Seven former champions are in the running to win the Goode Crowder Dorsett Labor Day Four-Ball Invitational Golf Tournament after playoffs were held at the Country Club of Salisbury on Monday.

Stephen Bullock, Freddie Corriher, Joey Rusher and their partners earned berths in the championship flight in playoffs yesterday, joining Ed Rabon Jr., Randy Bingham, Gary Miller and Dusty Holder in the elite group.

Karl Mitchell and Lee Frick paced the field in qualifying with a 5-under-par 66 on Saturday and will be top-seeded. Next with 67s were Miller and Todd Johnson, Joey Boley and Thad Sprinkle, and Rabon and Bingham.

Rabon has won more Labor Day titles, four, than any golfer in the championship flight, teaming up with Bingham to win in 1980, then winning three in a row with Mallory McDaniel (1982-84).

Bingham, who won for the first time with Rick Ridenhour in 1977, and Miller are two-time champions. Miller won with David Bogedain in 1981 and Holder in 1992.

Holder, Corriher, Joey Rusher and Bullock have each won once. Corriher teamed with Christopher McCoy in 1994, Rusher played with Charlie Graeber in 1995 and Bullock won with Brian Chapman in 1997.

The championship flight is made up of 16 teams, and only 10 of those were decided after Sunday’s final day of qualifying. Ten other teams met in a playoff for the final six spots.

Bullock, playing with Guy Hoskins, birdied No. 10 to win the first spot, then Steven Harvey birdied No. 11 to put himself and Todd Lawson in the top flight.

Corriher, playing by himself because partner Cameron Lee was in class at UNC Wilmington, parred No. 12 to make the field. Kip Honeycutt and son Ryan also advanced with a par on that hole.

That left four teams battling for the final two spots. John Brincefield and son Josh and brothers Joey and Bobby Rusher parred No. 13, where Sam Nash and son Hunter and former champion Graeber and Randy Jarrett were eliminated and knocked into the first flight.

Another playoff started on the front side, where seven teams that shot 79s went after five spots in the regular division. The duos of Kevin Thompson-Bobby Thompson, Kevin Clay-Cass Safrit, Greg Hipp-Dennis Athey, Curtis Kyles-Larry Lowe and John Kyger-Cliff Ritchie captured those five berths. Donald Kiker-Alex Harrigan and Dan Williams-Matt Williams were eliminated.

The senior division had four teams that shot 76s meeting in a playoff on No. 8 for two spots in the championship flight. Don Julian-Jerry Jowers and Tom Kiger-Tony Queen captured those spots, while Wade Benfield-Butch Watson and Glen Julian-David Hawkins dropped into the first flight.

Pairings for the popular match play event will be announced in Wednesday’s Post. The tourney is scheduled Saturday through Monday.