The 79th Signal Mountain Invitational will have a new champion crowned Sunday. Defending champion Michael McGowan is now a professional playing on the PGA Tour's Latin Americn Series, which includes former U.S. Amateur champion and University of Tennessee at Chattanooga golfer Steven Fox.
Applications for the three-day tournament are due by the end of business today. It is one of few Chattanooga-area tournaments that award points toward the World Amateur Golf Ranking as well as Scratch Player world rankings. Applications can be found at the course and online at www.IfYouLikeGolf.com.
Signal Mountain head professional Paul Helle said that more than 100 individuals had signed up by Tuesday afternoon.
"I'm happy with that because we had 100 last year and we'll surpass that number, so that's good," Helle said. "We're looking like most of the other courses in the area. The greens are perfect and the rough is getting tough. There are still some spots in fairways that are still rough from the wet winter."
Mariners join Roadrunners
The Coastal Georgia men's golf team, which includes Heritage High School graduate Hunter Cornelius in its regular lineup, wound up ranked No. 1 in the NAIA and officially earning an at-large berth in the national tournament next week in Daytona Beach, Fla. The Mariners are the defending NAIA champions, buy they finished third in the Southern States Athletic Conference tournament.
Led by medalist Sean Elliott, the Dalton State Roadrunners won the SSAC tourney for the league's automatic entry.
Tennessee Wesleyan also is in the NAIA nationals as the Appalachian Athletic Conference tournament champion. The Bulldogs wound ranked 20th.
North Georgia Invitational
Applications for the 64th annual North Georgia Invitational are available by contacting the Dalton Golf and Country Club as well as at www.IfYouLikeGolf.com. The tournament will be held May 30-31. The $150 entry fee includes a practice round as well as lunch on both days.
Area aces
John Gill knocked in his fifth hole-in-one last Thursday at Brainerd. He used an A-wedge for the 133-yard shot on No. 17, witnessed by Chuck Agne and Mike Brown.
Jonathan Ransom and Glenn Fairbanks had holes-in-one at Creeks Bend last week. Ransom's ace with an 8-iron on No. 10, playing 155 yards, was his first. Fairbanks nailed his fifth with a 6 iron on No. 17, 152 yards.
Double eagle
Tom Paulsin used a sand wedge for a rare double eagle Thursday at Brainerd. That shot covered the last 108 yards on No. 18, witnessed by George Garner and Mike McAfee.
Contact David Uchiyama at duchiyama@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6484. Follow him at twitter.com/UchiyamaCTFP.