May 2015 FORE Georgia Magazine

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MAY 2015

JUNIOR GOLF in Georgia

Currahee, a major success story for golf

Award-winning property captures essence of Club lifestyle n its current state, the golf industry needs some success stories. Currahee Club in Toccoa is certainly one of those.

The club initially opened in 2003 as one of the most expensive real estate golf development projects ever created in the state, with almost $100 million spent on the sprawling 1,200 acre property located off I-85 along the shores of Lake Hartwell by the Georgia-South Carolina border in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains.

Currahee attracted favorable early attention for the quality of its golf course, clubhouse and real estate offerings, but as the economy sank, the project struggled financially, and eventually went into bankruptcy in 2008.

The bank that took over the facility maintained the course and shuttered the 48,000 square foot clubhouse, searching for a buyer. In 2011, Arendale Holdings, a real estate investment and development company based in Jacksonville, Fla., acquired

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Currahee, and has nurtured the project back into good health, with the combination of a significant infusion of capital, and many outside the box approaches to its forward thinking direction.

Spearheading the rebirth of Currahee is President and Managing Partner Andrew Ward, who previously helped Cuscowilla on Lake Oconee achieve respected, national status during his 13 year tenure there.

“We’ve gone from being an unknown treasure, to the best kept secret,” Ward says. “But we don’t want to be secret for long. We have already become a good news story for golf.”

When Ward got his first look at Currahee, he quickly realized it was “something extraordinarily special,” but

Fazio golf course and an amazing clubhouse,” Ward says. “Neither required much in the way of enhancements.”

Ward praises Arendale for the support they have given to the project, as millions were invested to ensure there are other amenities for members and property owners to enjoy, other than also knew that “the old concepts about golf were not going to work anymore.”

With the continued support of Arendale, the recruitment of superstar employees, and installation of new day golf ideas, Currahee quickly moved in a positive direction.

“We inherited this spectacular Jim

just great golf.

“We needed to create a lifestyle. We completed our five-acre sports campus with all the amenities you expect to find at a club (floodlit tennis courts, zero entry pool, fitness center) and several [ See Currahee, page 6 ]

.com

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Instruction Fore You

P R E S E N T E D BY

Getting Kids Started on Journey of Golf

By Mike Perpich

PGA Director of Instruction RiverPines Golf Georgia is a great place for golf and a wonderful place for you to get your kids involved in a sport that will last them a lifetime. There is no better time than the summer months to begin your kids’ journey into the game of golf. You don’t have to be a member of a private country club in order for your kids to learn and enjoy the game, as there are many different kinds of golf programs in Atlanta and around the state.

Golf programs for kids are abundant these days and can be found at most public courses, driving ranges, colleges, recreational departments and even day camps.

It will be up to you the parent to determine how interested your child is in learning the game of golf and the amount of instruction which will be appropriate for your child.

In looking for a golf program for your child you have to make sure it is going to be fun, especially if your golfer is a beginner or is very young. You have to make their first experiences of golf fun so they will want to continue playing and pursuing the game.

Any good program will include instruction on the skills of golf like putting, chipping, pitching and sand bunker play, as well as the full swing. Your child should see improvement by the end

Mike Perpich works with Johns Creek HS golfer Matthew Anderson of the program so the program should be fun but not all fun and games. Do your research and find out the structure for the day: how much instructional time, how much time to work on the skills learned and how much time is spent playing games.

You will also want to find out the qualifications of the people teaching the program. A PGA professional will ensure that the instructor has the knowledge necessary to teach your child golf. Also check to see if the instructors will be taking the kids out on a golf course. Remember, the reason for golf skills is so they can go play and enjoy the game.

If your child already has the skills to play golf and is looking for somewhere to play, many public courses will offer junior cards which you purchase for your child, allowing him or her to play on the course. RiverPines, where I teach, offers these cards for juniors.

Forecast

Mason wins Senior Open. . . . . . . . . 8

Junior Tours in Georgia . . . . . . . . 22

Gwinnett Champions wrap-up . . . 14

Junior Camp listings . . . . . . . . 26-27

Andrade, Nelson win in team event . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

DEPARTMENTS: College round-up . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Golf FORE Juniors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Chip Shots . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

Rivermont preview . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Masters report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Georgians on PGA Tour update . . 20

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SPECIAL JUNIOR SECTION:

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New leader for Atlanta Junior . . . 24

PUBLISHER

Golf Media, Inc. / John Barrett E D I T O R Mike Blum W E B S I T E / FA C E B O O K / S O C I A L M E D I A

Jason McCullough / Kristen Zeck JUNIOR / COLLEGE GOLF NEWS COORDINATOR

Samantha Stone MARKETING & ADVERTISING

National Sales: Ed Bowen/Bowen Group, edbowen.foregeorgia@gmail.com Local & Corporate Sale: John Barrett/Rick Holt, foregeorgia@comcast.net • Brandy Jones, brandy.foregeorgia@gmail.com A R T D I R E C T O R Lori Ors C R E AT I V E S E R V I C E S Catalina Montana CONTRIBUTORS

Mike Perpich • Steve Dinberg Rob Matre • Ed C. Thompson GEORGIA SECTION, PGA OF AMERICA OFFICERS

President Mark Mongell, PGA / mmongell@cherokeetcc.org Vice President Brian Albertson, PGA / bamulligan@bellsouth.net Secretary John Godwin, PGA / jgodwinpga@earthlink.net Honorary President Brian Stubbs, PGA / bstubbs@ccofcolumbus.com CHAPTER PRESIDENTS

Central Chapter President Winston Trively, PGA / wtrively@yahoo.com East Chapter President Brandon Youmans / brandonyoumans@pga.com North Chapter President Shawn Koch, PGA / prokoch@pga.com AT - L A R G E D I R E C T O R S

Billy Jack, PGA / bjack@stivescountryclub.org Chad O’Dell, PGA / chadopro@aol.com Brandon Stooksbury, PGA / bjstook@pga.com Mark Lammi, PGA / mal9599@msn.com Brian Conley, PGA / pgaugadawg@aol.com Matthew Evans, PGA / mevans@pga.com Todd Ormsby, PGA / taormsby1020@gmail.com SENIOR DIVISION

President Mike Schlueter, PGA / mikeschlueter@comcast.net A S S I S TA N T S ’ D I V I S I O N

Mike Perpich is a Golf Magazine Top 100 Teacher and a U.S. Kids Golf Top 50 Teacher; www.mikeperpich.com.

INSIDE THIS ISSUE FEATURES:

RiverPines also offers a certification program for juniors to ensure they learn the rules of golf and know how to behave on the course as well as keep themselves safe.

If your junior goes through a certification program, it can result in savings toward playing or hitting balls. A certification program or any similar program will be a good indication that your junior golfer will be welcome at that course. Par three courses are also a great way for your child to practice his/her golf skills. On a par three course young golfers can have the opportunity to succeed even when they are just beginners.

Atlanta is home to Atlanta Junior Golf (atlantajuniorgolf.org), which offers opportunities for golfers of all skills in every age group to play tournaments on area courses.

It is a wonderful way to get your golfer playing on a different course every week.

U.S. Kids Golf also makes its home in Atlanta and makes golf clubs for juniors of all ages. These clubs are weighted and designed specifically for the young golfers, which means no more hitting Dad’s old cutoff clubs. US Kids Golf (uskidsgolf.com.), also offers tournaments for young golfers.

These two organizations specialize in junior golf and are available to everyone interested in the game of golf.

Hopefully this article will give you some insight into helping you research golf for your child. Atlanta truly is one of the greatest golf towns in the world with all kinds of opportunities for your junior golfer.

3021 Kalah Place, Marietta, GA 30067 770-933-04GA / 770-953-6638 fax FOREgeorgia.com / foregeorgia@comcast.net Send all press releases to: info@foregeorgia.com

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President Will Bartram, PGA / will@hawksridge.com S E C T I O N S TA F F

Executive Director Mike Paull Assistant Executive Director/ Junior Golf Director Scott Gordon Tournament Director Pat Day, PGA Operations Manager Eric Wagner Section Assistant Carrie Ann Byrne FOREGeorgia is produced by Golf Media, Inc. Copyright ©2014 with all rights reserved.

Reproduction or use, without permission, of editorial or graphic content is prohibited.

Georgia PGA website: www.georgiapga.com.

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Currahee Club a success story [ Continued from the cover ]

things you don’t, like year round vegetable gardens, bocce ball courts, and even a grand lawn where families can gather to participate in non-traditional activities.

“It didn’t take long to realize that our upfront challenge was to grow the membership and create the lifestyle, and this needed to be done before we launched our real estate offerings. We’ve utilized all sorts of different creative options, and have taken our membership from just a few dozen on takeover, to over 265 today.”

The Club created social lifestyle memberships that have been very popular with non-golfing business residents in the Toccoa area. Modern day generational memberships that extend to sons or daughters who have reached adulthood, or in the opposite direction for a parent or grandparent, have also proven popular, avoiding initiation fees and tagging nominal additional dues onto the main members’ account.

“We had to plant seeds, water them, and watch them grow,” Ward says. “Our members have brought us their friends, and we created a new market with

“Buddy Pass” memberships for golfing enthusiasts that clearly were not giving up their primary Club membership, but were extremely enthusiastic, after visiting Currahee to get involved with us.

“We’re operating a fabulous club and development, and we’ve been able to marry the two together to establish a new home and lifestyle for our current and future property owners and members.”

Now Currahee’s residential community can take off supported by a vibrant Club life. Their Deer Run Village with Southern Inspired homes will clearly be popular with permanent living downsizers and second homers, as well as the custom home and full time living seeker.

The club has won many awards since Ward took the helm, including Southern Living Magazine selecting the project in their 2014 launch of the Southern Living Inspired Communities program – with Currahee being their only development with a golf course. Additionally, Aurora architectural awards for homes, the sports campus and clubhouse have set this development apart, as well as overall honors for best golf community in the Southeast.

Currahee won the most recent Georgia chapter of the National Golf Course Owners Associations award as the #1 Best Golf Club in the state, and Final 4 USA in 2015 after acknowledging the criteria included so much more than just

Currahee Club Recent Awards

#1 Club Georgia, Top 4 Nationally • NGCOA 2015 Best for Club Life • LINKS Magazine 2015

Top 50 Regional Waterfront Communities • CL Registry Top 100 Residential Golf Courses 2015 (#40) • Golfweek Top 10 Course to play before you die • Golf Digest 2013

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the quality of the golf course.

Currahee’s golf course, which was designed by Jim Fazio, offers some of the most spectacular views you will ever encounter during a round of golf, with Fazio deftly utilizing the natural elevation changes to create a memorable golfing experience for those who visit.

There are vistas on the back nine of the course where you can literally see over three of the southern states, and back across to the clubhouse atop the highest peak.

Clark Spratlin, Currahee’s Director of Golf, first got a look at Currahee when it hosted a regional qualifying tournament for the PGA club professional national championship in 2004. At the time, he said it was “the ultimate modern golf course,” measuring over 7,500 yards from the back tees, with many of the holes offering breathtaking views from elevated tees.

Currahee quickly developed a reputation among the relatively few who had experienced it as a beautiful, superbly conditioned and well-designed course, but one that was also long and demanding with some of the highest Course Rating/Slope numbers of any course in the state.

The challenge of the layout discouraged players of modest or limited ability, with the primary intent of the club’s new ownership to make it more playable for golfers of all skill levels.

“With Jim Fazio’s help, we went through the scorecard to see where we could make this more member-friendly,” Spratlin said. The member tees are now a more manageable 6,319 yards, with Currahee playing a little shorter than the listed yardage because of the elevated tees, which offset some sharply uphill approach shots.The quality of Fazio’s design was unquestioned, but there was a need to reduce the length of some of the holes from the member’s tees, which originally measured 6,665 yards.

The back tees, which exist solely for use in a professional event, have effectively been taken out of play, with the Currahee tees playing between 7,000 and 7,200 yards and providing a very

healthy challenge for players accustomed to shooting par or better. Those tees are rated at 75.2/148, with the member tees sporting a reasonable rating (71.4) but a still hefty slope (136).

The senior tees are listed at 6,047 yards (70.1/134) with the forward tees 5,325 (72.3/135). The other change to the course is the addition of what the club calls its Hartwell tees, which serve the same general purpose as U.S. Kids Golf-inspired Family Tees, which were introduced to make the game friendlier for junior or novice golfers. The Hartwell tees are 3,080 yards, with the dramatically downhill first and 10th holes still playing as par 5s, the other par 5s playing as short par 4s, and the rest of the par 4s having tees to make them play as par 3s.

The addition of the Hartwell tees, coupled with the reduction of length in the member tees have helped alleviate Currahee’s reputation for difficulty.

“Some people had heard we were really hard,” Spratlin said. “Now when they come, we get them on the right set of tees and they really love it. They enjoy the member tees more at 6,300 yards than they did at 6,700.”

Besides reducing the effective length of the holes and offering gorgeous views, Spratlin points out that the significantly elevated tees allow players “to really get to watch their tee balls fly, and people really enjoy that.” The breathtaking views begin on the first tee, with many more to follow.

“You’ll never play a golf course with these kinds of views,” Spratlin exudes.

