LUMBERTON — Between the course conditions and the parity in the field of golfers going to compete over the weekend in the Robeson County Golf Championships, the scenario is a perfect storm for Pinecrest Country Club course pro Dwight Gane.
An expected 95 golfers will compete in five divisions in the 38th edition of the county tournament, sponsored by Dial Insurance, a number that is slightly fewer than normal due to the recent heatwave hitting the area. Play starts Friday with the Super Senior and Championship divisions teeing off. The Ladies, Regular and Senior divisions start on Saturday, the same day the Super Senior division holds its final round, and all three divisions, along with the Championship, will close play on Sunday.
“For the last eight to 10 days, heat has been pretty oppressive,” Gane said. “We are looking forward to it (the tournament).”
When looking at the field, Gane said it is tough to pick a winner, or even title favorites for that matter, in each division.
“Who’s playing in the last group on Sunday, usually I think I can look at you and say, ‘I can pick two out of the three,’ but I couldn’t come close this year,” Gane said. “It’s wide open.”
The Championship division will be without two of the last three county champions, with Greg Powell and Steve Pippin not in the field this weekend. Also, tournament regular Dyrck Fanning is unable to compete in the tournament as well. The balance in the group that makes up the 23-person Championship division comes with the wave of recent golfers to claim multiple titles across several county-wide championships over the years.
Gane said that he expects last year’s runner-up Ryan Bass and Jamie Locklear to be among the golfers to watch this weekend in the Championship division, but said don’t be surprised to see others remain in contention.
“I really think there are 15 people that can win this golf tournament this year,” Gane said. “The names have moved younger. At one time it was Dyrck Fanning, Mark Kinlaw, Scott Benton, Jeff Wishart and Kyle Covington every year. Now all of a sudden you’ve got Ryan Bass, Brad Locklear and different people.”
Last year’s Regular division champion Yarnell Locklear makes the jump to the Championship category, and Gane said not to count him out.
In the Ladies Division, rising Purnell Swett senior Madison Deese competes with former champions Pandora Carter, the 2018 titleholder, and Lea Hepler.
Reigning champion Donnie Beck is the prohibitive favorite in the Super Senior division, as well as Lonail Locklear in the Senior division, according to Gane.
While Gane said the Championship division is up for grabs for the entire field, the Regular division might be even more open for the taking for anyone in the field.
The group will compete on a lush Pinecrest Country Club that Gane credits course superintendent Chris Jackson for the condition of the fairways and greens.
“I’m probably more proud of it than I’ve ever been,” Gane said. “We had been a little bit late with grass growth this year, but the rain in the last three weeks has just brought us out. We are fabulous right now.”
This year’s championship, like the 2017 championship comes following a major hurricane that hit the area the previous fall. While Gane said that the damage done to the course was nowhere near the extent that Hurricane Matthew levied on the course in 2016, there still was an impact of Hurricane Florence on the track.
“Matthew took out about 60 trees, but Florence took out 13, none of which were in play,” Gane said. “None of that is any different. This has just been a better grass-growing year coming in when it did.”
