East Carolina University golfer Harold Varner, of Gastonia, shot a closing-round 66 to win the North Carolina Amateur Championship held at Greensboro Country Club’s Farm Course.

The 20-year-old Varney posted a 14-under-par 274, using an eagle on the par-5 13th hole to propel him to a three-shot victory over four players who tied for second.

Varner began the day tied for 11th and four strokes behind third-round leader Ryan Gioffre, of Greensboro. Gioffre skied to a 76 and finished tied for 11th at 280.

Varner is the first African-American male to claim a Carolinas Golf Association championship. In the 102-year association’s history, no African-American had won a title until Angela Stewart, of Greenville, won the North Carolina Senior Women’s championship earlier this year.

Ryan Bell, of Charlotte, Adam Stephenson, of Greenville, Bruce Woodall, of Yanceyville, and Richard Fountain, of Raleigh, shared second with 277.

Jack Fields, of Southern Pines, who won the Carolinas Open ­earlier this month, finished with a 73 and tied for seventh with 279.

Michael McGowan, of Southern Pines, shot 75 in the final round and tied for 16th with 282.

Patrick Barrett, of Pinehurst, tied for 35th with 287, and Sherrill Britt, of West End, was 40th with 289.

USGA Junior: Joshua Martin, of Pinehurst, shot 66-66—132 to take medalist honors in the USGA Junior Qualifier held at Santee National Golf Course.

Cody Proveaus, of Leesville, S.C., was second with 132, with Will Starke of Chapin, S.C., and Matthew Nesmith, of North Augusta, S.C, taking the other two spots.

Tin Whistles: Rich Warters won a card playoff against John Strickland to claim the Tin Whistles major Baird Memorial Championship after they had tied with 63.

Bob Springer topped Dick Bock for third in a card playoff after they had tied at 65.

The team of Don Craven, Berry Woodard, Tracy Parks and Dick Bock survived a card playoff over the team of Tom Race, Jerry Lefton, Murray Stern and Bob Graham to win the two-best-ball event held at Finley Golf Course in Chapel Hill after tying with 118.

Doug Lapins and Tom Skidmore took third with 120, and Joe Raguso, Mike Strasser, Kent Peterson and Glen Davis were fourth with 121.

Cassidy Ace: Jim Cassidy is no neophyte when it comes to holes-in-one, having had seven aces since moving to Pinehurst in 1981; and his wife, Jeanne, isn’t far behind, with four.

But Cassidy’s latest feat proved he was a real “Hot Dog” golfer when he aced the third hole on Pinehurst No. 6 during Pinehurst Country Club’s Men’s Golf Association’s annual “Hot Dog Tournament” June 15.

The tournament was held on Tuesday and Wednesday and ­consisted of two-man teams vying at match play over three nine-hole matches with a hot dog lunch between the first and second matches.

Tuesday's flight winners: First — Phil Husted, Curtis Richardson; second — Gerald Weston, Jim Hildebrand; third — Paul Conover, Jack Laflin; fourth — Alan Langley, Stewart Heilman; fifth — Garrett Walsh, David Kinney.

Wednesday's flight winners: First — Allen Lee, Gary Evans; second — Len Hepner, Gary Denman; third — John Carlyle, Tom Brown; fourth — Maury Donnelly, Pat Brong; fifth — Carmen Lloyd, Michael LeGraff; sixth — Charles Leib, Ralph Angle; seventh — John Kuney.

Rawlings Ace: Good things do come in threes, as Margo Rawlings learned during a recent round at Deercroft Golf Club.

Rawlings scored the third ace of her career when she holed an 8-iron from 105 yards on the par-3 third hole.

Emil Froehlich: The team of Steve DeBolt, Tom Webster and Griff Williams shot 14-under-par 58 to win the First Flight in the 15th annual captains’ choice Emil Froehlich tournament at Southern Pines Golf Club.

Flight 2 was won by Chad Nelson, Bruce Bishop Sr., Bruce Bishop Jr., and John Heimrich with 60. Mike Garber, David Helms and Sam Martin shot 59 to win Flight 3.

The tournament is sponsored by Southern Pines Elks Lodge 1692 and provides educational material for instructors of children with special needs.

Golfweek Am: Michael Hall, of Southern Pines, won the Championship Flight of the Golfweek Amateur event held at Little River Golf Resort with 75.

Kevin Whitaker, of West End, was second with 77, and Greg Hall, of West End, was fifth with 82.

Bill Bowers, of Pinehurst, won Flight A with 77, with Barry Hemphill, of Pinehurst, second with 79.

Tom Kubla, of Pinehurst, shot 79 to win Flight B, with Todd Crabtree, of Aberdeen, tying for second with 80. Randy Starr, of Rocky Mount, won Flight B in a playoff over Doug Tompkins, of Linden, and Adam McKenzie, of Aberdeen, after they had tied with 86. Ben Martin, of Pinehurst, tied for fourth with 87.

Jerry Jordan, of Winston-Salem, won Flight D with 99.

Senior Am Tour: David Williams, of Apex, won the Championship Flight in the Senior Amateur Tour event held at Little River Resort with 74.

Gene Jones, of Thomasville, won Flight A with 75, and Wiley Barrett, of Southern Pines, tied for second with 76. Steve Smith, of Pinehurst, and John DeJong, of Whispering Pines, tied for fifth with 77.

Lewis Herndon, of Graha won Flight B with 78, and Mike Hunter, of Greensboro, won Flight C with 85.

Amateur golfers over 50 can call tour director Bruce Hallenbeck at (336) 495-6556 for information on how to join the tour.

Contact Howard Ward at howardward@att.net.