“Even though we’re in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, you really feel like you’re at Highlands,” referring to the well-regarded courses in that area of North Carolina. Spratlin said some of the native grass areas off the fairways have been trimmed or reduced to even further enhance Currahee’s playability.

Superintendent Josh Cooper heads up the staff that keeps Currahee’s course in top condition year round, and is part of a team that Ward says has helped the club “to capture and now offer the very essence of golf living.”

For information on Currahee, call 706-827-1000, contact Ward at award@curraheeclub.com or visit curraheeclub.com

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Mason takes Senior Open with late burst Wins in playoff by going eagle-birdie-birdie GEORGIA PGA

By Mike Blum

here is winning a golf tournament and then there is A GOLF WINNING TOURNAMENT. James Mason won the recent Yamaha Georgia Senior Open in the all caps manner, finishing the tournament with a three-hole stretch that may never have been achieved in the history of the University of Georgia course, followed by a dramatic birdie on the first hole of a playoff for the victory.

Mason, who first won the Georgia Senior Open in 2001 and has been a member of the Champions Tour since 2002, seemingly shot himself out of contention when he made double bogey on the par-3 16th to fall three shots off the lead with only two holes to play.

But Mason responded by chipping in for eagle on the par-5 17th and closing with a birdie on the difficult par-4 18th to get into a playoff at 3-under 139 with Mark Anderson and Stephen Keppler.

The three players returned to the 18th for the playoff, and Mason quickly ended it with another superb approach shot that produced the winning birdie.

Mason felt he had let his chance for victory get away when he took a double bogey on 16 after his tee shot came up short in the pond guarding the green.

“That was a pukey shot,” Mason said of his short iron tee shot on the 16th. “I don’t know where that came from.”

When asked if he thought his chance for victory was gone after the double bogey, he replied “without a doubt.”

At the same time, Mason stayed true to the old adage that “you never give up. If I finish 3-3 I could get back in it.”

As unlikely a scenario as that was, it was still a possibility, and Mason went to the 17th tee with that thought.

“You’ve still got to perform and I did.

I was over the green in two 17 and chipped in. It went in dead center. Then on 18, I hit it to three feet and did it again on the playoff hole. It’s a finish you dream of and I did it. It’s unfathomable.”

The win put a cap on what was a memorable first two days of the week for Mason. The previous day, it was announced that Mason will be part of the 2016 class for the Georgia Golf Hall of Fame.

“That was a surprise,” he said. “I’m

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James Mason

very thankful. I never thought they would put me up with the people in the Hall of Fame. It’s a wonderful feeling to be recognized for what I accomplished.”

Mason is one of a relatively small number of career club professionals to enjoy a second career after the age of 50 on the Champions Tour. He won a tournament in New Jersey in 2002 after making it into the event in a Monday qualifier, and stayed on the tour for more than a decade.

The past few years, Mason has had very little status on the tour, and has made fewer and fewer tournament appearances, having to rely on Monday qualifiers. At the age of 64, Mason is finding it harder to shoot the kind of scores needed to get one of about five spots set aside each tournament for Monday qualifiers, but has at least one more Champions Tour event on his schedule.

Mason will play in the Senior PGA Championship in Indiana this month, qualifying for one of the tour’s two premier events by tying for second in last year’s PGA Senior Professional National Championship, the top event for the country’s senior club professionals.

“I’d like to keep playing out there, but I’m not going to chase it every week,” Mason said. He still plays in the occa-

sional Monday qualifiers, but his best hopes of playing are in the Senior PGA and Senior U.S. Open, where the qualifying fields are not quite as strong as those prior to Champions Tour events.

Before turning 50 and joining the Champions Tour, Mason enjoyed a stretch of outstanding play in the Georgia PGA Section in his late 40s. He was Player of the Year three times in four years between 1997 and 2000, winning the Section Championship three times, the Atlanta Open and two other Georgia PGA events.

Mason’s likely unprecedented 5-3-3 finish at the highly regarded UGA layout, followed by his playoff birdie, provided some late drama in a final round that had very few fireworks until Mason’s late explosion.

Craig Stevens, who had won the tournament three of the last four years and was a close second the year he didn’t win, led after an opening round of 4-under 67.

Amateur Mark Nickerson of Roswell was second at 68, followed at 69 by Sonny Skinner, the only player other than Stevens to win the Georgia Senior Open the last four years.

Glen Herrell of Doublegate in Albany and Marietta amateur Mel Mendenhall also shot 69, with Keppler,

Anderson, Mason and Clark Spratlin tied at 70.

Stevens bogeyed the opening hole and Nickerson started his round double bogey-bogey. The lead stayed at 3-under the rest of the day for all but two brief moments.

Keppler, the Director of Golf at Marietta County Club, was the first player to catch Stevens after birdies at 2 and 4. Anderson, an instructor at Brunswick Country Club, pulled even with his second birdie of the day at the par-5 seventh, and Mason made it a fourway tie with birdies at 8 and 9.

A birdie at the 11th gave Keppler the lead at 4-under, but he quickly fell back into a tie when he missed a short par putt at the par-5 12th, his only mistake of the day. Anderson holed what he described as a “30-foot double breaker” on 14 to take the lead, but three-putted the 16th for bogey after leaving himself a slick downhill birdie attempt he could not stop.

Neither Anderson nor Keppler could birdie the 17th, but Mason made eagle and Stevens made birdie on the hole after both hit their second shots over the green. Mason said favorable wind conditions made both 17 and 18 play shorter than usual, and he took advantage. He needed only an 8-iron second shot into 18, which played 437 yards for the tournament.

Anderson and Keppler both had to work hard for pars on the 18th to get into the playoff, but Stevens bogeyed the hole to fall out of a tie for first. A bogey at 16 dropped him out of a share of the lead, but he got it back with his birdie at 17.

Stevens, an instructor at Brookstone G&CC, missed the green on 18 after his tee shot went left into the tree outline.

He had a difficult third shot from the bunker in between the adjoining ninth and 18th greens and left it well short, but almost holed his lengthy putt for par.

He finished fourth at 140 after a final round 73.

Mason, Anderson and Keppler all shot 69 the final round, the only three players in the field under 70. Charlie King, the head pro at Griffin City Golf Course, shot 70 and was fifth at 141, followed by Skinner and Mystery Valley Director of Golf John Crumbley at 142. Crumbley matched par of 71 in both rounds as he [ See Mason, page 10 ] M AY 2 0 1 5

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New dates for Rivermont Championship Georgia PGA tournament moves to May

he Rivermont Championship returns to the Georgia PGA schedule for a second year, but will have a slightly later date than its inaugural event in 2014.

This year’s Rivermont Championship will be played May 18-19 and will be the first points event on the Georgia PGA schedule. Last year’s tournament was played March 30-April 1, but has taken the dates of a tournament hosted by Chicopee Woods, which ended its sevenyear run in 2014.

The later dates should ensure that Rivermont’s Joe Lee-designed layout will be in better condition, with the fairways having more than six extra weeks to grow in and green up.

The Rivermont Championship is one of seven points events that determine the Georgia PGA Player of the year. The first event of the season is the Match Play Championship, but that tournament will not conclude until August with the semifinals and finals after opening round matches were played in March and April.

The Yamaha Atlanta Open will be played in mid-June, followed by the Championship at Berkeley Hills in July, the Georgia Open in early August, the Section Championship the week before Labor Day and the Section’s qualifier for the PGA Professional National Championship in late September.

The first Rivermont Championship produced a closely-contested competition last year, with Chris Nicol of the Georgia Golf Center winning in a playoff over Travis Nance of Rome’s Coosa Country Club. Nicol won on the first extra hole after both players missed out on chances to win the tournament in regulation.

Nicol, who also won the inaugural Championship at Berkeley Hills in 2010, was the first round leader at Rivermont last year with a 5-under 66 and followed with a 70 for a 6-under total of 136.

Nance shot back-to-back 68s, with the two finishing one ahead of two of the Section’s top players – Sonny Skinner and Tim Weinhart.

Veteran Champions Tour member James Mason, now playing primarily in Georgia PGA events, shot a tournament best 65 in the second round and finished fifth at 138. Peter Jones of Cherokee

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Town & Country Club was sixth at 139.

Like the Atlanta Open, Georgia Open and Championship at Berkeley Hills, the Rivermont Championship is open to amateurs, with the big news from last year’s opening round made by one of the amateur players in the field.

Brian Katrek, a broadcaster for PGA Tour Radio and the host of an Atlanta-based golf talk show, shot 67 the first day highlighted by a 29 on the back nine, his first nine of the round. Playing in the final group the next day, Katrek fell back a bit with a 74, but still captured low amateur honors and tied for seventh overall at 1-under 141.

Nicol carded six birdies in a 5-under 66 to take the opening round lead, but managed just three birdies the next day.

Nance took the lead with his second eagle in two days on the short, par-4 11th hole, but missed short birdie putts at 16 and 17 before three-putting the 18th for bogey. Nance hit the flagstick with his tee shot on the downhill par-3 17th, but missed his birdie putt from close range for the second straight hole.

Nicol pulled even thanks to an outstanding approach to the par-4 15th that produced a birdie, but bogeyed the 18th hole after missing the green with his second shot. Nicol also bogeyed the 18th in the playoff, but that was good enough as Nance hit his tee shot into the trees left of the fairway and had to take a lost ball penalty.

Weinhart, an instructor at the Standard Club and a 7-time Georgia PGA Player of the Year, had the lead at the turn the final day after an opening 67 and a 2-under 34 on the front nine the next day. But he failed to make a birdie on the back nine and shot 70 for a 137 total.

Skinner, the 2014 Georgia PGA Player of the Year, shot a bogey-free 67 the final day, but after carding three birdies on the first five holes on the back nine, closed out his round with four straight pars to miss the playoff by one shot.

Mason shot a final round 65 with seven birdies, none of which came on any of Rivermont’s par 5s. The course played to a par of 71 for the tournament, with the par-5 12th hole converted to a par 4.

Georgia PGA Tournament Director Pat Day said the course will likely play as a

GEORGIA PGA

By Mike Blum

Ni 2014 Champion Chris

col

par 72 this year.

Katrek shot 29 on his first nine in the opening round after failing to birdie either the par-5 10th or the 11th, two of the most vulnerable holes on the course.

He holed out for eagle on the par-4 13th, hit it close for birdie on the par-3 14th and almost holed out again from the fairway on the 15th, leaving himself a tap-in birdie. Two more birdies at 17 and 18 gave him a 29 for the nine, and he shot 2-over on the front for an opening score of 67.

A birdie on the first hole in the final round briefly moved Katrek into a tie for the lead, but he followed with consecutive bogeys at holes 3, 4 and 5. Katrek parred his next 12 holes before taking a bogey on the 18th.

Katrek was one of just nine players to

Mason

[ Continued from page 8 ]

enjoyed his best showing in a Georgia PGA event.

Spratlin, the Director of Golf at Currahee Club, and Herrell tied for eighth at 143 with Roswell’s Billy Mitchell, who closed with a 70 to take low amateur honors over Marietta’s Jeff Belk, who was next at 144. Alpharetta’s Bob Royak, who shot a first round 65 last year at the UGA course in the first round of the tournament, and Mendenhall tied for third among the amateurs at 145.

break par for the tournament, with Winston Trively of Crooked Oak and Mark Anderson of Brunswick Country Club sharing seventh place with him at 141, Clark Spratlin, Craig Stevens and Kevin Roman all finished at even par 142, with Rivermont head pro Matthew Evans placing 13th at 143.

Evans said the tournament went “really, really well” for a first-year event, with more than 70 players competing in the championship and 90 to 100 in the pro-am. Ste. Michelle Wine Estates will again serve as presenting sponsor for the tournament, and will continue in that capacity until at least 2017.

Despite being played in late March with still dormant fairways, Evans said the greens “were in fantastic condition.” He expects overall conditions to improve with the later dates, with the course likely to have lusher fairways and firmer greens.

Evans believes the key to handling Rivermont’s layout, which was extensively renovated by Atlanta-based architect Mike Riley in 2006, is “accuracy with your irons. The greens have a lot of different segments and it’s hard to get from one area to another.

“If you get on the wrong side of the green, it’s tough to two-putt, and if you miss the green in the wrong spot, it’s a tough up and down.”

Rivermont is not especially tight off the tee, but there are several holes where errant tee shots will be penalized.

Nickerson shot 78, the same score as Royak in last year’s final round, to finish fourth among the amateurs at 146, beginning and ending his day with double bogeys.

Mason, who lives at Sky Valley and teaches at the Orchard, earned $2,200 for his victory. His Georgia Senior Open victory 14 years ago came at the Orchard in a playoff over Doublegate head pro Ed Everett, the state’s top senior club pro at the time.

“This is one of the better ones,” Mason said of his more recent victory in the event. “You dream of that kind of finish.”

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Albertson leads Tech to ACC championship Southern, Augusta also win conference titles

eorgia Tech won the ACC Championship for the eighth time in the last 10 years, defeating Clemson in a two-hole playoff at New London, N.C. Tech’s Anders Albertson, a senior from Woodstock, shared medalist honors with an 11-under 205 total.

