Norris Lights Up The Southern Open

Concord, NC – South African Shaun Norris fired an opening-round 63 in the Tarheel Tour’s third annual Southern Open at Cabarrus Country Club on Thursday and now takes a one-shot lead heading into Friday’s second round.

Norris, who grew up in Johannesburg, brought the usually difficult Cabarrus C.C. layout to its proverbial knees with nine birdies and nine pars in the opening round. Norris is playing the Tarheel Tour this summer after spending the winter months in his native South Africa on the Sunshine Tour. With top-15 finishes in his past two events, Norris will be looking to capture his maiden Tarheel Tour title in the tour’s biggest event.

Scott Stallings of Oakridge, TN came in late with a first-round 64 that left him one shot behind Norris. Stallings’ round was rather unique in that his nine birdies came in three streaks of three birdies each (1-3; 7-9; and 15-17). The recent Tennessee Tech graduate’s only prior start on the Tarheel Tour came at the Bermuda Run Open, where he finished fifth thanks to a final-round 66.

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Former Tarheel Tour winners Alex Hamilton and Jeff Curl each opened with rounds of 65, leaving them two shots back and in great position heading into the second round. Hamilton recorded eagles at the par-5 eighth and the par-5 11th en route to carding his lowest round on tour since the final round of the 2006 Salisbury Classic. Curl, son of PGA TOUR winner Rod Curl, opened with six straight birdies and an opening-nine 30. The former Charlotte 49er star would card three more birdies amidst a bit of a cool down with bogeys at 16 and 18.

Tarheel Tour leading money winner William McGirt continued his great play with a 66 on Thursday. McGirt’s round failed to reveal a single bogey as the resident of Boiling Springs, SC posted four birdies and an eagle at the par-5 first.

The 174-player field is competing for a $20,000 winner’s check in what has become the tour’s marquee tournament. Already in it’s third year, the Southern Open has drawn a field of top professionals from all over the world. By the end of round one, an astounding 76 players managed to break par on the George Cobb-designed layout.

The field will be cut to the low 57 players and ties after Friday’s second round, which will begin at 8 AM. The tournament is open to the public and free of charge.