Hear from the 2019 Chanticleer National Senior Invitational champion Dale Bouguennec.

Bouguennec birdies final hole to win at Chanticleer

Dale Bouguennec, from Pinehurst birdied the final hole to win the 2019 Chanticleer Senior National Invitational at the Greenville Country Club. (GolfClub Photo)

High winds and high temperatures produced higher than normal scores at the Chanticleer National Senior Invitational.

An outstanding field carded only three rounds of even par or better in 54 holes.

Dale Bouguennec from Pinehurst, NC was never under par in the tournament, but he wasn’t much over par either.

The recent transplant from California to North Carolina came to the final hole thinking he needed a birdie to tie 2017 CNSI champion Todd Hendley and force a playoff.

Bouguennec landed his second shot on the par-4 18th hole 12 feet from the pin. He lined up the putt and rolled it into the center of the hole thinking he would be in a playoff.

“I had calculated my score wrong,” said Bouguennec. “Once I made the putt the guys I was playing with congratulated me on the win, but I didn’t believe them,” he said.

Bouguennec thought he and Hendley were tied at 5 over par. Instead his birdie putt put a final round 73 on his scorecard and a three-day total of 5-under par.

Hendley, playing in the group in front of Bouguennec, finished with an even par 72 and a 3-day total of 222, 6-over par.

“I told them it was just a tie, but they told me I was five over and I won. I surprised myself,” he said.

Walter Todd from Laurens called a penalty on himself in the final round. The three-time SCGA Senior Player of the Year finished in a tie for second place. (GolfClub Photo)

Walter Todd from Laurens posted the best score in the tournament. His second round 4-under par 68 gave him a four shot lead going into the final round.

While only Hendley was able to shoot even par on the final day to finish third, most of the scores were higher.
Todd was able to hold his lead until the turn, but  three straight bogeys on the back nine opened the door for the rest of the field.

“I had some chances and just didn’t make anything happen,” said the three-time SCGA Senior Player of the Year. “I just wasn’t able to get anything going,” he said.

Todd also had the misfortune of calling a penalty on himself while holding the lead.

On the 16th hole his ball was resting on some loose impediments. In attempting to clean up around the ball Todd thought he saw the ball move.

“I really wasn’t sure if it did move, but I didn’t want to take a chance. So I called the penalty on myself,” he said.

The double bogey brought Todd and Bouguennec into a tie with two holes to play.

Both golfers birdied 17 before Bouguennec was able to sink  his birdie putt on 18 to claim a significant senior championship.

Bouguennec’s senior resume included a win in last year’s North Carolina Tournament of Champions, several good wins in California and two appearances in the US Senior Open.

“I’ve won some little tournaments, but I haven’t won anything of this magnitude in the Carolinas” he said.

2017 Invitational champion Todd Hendley finished in a tie for second place after shooting even par in the final round. (GolfClub Photo)

In the ninth year the Invitational championship has earned an outstanding reputation for everything involved in staging a major senior event.

“This was my first time coming to Chanticleer. What a wonderful event. I can’t wait to come back next year,” said the new champion.

The Super-Senior Division was won by Don Russell of Tequesta, Florida. Johnny Dennis from the host club finished second in the division.

John Blank from Frostburg, MD won the Legends Division played at the Riverside Course.