International Senior Invitational: Doug Hanzel wins individual race, leads his Georgia team to the title

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 final day, Royak made three closing birdies, including on the par-3 16th where he stuck a 6-iron inside 4 feet.

Royak soaked in the opportunity play with teams from all over the country – even Ireland and Scotland fielded teams at Cartersville – as well as the opportunity to play team golf.

“We don’t play a lot of team stuff so we always love just to play four-balls or play a team and have guys to share it with,” he said. “You play so many individual events throughout the year, this is a nice kind of end-of-the-year thing where it’s kind of a team thing. You’re representing your state, in a way.”

Hanzel also thought the event featured an exciting format, even though he mostly had to keep to himself for the week. Two days before play began, Hanzel came down with a severe cold and spent the week distancing himself from his teammates and his opponents as much as possible to avoid passing it on.

The tournament also featured an individual competition, and Hanzel’s closing 66 moved him ahead of Kevin VandenBerg of Pulaski, New York, for the title. Hanzel was 10 under on his own ball and credits extreme accuracy for his scoring. He missed only five greens in 54 holes.

“It was a good ball-striking week, a good scoring week,” he said. “I’m very proud of how I played given how bad I felt.”

Hanzel felt the course presented a challenge each day as the setup shifted slightly. It played differently from last year’s event because of heavy rains.

“Last year, it was a little more firm and fast. The greens were firmer,” Hanzel said. “This year the greens held more, a little slower. I think it played actually a little easier. You could shoot the ball right at the hole and it was going to hold.”

The winning team with the volunteer group at Cartersville Country Club. (Golfweek photo/Ron Gaines)

While team events are few and far between in senior amateur golf, Hanzel and Royak both are headed to the East West Matches next month at Maridoe Golf Club in Carrollton, Texas. The week after that, Hanzel has been tapped to be an assistant captain at the Concession Cup, which will be played at the Landings Golf Club in Savannah, his home golf course.

Hanzel has played in the event four times but this is his first foray into captaining anything.

“It will probably be more stressful than playing.”