OXFORD – Todd Seiler and Joe Loftus opened up the 2018 Member-Guest Tournament with a first round best 65 on Saturday, July 21. One day later, the pair shot a field low 63, cruising to a 12-under final score to take the Championship Flight and the bragging rights of Blue Stone.

Seiler and Loftus had an eight-stroke lead over partners Rick Race and Jerry Birdsall after the first day. Race and Birdsall attempted to close in on the leaders, shooting a 65 on Sunday but Seiler and Loftus continued with their momentum from Saturday.

Race and Birdsall were also behind John and Johnny Witchella following the conclusion of Saturday. The Witchellas finished the first round with a 69, just four strokes behind Seiler and Loftus. However, Sunday’s round just wasn’t theirs as they shot a three-over par 73. Race and Birdsall slid into second place with their five-under par second round. That is where the pair finished as Seiler and Loftus used their field low scores from both rounds to finish 10 stroke ahead.

In the other flights, Jason Golden and JR Bogert tied Seiler and Loftus with their second round low score of 63. Golden and Bogert’s Saturday score of 77 placed them into the First Flight.

In the First Flight, Jason and Keith Finch finished one stroke ahead of Golden and Bogert after the first round. Powering back with their round low 63 on Sunday, Golden and Bogert were able to win by seven strokes.

Ken and Lukas Benjamin snagged a third place finish in the first flight with their two-round score of eight-over par.

Seeing excitement in both rounds, the Second Flight was won on Sunday with a sudden death playoff hole. Brett Crandall and Jeff Cola tied with Gregg Johnson and Dennis Yack on Saturday while Cory Endress and Josh Newman finished just one stroke behind the two pairs.

With all three duos shooting a second round score of 73, Crandall and Cola faced Johnson and Yack in a playoff hole to determine the winner of the flight.

On his second shot of hole 10, Cola stuck the ball about eight feet from the pin but he and Crandall missed their birdie putt attempt, leaving the door open for Johnson and Yuck.

With a chance to tie for par, both Johnson and Yuck missed the cup by inches. Crandall and Cola dropped their putts into the cup to take the playoff and the second flight title.

The third and final flight saw Hugh Witchella and Dean Cummings lead after the first day by one stroke over Bill Kelsey and Stanley Brewer. In the second round, Witchella and Cummings kept their pace going from the day prior to shoot a 75 and became third flight champions by four stokes.

Kelsey and Brewer finished second with Terry Finch and Paul Ehly tying Dave Burdick and George Chesebro for third place in the flight.

Top Three finishers in each flight

Championship Flight

Todd Seiler and Joe Loftus  65-63 = 128