From left, Mike Tracy, Steve Haigler, Mike Stevens, and Bill Geisler are awarded their third place medal in the Archie Baird Trophy Matches at the 2018 World Hickory Festival of Golf. Tournament Director Boris Leitzoff is at far right.
October 2018 – East Lothian, Scotland
Of the 120 players at the 14th annual World Hickory Open, Oct. 15-18, there were several players from the U.S., second in strength only to Sweden. Of these, the Florida players had a pretty good week.
SoHG President Bill Geisler, of Winter Park, finished second in the Senior Division. National Hickory champion and international ambassador of hickory golf Mike Stevens, of Tampa, finished third in the Honors Division.
Stevens and Geisler joined ranks with two other Floridians, Steve Haigler (Tampa) and Mike Tracy, to finish third in the Archie Baird International Championship, played the day after the WHO.
“We’ve had a great week, with an abundance of international goodwill and friendship. Plus, the weather has been fantastic,” Stevens said. Geisler agreed, adding,” We have got to encourage more U.S. players to come to the WHO. It’s an outstanding event and should be experienced at least once in a hickory player’s career.”