The tournament was a four-team battle from the first round, which ended with Clemson shooting 281 to lead Florida State by one shot, Virginia by two and Georgia Tech by three. The Yellow Jackets shot a tournament best 279 the second day to lead Clemson, FSU and Virginia by just one stroke heading to the final round.

Clemson closed with a 281 total to tie Tech for first at 19-under 845, with FSU third at 846. Virginia fell back the final day, ending up eight shots out of the playoff.

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for 11th at 2-under 208 with scores of 67-70-71.

Lee McCoy, a junior from Clarkesville and the team’s No. 1 player, tied for 17th at 209 with scores of 73-66-70. Greyson Sigg, a sophomore from Augusta, shot 70-70-71 and tied for 23rd at 211.

Duluth senior Mookie DeMoss contributed scores of 72 and 71 the first two days, and Valdosta junior Sepp Straka shot a final round 71.

The Bulldogs broke par just one day as a team, posting a 3-under 277 total in the second round. South Carolina’s Matthew NeSmith was the tournament medalist at 14-under 196, winning by six shots. Alpharetta’s Zach Jaworski helped lead Vanderbilt to its tie for second, tying for 9th at 207.

Georgia Southern easily won the Sun Belt Conference championship, played at Sandestin Resort’s Raven course. The Eagles led by 20 shots after 36 holes and wound up winning by 16 with a 3under score of 849.

COLLEGE Roundup

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FOREGEORGIA.COM

ROB MATRE

Both Georgia Tech and Clemson played the first playoff hole in 1-under, but the Jackets had four birdies on the second playoff hole to one for the Tigers to take the title.

Albertson shot 67-69-69 to claim a share of his second ACC individual title, with fellow senior Ollie Schniederjans of Powder Springs 4th at 207 after scores of 71-67-69. Chris Petefish posted scores of 73-71-72 to tie for 23rd at 216, with freshman James Clark of Columbus contributing a 73 in the first round and 72 the final day, and Vince Whaley shooting 72 in the second round.

Georgia finished a disappointing 7th in the SEC Championship at Sea Island Golf Club’s Seaside course, tying with Florida at 15 shots behind tournament champion LSU. The Tigers won with a 13-under 827 total followed by South Carolina and Vanderbilt at 830, Alabama and Auburn at 833, Arkansas at 834, and Georgia and Florida at 842.

The Bulldogs were led by Zach Healy, a freshman from Peachtree Corners who was one of five Georgia residents in the Bulldogs’ lineup. Healy tied

Lee McCoy Kim Koivu and St. Simons Island senior Scott Wolfes finished 1-2 for the Eagles, with Koivu posting scores of 6967-71 for a 6-under 207 total. Wolfes was 2nd at 68-69-72—209.

Andrew Klasing shot 69-70 the first two rounds before struggling the final

GEORGIA TECH

By Mike Blum

Anders Albertson

day. He tied for 12th at 217 in his first start of the season in the Eagles’ lineup.

Freshman Archer Price tied for 21st at 219 and senior Matt Mierzejewski of Cumming contributed a 69 in the second round when the Eagles pulled away from the field.

Georgia Southern was only two shots ahead after shooting 279 the first day, but shot 9-under 275 with four scores of 70 or better the second day to expand its lead to 20 shots. With no player breaking par the final day, the Eagles shot 295 but only lost four off shots off their lead.

It was the second straight conference championship for the Eagles, who won the Southern Conference tournament last year before leaving for the Sun Belt.

Augusta State, playing for the first time in the Mid-Eastern Conference tournament, shot 19-under 557 to win the 36-hole tournament by 36 strokes. The Jaguars’ Robin Petersson was medalist at 8-under 136, with teammate Maverick Antcliff 2nd at 140 and Augusta’s three other golfers placing among the top seven.

Georgia State placed 4th in the Sun Belt Championship, two shots out of second place with an 867 total. Damon Stephenson and Alexander Herrmann led the Panthers, tying for 12th at 217. Max Herrmann was T17 at 218. Davin White, a senior from Griffin, shot 69 in the first round and J.J. Grey contributed a second round 72.

Kennesaw State placed second in the Atlantic Sun Championship, played at the Legends at Chateau Elan. The Owls finished with an 8-under 856 total, seven

shots behind North Florida. The Owls led North Florida by eight shots after 36 holes, but UNF shot 277 the final day to make up 15 strokes on Kennesaw.

Jimmy Beck, a senior from Columbus, led Kennesaw, tying for 2nd with scores of 71-69-68—208, one shot behind the medalist. Fredrik Nilehn shot 67 the second day and finished 6th at 213, with senior Austin Vick from Evans shooting 68 in the second round and tying for 9th at 215. Kelby Burton, also a senior from Evans, shot 73 the second day to contribute to the team score of 277. The Owls shot 287 to lead by one after the first round.

Mercer placed 7th out of eight teams in the Southern Conference tournament played at Pinehurst No. 9, with the Bears’ Trey Rule 4th individually. Rule, a senior from Eatonton, matched the low score of the tournament with a second round 66, and finished with a 214 total.

Emmanuel Kountakis, a sophomore from Augusta, tied for 21st at 226.

In regular season tournaments played earlier in April: Georgia Tech finished second and first in its final two tournaments prior to the ACC Championship.

The Yellow Jackets were 2nd in the Mason Rudolph Championship in Nashville. Tech shot 5-over 857 to finish 11 strokes behind host Vanderbilt, tying for 2nd with Alabama. Tech opened with a 1-under 283, but that was the only round the Jackets broke par.

Schniederjans and Albertson both [ See College Roundup, page 18 ] M AY 2 0 1 5

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FOREGEORGIA.COM

13

Browne edges Langer for victory in Gwinnett Champions Tour event shortened by weather

By Mike Blum

N

o matter when and where the Champions Tour plays in the north Atlanta suburbs, bad weather will

find it.

The Greater Gwinnett Championship became the fourth weather-shortened senior event played in Atlanta going back to the 1980s, with the recent tournament reduced to 36 holes by the rainy stretch of weather that hit the metro area in mid-April.

Olin Browne, who had not won a tour event since the 2011 U.S. Senior Open, came away with the victory after shooting a tournament record 64 in the second (and what proved to be the final) round.

After the first round was cut short by afternoon rain, tournament officials were fortunate that the field was able to complete the opening round Saturday morning and continue play without delay , providing a full day of quality golf under decent weather conditions.

Atlanta area Champions Tour events were plagued by bad weather in the early years of the tour, with two of the three tournaments hosted by Horseshoe Bend in Roswell in the late 1980s reduced to 36 holes.

The second of four tour events at nearby Country Club of the South was also limited to 36 holes in 1992. Golf Club of Georgia in Alpharetta managed to make it through a full 54 holes during its six years as tournament host but not without some delays, and the first two Greater Gwinnett Championships at TPC Sugarloaf in 2013 and ‘14 had weather issues during the first round but completed 54 holes on Sunday.

The final round this year was cancelled early Sunday morning after overnight rains left the course unplayable. Browne was declared champion after finishing 36 holes in 12-under 132, one shot ahead of 2013 tournament champion Bernhard Langer, who also finished second last year behind Miguel Angel Jimenez.

“It was a really trying week for everybody here,” Browne said after his victory became official Sunday morning. “I think the staff here – the volunteers, the grounds crew – did an incredible job getting the course prepped and ready for play. It’s such a downer to have the 14

FOREGEORGIA.COM

Olin Browne

weather kind of throw this wet blanket on things.

“I really feel badly for the tournament, but I think in all honesty, we all kind of knew this was coming and I think it’s miraculous we got in 36 holes.”

The tournament was played under lift, clean and place conditions from the opening round, with the sogginess of the course a problem off the tee but a benefit on approach shots because of the softness of the usually firm greens.

“If you could keep your ball in play, the conditions allowed us all to attack the hole locations, and the scores would indicate that was the case,” Browne observed.

Browne would have been paired in the final group Sunday with Langer, who has been the Champions Tour’s top player since he turned 50 in 2007. Langer matched Browne’s course record of 64 less than 15 minutes after Browne set the mark, but his eagle at the 18th left him one shot behind Browne at the end of 36 holes.

“I was really going to enjoy going out there and playing with Bernhard, I always do,” Browne said. “And no matter what the outcome today, I would have come away better for it.

“Having said that, I don’t mind coming away with that big sugar jar sitting with my name on it.”

Browne took home $270,000 from the purse of $1.8 million, moving to first on the money list after placing 11th or better in four of his first five starts this season prior to his victory.

The last time a Champions Tour event was reduced to 36 holes was in Houston

in 2011, and Browne was one of the players in position for a come from behind victory.

“I was on the other side of it and I was hot about that,” he said. “They say things even out, maybe it evened out my way this time.”

Browne began the tournament with four birdies on his first five holes after teeing off on the 10th hole Friday. He was still 4-under after 12 holes when play was halted, ending the day tied for the lead with Joey Sindelar, Tommy Armour III, Gary Hallberg and Ian Woosnam. Eight other players were one shot back, including Tom Byrum, one of just three players to conclude his opening round.

Armour wound up with the first round lead at 5-under 67, with Browne one of six players at 68. He was joined by Sindelar, Champions Tour rookie Jesper Parnevik, Woosnam, Mark O’Meara and Rocco Mediate.

The pairings remained the same for the second round, with almost all the leaders other than Armour beginning their second rounds off the first tee, making things convenient for both the fans in attendance and the Golf Channel broadcast team.

Browne concluded his first round Saturday morning with a birdie at the par-4 seventh and a par save at the difficult ninth, getting up and down from the greenside bunker.

A pair of early birdies from close range at holes 2 and 3 kept Browne in the hunt from the outset in what turned out to be the final round. Armour carded birdies at 13 and 14, his fourth and fifth holes, to get to 7-under, but did not manage a birdie the rest of the day and finished tied for 8th at 6-under.

Mediate went to the front with four straight birdies beginning at the third and took the lead outright when he birdied the par-5 10th. But an indecisive swing on the par-3 11th sent his tee shot plunging into the water well short of the green, handing the lead to Browne, who was playing several groups ahead.

Browne turned in 3-under to stay within a shot of Mediate, and holed a 12foot birdie putt at the 12th to tie the lead just before Mediate birdied the 10th to regain the top spot. A deft chip and a short birdie putt on the drivable par-4 13th put Browne two in front, and

another birdie from inside 10 feet at the 15th kept him in front of Mediate and Langer, who scored his fifth birdie of the day at 13 to get to 8-under.

Leading by two, Browne rolled in a birdie putt of just over 20 feet at the 17th, and closed out his round with a 6footer for birdie at 18, giving him five birdies over his last seven holes. Those two putts proved to be critical, as Langer, playing in the group behind Browne, finished birdie-eagle for his 64.

Mediate took 3rd at 9-under 135 after a 67, with O’Meara, Parnevik, Stephen Ames and Tom Pernice tying for 4th at 7-under 137. Rod Spittle tied Armour for 8th at 138 with a final round 66.

Larry Mize was low among the 5player Georgia contingent in the field, tying for 25th at 2-under 142 after closing with a 70. Billy Andrade, Scott Dunlap and Gene Sauers were next at 143, with Larry Nelson at 150 after consecutive scores of 75.

Browne won three times on the PGA Tour, his first in Hartford in 1998 at the age of 39. He won again the next year at Colonial and enjoyed the best season of his career in 2005 at the age of 46, scoring his last victory in Boston.

Since joining the Champions Tour in 2009, Browne has been a consistent contender, with his lone victory coming in 2011 at the U.S. Senior Open at Inverness in Toledo. He tied for 4th later that year in Houston when the final round was rained out.

TPC Sugarloaf hosted the PGA Tour from 1997-2008 and the Champions Tour since 2013, and has seen its share of inclement weather. The first serious weather-related problem came in 2000 when the final round was washed out and Phil Mickelson won in a playoff against Gary Nicklaus, who enjoyed the one highlight of a soon-to-be-over professional career.

This year marked the 10th anniversary of the memorable 2005 tournament at Sugarloaf, which was also won by Mickelson in a 5-way playoff on Monday.

The tournament did not begin until Saturday after torrential rain washed out the first two rounds, and Saturday’s play was halted for more than 90 minutes due to sleet. The cut was not made until Monday morning and the 54-hole tournament did not conclude until late that afternoon.

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FOREGEORGIA.COM

15

Spieth emerges as challenger to McIlroy Masters victory lifts him to No.2 ranking

f the 2015 Masters is any indication, men’s professional golf is in for a lengthy and intriguing battle for the No. 1 spot in the world rankings between Jordan Spieth and Rory McIlroy.

Since Tiger Woods’ reign as the game’s dominant player ended after the 2013 season, McIlroy has emerged as his heir. But given his play over the past two years, particularly since the end of 2014, Spieth seems poised to make a run at McIlroy’s No. 1 ranking.

Like Woods and McIlroy, Spieth made his mark almost immediately as a professional. Spieth led the Texas golf team to an NCAA title as a freshman in 2012 before turning pro midway through his sophomore season.

After failing to reach the finals of PGA Tour qualifying later that year, Spieth began 2013 with no status on either the Web.com or PGA Tour, but did not take long to rectify that situation.

