July 14, 2021
ASHEVILLE, N.C. – In an event that has been dominated in recent years by a 50-something, some young blood announced themselves Tuesday as contenders at the 61st Skyview Pro-Am Golf Tournament presented by Callaway Golf.
A pair of 24-year olds bested eight-time Skyview champion Greg Parker – just barely – in the first round of play at Asheville Golf Course. Zane Lewis of Sanford took the lead in the pro division with a 7-under 65 and fellow youngster Austin Fisher, an assistant pro at Etowah Valley GC, shot 66 along with Tommy Padgett of Charlotte.
A field of 167 players (129 amateurs, 32 pros) began play in morning and afternoon rounds under cloudy skies with an occasional light rain shower at the par-72 Donald Ross layout. Parker, 55, the head pro at Marion Lake Club who has set Skyview records with 54-hole totals of 20-under (in 2018) and 21-under (2019) shot a solid 67 in defense of his title. Also at 67 is Noah Ratner, the 2015 & ‘16 champion who has finished second to Parker in the last two Skyview tourneys.
Lewis won a local U.S. Open qualifier earlier this year and decided to make golf his living. A college player at North Carolina Central, Lewis was 7-under through his first nine holes and missed several birdie putts of less than 12 feet while finishing his round with nine straight pars. “I don’t want to sound arrogant, but that could have been a lot better,” said Lewis, who played AGC for the first time in a Monday practice round.
Fisher offset one bogey with six birdies, including five in a nine-hole stretch from Nos. 2 through 10. “I think I can easily play with (Parker and Ratner),” said Fisher, who won the 2018 Skyview amateur title and has been playing on some mini-tours. “I look forward to competing with them.”
Kyle Scruggs, 33, shook off a three-putt bogey on his first hole and reeled off eight birdies and an eagle to begin defense of his amateur title with an 8-under par 64. He shot seven-under 29 on the front nine, including an eagle on the par-5 2nd after hitting driver and 9-iron to eight feet. “I feel confident on this golf course, having won here last time (in 2019, no tourney was held last year due to the pandemic),” said Scruggs, a teacher and middle school golf coach in Chesnee, S.C., who won the amateur division in 2019 with a 54-hole total of 10-under. “I hit the ball well and really played solid tee to green. Both my bogeys were three-putts, so I need to tighten that up.”
Cody Mincey, an AGC employee, and Joey Squiers are one shot behind Scruggs after each shot 67. Jeff Long, another AGC employee, posted a 68 to share the lead in the senior amateur division with Asheville’s Eric Buckner.
Second-round play is Wednesday, with most amateurs teeing off at 8 a.m. and the pros going off at 2 p.m. This event is open free to the public.
The final round is Thursday with the same tee times.
All amateur players were flighted after Tuesday’s first round.
The total of 167 players is the largest Skyview field in several years. The 2019 event had 99 players, and 107 competed in 2018. Increased sponsorship, including a multi-year commitment from national brand Callaway Golf and more local sponsors, has allowed the Skyview Golf Association to increase its prize payouts and attract more players.
The 32 pros are competing for a $29,000 purse, with $5,500 going to the winner. The multiple flights in the amateur, senior amateur and women’s divisions are battling for Callaway gift certificates that are paying out a total of more than $1,200 per flight for the top four places, including $500 to the winner and $300 for second.
SCORING LEADERS
Skyview Pro-Am Presented by Callaway FIRST ROUND
At Asheville Golf Course
PRO DIVISION
Zane Lewis 65
Austin Fisher 66
Tommy Padgett 66
Greg Parker 67
Noah Ratner 67
Skip Taylor 68
Phil Nickell 69
Dustin Pressley 69
Jesse Allen 70
Keith Knight 70
Mike Batton 71
Chris Fry 71
Peter Horrobin 71
Matthew Mankin 71
AMATEUR DIVISION
Kyle Scruggs 64
Cody Mincey 67
Joey Squiers 67
Brad Forsom 68
Colton Makowiec 69
Ian Trace 70
Roger Steele 71
Adam Jolley 72
Jamal Hutchinson 72
William Farley 73
Henry Muller 73
John Curtis 73
SENIOR AMATEUR DIVISION
Eric Buckner 68
Jeff Long 68
Robert Straub 70
Fred Edwards 70
Mike Patterson 71
Brandon Godfrey 72
Rick Thrash 72
Richard Condrey 73
Robert Westall 73
Rick Milligan 74
Travis Gilliam 74
Cletis Dozier 74
