Columnist Peter Benton: Laverty defends his LVCC title with ease

Peter Benton

Wednesday, May 8, 2002 | 8:26 a.m.

Peter Benton's golf column appears Wednesday.

The Las Vegas Country Club's Club Championship, which concluded this past Sunday, saw each and every flight keenly contested.

Crowned men's club champion for the second year running was Pay Laverty, whose final 6 and 5 victory over Tom Hyland, although not a complete shock, was surprising by the ease with which he won.

Both men had played superb golf in their early matches and a close and exciting final was expected. But Laverty played absolutely brilliantly each day, and Hyland's putter let him down in the final match.

In the men's first flight, Don Dombrowski finally edged Frank DeLee 1-up after a thrilling see-saw battle. Russ Schroeder, whose game rarely seems to fail him, proved too strong for Cliff Buckley in the men's second flight, winning 5 and 4.

Dan Albreghts, whose on-again, off-again game was decidedly on during the championship week, gave no quarter in his final match against Ken Westfield and came out on top with a 2-up victory.

Brad Wallin was the fourth flight winner with a narrow 1-up victory while in the fifth Flight, Jim Abraham, whose victories in the early rounds were extremely close, again had one that went to the wire before defeating Hugo Paulson 1-up.

The inscrutable and indomitable Ralph Levin surprised nobody but himself in winning the sixth flight with a 2 and 1 triumph over Jack Vergiels.

Laurie Durant, who was Las Vegas Country Club's Ladies Champion in 2000, was up against last year's champ, Rhonda Mushkin, in this year's final. Durant's all-around consistent play and superb putting was the deciding factor in her 3 and 2 victory.

Debby Hyland, who approached every match in the ladies first flight with pessimism, proved a terrific competitor and popular winner by defeating another wonderful player, Dianne Jett, 3 and 2.

Contestants who failed to win either their first- or second-round matches teed it up in an 18-hole low net Consolation Shootout. Larren Buckley played outstanding golf to come in with 8-under 64. Benet Hudson and Halina Vergiels tied for second with 70s.

In the senior division, Eagle Crest's Jim Kirwan won in a playoff over Mike Davis of the Resort Golf School.

This tournament, which also served as a qualifying event for the upcoming Arizona Open, saw Myland Swilor of Utah, Jim Hadley (Badlands) and Anthem's Phil Lopez advance to the June event.