A four-week stretch early in 2013 established Spieth as a player to watch with his 20th birthday still several months away. He finished 7th and 4th in consecutive events on the Web.com Tour in Panama and Colombia, and tied for 2nd the next week in the PGA Tour’s second tier tournament in Puerto Rico to earn a spot in the field in Tampa, where he tied for 7th.

Spieth recorded top 10s later in the year at highly regarded layouts like Harbour Town, Colonial and Congressional to play his way into PGA Tour membership. He cemented his status with a playoff victory in the John Deere Classic, holing a bunker shot on the 72nd hole to get into a playoff with local favorite Zach Johnson, winning on the fifth extra hole.

A little over a month later, Spieth almost added a second win, losing in a playoff in Greensboro to fellow rookie Patrick Reed, matching the final round 65 he shot in the John Deere.

Spieth closed out a memorable first season as a pro with four straight top-20 finishes in the four FedExCup Playoffs events, including a tie for 4th in Boston with a final round 62 and a tie for 2nd at East Lake in the Tour Championship, where he closed with a 64.

Although he did not win a tournament

STEVE DINBERG

By Mike Blum

I

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FOREGEORGIA.COM

Jordan Spieth

during the 2013-14 PGA Tour season, Spieth increased his earnings for the year to $4.35 million from $3.9 million in 2013. He displayed exceptional consistency, posting 18 top-25 finishes in 27 starts, with a tie for 2nd in his first Masters the highlight of his season and one of eight top-10 showings.

Spieth ended the year with back-toback victories in the Australian Open and World Challenge. He shot 63 the final day in Australia to break away from the pack and win by six, and closed with scores of 63 and 66 the last two rounds at Isleworth to shoot 26-under 262 and win by 10.

After three top-10 finishes in four starts on the West Coast to begin 2015, Spieth went on a spectacular four-tournament run starting with a victory in Tampa and ending with his historic triumph in the Masters.

Spieth avenged his 2013 playoff loss to Reed in Tampa, and followed that effort with back-to-back runner-up efforts in his native Texas. He was 2nd behind local resident Jimmy Walker in San Antonio and lost in a playoff the following week in Houston to J.B. Holmes.

A Dallas native and resident, Spieth made his PGA Tour debut as a high school junior in 2010 in his hometown, tying for 16th in the Byron Nelson Championship. He continued the longstanding Texas tradition of success in the

recent Masters, following on the heels of his 2nd place finish the previous year in his first trip to Augusta.

Spieth owned the 2015 Masters almost as soon as he teed off in the first round Thursday afternoon. It took him only 10 holes to record five birdies and pull into a tie with Charley Hoffman, who shot 67 playing in the first group that morning.

Birdies at 12, 13 and 14 gave Spieth six in a seven-hole stretch that began with consecutive birdies at 8, 9 and 10.

That got him to 8-under on the round with a shot at the course record of 63, but a surprising bogey at the par-5 15th resulting from a poor pitch from behind the green dashed his hopes of a recordsetting score.

Spieth ended the round with a birdie at 18 for a 64 and a 3-stroke lead, and followed with a bogey-free 66 Friday for a 36-hole record of 14-under 130 and a 5-stroke lead over Hoffman. He birdied all four par 5s, giving him seven par-5 birdies the first two days.

Seven more birdies in the third round kept Spieth comfortably in front, but he also carded three bogeys and a sloppy double bogey on the 17th to keep his lead from reaching insurmountable proportions.

A 70 gave Spieth the 54-hole scoring record at 16-under 200, with Justin Rose and Phil Mickelson both shooting 67 to move into 2nd and 3rd respectively at 204 and 205.

Other than a birdie-birdie start Sunday

by Rose, which was matched by Spieth birdies at 1 and 3, no one made a run at Spieth the final day, with his lead never falling below three strokes on the front nine or four on the back.

Spieth shot another 70 on Sunday, missing a short par putt on the 18th that would have given him the 72-hole scoring record outright at 19-under 269.

Spieth finished at 270, matching Woods’ mark set in 1997, with Mickelson and Rose both four shots back in 2nd at 274.

One record Spieth claimed outright was most birdies in 72 holes (28). Spieth did that on the strength of his putting (3rd for the tournament in total putts) and greens in regulation (54, tying for 2nd with Rose behind Ian Poulter at 59).

Spieth averaged 282.5 yards per drive on the measured holes, finishing ahead of

just 11 players who made the cut, and was in the middle of the pack in fairways hit.

During his first three seasons as a pro, Spieth has established himself as a player with no apparent holes in his game. He struggled a bit with accuracy in 2014, both off the tee and with his iron game, but has put up respectable numbers in those categories this year, relying primarily on his putting (2nd in strokes gained) to rank 2nd on the tour in birdies and 1st in scoring average.

Spieth finished 3rd in the all-around category as a rookie and is 5th this year, and looked in control at Augusta National for the entire tournament despite the pressure of leading from wire to wire.

Unlike most of the game’s elite players, Spieth is not a bomber, but is long enough to reach most par 5s in two.

He has an occasional tendency to miss shots to the right, and has been known to hit the occasional pitch shot a little heavy and miss a short putt or two. But the overall quality of his short game and the ability to withstand pressure, something more than a few of his fellow competitors struggle with, has enabled him to reach the No. 2 spot in the world rankings with No. 1 McIlroy in his sights.

Spieth has taken a commanding lead over Walker in the FedExCup standings, and will return to East Lake for the 2015 Tour Championship.

Although the 2015 Masters belonged to Spieth from start to finish, several other prominent players left Augusta feeling better about their games than when they arrived.

At the top of that list was Woods, who shot 69-68 the middle two rounds and wound up tied for 17th at 283, exhibiting none of the short game problems he displayed in his most recent tournament appearances. At times, however, Woods fought a losing battle with his driver, hitting just two of 14 fairways the final round.

Woods’ game is not nearly the wreck it has been of late, but it appears increasingly unlikely that he will be able to re-capture the magic he displayed as recently as two years ago.

With his tie for 2nd, Mickelson completed a career Grand Slam for runner-up finishes in majors, and comes into the [ See Masters, page 23 ] M AY 2 0 1 5

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FOREGEORGIA.COM

17

Andrade, Nelson share titles in Legends

T

money list. Andrade and Durant collected $230,000 each for the victory, with Durant winning for the first time since his fourth PGA Tour victory in 2006. Andrade won his fourth and final PGA Tour title in 2000.

“We ham and egged it very, very nicely and Joe hit some beautiful shots today,” Andrade said.

“I can’t be more excited to be in a situation to win out here. To do it like this and do it with Joe has been such a treat for me.”

The two had planned to play last year, but Durant elected to play the PGA Tour event in Memphis that week. Durant elected to stick to the Champions Tour this time, and was richly rewarded. He and Andrade both moved into the top 10 on the money list, with Andrade 8th after the victory.

Nelson and Fleisher played together in the Legends Division last year and placed second behind Jim Thorpe and Jim Colbert. Nelson and Fleisher went wire to wire this time, shooting 7-under 47 the first day on Top of the Rock to lead by four and retaining that margin with a

College Roundup [ Continued from page 12 ]

Billy Andrade

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FOREGEORGIA.COM

scored top-10 finishes.

Schniederjans shot 70-72-71—213 and tied for 6th at 213, with Albertson tying for 8th at 70-7371—214. Whaley was 11th at 215 with sophomore Michael Hines of Acworth T21 at 221.

Kennesaw State was 4th at 868 after also opening with a 1-under 283. Terremoana Beaucousin led the Owls, tying for 12th at 216.

Burton led after a first round 67 and tied for 14th at 217, with Vick tying for 21st at 221 and Beck closing with a 71 to shoot 222.

Georgia Southern was 9th at 886 after an opening score of 285. Wolfes shot 68 the first day, but struggled in the second round and tied for 21st at 221. Mercer was 12th in the 14-team field at 913, with Rule the team’s low

STEVE DINBERG

he Champions Tour’s Legends of Golf may have left Georgia, but trophies from the recent tournament in Missouri are now back in the Peach State.

Atlanta area residents Billy Andrade and Larry Nelson were part of the two winning teams, with Andrade teaming with Joe Durant in the Champions Division and Nelson pairing with Bruce Fleisher in the Legends Division for players 65 and older.

Both teams won their divisions by three shots. Andrade and Durant shot a final round 9-under 45 on the Top of the Rock par-3 course after trailing by three shots after 36 holes. They shot 7-under 63 the first day on the par-70 Buffalo Ridge course and were three behind the team of Ian Woosnam and Sandy Lyle after a second round 51 on Top of the Rock.

The highlight of the final round for the winning duo was a hole-in-one by Durant on the 12th hole. That put them 7-under par for the day after a 4-under 23 on the front nine in an alternate shot format and a birdie on the 10th by Andrade that put him and Durant in the lead for good.

It was the first Champions Tour win for both players. Both turned 50 last year and qualified for the season-ending Charles Schwab Cup in their first attempt by finishing in the top 30 on the

at 9-under, followed by the teams of Thorpe-Colbert and Butch Baird-Al Geiberger

at 8-under .

Nelson and Fleisher combined for 38 Champions Tour wins from 1998-2004, but neither has won since other than three Father-Son titles for Nelson. The two notched six straight birdies during the opening round and survived difficult weather conditions the second day.

It was an emotional week for Nelson, as the tournament honored Vietnam War veterans earlier in the week.

“I lost some friends over there, so it’s a fitting tribute to some guys that was certainly overdue for the last 45 years,” Larry Nelson said Nelson, who served in Vietnam during the war.

66 on Buffalo Ridge.

The tournament, which started the The Legends Division played only nine Champions Tour, was played at Savannah holes the final day on Top of the Rock, Harbor from 2003 to 2013. When and no one made a move on Nelson and Liberty Mutual Insurance, the long-time Fleisher, who shot 1-under 26 and won sponsor of the tournament, ended its title by three with a 12-under 139 total. Jack sponsorship, the event moved to Branson, Nicklaus and Gary Player were second Mo., with a new title sponsor.

man at 224.

Georgia Tech closed out its regular season schedule by winning an event hosted by Ohio State. The Yellow Jackets shot 4-under 848 to finish 16 ahead of runner-up SMU, with Tech golfers 1-2-3 in the individual standings.

Albertson and Whaley shared medalist honors, with both players carding scores of 71-67-70 for 5-under 208 totals.

Schniederjans led after scores of 68 and 69, but shot 73 the third round and tied for 3rd at 210.

Tech played the first two rounds with four players after Petefish withdrew after being hit in the neck by a stray golf ball from an adjacent course. Petefish played the final day and shot 73.

Kennesaw State was 3rd in its final regular season tournament, finishing three shots behind South Florida in the Irish Creek Collegiate in Kannapolis, N.C. The Owls shot 4-over 856 after sharing the opening round lead at 277.

Nilehn shared medalist honors at 208,

leading outright after scores of 66-68 the first two rounds.

Georgia State tied for 7th at 869, with Grey placing 8th individually, closing with a 69 for a 212 score.

Georgia took 3rd in the 3M Augusta Invitational, hosted by Augusta State at Forest Hills the weekend before the Masters. The Bulldogs posted a 22-under 842 total, four shots behind New Mexico and one in back of runner-up Illinois.

After shooting 1-under 287 in the first round, Georgia closed with scores of 277 and 278, but fell just short of a victory.

McCoy earned medalist honors by four shots, closing with a 64 after back-toback 68s the first day for a 16-under 200 total. DeMoss shot 68 in the second round and tied for 13th at 212 with Sigg, who played as an individual.

The host Jaguars were 6th at 848 with scores of 278-283-287. Viktor Edin tied for 6th at 208, with Antcliff T13 at 212.

Cody Shafer, a junior from Evans, shot even par 216.

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FOREGEORGIA.COM

19

Watson, Reed only winners with Georgia ties Ex-Bulldog Kisner loses playoff at Hilton Head

By Mike Blum

fter combining for 13 victories during the 2013-14 season, Georgia’s contingent of PGA Tour players had won just twice as the 2014-15 season reached its midway point last month.

No player with ties to the state has won since Patrick Reed captured the Tournament of Champions, the 2015 opener in Hawaii. The other win came in the 2014 portion of the schedule when Bubba Watson scored a dramatic victory in the WGC event in China.

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Jason Bohn contended in consecutive events last Fall, finishing two shots back in a tie for second in Mississippi and letting a chance for victory in Mexico slip away after a poor final round. He was 54th, with Kirk 57th after a close call last Fall in the McGladrey Classic but not much since.

Former Georgia Tech golfer Cameron Tringale was 63rd largely on the strength of a tie for fifth in Houston, but made a sizeable jump to 24th after placing 2nd in New Orleans the following week. Zach Johnson was 67th with four top 10s, including a seasonbest seventh in the Tournament of Champions and a tie for ninth in the Masters.

Hudson Swafford, back on the PGA Tour after playing on the Web.com Tour last year, began his season with finishes of 8th, 18th and 12th in his first three starts, but other than a T11 at Bay Hill, had not been in the top 35 since until a tie for 12th in New Orleans. The former Bulldog was 69th, three spots behind former Yellow Jacket Chesson Hadley, who has followed up his 2014 win in Puerto Rico as a rookie with a respectable sophomore season.

