Royak, Hanzel share Senior HoF tourney lead

Greer Smith, The High Point Enterprise, N.C.
·2 min read

Jun. 17—HIGH POINT — Playing his first competitive round on High Point Country Club's Willow Creek course, Bob Royak quickly made his mark Wednesday.

Royak, the reigning USGA Senior Amateur champ from Alpharetta, Georgia, shot 4-under-par 68 to share the first-round lead in the Senior Amateur Hall of Fame tournament with two-time winner and fellow Georgia resident Doug Hanzel.

Royak didn't quite know the course by hole number as he recounted his round, but he certainly remembered that he made four birdies and no bogeys on the par-72 layout.

"I can't complain about that," Royak said. "It was pretty solid."

Royak opened by playing the back nine in three under with birdies on 10, 16 and 17, and picked up his fourth on No. 7.

The birdie on 16 came from10 feet. He two-putted from 15 feet in the par-5 17th. On 7, he chipped on within 2 feet of the hole.

"It could have been really wild," Royak siad. "I had five or six putts within 20 feet that skirted the edges (of the holes). But, when you shoot 68, you can't complain. I hit it solid and drove it good."

Hanzel, who has also won the U.S.Senior Am, started off hot, making birdie on four (1,3,4 and 7) of the first seven holes. He played the rest of the round in par, making bogey on 8, birdie on 11, bogey on 14 and birdie on 2.

"I hit it pretty well," Hanzel said.

Royak and Hanzel are two shots ahead of Michael Mercier of Juno Beach, Florida, who played Willow Creek for the first time during a practice round on Tuesday.

Mercier biridied 1, bogeyed 2, then made pars until finishing with birdies on 17 and 18.

"I played well," Mercier said. "I've only played one casual round in a couple of weeks and took some time off. I struck it well. I made a lot of good mental decisions. The course requires a lot of thinking. This is only the second round I've played here. I'm very happy with the round."

Steve Harwell of Mooresville, who won the last edition of the Senior Hall of Fame Amateur in 2019, shot 1-under 71 and is tied with two others from North Carolina — Sherrill Britt of West end and Pat Thompson of Asheville.

"I hit it really well," said Harwell, who was 1-over (two birdies and three bogeys) before making birdies on 16 and 17. "I made a couple of mental errors and I had putts lip out four or five times. It could have been a really good round. I'm feeling good about my game. I just have to tighten it up the next couple of days."