Chris Nicol, an assistant professional at Towne Lake Hills, found himself in just that position after firing a sizzling 65 in the first round of the inaugural Championship at Berkeley Hills, a recent addition to the Georgia PGA tournament schedule.

Nicol, who has been competing in Georgia PGA Section events for only two years, has contended in both the Griffin Classic and Atlanta Open, and has enjoyed some success in team events, combining with fellow Towne Lake Hills assistant Bill Murchison to win the Pro-Pro Scramble earlier this year.

After a solid final round 71, Nicol held off a determined charge from veteran tour player Sonny Skinner of Sylvester, who pulled even with Nicol midway through the round. Skinner closed with a 67, matching the low round of the day, but it was not quite enough as he finished 2^nd at 7-under 137, one stroke behind Nicol’s winning total of 136. Nicol’s effort earned him the $2,100 winner’s check.

Two weeks prior to the event at Berkeley Hills, Nicol shot a 64 at Jennings Mill, former host of a Nationwide Tour event, to win an Assistants’ Division tournament, so his opening 65 did not come as a big shock to his fellow competitors.

Nicol entered the final round with a 4-stroke lead, as only one other player shot in the 60s the first day. Jimmy Harris, an assistant at Atlanta Athletic Club, shot a 69 highlighted by an ace on the par-3 11^th, but fell back the next day with a 79.

Even with a sizeable lead after his 65, Nicol anticipated a tough day ahead of him.

“I knew somebody was going to make a move, so I needed to get off to a solid start and not give them a chance,” Nicol said after securing his first individual victory in a Georgia PGA points event.

Nicol did just that, playing the first three holes in 1-under while most of his potential challengers were struggling early in the round.

The only two chasers not getting off to slow starts were Skinner and Russ Davis, who were playing in the pairing two groups in front of Nicol. Davis, the Director of Instruction at Cherokee CC and one of the Section’s top senior players, opened with a pair of birdies to get to 3-under for the tournament, but ran into a problem at the short but perilous par-5 third hole at Berkeley Hills, just as several other contenders did.

Davis hit his second shot in the pond guarding the green and wound up with a double bogey, but shot himself back into contention when he closed out the front nine with four consecutive birdies. That got Davis within two strokes of Nicol’s lead, but his birdie run ended at the ninth. He carded eight pars and a lone birdie on the back nine, settling for a 67 to tie Skinner for low round of the day and finish 3^rd at 6-under 138.

Skinner began to make his move when he birdied the third hole with a deft chip, and added three more birdies on the outgoing nine, capped by an excellent tee shot on the tough par-3 eighth. Like Davis, Skinner shot 4-under 32 on the opening nine, and was only one shot off Nicol’s lead as he made the turn.

A birdie from close range at the short, par-3 11^th briefly pulled Skinner even with Nicol, but Nicol moved back in front when he chipped it close at the par-5 10^th and nearly jarred his tee shot on the 11^th for a second straight birdie.

Skinner again pulled into a tie for the lead when he pitched it close at the par-5 15^th for birdie while Nicol three-putted the 13^th for his second bogey of the day. But Skinner got himself “out of position” on the slick 16^th green and three-putted for the second time on the back nine, taking his only bogey of the round. He also three-putted the 10^th for par after hitting the green in two.

Following an errant tee shot on the 18^th, Skinner had to scramble for a par to remain one shot off the lead, but Nicol parred in after the bogey at 13 to preserve his slim advantage.

“I feel good about the way I played,” Skinner said. “I just didn’t make all my putts, but I played good enough to shoot five-under. I hit the ball really good except for two holes, and I got through them with pars by getting up and down.”

Skinner, who was in the midst of a heavy tournament schedule consisting mainly of Nationwide Tour events, particularly regretted the second of his two three-putts on the back nine.

“That might have been the fastest putt on the course,” he said of the one at 16. “I didn’t handle it good.”

Just as damaging was the miss at 10, which took a hard turn after crossing the lip of the cup.

Nicol also suffered a pair of three-putts, but made no other mistakes despite the heat he felt from Skinner’s challenge. He admitted playing more conservatively with the lead, but said that wasn’t the main reason he shot 71 after the opening 65.

“I was on the wrong side of the hole today,” he said, referring to Berkeley Hills’ fast, sloping greens that provide the major defense for a course that measures under 6,700 yards from the back tees.

The key to Nicol’s 65 was his dominance of Berkeley Hills’ par 5s. He played them in 5-under in the opening round, highlighted by an eagle on the downhill third hole that propelled him to a 3-under start after three holes. He closed out the round with birdies on the three of the last four holes, beginning with one at the par-5 15^th.