Fellow ex-Georgia Tech golfers Bryce Molder and Nicholas Thompson are 88th and 94th, with Brian Harman 108th coming off his first victory last year in the John Deere Classic. Harman has three top-20 finishes, but no top 10s and seven missed cuts in 14 starts. Also in the top 125 is Scott Brown (115), an Augusta native now living in nearby Aiken, S.C., where he attended college.

Stewart Cink, who hasn’t won since the 2009 British Open and doesn’t have a top 10 since 2013, is outside the top 125 at 131, making nine of 12 cuts but with no finishes better than 30th. Erik Compton made a run at his first PGA Tour victory in Palm Springs, but missed his next five cuts and was 136th before a tie for 12th in New Orleans moved him up to 112th.

Former Clayton State golfer Will Wilcox, a non-exempt player, has a topAL KOOISTRA

Georgia nearly added a third win last month from a slightly unexpected source. Kevin Kisner, a member of the 2005 NCAA champion Georgia Bulldogs golf team, lost a playoff in the Heritage Classic on Hilton Head Island to Jim Furyk after shooting 64 in the final round capped by a birdie on the 18th.

Kisner again birdied the 18th, the first extra hole, to extend the playoff, but lost when Furyk made his 11th birdie of the day at 17, the second extra hole.

The playoff loss was the first moment on the national stage for Kisner, now in his fourth season on the PGA Tour. After a successful rookie year on the Web.com Tour in 2010, Kisner struggled his first two seasons on the PGA Tour in 2011 and ‘12, but made it back in 2014 after another strong showing as a Web.com member in 2013.

Kisner enjoyed a sold 2013-14 season, making his first run at a victory in Charlotte. He opened 2014-15 with a tie for fourth in the McGladrey Classic at Sea Island Golf Club, but it wasn’t until

AL KOOISTRA

Kevin Kisner

last month’s tournament at Harbour Town that Kisner made a serious bid for his first PGA Tour victory.

Had Kisner won, he would have been the first South Carolinian to win that state’s lone PGA Tour event. Kisner is a native of Aiken, S.C., just across the Savannah River from Augusta, and was a key member of UGA’s 2005 national championship team, although he played in the shadow of fellow PGA Tour members Chris Kirk and Brendon Todd.

Kisner was an Honorable Mention All-America all four years he played in Athens and was all-SEC his first two seasons. But he never won a tournament in college, playing behind Kirk and Todd on Georgia’s championship team in 2005.

It took Kisner several years to advance from the mini-tours to the Web.com Tour in 2010, but he enjoyed a stellar rookie season, placing 11th on the money list including a win in Pittsburgh. He enjoyed a similar season in 2013, winning an early-season event in Chile and finishing 13th on the money list to return to the PGA Tour.

With finishes of fourth and second already this season, Kisner was 37th on the FedExCup points at the midway point of the schedule, and is ahead of Todd and Kirk, who both qualified for the Tour Championship at East Lake for the first time last year.

At the midway point of the 2014-15 schedule, Reed and Watson were among the top 5 in the FedExCup standings, with two others in the top 30, eight in the top 50, 16 in the top 100 and 19 in the top 125.

Reed nearly added a second win this season, and his fifth since August of 2013, when he lost in a playoff to Jordan Spieth in Tampa, reversing Reed’s playoff victory over Spieth in Greensboro for his first PGA Tour title.

Watson played only six times in the first 22 weeks of the 2014-15 PGA Tour schedule, making side appearances in three other events, including a European Tour stop in China the week after his unsuccessful attempt to win the Masters

ford Hudson Swaf

for a third time in four years.

Watson has played extremely well despite the limited schedule, tying for second in Phoenix, one shot behind the winner, and placing third in the WGC tournament at Doral, two shots out of a playoff.

Matt Kuchar was 17th with three top-5 finishes, including a near miss in Palm Springs, but went MIA for almost three months before a recent fifth place showing at Hilton Head.

Also in the top 30 was Harris English, who was 25th after narrowly failing to qualify for the Tour Championship last year. English lost in a playoff to Jason Day in San Diego, costing him a spot in last month’s Masters, and wasted a strong first two rounds at Bay Hill with a disappointing weekend.

Joining Kisner inside the top 40 was fellow ex-Bulldog Russell Henley, who was 37th with three finishes of fourth or better at Sea Island, the Tournament of Champions and Houston, ending up one or two shots behind the winner in all three.

Todd, also a contender at Hilton Head, was 44th with two other top 10s, just ahead of Charles Howell at 47th.

Howell finished one shot out of a playoff in San Diego and was three shots back in fifth in Houston, but remains stuck on two career wins in his 16th season on tour, the last in 2007.

[ See PGA Tour, page 29 ] M AY 2 0 1 5

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JUNIOR GOLF in Georgia

Plenty of options for state’s junior golfers 6 tours based in or visit Georgia courses

By Mike Blum

or junior golfers throughout the state, there are a multitude of competitive options ranging from local organizations that offer introductory playing opportunities to events involving top juniors from all over the country and around the world.

Beyond the local level, there are three statewide junior organizations offering tournament schedules, two regional tours that include a number of stops in Georgia and the country’s most prominent national operation, which is based in Georgia and annually holds tournaments in various parts of the state.

The three state organizations are the Georgia PGA Junior Tour, the Georgia State Parks Junior Tour and the Georgia State Golf Association’s junior program, which conducts several regionally-oriented events.

F

Georgia PGA Junior Tour

The Georgia PGA initiated a statewide junior tour in 2002, providing a quality, affordable bridge for the state’s top junior players between local organizations and regional and national tours.

Almost all the state’s top juniors have competed in Georgia PGA Junior Tour events on their way up the tournament ladder, with the tour visiting many of the state’s top courses and featuring stops in almost every geographic section of the Peach State.

This year’s Georgia PGA Junior Tour began in March at Country Club of Columbus and included a high school team event at Chateau Elan and individual tour event at Oak Mountain in Carrollton in April. A total of 14 tournaments remain on the 2015 schedule, including the Georgia PGA Junior Championship, which is separate from the tour.

Two of the remaining tournaments are one day events that are part of the tour’s Summer Series – TPC Sugarloaf on July 16 and East Lake on July 28.

Other tournament hosts for Georgian PGA Junior Tour events this year include Legacy on Lanier, Cateechee, Stone 22

FOREGEORGIA.COM

Mountain GC, the UGA course, Doublegate in Albany, Callaway Gardens, Sea Island GC, the new Georgia Southern course, Chattahoochee in Gainesville, Coosa CC in Rome and a season-ending Tour Championship in the metro Atlanta area.

Tournaments are divided into five age groups (boys 11-13, 14-15 and 16-18; girls 11-14 and 15-18), with winners in each division as well as overall boys and girls champions in each tournament. The top players in each division qualify for the season-ending Tour Championship.

In addition to its tour events, the Georgia PGA also conducts its Junior Championship, which does not require Junior Tour Membership to enter. This year’s Georgia PGA Junior Championship will be played June 8-9 at Pinetree Country Club.

Membership is $75 per year and provides entry into all tour events with the exception of the Tour Championship.

Membership benefits include a tour cap, towel and bag tag, a USGA Rules of Golf book and various other items.

Georgia PGA Junior Tour alumni include players currently competing on the PGA and LPGA Tours, along with members of the UGA and Georgia Tech golf teams.

Scott Gordon is the Georgia PGA’s Junior Golf Director.

GSGA Sectional Program

In addition to its two Junior Championships, the GSGA conducts a series of events in each of seven designated sections of the state. The metro

Atlanta area is spread out among four different sections, with each of the seven sections conducting four or five tournaments in June and July.

The GSGA divides its junior fields into seven divisions, including four for the boys (11-under, 12-13, 14-15, 1618) and three for the girls (11-under, 12-13, 14-18). The top finishers in the various age groups are eligible for the Sectional Challenge, which pits teams from all seven areas. That event will be played July 20-21 at Eagle’s Landing, the former host course for an LPGA Tour event.

The GSGA Sectional Program is open to all juniors, with pre-registration fee for each event $20.

Both Junior Championships will be played June 22-24, with the boys playing at West Lake in Augusta and the girls at Coosa CC in Rome. The GSGA also conducts qualifiers for the U.S. Junior Championships, with the boys playing June 29 at the UGA course and the girls qualifier June 15 at Cartersville CC.

Georgia State Parks Junior Tour

This is the eighth year of operation for the Georgia Junior Tour, which plays its tournaments at State Parks courses.

The 2015 season began with tournaments in March and April at the Lakes at Laura Walker and Brazell’s Creek, and will include at least one event each month from May through October, with two in August.

Other tournaments this year are: Country Club of South Georgia, the lone non-State Parks course to host a tourna-

ment (May 9); Georgia Vets (June 6-7); Jekyll Island GC (July 11-12); Arrowhead Pointe (August 1-2); Little Ocmulgee (Aug. 29-30); Highland Walk (Sept. 12); and Creek at Hard Labor (Oct. 24).

Memberships are $10.99, with entry fees $45-$55 for one day events and $100-$120 for two day events. All events are played on weekends, with five age groups for boys and girls starting with ages 7-9.

Karl Gross, a long-time head pro at State Parks courses, operates the Georgia Junior Tour and can be reached via e-mail at: kgrosspga@gmail,com, Information is available at gastateparks.org.

Southeastern Junior Tour

The tour, which is based in Auburn, Ala., was founded for former Georgia PGA Tournament Director Todd Thompson, and has been a popular choice for top Georgia juniors since it began in the mid 1990s.

Almost half of the 36 tournaments on the SJGT’s 2015 tour schedule are played in Georgia, with most of the rest held in Alabama, many of them on courses that are part of the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail.

The age range for the tour is 12-19, with three boys divisions and two girls divisions. The tour’s schedule mirrors the school year, beginning in mid-August and concluding with its Tour Championship early the following August.

Four of the 17 Georgia tournaments on the 2015 schedule have already been played with 13 remaining this year.

Other Georgia stops before the end of the season include: Chattahoochee GC (May 9-10); UGA GC (May 23-24); Orchard Hills (May 27-28); Georgia Club (June 1-2); Idle Hour (June 15-16); Harbor Club (July 20-21); Druid Hills (July 27-28); Atlanta Athletic Club (Aug. 3-4, Tour Championship); Doublegate (Aug. 14-15); CC of Columbus (Sept. 12-13); Glen Arven (Sept. 26-27); UGA GC (Oct. 10-11); Callaway Gardens (Nov. 7-8).

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AJGA

Earlier events were at played at Sea Island GC, Forest Hills, Brunswick CC and Kinderlou Forest.

Georgia juniors have traditionally done very well on the tour, frequently sweeping all five divisions in tournaments.

Hurricane Junior Golf Tour

The Jacksonville-based tour began play in 2008 and quickly expanded its reach beyond Florida with events in Georgia and the Carolinas. This year’s schedule includes tournaments in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Ohio, with the tour playing as many as four and five events each week in different states.

The tour plays several events each month in Georgia, with Callaway Gardens, Brickyard at Riverside, Kinderlou Forest, Mirror Lake, Chateau Elan, Jekyll Island GC and Traditions of Braselton hosting tournaments earlier this year. The Mirror Lake and Traditions events are part of the tour’s Canongate series of tournaments in the state.

Remaining tournaments this year on the HJGT include: Bartram Trail (May 9-10); Canongate I (May 23-25); White Oak (June 6-7); Chateau Elan (June 2022); Royal Lakes (June 27-28); Pinetree (July 6-7), UGA GC (July 18-19); Forest Hills (August 1-2); Heron Bay (Aug. 89); Flat Creek (Aug. 22-23); Canongate I Roquemore (Sept. 5-6); White Oak Old (Sept. 19-20); Jekyll Island GC (Oct. 34); Bentwater (Oct. 17-18); UGA GC (Oct. 31-Nov. 1); Jones Creek (Nov. 7-8); Bear’s Best (Nov. 21-22); Sea Island Retreat (Nov. 28-29)).

With the number of tournaments in the state, the tour has added more Georgians to its roster, giving the state’s top juniors yet another option for competition.

American Junior Golf Association

The AJGA represents the ultimate goal for the elite junior golfers across the country and outside the U.S., with the organization based in Georgia since it was founded in the late 1970s.

Horseshoe Bend in Roswell was the AJGA’s original home, with the organization moving to more spacious accommodations at Chateau Elan more than a decade ago.

The AJGA conducts events all over the country, including six in Georgia this 2 0 1 5 M AY

S.M. Lee

year. The tour has already visited Country Club of the South, as well as playing the first of two tournaments on its 2015 calendar at Chateau Elan.

Other sites for AJGA events this year include a second tournament at Chateau Elan, this one for players yet to play in an AJGA event (May 23-25); WindStone GC in Ringgold (June 2-4); Jones Creek in Augusta (July 14-16); and Sea Island Golf Club’s Plantation course (July 2123). PGA Tour players Vaughn Taylor and Davis Love have leant their names to the tournaments in Augusta and St. Simons Island.

The AJGA’s Georgia tournaments include open events, invitationals, Junior All-Star events for players age 12-15 and a Pre-Season tournament for juniors looking to earn a coveted spot in an AJGA open event.

