BEDFORD What once seemed like an annual Gratzer Family Reunion has become a high school reunion and father-and-son reunion as the Bedford Men s City Golf Championships head into the final weekend Saturday at Otis Park. Former high school teammates Jordan Vice and Michael Tillett occupy the top two spots, with Vice the leader at 142 (69-73) and Tillett two strokes behind at 144 (72-72). Aaron Sanders is third at 147 (78-69), one shot ahead of his father, Tom Sanders, at 148 (78-70), with six-time champion Ken Hackney still lurking at 149 (74-75).
Vice is comfortable atop the leaderboard, but knows he can afford no stumbles with Tillett, who was two years his senior at Bedford North Lawrence, on his tail and the other challengers knocking on the door. If everybody s chasing you, I guess that s a good place to be, Vice said. Like I said before, I m just going to play it one hole at a time, one shot a time so I don t lose my focus.
I m just going to do what I did last week because if I lose my focus I m not going to stay at the top of the leaderboard very long. You ve got Michael Tillett, who is a great player, great shot maker, right there. Aaron is really consistent, and then he goes 78-69, which is really not his normal style, but he can play.
I haven t played against Tom Sanders, so I don t know how he plays, but he s right there, and Ken Hackney is a six-time champion, so you know he knows how to win. It s going to be an exciting weekend, I can guarantee you that much. Vice has been zinging lightning bolts with his blades, and now he hopes his putter comes along for the ride.
My irons are really dialed in right now and I m sticking a lot of greens, he said. But I can say the exact opposite about my putter. It s really been off, so I m going to go out and practice with a new putter and decide if I want to switch.
Tillett feels his solid two rounds are a result of putting brains with his talent. I ve been wanting to win this forever, he said. I ve been good enough to win it, but I haven t been smart enough to win it.
I m playing a lot smarter now and I m not making the bogeys like I used to make. Before I would make birdies, but I d give them back with bogeys and end up with a 76 or a 78, and now I m just trying to be even and that s how I m shooting 72-72. I think if I shoot even again, like I did the first two rounds, I ll be OK.
I think you re going to see some high scores this weekend. It s too hard to putt on the greens right now. Nobody is used to them yet.
Tillett s main concern may be overcoming an injury. I m having to learn to hit it a little differently because I cut my left hand Tuesday while I working on taking the molding off a door. I can t hit it as hard as I usually do, but I actually think it has straightened me out a little bit.
I don t think it will be a big factor. Vice is just two days, two solid rounds, away from etching his name on the hallowed list of city champions. It s a list that contains the name of his childhood idols like Hackney, Don Gratzer, David Gratzer and Michael Gratzer, and current PGA Tour member Craig Bowden, but he s trying to keep the enormity of the occasion in perspective.
It would mean so much to win it, he said. I grew up seeing Don Gratzer, David and Michael out here winning the tournament, and I can remember seeing them head off in a foursome and thinking, Wow, there s some talent. To join a list like that would be something else, but I m trying not to let is sink in where I am right now, so I don t think about it too much.
I m truly just trying to take it one hole at a time. Bellush and Jesse Flynn are still in the hunt at 150, while a host other Championship Flight contenders are hoping for surges, including Andrew Lafferty (152), Sam Cobb and Zach Terrell (each at 154), David Gratzer, Justin Ohl and Jordan Koch (all at 156), and Craig Reiner, Kyle Ray, Chase Wagner and Tanner Thomas (all at 158). A slew of standout golfers head the First Flight.
The co-leaders heading into the weekend are Michael Bellush and Kent Moutardier at 160, with Jeff Brim, Greg Ohl, Jason Jackson, Terry Chastain, Jack Taylor and Mark Schneider at 161. Larry Weilbaker heads the Second Flight at 164, with Troy Guthrie, Trevor Rynders and John Williams tied for second at 165. John Reiner leads the Third Flight at 169, followed by Jason Lidberg s 170, Chris Kurtz at 171, and Tom Woodward and Jeff Tillett at 172.
Eubanks, John Buttz , Kenny Dalton and Matt Henderson are tied atop the Fourth Flight at 179, while Brian Gilbert and Carl Duncan head the Fifth Flight at 188. The fifth flight tees off at 7 a.m.
, Saturday, and all players will start from the first tee. Times-Mail Sports Writer Jeff Bartlett welcomes comments at 277-7285 or by e-mail at jeffb@tmnews.com.
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