Nicol was a modest 2-under on the par 5s in the second round, carding his birdies on 3 and 10, both of which he played cautiously, hitting irons off the tee. He almost flew his 4-iron approach on the third into trouble, catching the back lip of the back bunker to keep from possibly rolling into the hazard over the green. A nice bunker shot produced a birdie, and he added a second at the 10^th after again hitting 3-iron to keep his tee shot in the narrow fairway.

Playing as well as he did in the final round to preserve his will provide “a big confidence boost,” Nicol said. “Sleeping on that big a lead is nerve-wracking. I proved I was able to keep it going and not lose my focus.”

Nicol’s first start in a Section points event came in the 2008 Griffin Classic, where he tied for 8^th. He was 12^th in that tournament last year, and also had strong showings in the Atlanta Open (T3), Georgia Open (T11) and the Assistants’ Championship (2^nd). He played well in the Atlanta Open again this year, tying for 7^th, and is among a group of young assistants who have begun to make an impact in section events in the past year or two, joining Seth McCain, David Potts and Michael Parrott, as players who have either won Section events or made strong runs at victory.

Tim Weinhart remained first in the points standings, finishing 4^th at 141 with scores of 70-71. Mel Mendenhall of Columbus took low amateur honors and tied for 5^th at 143, closing with a 69 that included six birdies. Also tying for fifth were Atlanta instructors Craig Stevens and Jason Bruce.

Parrott also shot 69 in the final round and was among a group tied for 8^th at 144. Also shooting even par for the tournament were Gary Cressend, Brian Corn, Stephen Keppler, Michael Pavao and Berkeley Hills assistant Jason Smith, who shot 70 after being 4-under in the final round with four holes to play. Cressend, an assistant at Augusta CC, was also 4-under on his round after four straight birdies from holes 8 to 11.

The first-year tournament was well received by the participants, with the field including almost every top player in the Section, as well as a healthy group of amateur entrants. The condition of the course was outstanding, with the greens drawing much of the praise despite the damage they inflicted to the scorecards of some of the Georgia PGA’s better players.

Augusta’s Lee Knox captured the recent GSGA Championship, edging out fellow Augustan and SEC golfer Chase Parker by one stroke at The Landings in Savannah.

Knox, who plays on the golf team at Alabama, finished the tournament with a 5-under 283 total, one stroke ahead of Parker, who was an all-SEC freshman selection after his first season at Kentucky. Knox shot a final round 69, while Parker closed with a tournament-best 65, as both players made big Sunday moves to overtake third round leader Doug Hanzel, a member at The Landings.

Hanzel, a former GSGA Mid-Amateur champion, led by two strokes after 54 holes, and finished third at 285 after a final round 73.

It was an emotional win for Knox, who was paired the final day with his father, Jeff Knox, a two-time GSGA Mid-Amateur and a frequent contender in the state amateur.  Jeff Knox, a runner-up in the event three times, shot a final round 77 and tied for 11^th at 293.

Knox’s victory ended the recent dominance in the championship by members of the UGA golf team. Current Bulldog golfers Russell Henley and Harris English won the last three years, with former Georgia golfer Bill Brown the 2006 winner. Incoming Georgia freshman Brian Harman was the 2005 champion, winning in his hometown of Savannah at Savannah GC, with David Denham winning at Athens CC in ’04, shortly after completing his college career with the Bulldogs.

College golfers have won the championship six of the last seven years, continuing that trend despite the absence of Henley and English, as well as the three Georgians who are among the top five players on Augusta State’s NCAA championship team.

The first three rounds belonged to a trio of veteran amateurs before the two young Augustans took over the final day.

Savannah’s Jack Hall, member of the Georgia golf team in the 1970s, shot 69 to take the first round lead, but fell back with an 80 the next day. He rebounded with scores of 71-73 to tie Jeff Knox for 11^th at 283.

Dalton’s David Noll, the 2003 Georgia Amateur champion and an annual contender in the GSGA’s championship event, shot a 66 in the second round to lead by five stokes at the midway point over seven players, Hanzel and the father-son Knox duo among them.

But just like Hall, Noll did not play well as the tournament leader, following up his 66 with a birdie-less 77. Noll was still just two off the lead going to the final round, but could do no better than a closing 75 to finish 6^th at 289. Noll did not make a birdie over the final 36 holes, but did manage an eagle on the front nine in the final round that kept him close to the lead at the time.

Hanzel lost the lead with a double-bogey 7 at the 7^th hole, with Lee Knox surging to the front after three birdies on his first six holes. Back-to-back birdies at 15 and 16 moved Knox clear of Hanzel, with Parker making a furious rush with birdies on seven of his last 13 holes.

Knox was playing the 18^th when play was delayed by lightning in the area, and parred the hole after play resumed about 80 minutes later. Knox shot 72-70-72 prior to his closing 69.

