Page updated 1/8/2008
 The Carolinas Golf Reporters Association's newest member, Jaime Diaz, teamed with J. W. Farquhar to win the 2007 team championship and the Top Dog Cup at National Golf Club in Pinehurst, N.C., November 11 and 12. Diaz, who writes for Golf Digest, and Farquhar, who produces GolfHoles.com, shot a one-under par 71 in the second round to jump from third place overnight.
Their win breaks the run of Craig Distl and Robbie Wooten who won the title the previous two years. Distl, from Distl Public Relations, and Wooten, from Impact Golf Marketing, also won the trophy in 2003. Distl and Wooten shot back-to-back rounds of 76 to finish third. Steve Williams, from Triad Golf Today, and Tom McAuliffe, from The Mountain Times, were runners up two strokes behind the winners.
Diaz's win follows the victory of another new member in the 2007 CGRA individual championship. Brian Mull, from the Wilmington Star-News, arrived with a bang shooting a five-under par second round 67 at Pinehurst No. 4 this summer to run away with the title. Mull birdied all four par threes in that round. The individual championship was held either side of the 2007 Carolinas Golf Hall of Fame inductions of Arnold Palmer, Gary Schaal and Tom Jackson at Pinehurst.
The full field of 14 teams enjoyed outstanding hospitality at National Golf Club even if the testing greens on the Jack Nicklaus design got the better of many. Many thanks to National's general manager, Ken Crow, and director of golf, Tom Parsons, and their staff. Parsons, who hails from Wisconsin , was recently honored at an employee appreciation dinner for 10 years of service to the club, over which time he has brought stability and strong leadership.
This year's team championship included a dinner at National Golf Club where members discussed plans for next year and suggested improvements to the association.
A summary of the meeting outcomes is available to CGRA members on the Bulletin Board section of the site. The Bulletin Board is password protected. Any member who needs help with password information, please e-mail webmaster, Patrick Jones, at patrick@patrickjones.com.
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