Most of the top American players on the PGA and LPGA Tours competed on the AJGA Tour, and Georgia juniors have a long history of success on the tour, including national Players of the Year Charles Howell, Brian Harman and Vicki Goetze.

Georgia currently has seven juniors ranked among the top 100 in the Polo golf rankings, led by Buford’s S.M. Lee, who won the recent tournament at Country Club of the South to move up to 17th in the rankings. Lee also won the Vaughn Taylor Junior last year at Jones Creek and was second in the Jones Cup Junior on St. Simons Island late in 2014.

Atlanta’s Will Chandler, who won last year’s Davis Love Junior at Sea Island Golf Club, is 24th, followed by Duluth’s Charles Huntzinger, a Penn State signee, at 66th. Georgia Tech signee Tyler Joiner of Leesburg is tied for 67th along with Jake Milanowski of Peachtree City,

a runner-up in the tournament at Country Club of the South and a third place finisher at Jones Creek last year.

Also in the top 100 are Alpharetta’s Chandler Eaton (79), the 2014 Southern Junior champion, and Atlanta’s Alexander DeRosa (88), who won the Bubba Conlee Junior in Tennessee last year.

The top-ranked Georgians in the girls ranking are Rinko Mitsunaga (8) of Roswell and Bailey Tardy (18) of

Masters

[ Continued from page 16 ]

2015 U.S. Open with consecutive ties for 2nd in majors, finishing behind the game’s top two players in the 2014 PGA (McIlroy) and 2015 Masters (Spieth).

Mickelson played well tee to green, looked confident with the putter and showed all the signs that he still has a chance every time he tees it up in one of golf’s four biggest tournaments.

McIlroy was in danger of missing the cut midway through the second round,

Norcross, both UGA signees with histories of success in AJGA tournaments.

Milton’s Rachel Dai, who is headed to Ivy League school Penn, won the Big I junior event last year and is 20th.

Atlanta’s Amanda Doherty (82), Alpharetta’s Sabrina Long (91) and Johns Creek’s Janet Mao (97) are also inside the top 100, with Suwanee’s Kayley Marschke, who won an AJGA tournament last year in Alabama, just outside at 102.

but shot 15-under the last 45 holes and placed 4th at 12-under 276. Dustin Johnson, who has had problems solving Augusta National in recent years, tied for 6th at 279, highlighted by three eagles in the second round.

St. Simons resident Zach Johnson enjoyed his best Masters since he won in 2007, tying for 9th at 280 with a pair of 68s on the weekend. Macon native and ex-Georgia Bulldog Russell Henley was 21st at 285 despite one triple bogey and two doubles, opening with a 68 and notching five birdies and an eagle in a final round 71.

Home of the

Callaway Club Fitting Studio Featuring the Swing Model LEARNING AND FITTING WITH THE NEWEST AND BEST IN TODAY’S TECHNOLOGY

Now Open to All Golfers (Beginners, Juniors, Women, Men and Professionals) For more information come by or call Tim Crandall Or Michael Parrott at 770.992.9230 to schedule an appointment.

770.402.0011 | Brookfieldcountryclub.com Brookfieldcountryclub c .com 100 W Willow illow R Run un R Road, oad, Rosw R Roswell, oswell, GA 30075 075 FOREGEORGIA.COM

23

JUNIOR GOLF in Georgia

Atlanta Junior Golf has new Executive Director Shirley takes over where she started in golf USGA

By Mike Blum

ince 1974 Atlanta Junior Golf has served as the competitive entry point for thousands of youngsters in the metro area and beyond, with some going on to successful college and professional careers and others just getting a welcoming introduction to the game of golf.

Atlanta Junior Golf’s summer schedule begins late this month, with the organization featuring a new Executive Director but the same mission it has followed since it was created – to introduce golf to as many youngsters as possible in and around metro Atlanta and to offer quality competitive opportunities to juniors on some of the best courses in the Atlanta area.

Margaret Shirley, the state’s top female amateur golfer, has taken over as AJG’s Executive Director after serving the past few years as the Manager of Rules and Competition.

Shirley, an Atlanta native who played her college golf at Auburn and worked as an assistant coach at both Georgia and Auburn before joining the AJG staff, says she has “a little more responsibility” with her new job.

“I could focus on one thing with Rules and Competition. There is a lot of the same stuff I’ve done before, but also some stuff I haven’t done before.”

Both Shirley and Michael Rakowski, the Assistant Executive Director, have experience with Atlanta Junior Golf, but with the permanent staff reduced from three persons to two, there is more for them to do than in the past.

Shirley says things have gotten a little hectic during the run up to the start of the summer schedule, but they will have two interns this summer instead of just one to get through the two months of constant tournaments that begin in late May and end in late July.

Atlanta Junior Golf will offer more than 80 tournaments this summer, ranging from Cohutta, Adairsville, Jasper and Cleveland in north Georgia to Athens and Rutledge to the east, Villa Rica and Carrollton to the west and Locust Grove to the south.

There are multiple age groups and

S

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FOREGEORGIA.COM

Margaret Shirley

divisions based on the skill level of the juniors, with both 9 and 18-hole schedules available. Players initially sign up for five tournaments, but once the entry process is completed for all the participants, players may add as many tournaments to their schedule as they wish, providing the fields in their divisions have not reached capacity.

Shirley, who won the USGA Women’s Mid-Amateur Championship last year and is a three-time Georgia Women’s Open champion, got her start in the beginner division at the age of 10, playing par-3 courses. She played with Atlanta Junior Golf for five years and says, “I would not be where I am without junior golf.

“The Atlanta Junior gave me an avenue to learn tournament golf. It was my first stepping stone. To come back here and work for this organization is definitely special.”

Although most of her predecessors also came up through the Atlanta Junior Golf ranks as players, Shirley is the first to make a name for herself as a competitor.

She believes that will give her some credibility in her role as an advocate for junior golf.

“Juniors now are starting out very much like I did, and I can tell them where I came from.”

Shirley also can serve as an example for girls, particularly those who may be a little intimidated by the sport. Shirley became a top junior, college and amateur golfer despite her modest height, standing just a few inches over five feet.

“Girls golf is near and dear to me, but I just want kids to play the game,” she says.

Shirley recognizes the importance of both the competitive and social aspects of the game, the latter aspect being a key to getting girls more involved in the sport.

“You get to play with kids your own age and skill level,” Shirley points out. “I met some of my best friends through junior golf. Atlanta Junior Golf gave me a place to learn the game and work my way up to the Southeastern Junior Tour and then the American Junior. “ One of the challenges for the Atlanta Junior is to retain its more competitive players who are capable of playing at the level of the Georgia PGA Junior Tour, the GSGA Sectional events or the other regional junior tours that visit the state.

“Atlanta Junior Golf is really good at what it does, which is running one-day tournaments,” Shirley says. “It’s what we’ve been doing for years, and we hope to continue to grow the game.”

The tour also offers a handful of twoday events for its best players, with most of the championship events for the top points earners in each of the many divisions also played for at least two days.

Most of this summer’s championship events will be played at Chateau Elan, with one of the 9-hole events at Ansley Golf Club and the beginners concluding their season at Hawk’s Ridge.

The AJG schedule is split among public and private courses throughout the Atlanta area and north Georgia.

Among the public courses that will host events this summer are Barnsley

Gardens, Bridgemill, Chattahoochee, Cherokee Run, Cobblestone, Durham Lakes, Eagle’s Brook, Echelon, Heritage, Orchard Hills, St. Marlo, Summer Grove and the UGA course.

Top private clubs on the schedule include Bent Tree, Brookstone, CC of Roswell, Druid Hills, Eagle’s Landing, Governors Towne Club, Horseshoe Bend, Indian Hills, Laurel Springs, Marietta CC and Newnan CC. While Shirley is heading up the Atlanta Junior Golf operations during the busy summer, she will also set a little time aside for her own competitive efforts.

“They think it’s great that I play,” Shirley said of AJG’s Board of Directors, which also includes some top amateur players. “I don’t let it get in the way of my work here, but I’ll compete three, four or five weeks.”

Some of the national events are played after the AJG season winds down, but there will be a week or two when Shirley is competing while the AJG schedule is in full swing. Shirley says she will keep her schedule as local as possible, “so I can play in the morning and be back in the office in the afternoon.”

Drive, Chip & Putt

The entry deadline is approaching for the Drive, Chip & Putt

competition for 2016, with the finals again set for Augusta

National Golf Club the Sunday before the Masters. Ten local

qualifiers will be held in Georgia in June and July, with entry

deadline five days before the

qualifier. The first one is set for June 4 at Chateau Elan, with the final qualifier July 27 at

Cuscowilla. There are four age

groups for both boys and girls, ranging from 7 to 15. For

information, visit the Georgia

PGA web site (georgiapga.com) or www.drivechipandputt.com.

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JU N IO R G O L F Directory

Heidi Mitchell Golf Camp Stone Mountain • 678-637-2802 www.heidimitchellgolf.com Kiddie Kamps: (Ages 5-8) June 2-4 • June 30-July 2 • July 21-23 • 9 a.m-11 a.m.

Junior Camps: (Ages 8-15) June 8-12 • June 22-26 • July 13-17 • July 27-31 • 9 a.m.-12 p.m.

Cherokee Golf Center Woodstock • 770-899-4497 http://www.cherokeegolfcenter.com/ junior-golf-camps/ Pee Wee Mini Camp: (Ages 5-7) June 29-July 1 • 8:30-11:30 a.m.

Beginner Camps: (Ages 6-12) June 1-3 • June 22-24 • 8:30-11:30 a.m.

Beginner/Intermediate Camps: June 9-11 (Ages 8-15) • June 15-17 (Ages 6-12) • June 15-17 (Ages 9-15) • July 6-8 (Ages 7-15) • July 13-15 (Ages 6-10) • July 20-24 (Ages 7-15) • July 27-31 (Ages 7-15) • 8:30-11:30 a.m.

Collins Hill Golf Club Lawrenceville • 770-822-5400 http://www.collinshillgolf.com Junior Golf Academy: (Ages 8-14) June 15-18 • June 29-July 2 • July 20-23 • 9-11:30 a.m.

Fox Creek Golf Club Smyrna • 678-588-7623 http://www.legacyfoxcreek.com Junior Camps: (Ages 4-6) May 27-29 • June 15-17 • June 29-July 1 • 12:30-2 p.m.

Junior Camps: (Ages 7-10) May 27-29 • June 15-17 • June 29-July 1 • July 20-22 • 9 a.m.-12 p.m.

Junior Camps: (Ages 11-15) June 8-11 • July 7-10 • 9 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

Alpharetta Athletic Club Alpharetta • 770-475-2300 ext. 112 (Tom Joyce Jr.) http://www.alpharettaac.com/juniorgolf Junior Camps: (Ages 6-13) Lunch included May 27-29 • June 17-19 • July 8-10 • 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

On Course Camps: June 3-5, June 24-26, July 22-24

Canton Golf Club Canton • 404-285-7557 • 770-479-2772 (Pro Shop)

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FOREGEORGIA.COM

http://www.cantongolfclub.com Junior Camp: (Ages 7-15) June 8, 9, 10 (8:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m.)

Nicklaus and Palmer Junior Camps: (Ages 11-18) June 8-10 • June 22-24 • July 6-8 • July 20-22 • 8 a.m.-12 p.m.

June 1-4 (Beginner) • June 15-18 (Advanced) • July 6-9 (Beginner) • July 20-23 (Advanced) • 8:30 a.m.-12 p.m.

Jaguar Golf Camp

City Club Marietta

Henderson Golf Club

Augusta • 706-737-1626 http://jaguarsroar.com/sports/mgolf/ 2014-15/releases/20150414paul7l Junior Camps: (Ages 6-18) June 15-18

Marietta • 770-528-4653 http://www.cityclubmarietta.com/ Junior Camps: (Ages 7-16) June 9-11 • June 23-25 • July 7-9 • July 21-23 • July 28-30 (all 9 a.m.-12 p.m.)

Savannah • 912-920-4653 http://www.hendersongolfclub.com Junior Camps: Ages 6-17 June 8-11 • July 13-16 • 8:30 a.m.-12 p.m.

Godwin Creek Golf Course Columbus • 706-315-8444 http://www.forekidscolumbus.com Fore Kids Summer Camps: (Ages 6-15) June 22-26 • July 13-17 • 8:30 a.m-12 p.m.

Lake Spivey Golf Club Jonesboro • 770-471-4653 http://www.lakespivey.net/ Junior Camps: June 1, 3, 5 • July 13, 15, 17 • 8-10 a.m.

Tuesday Night Junior Clinics: Tuesdays, May-August • 5:30-7:30 p.m.

The Creek at Hard Labor State Park Rutledge • 706-557-3006 http://www.georgiagolf.com Junior Half Day Camps: (Ages 6-16) June 15-19 Junior Full Day Camps: (Ages 6-16) June 15-19

Reunion Country Club Hoschton • 770-967-8300 http://www.reuniongolfclub.com/ -junior-golf-summer-camp Junior Camps: (Ages 6-15) June 8-11 • July 13-16 • July 27-30 • 8 a.m.-1 p.m.

