Honeycutt Wins Cleveland Invitational
by 9 with 13-under 131 (66-65)

University of Tennessee golfer Ricky Honeycutt planned to use the Cleveland Invitational as a tune-up for this week's State Open at the Nashville Athletic Club.

Apparently, his engine didn't need much work.

Honeycutt shot a 7-under 65 on Sunday and ran away with the Cleveland championship. Honeycutt's 13-under 131 gave him a nine-stroke margin over runner-up Pete Webster. Greg Privettte finished 10 shots behind Honeycutt, and Taylor Lewis was 11 back.

"I really just planned on using this tournament as a warm-up tournament,'' Honeycutt said. "I really wasn't concerned about winning. I just wanted to get back in competition. But the win sure makes me feel better about my game.''

Honeycutt finished the tournament with 12 birdies, one eagle and one bogey.

"I played a lot better today,'' Honeycutt said. "My play today makes me feel a lot better because I hit my driver well. I'll have to hit it well in Nashville because that course is tougher and they can lengthen it to about 7,600 yards. I knew I had to start hitting my driver well.''

Said Matt Mathis, who played in Honeycutt's threesome on Sunday afternoon, "He hits it so far and so straight. His swing is on such a good plane that he can go hard at it. And he's putting well.''

On Sunday, Honeycutt made birdies on Nos. 1, 3, 9, 12, 15 and 18. He made a short eagle putt on No. 4, but made his only bogey of the tournament with a three-putt on No. 10.

"I almost made a two on No. 1,'' Honeycutt said. "I got it about a foot away. I made some longer putts today, but most of them were close. And I had a few lip-outs I thought were going in.''

WEBSTER POSTS HOT FINISH: Pete Webster, who finished behind Honeycutt, shot a 5-under 67 with birdies on six of his last seven holes.

"I just hit a lot of solid iron shots, and I had a hot putter,'' said the 47-year-old Webster, who will play in the Georgia State Amateur this week in Athens.

He started his late run on No. 12 with a six-footer for birdie. After a par on No. 13, he made birdies all the way home.

"He was on fire,'' said Privette, who finished third. "We had a bunch of birdies in our group today.''

Privette shot a 69 on Sunday to finish at 141. He made seven birdies, two bogeys and a double-bogey.

"I was really disappointed with that six on No. 18,'' Privette said. "I had a chance to finish second, but I made a 6 and Webster made a 3. That was painful. Our group played well. Pete and I kind of fed off each other.''

LEWIS FALTERS LATE: Taylor Lewis also had a chance to finish as the tournament runner-up, but bogeyed Nos. 17 and 18. He finished at 142 with two straight 1-under 71s.

"I knew I couldn't win the tournament, but I wanted to go as low as possible,'' Lewis said. "I made a lot of par putts today, and I had at least two lip-outs that I could have used.''

FLIGHT WINNERS: Fifty-five year old Larry Moores shot a 2-under 70 on Sunday and won the Seniors Division t 151. He finished six shots ahead of Bill "Chief'' Robertson.

Greg Johnson won the first flight in a scorecard playoff over Jimmy Watkins. They each finished at 149.

Mike Craig turned in a 77 on Sunday and won the second flight with a 160. Steven Rogers was second at 163.

(E-mail Stan Crawley at wscrawley@earthlink.net)