Ray Franz Holds Lead to Win Assistant Championship
September 1, 2020 (Pinehurst, NC) – The final round of the National Car Rental Carolinas PGA Assistant Championship is complete. An overcast morning and beautifully sunny afternoon provided a perfect setting on the stunning County Club of North Carolina’s Dogwood course. The course proved to be quite challenging for both rounds, but a champion has been crowned. CPGA Assistants were competing for six of the qualifying spots that will advance to the 44th National Car Rental Assistant PGA Professional Championship to be held November 12-15, 2020 at PGA Golf Club’s Wannamaker Course in Port St. Lucie, Florida.
Ray Franz of Daniel Island Club held his lead through the final round and posted a consistent pair of 68’s, finishing in stellar fashion. Franz bested the rest of the field by five shots. Starting the day with a two-shot lead, Franz was calm, trying to maintain his same thought process from the previous day. “I was hitting my driver great and the key was to hit fairways this week. That was the secret to playing well.” And that is what he did for both rounds. After finding the rough a couple times which led to two bogeys on 11 and 12, Franz decided to check the leaderboard and saw he had a three-shot lead. This helped calmed his nerves which supported him on his way to finishing the last six holes at three-under-par. The most exciting moment of the two days had to have been his very last hole. “I had 50 yards, just tried to hit it right of the hole, let the slope take it down. I couldn’t see anything because I was below the hole, and next thing I know everyone was saying ‘It went in!’” What a finish with an eagle for the Champion!
Preston Cole of Quail Hollow Club finished in second place after a stellar second round of three-under-par. When coupled with his first round even-par, Cole finished with a 36-hole total of 3-under, 141. Three shots behind him in the lone third place position is Josh Webb of Sedgefield CC who posted two consistent rounds of even-par.
Tied in the fourth-place position is Josh Stockwell of Pinehurst Resort and Tommy Gibson of Old Town Club, both at two-over-par. Two players tied for the sixth-place position, forcing a playoff for the final qualifying spot. Kirk Mitchell of May River GC and Jackson Collier of Highland CC battled it out and Jackson Collier solidified his position by winning the playoff.
Congratulations to the top six who will advance to Port St. Lucie in November!
We extend a huge “thank you” to PGA Director of Golf, Jeff Dotson, and his entire staff at CCNC for their generous hospitality and tremendous track for this championship. The course was in pristine condition and the staff was remarkable to work alongside!
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About Country Club of North Carolina
Since the opening of the Dogwood course in 1963, members and guests from all over the country have enjoyed the unique golf experience that CCNC provides. That experience is more than just the pleasure of playing an outstanding course in great condition. The natural beauty of the surroundings, the sense of playing through a quiet pine forest, the unhurried laid-back feel of the Club, and the warm hospitality of the members and staff all combine to make the golf experience one of the most memorable to be found anywhere.
About Carolinas PGA
Since its inception in 1923, the Carolinas PGA Section has been committed to nurturing and improving the quality of the game for the thousands of golfers using its member facilities. Now the largest of the PGA’s forty-one sections, the Carolinas PGA Section of the Professional Golfers’ Association boasts over 2,000 professional members and represents more than 700 golf facilities within North and South Carolina as well as portions of southern Virginia.
PGA professionals are responsible for conducting a variety of golf-related functions which include human resource management, golf shop merchandising, golf instruction, tournament operations, junior golf programs, growth of the game initiatives, golf club repair, administering the rules, public relations and much more. For more information, contact Sally Morgan, PGA, Director of Marketing at 336-398-2675 or smorgan@pgahq.com.