The Club at Savannah Harbor Savannah • 912-201-2240 http://www.theclubatsavannahharbor.com Junior Summer Camps: (Ages 5-12) June 22-26 • July 6-10 • July 20-24 (9 a.m.-1 p.m.)

Advanced Junior: July 15-17 (9 a.m.-1 p.m.)

Woodmont Country Club Canton • 770-345-9260 http://www.woodmontgolfclub.com/ -golf-summer-camps McIlroy and Hogan Junior Camps: (Ages 5+) (Introductory and Intermediate players) June 1-3 • June 15-17 • June 29-July 1 • July 13-15 • July 27-29 • 8 a.m.-12 p.m.

U.S. Kids Golf Foundation 706-587-4653 http://www.uskidsgolf.com

2015 Atlanta Summer Tour: (Ages 5-14) Chicopee Woods Golf Course Gainesville • 770-534-7322 • June 4 Bridgemill Athletic Club Canton • 770-345-5500 • June 8 Fairways of Canton Golf Club Canton • 770-720-1808 • June 17 TPC at Sugarloaf Golf Course Duluth • 770-418-1113 • June 23 White Columns Country Club Milton • 770-343-9025 • June 29 The Standard Club Johns Creek • 770-497-0055 • July 6 Horseshoe Bend Country Club Roswell • 678-578-5120 • July 13 Country Club of Roswell (Tour Championship) Roswell • 770-475-7800 • July 20

Idle Hour Country Club Macon • 478-477-8777 www.ihgolf.com Junior Camp: (Ages 4-13) June 16-19 • July 21-24 (9:30 a.m.-1 p.m.)

Kids Golf Academy Atlanta • 404-812-6808 http://www.golfacademyforkids.com/ GolfPrograms/GolfSummerCamp.aspx Junior Summer Camps: (Ages 4-17) May 26-29 • June 1-5 • June 8-12 • June 15-19 • June 22-26 • June 29-July 3 • July 6-10 • July 13-17 • July 20-24 • July 27-31 • August 3-7 • August 10-14 • August 17-21 • (Half Day: 9 a.m.-12 p.m. or 1-4 p.m.) (Full Day: 9 a.m.-4 p.m.)

Crosswinds Golf Club Savannah • 912-966-1909 http://www.crosswindsgolfclub.com Junior Camps: Ages 6-17

Georgia Golf Ministry 706-354-0986 http://www.gagolfministry.com/ 2015 Jekyll Island Junior Camp: (Ages 11-17) • Jekyll Island • May 29-31 2015 Reynolds Plantation Junior Golf Camp: (Ages 10-18) Greensboro • July 12-16 2015 Reynolds Plantation ELITE Jr. Junior Golf Camp: (Ages 13-17) Greensboro • July 16-19

2015 Yellow Jacket Golf Camp (Ages 9-18) • Alpharetta • 404-840-3451 http://www.yellowjacketgolfcamp.com June 8-11 (1-5 p.m.)

Wendell Coffee Golf Center Tyrone • 770-969-4469 http://www.coffeegolfcenter.com/ jrgolf.htm Junior Camps: (Ages 6-15) June 1-4 • June 8-11 • June 15-18 • June 22-25 • July 6-9 • July 13-16 • July 20-23 • July 27-30 • August 3-6 • 8:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m.

ClubCorp Golf Academy Junior Summer Camps (Ages 7-14) http://www.canongate360.com Windermere Golf Club Cumming • 678-513-1000 • June 8-11 • June 22-25 • July 13-16 • July 20-23 Traditions of Braselton Golf Club Jefferson • 706-363-9963 June 2-5 • June 9-12 • June 16-19 • June 23-26 • July 7-10 • July14-17 • July 21-24 • July 28-31 Flat Creek Golf Club Peachtree City • 770-487-8140 June 1-4 (Advanced Camp) • July 6-9 Braelinn Golf Club Peachtree City • 770-631-3100 May 26-28 • June 8-11 • June 22-25 • July 13-16 • July 27-30

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White Oak Golf Club Newnan • 770-251-6700 May 26-28 • June 22-25 • July 20-23

2015 Summer Elite Junior Golf School: (Ages 12-18 with handicap of 10 or less) June 23-27 • July 21-25 • 9 a.m.-4 p.m.

Canongate 1 Golf Club Sharpsburg • 770-463-3342 June 8-11 • June 15-18 • June 29-July 2 • July 20-23

2015 Summer Junior Players Golf Camp: (Ages 11-17 with a handicap of 15 or less) July 13-17 • 9 a.m.-4 p.m.

Bentwater Golf Club Acworth • 770-529-9554 x2 June 8-11 • June 15-18 • June 22-25 • July 13-16 • July 20-23 Chapel Hills Douglasville • 770-949-0030 June 16-19 • July 21-25 Mirror Lake Golf Club Villa Rica • 770-459-5599 June 8-11 • June 22-25

2015 Summer Junior Golf Camp: (Ages 11-17 with playing experience) June 15-19 • July 6-10 • July 27-31 • 10 a.m.-4 p.m.

2015 Four Day Summer Junior Golf Camp: (Ages 11-17 with playing experience) June 29-July 2 • August 3-6 • 9 a.m.-4 p.m.

2015 Summer Mini Junior Golf Camp: (Ages 10-14 with some golfing experience) June 7-9 • June 21-23 • July 5-7 • July 26-28 • August 9-11 • 1-5 p.m.

Eagle Watch Woodstock • 770-591-1000 June 1-4 • June 8-14 • July 13-16 • July 27-30

2015 Summer Girls Golf Camp: (Girls 10-14 with some golf experience) June 14-16 • July 19-21 • 1-5 p.m.

Chris Haack Golf Camps

Newtown Recreation

(Boys 9-18): Athens • 706-369-6066 http://www.chrishaackgolfcamp.com/ June 7-10 • June 11-14

Johns Creek • 678-297-2662 http://www.newtownrec.com/ Junior Camps: (Ages 7-17) May 26-29 • June 2-5 • June 9-12 • June 23-26 • July 7-10 • July 14-17 • July 28-31 • 9 a.m.-12 p.m.

Josh Brewer Golf Camp (Girls 10-18): Athens • 706-369-6110 http://www.joshbrewergolfcamp.com/ June 3-6

NIKE Golf 1-800-NIKE-CAMP Berry College Camp: (Ages 10-18) Mount Berry http://www.ussportscamps.com/golf/nike/ nike-golf-camp-berry-college/ July 12-16 • Extended Day: 9 a.m.-9 p.m. • Overnight available Heritage Links Camp: (Ages 7-16) Tucker http://www.ussportscamps.com/golf/nike/ nike-golf-camps-at-heritage-golf-links/ July 13-17 • 9 a.m.-12 p.m.

Legacy Links Camp: (Ages 9-17) Smyrna http://www.ussportscamps.com/golf/nike/ nike-golf-camp-legacy-golf-links/ June 1-5 • June 22-26 • July 13-17 • July 20-23 • July 27-31 • Half day 9 a.m.12 p.m. • Full day 9 a.m.-4 p.m.

Summer Grove Golf Club Newnan • 678-850-6476 http://www.summergrovegolf.com Junior Camps: (Ages 6-16) June 1-4 • June 15-18 • June 29-July 2 • July 13-16 • July 27-30 • 9 a.m.-12 p.m.

RiverPines Golf Johns Creek • 770-442-5960 http://www.riverpinesgolf.com/product/ junior-summer-camps/ Junior Summer Camps: (Ages 6-14) June 8-11 • June 29-July 2 • July 13-16 • July 20-23 • August 3-6 • 9 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

Chicopee Woods Gainesville • 770-534-7322 http://frasiergolf.com/JuniorGolf/ SummerCamp.aspx Junior Camps: (Ages 7-15) June 16-18 • July 14-16 • 9-11 a.m.

(8:45 a.m. check-in)

Sea Island Golf Learning Center

Cherokee Run Golf ClubJr. Golf Academy

St. Simons Island • 912-638-5119 http://www.seaislandglc.com/junior-golf/

Conyers • 770-785-7904 Junior Camps: (All camps ages 6-12)

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June 1-4 • July 20-23 (both 9 a.m.-12 p.m.)

Cost: $125 (lunch included)

Windy Hill Golf Academy Smyrna • 770-990-7970 (PGA Professional Dan Rozek) www.atlgolflessons.com Ages 4-6: May 27-29 • June 15-17 • June 29-July 1 (all classes 12:30-2 p.m.) • $69 Ages 7-9: May 27-29 • June 15-17 • June 29-July 1 • July 20-22 (all classes 9 a.m.-12 p.m.) • $125 Ages 10-15: June 8-11 • July 7-10 (all classes 9 a.m.-12:30 p.m.) • $199

Eagles Landing Country Club Stockbridge • 770-389-9898 Ages 5-12: June 9-12 • June 23-26 • July 7-10 • July 21-24 (10:45 a.m.-1:45 p.m.)

West Pines Golf Club Douglasville • 678-391-1600 www.westpinesgc.com Ages 7-15: June 9-12 • July 14-17 (9 a.m.-12 p.m.)

Marietta Golf Center Marietta • 770-977-1997 • 404-386-5581 Ages 5-7 (S.N.A.G.): 5 weeks, Saturdays, May 30 • June 6, 13, 20, 27 • July 11, 18, 25 • August 1, 8 (9:30 a.m.-10:15 a.m.)

Age groups 8-12 and 13-17: June 2-5 • June 9-12 • June 16-19 • June 23-26 • July 7-10 • July 14-17 • July 21-24 • July 2831 (Tuesday-Thursday 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m., Friday 9:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m., course play)

Cateechee Golf Club Hartwell • 706-856-3323 (Jeff Gotham) www.Chateeche.com Ages 6-9 and 10-13: June 8-10 • June 23-25 • July 14-15

Sapelo Hammock Golf Club Townsend • 912-832-4653 www.sapelohammockgolfclub.com Ages 5-16: June 8-11 • July 27-30 (9 a.m.-12 p.m.)

Double Oaks Golf Club Commerce • 706-286-6879 (Jeff Chleboun) www.doubleoaksgolfclub.net Ages 5-10: (Fridays) June 5, 12, 19, 26 • July 3, 10, 17, 24, 31 (7:30-9 a.m.)

Ages 11-18: (Wednesdays) June 3, 10, 17, 24 • July 1, 8, 15, 22, 29 (7:30-9 a.m.)

Champions Group: (Must be member of a high school or middle school golf team) (Wednesdays) June 3, 10, 17, 24 • July 1, 8, 15, 22, 29 (3-5 p.m.)

Lost Plantation Golf Club Rincon • 912-826-2092 Juniorgolfguy.com Ages 5-12: May 26-29 • June 8-11 • June 15-18 (all classes 8:30 a.m.-12 p.m.)

Wilmington Island Club Savannah • 912-897-1615 http://www.thewilmingtonislandclub.com /Golf.html Ages 5-18: June 9-11 • June 16-18 • July 7-9 • July 14-16 (all 9 a.m.-12 p.m.)

St. Ives Country Club Johns Creek • 770-497-9432 www.stivescountryclub.org Junior Golf Camp: (Ages 5-7 and 8-13) June 23-25 • July 7-9 • July 28-30 (Ages 5-7: 9-11 a.m.)

(Ages 8-13: 11:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m.)

Landings Golf Club Warner Robins • 478-923-5222 www.landingsgolfclub.com Three Day Clinics: (June 1-3 • June 22-24) Ages 7-9: 9 a.m.-10:30 p.m.

Ages 10+: 10:30 a.m.-12 p.m.

Half Day Golf Camps: (June 8-12 • July 13-17) Ages: 7-16: 9 a.m.-1 p.m.

The Golf Club at Cuscowilla Cuscowilla Junior Golf Camp Eatonton • 706-485-0094 www.cuscowilla.com Ages 5-18: June 8-11 • June 29-July 2 • July (9 a.m.-12 p.m.)

Cobblestone Golf Course Acworth • 770-917-5151 http://www.cobblestonegolf.com/ golf-academy/junior-golf-programs Junior Camp Ages 5-7 and 8-13: June 1-4 • June 8-10 • June 15-18 • June 22-25 • July 6-9 • July 20-23 • July 27-30 (8:30-10:30 a.m.)

Junior Camp Ages 13-16: Dates TBD

Brookfield Golf Academy Roswell • 770-992-9230 www.mbpgolf.com Junior Camp (Ages 5+): June 2-4 • June 16-18 • June 23-25 • July 7-9 • July 21-23 • July 28-30 • 9 a.m.-2:30 p.m.

Applewood Golf Course Keysville • 410-282-0886 Junior Summer Golf Camps: Session 1: June 9, 10, 11, 20 • Session 2: June 22, 23, 24 • Session 3: July 13, 14, 15 • Session 4: July 27, 28, 29 • Session 5: August 3, 4, 5 GOLFFOREGEORGIA.COM

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Leo Rich of Johns Creek and Andrea Riano of Rome were the boys and girls winners in a Georgia PGA Junior Tour event last month at Oak Mountain in Carrollton.

