Butler bags big prize
By LARRY HILLIARD Ledger Sports Editor larry@gaffneyledger.com

Former Gaffney High and Limestone star Paul Butler won his first professional tour event on Friday.

Gaffney's Paul Butler is living a dream - playing professional golf.

But Butler never envisioned this happy ending so soon after capturing the Tarheel Tour's Tour Players Golf Group (TPGG) Classic on Friday.

"I always wanted to (play professional golf)," said the former Gaffney High and Limestone College standout. "But this was a surprise. I didn't expect to win this early."

Or win this much money.

Butler, who saves money by carrying his own bag instead of paying a caddie, pocketed $40,000 by claiming one of the richest events in all of developmentaltour golf. The 156-player field featured a host of top players from all stages of professional golf.

"Winning the money takes a lot of pressure off me," Butler said.

The pressure began building in early March when he missed the cut in his tour debut at the Rivertowne Open by 10 shots.

"That week I went into the event and I wasn't very confident," he said. "I started to doubt my game."

A talk with his girlfriend's boss helped restore a bit of that lost confidence, he said.

A traveling miscue also likely helped him win his first tour event. Butler mistakenly arrived at the tournament a day earlier than the rest of the competitors. Although he wasn't permitted to play a practice round on the golf course, the extra day gave him time to unwind.

"I really wasn't paying attention to the dates of the tournament," he said. "Most of the tour events go from Tuesday to Thursday, but this one went from Wednesday to Friday. But I guess that turned out to be a good thing because I got time to relax."

A first-round 75 in the TPGG Classic did not do much boost his ego, but sinking a 25-foot birdie on the last hole at dusk brightened his outlook.

"I hit the ball good, except for my putting. But that putt turned everything around," he said. "I sank the 25-foot putt in the dark to finish the round."

Butler was eight strokes off the lead after the first round and moved into contention after a second-day 67 at Oldfield Country Club in Okatie.

Butler began the final round three shots behind a quartet of players who were leading at 5-under 139. He would quickly go to work. He birdied holes 1, 4, and 8 to move up the leaderboard and into the mix.

"I felt like, if I could make some birdies down the stretch, I could put some pressure on the leaders," Butler said.

He closed with a 10-foot birdie putt, making him the leader in the clubhouse.

But with four golfers just one shot back with four or five holes to play, Butler said he was just hoping to force a playoff.

"I figured there were way too many golfers still on the course for me to win," he said. "At that point, I was just hoping for a playoff."

When the final group finished, it was Butler who was the last man standing and the player who gets the largest share of the tourrecord $250,000 purse.

"This makes me feel better about all the hard work that I put into this," Butler said. "I think the sky is the limit. I want to make it as far as I can and be on the PGA tour one day."

Cherokee National golf pro Danny Agapion said Butler has the ability to realize his goal.

"This win is going to give him a lot of confidence," Agapion said. "This will jumpstart him to reach his full potential because he has a lot of it."

Butler had already established himself as a unique talent by helping the Gaffney High golf team to the 2003 Class 4A state championship. He signed with Limestone, where he blossomed last year into the CVAC "Conference Player of the Year."

"I didn't plan on turning professional until the summer of my senior year when I began to practice real hard," he said.

Limestone College golf coach Doc Lemmons predicts bigger things for Butler.

"This will be the best confidence builder in the world for him," Lemmons said. "This will give him financial freedom and put him more at ease."

But Butler acknowledges there is still much work to do.

"I feel that I can always improve," said Butler, who added that swing coach Larry Whisenant, his family, friends and girlfriend Laura Parris have been a big part of his success.

Butler will take this week off before heading to Farmville, VA for the inaugural Manor Classic on April 9-11.

Ledger readers can follow Butler's fortunes on the tarheeltour.com website.

In other local golfing news .... Local club member Jason West of Blacksburg fired the only sub-par round to take medalist honors at the Carolinas Mid- Amateur Qualifying at Cherokee National Golf Club.

West was thrilled with his play.

"When I wanted the ball to hook it would hook," said West. "It just all came together today."

This qualifier is one of four being conducted in the Carolinas.

Qualifiers at each site will advance to the champi- onship being played at Greenville Country Club's Chanticleer Course, April 18-20.

This event is conducted by the Carolinas Golf Association.

Gaffney's David Franks shot a 37-38 - 75.

Former Gaffney High Josh Gallman led USC Upstate with to a 10th place finish at the Lamkin Crips/Cal Ply Invitational on Friday. Gallman finished with a 221.