The Grayhawk Golf Club in Scottsdale boasts one of Arizona’s finest daily fee courses. The Raptor is listed among the “Best Public Courses in Arizona” according to Golf Magazine. Prior to the Society’s visit, the Raptor was the host site of the 2007-2009 Frys.com Open, the inaugural Williams World Challenge; the semi-finals and finals of the Andersen Consulting World Championship of Golf; Tommy Bahama’s Desert Marlin; Thunderbird International Junior and Waste Management Phoenix Open Pro Ams.
The Raptor course lived up at all advance billing, providing the Tutwiler Four Ball field with excellent conditions and true fast greens for scoring. After round one, three teams posted 67’s including Steve Hudson, Birmingham, AL and Lawrence Field, Tulsa, OK, Paul Simson, and Don Detweiler, Raleigh, NC, and Dan Levinson, New York, NY and Adam Kugler, Closter, NJ.
After round two, it was three-time British Senior Amateur Champion Paul Simson and his partner Don Detweiler jumping into the lead with a second round 68 (135). Hudson, a three time Alabama GA Player of the Year and first time SOS player Field were tied at 136 with Lee Sandlin, Dallas, TX and Lewis Stephenson, Mansfield, TX.
But the final round belonged to the Hudson/Field team, whose tournament low 66 (202) and a one shot victory over Detweiler and Simson (203). The victory marked the third SOS title for Hudson.
In the Super Senior Division Robert Hess, Casselberry, FL and Ronnie Tumlin, St. Augustine, FL fired rounds of 64-65-70—199, good for a six shot victory over Mark Miller, Brentwood, CA and Gary Vanier, Pleasant Hill, CA.