Columnist Peter Benton: Fleming, Brittain duo win at Southshore

Peter Benton

Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2002 | 9:10 a.m.

Peter Benton's golf column appears Wednesday.

The Southshore Golf Club's annual Member-Guest tournament was played last week on a course in absolutely pristine shape and under ideal weather conditions.

Format for the event, which consisted of six flights containing six two-man teams, saw pairings compete in a four-ball, match-play, best-ball of partners.

Teams were awarded one point for every hole won, with the twosome amassing the most points in their respective flight (five 9-hole matches,) going onto an elimination round, where one team was eliminated on each hole played until only the winning team was left.

Bob Fleming and John Brittain ham-and-egged it to edge Spencer Johnston and Carter Bernhardt for overall honors. Fred Cox and Mike Small, the defending champions, placed third.

Flight winners were as follows:

With his victory in last week's rain-shortened Southern Farm Bureau Classic, Luke Donald became the 18th first-time winner on the PGA tour this year, breaking the record set in 1991 when there were 14 first-time champions.

Here are the first-time winners and the tournament(s) they won: Jerry Kelly, Sony and Western Opens; Matt Gogel, AT&T Pebble Beach; Len Mattiace, Nissan Open and Federal Express/St. Jude Classic; Kevin Sutherland, Accenture Match Play Championship; Ian Leggatt, Touchstone Tucson Open; Matt Kuchar, Honda Classic; Craig Perks, Tournament Players Championship; K.J. Choi, Compaq and Tampa Bay Classics; Chris Smith, Buick Classic; Spike McRoy, B.C. Open; Craig Parry, NEC Invitational; Chris Riley, Reno-Tahoe Open; John Rollins, Bell Canadian Open; Charles Howell III, Michelob Championship; Phil Tataurangi, Invensys Classic at Las Vegas; Bob Burns, Disney Golf classic; Jonathan Byrd, Buick Challenge; and Donald.