Another GCSAA title for Strickland

Seth Strickland, GCSAA Class A golf course superintendent at Miami Shores (Fla.) Country Club, fired a final-round 1-over-par 73 in testy conditions Tuesday to earn his second consecutive GCSAA National Championship, and third overall, at Kiva Dunes Golf Club in Gulf Shores, Ala.

Strickland survived a rocky finish to wrap up a three-day total of 11-over-par 227 and record a two-shot victory over Tim Scott, the superintendent at Stony Creek Golf Course in Orland Park, Ill., who shot a 2-over-par 74 Tuesday to finish the tournament at 229.

Strickland, who won both the 2005 and 2008 tournaments when they were played in Orlando, Fla., entered the final round five shots behind second-round leaders Richard Pavlasek of Gainey Ranch Golf Club in Scottsdale, Ariz., and Chester Guzek of Lake of the Woods in Spotsylvania, Va. But he quickly took charge and made the turn at 3-under-par, which gave him the lead.

His advantage was five shots by the time he came to the par-3 17th, and he ultimately would need almost all of that. Playing into the teeth of a stiff wind that grew stronger throughout the day, Strickland pushed his shot right of the green and then three-putted for a double-bogey.

On the par-4 18th, he drove into a fairway bunker on the right side of the hole, then sent his approach over the back of the green. Putting from a closely mowed lie, he rolled his third shot about 10 feet past the hole and missed the comeback putt before tapping in for the victory and a huge sigh of relief.

The 2007 champion Jason Regan from Selma (Ala.) Country Club finished in third place, shooting a 75 on Tuesday to cap a three-day total of 14-over-par 230. A group of six players were a shot behind that in a tie for fourth place.

The GCSAA National Championship and Golf Classic is held in conjunction with the GCSAA Education Conference (February 2-7) and Golf Industry Show (February 5-7), at the New Orleans Morial Convention Center. The 2010 event will be played in Palm Springs, Calif.

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