Players Cup

Miller and Curtis pull away to win SIGA Players Cup

By Geary Deniston, For The Southern | Posted: Monday, August 16, 2010 12:15 am |

Paul Newton Paul Newton / The Southern Eventual champion Jeff Miller hits his tee shot on No. 17 during the final round of the SIGA Players Cup on Sunday, Aug. 15, at Hickory Ridge Public Golf Center.

CARBONDALE - Both SIU sophomore Jeff Miller and Carbondale golfer Stan Curtis played solid golf to build upon their first-day leads to win the 21st annual SIGA Players Cup at Hickory Ridge Public Golf Center.

"I love this course," Miller said. "This was a good way to get ready to start the college season. I got new clubs and they are fully broken in, so I'm ready to go."

Miller duplicated his first day score of 71 to finish at 142 and win his first Players Cup title by four strokes over his SIU teammate Jake Erickson and Pinckneyville native Barry Craig.

In the senior men's division, Curtis led by four strokes at the start of the day and played even par on both the front and back nines to finish with a 72 and win his second senior title by five strokes over Tom Williams, who plays out of Green Hills Golf Course in Mount Vernon.

"There are good players in the senior division, so you have to play well to win," Curtis said. "I didn't chip very well today, so I had to hit two good wedges to birdie the last two holes to get to get to even par."

Miller started the championship round with a one-stroke lead over Erickson, Craig and former Benton Ranger Josh Harp. The Centralia native fell behind Erickson after the third hole when Erickson birdied No. 2 and Miller lost a stroke with a bogey on No. 3 after starting with two pars.

"I missed short putts on one and two and then on three missed the green from about 110 yards from the middle of the fairway and that was bad," Miller said.

Miller pulled back to tie Erickson at the turn when he birdied No. 8 after a bogey on No. 7. Erickson finished the front nine with bogies on four and seven and a birdie on six.

"I hate hole seven," Miller said. "It just scares me with hazards right and hazards left, so I'm terrible off that tee a lot. You just have to hit it straight and I didn't hit it straight again."

Craig made the turn one-stroke back after bagging birdies on No. 2 and No. 6 and suffering bogies on No.'s 1, 4 and 5. Harp dropped out of the title chase, falling six strokes off the pace at the turn with a double bogey on seven and bogies on the third, fourth and eighth holes.

"I had a good tee shot off eight and made a birdie, so I was pretty happy to be tied at the turn," Miller said.

Miller opened the back nine with pars on the first four holes. Erickson regained the lead with a birdie on No. 11, but lost it with a bogey on No. 13. Craig had dropped off another stroke with a bogie on No. 10.

Miller regained the lead with a birdie on No. 14 and finished strong with three pars and a birdie on No. 17.

"On 14 I had a 60-yard shot from the fairway and hit it to six or seven feet," Miller said. "I had the scariest putt of my life on 17. The pin was in a way if I had gone a foot past it's going to roll another five easily, so I was very tentative and my knees were knocking together. It snuck in and I breathed a sigh of relief."

2010 Players Cup Results

At Hickory Ridge Golf Course (Carbondale)

Sunday

Men's Championship

Jeff Miller 71-71-142

Jake Erickson 72-74-146

Barry Craig 72-74-146

Jared Harp 76-72-148

Judson Brewer 76-76-152

Tom Portner 77-75-152

Josh Harp 72-81-153

Bryan Warren 76-79-155

Neil Rude 78-78-156

Jason Buskohl 83-76-159

Ryan Porvaznik 88-84-172

Chris Hart 77-WD-WD

Senior Men

Stan Curtis 70-72-142

Tom Williams 74-73-147

Murphy Hart 76-78-154

Cliff Mills 77-81-158

Mike Janulis 81-88-169

SIU’s Miller leads SIGA Players Cup after day one

Paul Newton Paul Newton / The Southern Jeff Miller chips from just off of the No. 15 green during the first round of the SIGA Players Club on Saturday, Aug. 14, at Hickory Ridge Public Golf Center. Miller holds a ond shot lead at the midway point of the tournament.

CARBONDALE - Southern Illinois University sophomore Jeff Miller holds a one-stroke lead over three other golfers after the first round of the 21st annual SIGA Players Cup on a very hot and humid day at Hickory Ridge Public Golf Center.

"I'm real happy with my one-under 71 and am hoping tomorrow will be even better," Miller said. "It was hot, very hot, but I'm from down the road, so I'm used to this weather. The greens and fairways were rolling really nice today."

Miller, a former state qualifier from Centralia, had the round's only eagle to go with three birdies. Last year, Miller finished tied for fifth, six strokes behind winner D.W. Bruce.

Miller made the turn tied with his foursome partner, Josh Harp, who has signed to play for Rend Lake College, with a one-under par 35. Miller pared the first three holes before sinking a birdie on No. 4 and finishing with five straight pars.

"The front nine went great," Miller said. "On my only birdie, I actually didn't hit that great of a shot. It came up a bit short, but I hit it bad enough it kept running, leaving me two feet from the hole."

Harp, who qualified for state his junior and senior year at Benton, bogied his first hole but gained that stroke back with a birdie on six and went to one-under with a birdie on eight.

Both golfers started the back nine with bogies on No. 10, but Miller gained a one-stroke advantage with an eagle on 11 while Harp could only manage a birdie. Miller pared the next three holes while Harp fell another stroke behind with consecutive bogies on 12 and 13 and a birdie on 14.

"On the eagle I hit a really good drive down the center of the fairway and then my next shot just right of the green," Miller said. "I finished with a 25-foot chip."

Both golfers birdied 15, but Harp evened the score on No. 16 when he had a single bogey and Miller bagged a triple. Miller gained the lead with a birdie on No. 18 while Harp pared out.

"On 16, I hooked my tee-shot close to the hazard," Miller said. "I had really tough stance on my third shot and skulled a shot for a triple. On 18, I hit it down the center of the fairway. I hit a wedge and finished sinking a 25-foot putt."

Also finishing one-stroke back was Miller's teammate at SIU Jake Erickson and Barry Craig of Pinckneyville. Erickson had a very even round, finishing the front nine with a 36 after a birdie on No. 6 and a bogey on No. 7 and on the back picking up a stroke with a birdie on No. 11, but losing it with a bogey on No. 13.

Craig had a more up-and-down round, making the turn with a 36 after recovering from a double bogey on the first hole and a bogey on No. 5 with birdies on holes two, four and nine.

In the senior division, Stan Curtis of Carbondale leads by four strokes over Tom Williams after finishing with a two-under 70. Curtis pared the first seven holes before a birdie on No. 8. On the back nine, Curtis bogeyed No. 12, but finished strong with birdies on No.'s 15 and 17. Curtis won the senior title in 2005 and finished third last year.

"Anytime you can be even par or better out here it's a good score," Curtis said. "I birdie 15 more than