Parker put himself in a hole with a wildly uneven opening round of 77 that included five birdies, eight bogeys and a double bogey. He came back with a 71 in the second round, offsetting a pair of double bogeys with four birdies and an eagle on the short par-4 fifth hole on the Deer Creek course. Parker, the 2008 GSGA Junior champion, shot another 71 in the third round to begin the final day seven strokes off Hanzel’s lead.

Mid-amateurs Mark Strickland of Woodstock and Dave Womack of McDonough, who recently won the Georgia PGA’s Atlanta Open, tied for 4^th at 288, followed by Noll at 289 and Chesley Gunn of Chula at 290. .

Tying for 8^th at 292 were soon-to-be Vanderbilt freshman Jordan Janico of Duluth; Georgia State golfer Brent Paul of Midland; and Carter Collins of Statesboro.

The pairing was a potentially awkward one, as Burger, who led the 36-hole event after a first round 67, plays on the UGA golf team, with Shirley, who opened with a 69, serving as the team’s assistant coach.

For 15 holes, the mood was consistently jovial, as Burger maintained a small but consistent lead and Shirley emerged as the soon-to-be Georgia sophomore’s most serious contender.

All that changed when Burger suffered her first slip of the day at the 16^th hole, three-putting from around 5 feet for a double bogey that reduced her lead to one stroke.

Shirley, who won the tournament in 2006 and ’08, birdied the 17^th to pull even with Burger going to the final hole. But she narrowly missed a short par putt after a poor drive left her with about 100 yards for her third shot on SummerGrove’s demanding par-4 finishing hole.

“We had a lot of fun,” Shirley said of her pairing with Burger. “We were joking around all day.”

There weren’t any jokes as the two players walked to the 17^th tee, and Shirley intentionally avoided eye contact with the steaming Burger.

With a seemingly comfortable victory suddenly in doubt, Burger quickly composed herself and played the final two holes as if her near meltdown had never occurred. She carded a solid par at the 17^th while Shirley rolled in her birdie putt to pull even. But the momentum swung back in Burger’s direction after Shirley’s drive at 18 caught a fairway bunker.

Burger responded by striping her tee shot so accurately that she had to remove the 150-yard post to hit her approach. She landed her second shot about 10 feet above the hole, and barely missed her birdie try. With a chance to send the tournament to a playoff, Shirley’s putt of maybe 6 feet slid just below the cup, leaving Burger with a tap-in for the victory.

Burger put together scores of 67 and 72 for a 5-under 139 total, with Shirley second at 140 after rounds of 69 and 71. Defending champion Mariah Stackhouse of Riverdale was third at 141 (69-72), with Carmen Bandea (72-70) and Lacey Agnew (70-72) tying for fourth at 142 and sharing low pro honors. Duluth’s Kendall Wright, Burger’s teammate on the Georgia golf team, also tied for fourth at 142 (69-73).

Burger, who lives in the east Gwinnett community of Hoschton, took control of the tournament with her opening 67 that was highlighted by a hole-out for eagle on the par-5 11^th.

“I played well,” Burger said of her opening 67. “I made a lot of putts. Everything seemed to be going in. And I got a little help from the golf gods when I holed out for eagle on 11.”

Finding herself in the unusual position of leading going to the final round, Burger admitted she was “a little nervous. I’d rather be one of those players trying to come back and win.”

Burger calmly protected her lead for 15 holes, beginning with a birdie on SummerGrove’s opener. A bogey on the sixth hole, which was more a product of a bad break on her approach shot, was the only stain on her scorecard. She hit it close for birdie on the short, par-4 12^th and reached the par-5 14^th in two for another birdie to take a three-stroke lead into the closing holes.

An excellent two-putt from below the sizeable ridge on the 15^th green preserved her three-stroke lead, and she was in position for another par save after missing the green at the 16^th.

“After I missed the first putt I was thinking about it. I thought I made a good putt on the second one, but it didn’t go in. Maybe I let my guard down.

“It shows you can’t get rattled when you have a chance to win. It was a good learning experience about staying in the present.”

Burger, who earned honorable mention All-America honors after a solid freshman season on the Georgia women’s team, recently made her third appearance in a USGA event, competing in the Women’s Public Links Championship. She played in the Girls Championship in 2008 and the Women’s Amateur last year. She tied for 7^th in last year’s Georgia Women’s Open, sharing that spot with Shirley.

“Margaret and I play together all the time. It was very relaxing playing with her in the tournament.”

Shirley, who has been a consistent contender in the tournament going back to her days as a junior golfer, carded five birdies in her 71, but also had four bogeys, the costliest coming on the final hole.

“I had a lot of fun,” she said. “At least until I hit as bad a drive as I could hit at 18. I laid up to a perfect yardage and hit a really good shot in there, but I just missed the putt.”

