June 15, 2022
Pete Georgiady reports:
Some 34 players from around the U.S. and Canada (and another six playing remotely) turned out for the 25th playing of the National Hickory Champion at the historic Foxburg Country Club. Seth Lomison was the winner of a playoff over Bill Geisler at the Mound Golf Course (Miamisburg, Ohio) in 2018 and the outright winner at the Mound in 2019. He didn’t participate in remote/hybrid NHCs of 2020 and 2021 but returned to live competition in 2022.
Lomison held off a strong come-from-behind challenge from 2021 champ Jason Kronenberger whose second day total of 78 was the Championship’s low round. That effort fell short of Seth’s two-day total of 161 by two strokes. Coming up in a strong third place was Drew White, the Reserve Division winner a year ago, with a 166. Both Lomison and White started their NHC careers as First Tee Interns from the North Carolina Triad and Washington D.C. chapters respectively. White’s first visit was as caddie for his grandfather, Bob. With three championships under his belt, Seth joins a very select company of multi-championship winners Randy Jensen (8), Bobby Sly (3) and Mike Stevens (3).
Reserve Division (net) championship was taken by Bern Bernacki, his second division win, followed by Timo White, Drew’s younger brother, and Bob West.
On Thursday the second International Feathery Challenge saw Russ Ravert take first place for the second time. In 2021 he lost a three-hole playoff. In the Mike and Elmore Foursomes Billy Wardwell and Deal Hudson won the Open Match Play flight while Bill Geisler and Bob West won the stroke play flight. Brothers Drew and Timo White won the prized Clan Match event.
Click here for complete event results.
Seth Lomison holding the Open Division trophy for the third time.
Bern Bernacki receives the Reserve Division trophy from Pete Georgiady. It was his second division title.