Rich shot 74-76—150 to win the boys division by one over Dario Ayala of Alpharetta. Kevin Partridge of Hamilton won the 14-15 age group by 11 shots with a 153 total, and Lindsey Cordell of Rome shot 156 to take first in the 11-13 division.

Riano, competing in the 11-14 age group, was the girls winner with a 174 total.

587 and Etowah 3rd at 598.

The top four Columbus players finished 8th or better individually, led by Stanton Schorr, who shot 71-70—141 to tie for 2nd. Nolan Miller tied for 4th at 71-72— 143, with Ben Carr and Ben Womack tying for 8th with scores o 73-72—145.

Gainesville’s Spencer Ralston was the tournament medalist at 4-under 138 with scores of 68-70. Teammate Nathan Williams shot a final round 67 to tie for 4th at 143. Etowah was led by Nick Budd, who tied for 2nd at 67-74—141.

Teammate Jake Haggerty tied for 6th at 144 with Roswell’s Zach Zwitter.

Lee’s 66 takes Columbus captures AJGA at CCoS North Georgia event Buford’s S.M. Lee shot a 66 and won the Columbus won the annual North Georgia High School Classic, played for the first time this year at Chateau Elan. The Blue Devils finished with a 6-over 574 total in the36-hole event, with Gainesville 2nd at

American Junior Golf Association Wells Fargo Junior at Country Club of the South when the second round was rained out.

Lee, who has signed with Minnesota, had seven birdies and just one bogey in the

Andrea Riano

round to win by three strokes.

Jake Milanowski of Peachtree City tied for 2nd at 69, with Ben Shipp of Duluth and Justin Kim of Rome tying for 8th at 72. Shooting 73 to tie for 11th were Brett Barron of Suwanee, Mark David Johnson of St. Simons Island and Marcus Byrd of Dunwoody. Tying for 18th at 75 were Chandler Eaton of Alpharetta and Nicolas Cassidy of Johns Creek.

Roswell’s Rinko Mitsunaga, who has signed with Georgia’s women’s team, shot 71 and finished in a 4-way tie for first in the girls division. There was no playoff.

Atlanta’s Amanda Doherty shot 72 and tied for 5th. Kayley Marschke of Suwanee tied for 8th at 73, with Rachel Dai of Milton T11 at 74.

The tournament was presented by Mizuno.

Bailey Tardy of Norcross, who will be Mitsunaga’s teammate in Athens this fall, tied for 2nd in an AJGA tournament in Frisco, Tex., with a 145 total, three shots behind the winner.

Spivey, Habeel win at Kinderlou Forest

Will Spivey of Douglas and Ayanna Habeel of Decatur won their age groups in a Southeastern Junior Tour event at Kinderlou Forest in Valdosta.

Spivey shot 74-79—153 to win the boys 12-13 division by six shots over Sam Barrett of Thomasville. Habeel was the girls 12-14 winner by three shots with a 157 total.

Atlanta’s Braden Jones shot 154 and was 2nd in boys 14-15, with Jake Maples of McDonough 3rd in the 16-19 division at 146, two shots behind the winner.

In a SJGT event in Huntsville, Ala., Marietta’s Mack Alford shot 144 to tie for first place, but lost the playoff. Marietta’s Andrew Yowell was 4th at 146.

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GEORGIA PGA

Rich, Riano win at Oak Mountain

GEORGIA PGA

Golf FORE Juniors

Leo Rich

Perkins, Bae take titles at Traditions Logan Perkins of Locust Grove and Jenny Bae of Lawrenceville were the boys and girls winners of a Hurricane Junior Tour tournament last month at the Traditions of Braselton.

Perkins shot 72-75—147 to edge Alex Rogers of Fayetteville by one in boys 1518. Hunter Hester of Peachtree City and Austin Rains of Acworth tied for 3rd at 149. Blake Parkman of Cumming shot 72-75—147 to take first in boys 13-14, five ahead of Myles Jones of Suwanee and Gavin Noble of Ringgold.

Bae finished with a 156 total in girls 1518 to win by two shots over Savannah Satterfield of Chatsworth, with Marietta’s Lizzie Reedy 3rd at 158. Buford’s Tess Davenport was the 11-14 division winner at 158, with Ayanna Habeel 2nd at 164.

In a HJGT event at Jekyll Island’s Pine Lake course, Ashley Shim of Newnan placed 2nd in girls 11-14 at 155, two shots behind the winner. Julianna Collett of St. Simons Island was 3rd in the 15-18 division at 149, with Brett Ammons of McDonough and Aubrey Holloway of Fayetteville tying for 3rd in boys 15-18 at 144.

Alpharetta junior wins Augusta event

Alpharetta’s Brad Peacock won the boys 10-11 division of the national Drive, Chip and Putt Championship last month at Augusta National, finishing 2nd or 3rd in all three competitions.

Peacock was 2nd in both chipping and putting and 3rd in driving to finish with 26 points, one ahead of the runner-up.

Connery Meyer was the other Georgian to qualify for the national finals, placing 7th in boys 7-9.

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Smith knocked out in Match Play opening round Only one top seed was eliminated in the first round of the Georgia PGA Match Play Championship in April, with Chris Leake of The Landings knocking off No. 6 seed Hank Smith of Frederica Club 1-up.

Smith won both the Yamaha Atlanta Open and Section Championship in 2014.

Two other seeded players also lost their opening matches, including the other top seed in the East Chapter portion of the bracket. Michael Ferguson of Ocean Forest won 5&4 against John Wade of Sea Island GC, the No. 11 seed.

Ferguson will play Mark Anderson of Brunswick CC in the second round, with Anderson one of just two winners out of 32 to have to go more than 18 holes.

Anderson defeated Drew Pittman on the 19th hole and is the highest seed left in East Chapter bracket at 22.

The other top 16 seed to lose in the first round was No. 13 Rob French, who was ousted 3&2 by Chris Shircliff of the Standard Club. Shircliff plays No. 20 David Potts, the 2010 champion, in the second round.

Other than Anderson, the only player needing extra holes was defending champion Brian Dixon, seeded 7th, who staved off an upset bid by Gregg Wolff, the tournament champion in 1984 and 2003.

Among the second round matches are No. 8 Clark Spratlin vs No. 25, Shawn Koch, both former champions, and No. 14 Seth McCain against No. 19 Bill Murchison. The Spratlin-Koch winner could play another former champion – No. 9 Greg Lee in the third round, with the McCain-Murchison winner playing either No. 3 Kyle Owen or Tim Robinson, who won his opener handily against 2013 champion Donn Perno.

The tournament will conclude August 24 with the semifinals and finals at Peachtree Golf Club.

Stevens a winner at Willow Lake

Craig Stevens won a Georgia PGA Senior Division tournament last month at Willow Lake in Metter, posting scores of 69-69 for a 138 total and a 3-stroke margin of victory over James Mason (70-71). Charlie 2 0 1 5 M AY

King was 3rd at 70-73—143.

Savannah’s John Skeadas was low

GEORGIA PGA

Chip Shots Craig Stevens

amateur and 4th overall at 144, followed by Sonny Skinner and amateur Rusty Strawn at 145.

Amateur Steve Collins was 7th at 146, with host pro Gregg Wolff tying for 8th with Phil Wagoner and amateurs Jack Kearney and Mel Mendenhall.

Michael

PGA Tour

[ Continued from page 20 ]

10 finish and two top 20s in just six starts, and was 150th on the points list.

Vaughn Taylor, who has limited status as a past champion, has made just four starts, but has three top-25 finishes including a tie for 10th at Pebble Beach and was 160th.

Jonathan Byrd has gotten 10 starts as a non-exempt player, but has missed five cuts and was 162nd, just ahead of Davis Love at 163. Love finished 8th last fall in Malaysia, but missed four of his next five cuts, and is now sidelined for at least another month after foot surgery. ‘ Blake Adams has returned to action after being sidelined due to hip replacement, and had his best tournament in some time, tying for 11th at Hilton Head. Adams shot 64 in his first round of

Standard

and Scot Ward of McDonough shot a final round 67 to take 3rd at 208. The tournament was played at both Valdosta CC and Kinderlou Forest, with the higher flights playing at Kinderlou Forest.

Fober, Hammock score second 4-Ball victory

The Columbus duo of Jason Fober and Cason Hammock teamed up to win their second GSGA Four-Ball Championship, shooting 20-under 196 last month at the Standard Club to finish two ahead of Bubba Gallops of Columbus and Adam Cooper of Midland.

Fober and Hammock shot 6863-65, building a large enough lead to survive two bogeys on their last five holes in the final round. They first won the tournament in 2011. Gallops and Cooper made a run the final day with seven birdies in the first 13 holes, but parred their last five.

Chad Branton and Greg Johnson of Cartersville were 3rd at 201, with Mike Cromer of Peachtree Corners and David

Valdosta 2nd with scores of 6966-72—207. Hughes and Oxford birdied the first six holes in the first round, but shot 2-over on the front nine the final day before rebounding with three birdies on the back.

Marsh takes title in GSGA Super Senior

Rocky Face won the GSGA Four-Ball Tournament at Valdosta Country Club with a birdie on the 18th hole of the final round.

Hughes and Oxford shot 65-70-71 for a 10-under 206 total, with David Matthews and Douglas Rayford of

Don Marsh of Johns Creek won his second GSGA Super Senior Championship in three years, finishing with a 5-over 149 total at Indian Hills Country Club to end up five shots ahead of his closest pursuers.

Marsh posted scores of 73 and 76, with three players tying for 2nd at 154. Sharing second were Jim Kamis of Marietta, Bill Ploeger of Columbus and Edward Krueger of Suwanee. Dick Donegan of Kennesaw, Gary Woodell of Douglasville and Bill Evans of Columbus tied for 5th at 156.

the year in Palm Springs, but had made just one cut in five starts before the Heritage Classic. He was 184th.

Other than a tie for 21st in Malaysia, this has been a rough season for Heath Slocum, who has missed eight of 11 cuts and was 190th. Roberto Castro, who is non-exempt after qualifying for the 2013 Tour Championship, has made four of seven cuts, but has only one finish better than 58th and was 204th. Players have to be in the top 200 to qualify for the Web.com Finals and have Web.com status for the 2016 season. Castro has made just one Web.com start, but may have to play more on that tour the rest of the season.

Spieth and Jimmy Walker, the only two-time winners this season were 1-2 in the FedExCup standings, with J.B. Holmes third as of late April. Dustin Johnson, Charley Hoffman, Ryan Moore and Jason Day were also in the

top 10, with Hideki Matsuyama the highest ranked non-winner at 10th.

Former FedExCup champions Brandt Snedeker, Bill Haas and Furyk, all 2014-15 winners, were in the top 20 along with youngsters Robert Streb, Ben Martin, Brooks Koepka and James Hahn, also winners this season.

Many of top European players are well down the list after playing limited schedules in the U.S. prior to the Match Play Championship. New Orleans winner Justin Rose (18) and Henrik Stenson (30) were the only ones in the top 30, with Sergio Garcia 46, Lee Westwood 87, Rory McIlroy 103 and Martin Kaymer well back at 156. Adam Scott, who also has played sparingly in the U.S., was 119.

Top American players outside the top 30 at the midway point included Phil Mickelson (48), defending FedExCup champion Billy Horschel (61) and Rickie Fowler (71).

Poteet of Suwanee 4th at 202.

Four-Ball Tournament: Kennesaw’s Phillip Hughes and Matt Oxford of

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Crossword PUZZLE

Across 1. Golf Hall of Famer who won

30. Apple state 31. 2014 Byron Nelson winner 32. 2010 FedEx Cup champion

11 tournaments in a row (2 words)

(2 words)

7. Legendary golfer (first name),

36. Low-running shot played

born in the same year as 1 Across

around the green (3 words) 38. Shot that flies slightly from right to left for right handed players 40. Tech department 41. Green’s material 42. Great hole score 43. Yang was the first Major winner from this continent 44. ____ Richards of Texas

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from New Zealand, first name Hazards (2 words) PGA ______ Distance the ball carries Diamond pattern used in some golf jerseys 18. Cry of mock horror 19. It connects the shaft to the clubhead 20. Golfer’s selections 24. Left handed, abbr.

26. 2011 Byron Nelson winner 27. What a caddy acts as 29. Initials of a Caribbean island and an Asian nation 10.

11.

12.

15.

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P R E S E N T E D BY

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Down

1. Ball covering 2. Distance between the center of the

swing arc and the hands on the grip 3. Close to 4. South African golfing great, Ernie

.com

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event in Hawaii, won by Jimmy Walker 6. Enthusiast 7. US women’s golfer who won the Women’s British Open in 2013, first name 8. Tournament that awards a green jacket 13. First name of the British golfer who held number 1 ranking in 2010 14. Shout 16. Successfully hit a shot from a poor location 17. Word describing the turning of the body during the backswing 21. Setback 22. Another word for a hazard 23. Carrying a golf bag, suggesting clubs, for example 25. One of two equal parts 28. Hit a putt with a short, firm stroke

29. Intelligence, in slang 33. Coffee container 34. Well ranked LPGA Tour player,

Jessica ____ 35. Shot that flies slightly from left to right 37. “Day” in Spanish 38. __ or die 39. Go round in the least number of shots

Answers at: www.foregeorgia.com/puzzle

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