Joe Bushee, the most dominant senior amateur in Arkansas the past five years, jumped out to an early six-up lead after six holes and held on to beat Mike Hale 3 & 2 to win the ASGA Senior Match Play Championship.
Bushee, 60, of Cabot, won the first two holes with pars at the Mountain Ranch Golf Club in Fairfield Bay when Hale’s putter let him down. Bushee added to his lead with birdies at number three, four and six. Hale, 55, of Pine Bluff, also lost the fifth hole when his tee shot found the fairway bunker on the 375-yard, uphill dogleg left par-4.
The two parred the final three holes on the front and Bushee turned at three-under par 33 while Hale was three over with a 39. But the “rookie” senior, who qualified for the USGA Senior Amateur last September, rallied on the back nine. After narrowly missing a birdie at number 10, he birdied 11, 12 and 14 and stood on the 15th tee only three down. A rare miscue by Bushee resulted in a three-putt bogie and he was two up with three to play.
Like a man who has won the last five ASGA Senior Player of the Year titles, Bushee nailed a six-iron to within five feet at the 175-yard par-3 16th hole and sank the birdie putt for a 3 & 2 victory.
“It got a little closer than I liked,” Bushee said, following the trophy presentation. “Mike is a good player and he came back. I’m just lucky he didn’t start like he finished.”
When the dust settled, Bushee played 16 holes three-under par and Hale finished at even-par after the slow start.
“I just put myself in a tough situation with a bad start, but then Joe also birdied three of the first six,” Hale said. “He’s a great champion and I knew I’d have to play my best today, but just didn’t.”
In the President’s Flight for first-round losers, Camden’s John Carter held off Hamburg’s Edward Nelson to take home top honors.
In the super-senior division for players ages 65 and older, Ralph Williams continued his domination as well defeating Jack Jordan in the finals 4 & 3. Williams won 11 consecutive ASGA Super-Senior Designated Tournaments last year including the ASGA Super-Senior Match and Stroke Play titles.
Harley Burke of Hot Springs Village edged past Jim Massey of Searcy to win the Super-Senior President’s Flight.
The ASGA would like to offer a special thanks to award-winning photographer Ron Phillips, who lives just off the 11th green at Mountain Ranch. Phillips photographed all the courses for the Natural State Golf Trail and all 12 holes for the 2005-2006 ASGA Golf Calendar. He followed the Bushee-Hale championship match and put together the “slide show” for your enjoyment.
Bushee and Williams currently lead (as of June 6) the ASGA Senior Player of the Year and ASGA Super-Senior Player of the Year races for 2005. In the qualifying round, Norm Padilla of Hot Springs Village aced the 145-yard third hole with a 7-iron.