Chris Jenkins wasn't born on the Fourth of July, but his game has made him Mr. Fourth of July.
Particularly when the game is at War Memorial Golf Course in Little Rock.
Fourth of July Classic results
at War Memorial Golf Course, Little Rock
OPEN DIVISION
Chris Jenkins;61-60-63—184
Rod Rivas;63-60-65—188
Ryan Shuttleworth;65-62-63—190
Wes McNulty;59-65-72—196
Luke Cornett;67-62-67—196
Zachary Lovern-O’Riley;63-69-64—196
Ryan Spurlock;62-66-69—197
Cameron Reesor;67-64-68—199
Tyler Pinney;67-65-66—198
Grayson Martin;63-67-72—202
Nick Crisco;67-68-67—202
Hayden Leibrock;62-68-74—204
Winston Sizemore;66-70-70—206
William Surrett;69-64-74—207
Jack Lester;65-73-75—213
Ryan Turner;68-76-72—216
Colin Osment;69-76-74—219
Kent Norris;75-71-74—220
Rob Brown;72-78-71—221
Perry Streett;79-74-74—227
Jackson Marseilles;66-71-WD—WD
Brent Boland;75-WD-WD—WD
MID-SENIOR DIVISION
Brent Cook;64-63-72—199
Timo Anderson;67-65-69—201
Bill Burkhalter;64-68-71—203
Trey McIntosh;73-72-80—225
Jeff King;72-77-81—230
SENIOR DIVISION
Tracy Harris;64-61-61—186
Bev Hargraves;63-63-63—189
Fred Stamey;64-62-63—189
John Tetens;66-66-60—192
Jay Lester;66-65-64—195
Greg Norris;73-68-65—206
Curtis Savoy;68-71-69—208
Dane Glover;73-73-68—214
Ogugua Uchendu;70-69-85—224
Mike Pickens;80-76-73—229
Bill Bristow;76-80-75—231
Gary Graham;83-81-86—250
Ronnie Johnson;69-WD-WD—WD
Gary Ables;72-WD-WD—WD
Kirby Webb;69-64-WD—WD
SUPER-SENIOR DIVISION
Keith Browning;64-69-71—204
Jim Smith;68-69-69—206
Sam McAllister;70-69-68—207
Bill Wrentz;69-74-68—211
Byron Freeland;73-69-72—214
Cliff Powell;76-73;74—223
Kevin O’Malley;74-78-78—230
Gary Whitt;80-74-76—230
John McCarty;81-77-87—245
Gary Hooker;85-89-89—263
MASTERS DIVISION
Glen Talbert;65-66-68—199
Dan Young;68;69;72—209
Charlie Angel;72-68-76—216
Floyd Hickerson;83-79-79—241
Dudley Meadows;86-84-80—250
Fred Roberson;89-74-89—252
MATCH PLAY
FIRST FLIGHT
Larry Sullivan def. Willie Mergenschroer, 19 holes
FIRST FLIGHT CONSOLATION
Mark Griffin def. Jim Harris, 8 and 7
On a warm, windy Wednesday afternoon, Jenkins birdied his final two holes to hold off Rodrigo Rivas and win the 82nd annual Fourth of July Classic for the fifth consecutive year and extend his record to 10 overall.
Jenkins, a Little Rock insurance agent, shot a final-round 1-under 63 to finish the three-day stroke-play event at 8-under 184. Rivas, who was playing in the final group with Jenkins after recently completing his senior season at the University of Central Arkansas, finished second at 4-under 188 following a final-round 65.
While Rivas, 22, was making his Fourth of July debut, Jenkins, 48, grew up playing the Little Rock city courses and said he believes he's played this event -- his favorite tournament -- every year since he was 16.
Quite the home-course advantage.
"I know where all the pins are going to be; I know where I've got to hit every time," Jenkins said. "I've just played it so much that I can hit it bad around here and score fairly well -- just because I've played it so many times. That's a benefit that not everybody's got or an advantage not everybody has."
Jenkins began the final round 7 under and with a two-shot lead over Rivas. The advantage grew to five shots at the turn after Jenkins birdied No. 9. But it shrank to one shot after Jenkins bogeyed No. 10 and double-bogeyed No. 11 and Rivas birdied No. 12 and No. 13.
After both players parred No. 14, Rivas briefly pulled into a tie at 5 under with a 10-foot birdie putt on No. 15. Jenkins regained the lead seconds later when he holed a 9-foot left-to-right birdie putt.
"I really wasn't playing very well, but I was scoring OK," Jenkins said. "I kind of lost my mind for about 45 minutes there and Rod made a couple of really good birdies. My karma was fairly poor."
After both players parred No. 16, Jenkins regained the momentum on No. 17 -- a severe downhill 154-yard par 3. Rivas' 9-iron tee shot struck a tree and bounded back approximately 40 yards short and left of the pin. He dropped to 4 under after not getting up and down for par.
"That was the defining moment, I guess, in the round," said Rivas, a native of Santiago, Chile. "I was going to hit first, so obviously it's an advantage if I put it close. I was just trying to put a little bit of pressure on Chris. I was in between clubs, went with a bigger club, gave it a good swing, pulled it a little and the wind caught it. Hit a tree and ended up not in a good spot."
Jenkins, to a pin cut near the left edge, hit a pitching wedge to 3 feet and drained the uphill birdie putt to move to 7 under, three shots clear of Rivas.
"It was just a perfect wedge for me," said Jenkins, who described Wednesday's pin placements as "treacherous." "He had already hit one left, so I was aiming a little bit right and just trying to draw it in. I just hit it perfect."
Jenkins birdied No. 18 after hitting a sand wedge from 83 yards to about 2 feet on the 354-yard straightaway par 4. Jenkins bogeyed the opening hole, but bounced back with birdies at No. 3 and No. 9, when he hit a wedge on the 138-yard, par 3 to inside a foot.
"The way they set the golf course up, it's almost carnival-like," Jenkins said. "But that's the fun of it, that's the challenge. That's why I think people want to come back and play. It's extremely demanding. A great test -- more mental than physical."
Jenkins also won the Fourth of July Classic in 1995, 2001, 2002, 2004 and 2012.
Sports on 07/05/2018