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



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