Put two U.S. Golf Association champions on the same squad in any team format, and it’s going to turn heads. That said, a three-man team featuring past U.S. Senior Amateur champs Doug Hanzel and Bob Royak finished right where many might have expected at the International Senior Amateur, but it was still a grind to get there.
Hanzel and Royak, of Savannah, Georgia, and Atlanta, respectively, combined with Atlanta’s Robert Sheats at Cartersville Country Club in Georgia to form one of six Georgia teams in the 28-team field. They took an early, one-shot lead in the 54-hole event, but it took a finishing charge to overtake teams from Kentucky, Atlanta and New York for the title.
“We came in second last year,” said Royak, the team captain. “I know if we put three good days together, I thought we’d be in the hunt at least. You never know how it’s going to go.”
Scores: International Senior Invitational
Led by Tony Wise, Kentucky’s team sailed into the lead in the second round and a team from Atlanta, featuring the ringer Jack Hall of Savannah, sat right between Royak & Co.
On the final day, both Hanzel and Royak found it difficult to keep track of the team standings on the golf course. Both, however, got word on the back nine that Sheats had eagled the par-4 10th.
Sheats, who plays out of Cherokee Country Club and has also made several USGA starts, felt like a natural replacement this year for Michael Standard, who competed with Hanzel and Royak in last year’s event, and he contributed plenty. Hanzel and Royak were under par all week, and after their scores made up the team score for the first 36 holes in the play-three-count-two format, in the final round, it was Sheats’ turn.
Hanzel brought in a final-round 66 and Sheats had 68. Royak’s 69 was the drop score.
“Really happy for his round today,” Royak said. “Since Doug and I counted the first two days, I knew he was really wanting to be a counter and I was really proud of how he played today. That was great.”
Royak downplayed his captain’s responsibilities at the event, saying he basically made sure everyone showed up on time. The men did dress in uniform, of sorts, for each round, and when Sheats told Royak he didn’t have a navy golf shirt, he invited a little ribbing.
In the end, shirt color mattered little and a strong closing nine was enough to get the North Georgia team to 10 under for the week and two shots ahead of Kentucky.
Even though his score didn’t count on the…
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