Lyons goes wire-to-wire to win 2023 Golfweek International Senior Invitational at CCC

Staff
Oct 8, 2023
2 min read

Ireland's Joe Lyons held off a late charge from Oklahoma's Michael Hughett Saturday at Cartersville Country Club to win the 2023 Golfweek Senior International Invitational.

Ireland’s Joe Lyons carded rounds of 65-73-73 (211, 5-under-par) this past Thursday through Saturday at Cartersville Country Club to win the 2023 Golfweek International Senior Invitational by one shot over Michael Hughett of Owasso, Oklahoma.

Hughett (68-73-71, 212, 4-under-par) was followed by Wes McNulty of White Hall, Arkansas, and Shane McMillan of Bountiful, Utah who finished at 3-under-par.

Lyons had a roller-coaster final round, making six birdies and seven bogeys. He started the round birdie-bogey-birdie-bogey-bogey before making his first par on hole No. 6.

Lyons bogeyed No. 17 to fall into a tie at 4-under with Hughett, but a Lyons birdie and a Hughett par on the par-5 No.18 secured the win in regulation for Lyons.

Overall, Lyons recorded 15 birdies and 10 bogeys in the event. Hughett made a great effort down the stretch, birding Holes No. 12, 13, and 15 to tie Lyons after being four shots back on hole No. 11.

The 54-hole event played at 6,800-yards, par-72, also included a team competition that was won by Team Arkansas (Stan Payne, Gordy McKeown, and McNulty). The winning team finished at 5-under-par defeating a pair of Georgia teams at 1-under-par.

Each team, comprised of three players, counted their two low rounds for each day.

Billy MItchell (Atlanta), Mike Combs (Roswell), and Coleman Tidwell (Macon) comprised one of the runner-up squads. Bob Royak (Alpharetta), Doug Hanzel (Savannah), and Michael Standard (Jackson) were co-runners-up.

Team Ireland (Lyons, Karl Bornemann, and John Reynolds) led going into the final round but finished fourth at 1-over-par.

Chad Branton (Cartersville) led the local individual competitors with a tie for 27th individually (72-74-77, 7-over-par). CCC member Scott Davenport (Marietta) tied for 37th (77, 75, 74, 10-over-par).

Branton’s Georgia team, including Rusty Strawn (McDonough) and Cres Dodd (Calhoun) tied for eighth with a 6-over-par, three-day total.