbath.

Laurie Durant and Larren Buckley dominated the Ladies Flight, coming in with a remarkable score of 261.15. Rene Raynes and Cheryl Blackard tied for second with the Sandy Singer-Pat Corona twosome, both teams coming in with 281.25.

The World Golf Championships-Andersen Consulting Match Play Championship, the first of 48 official money events, will be played at the Metropolitan Golf Club in Melbourne, Australia Jan. 1-7.

The Tour then returns to Hawaii for back-to-back events with the Mercedes Championships, featuring the 2000 tournament winners, and the Sony Open.

The 2001 schedule also features four World Golf Championships. In addition to the season-opening Andersen Match Play Championship, they are: NEC Invitational, Aug. 20-26 at Firestone CC in Akron, Ohio; American Express Championship, Sept. 10-16 at Bellerive CC St. Louis and the EMC World Cup, Nov. 12-18 at a site yet to be announced.