Although Shirley was disappointed that she didn’t add a third Georgia Women’s Open title to her resume, she said she was “happy for Emilie. I hope she can represent Georgia like that.”

Shirley enjoyed a successful college career at Auburn and played briefly as a professional, winning a few mini-tour events in Florida, before becoming an assistant coach at Georgia and regaining her amateur status.

Her duties as assistant coach take up most of her time, but Shirley has managed to keep her game sharp enough to give one of her team’s best players a run for her money.

Stackhouse, the state’s top girls junior, shot herself out of contention with two bogeys on the front nine, and like several other contenders, failed to fully capitalize on her birdie opportunities. A birdie on the 18^th gave her outright third place.

Wright, who tied for 3^rd last year, also fell off the pace on the front nine, taking a double bogey on the short but perilous par-4 fifth hole. She rebounded with four birdies, but offset them with three bogeys.

Bandea, who plays on the Futures Tour, was the hot player for most of the day, shooting 4-under 32 on the front nine while none of the other eight players who shot par or better the first day broke par in the second round on the outgoing nine. A long birdie putt at the difficult par-4 ninth pulled Bandea within one shot of the lead, but she missed a string of short birdie putts early on the back nine. She pulled her tee shot into the hazard left of the 15^th green and took a double bogey, but closed with a birdie to finish at 2-under, which led the pros at the time.

It was the fifth straight top-10 finish in the Georgia Women’s Open for Bandea, who lost in a playoff in 2007.

Agnew, who recently completed her college career at Florida State, was playing in just her second tournament as a professional. She birdied four of the last eight holes to shoot 3-under on the back nine, with her final birdie coming at the 18^th and earning her a tie for low professional with Bandea. Both players took home $875, with Newnan’s Jackie Szymoniak, last year’s low pro and overall runner-up, third among the pros at 147.

Amateurs Yugene Lee of Athens and Laura Coble of Augusta, who won the tournament at SummerGrove in 2004, tied for seventh at 143, with Michelle Griffith of LaGrange ninth at 144. Szymoniak was 10^th overall.

Although the field featured a strong amateur contingent, only seven pros entered, with several long-time participants not competing.

By Mike Blum

When Cartersville Country Club head professional Scott Hamilton scored a hole-in-one in the recent Georgia PGA Pro-Assistant Championship at Cherokee Country Club, he said the feat was “no big deal.

“There wasn’t much reaction from the rest of the guys in the group.”

But when Hamilton made a second ace later in the round, the reaction was quite a bit different, both from Hamilton and his playing partners.

“Oh my God,” was Hamilton’s initial reaction to his second ace of the round. “Nobody does that. I couldn’t believe it. It was unreal. Everybody was going crazy high-fiving each other. It was such an unexplainable feeling. What are the odds?”

Pretty astronomical.

It wasn’t as if Hamilton had never scored a hole-in-one before. Counting his pair of aces at Cherokee, he has either seven or eight (he’s not exactly sure) in his career, including one in a pro-am for a Georgia PGA event at Landings GC in Warner Robins.

The first of Hamilton’s hole-in-ones at Cherokee came on the 160-yard fourth hole on the South course. His 8-iron tee shot took one hop and went straight in the cup. Later in his round, he hit a 6-iron on the 183-yard 14^th hole on the North course and the result was the same.

“Both went bam. One hop. No roll.”

The two holes-in-one weren’t enough to propel Hamilton and Cartersville CC assistant Darren Faddis into contention in the tournament, but they did earn him something more than recognition for his exceedingly rare feat.

“I won all the skins. I think I made more than the first place guys.”

As far as the recognition, Hamilton says it is “interesting how many people contact you after something like this.”

Hamilton admits he is “not a very accomplished player. I’m a decent club pro player.”

Most of his tournament appearances in recent years have come in team events like the Pro-Assistant, but he managed a top-20 finish in the recent Chicopee Woods Players Championship. In his other tournament start this year in a Georgia PGA event, he teamed with John Tillery of Milledgeville CC to tie for second in the Pro-Pro Scramble at Legacy on Lanier.

Hamilton has been at Cartersville CC since 1993, and has established himself as one of more respected teaching pros in the state, while becoming a popular figure within the Cartersville community.

The 45-year-ol Hamilton is a Missouri native and attended college at the U. of Missouri. After college, Hamilton began his club professional career as an assistant at Hilton Head, taking the advice of someone in the industry who told him that was the best route to take to land a high profile job elsewhere.

Hamilton spent five years at Hilton Head working as an assistant at Harbour Town and Haig Point, and landed his first head professional job at Cartersville CC.

When he accepted the job at Cartersville, Hamilton expected it would be “a stepping stone job” to something a little more prominent, but after 17 years he has no intention of looking for another job.

“I love the club and the town; it’s a great place. This is as good as it gets.”

Hamilton describes himself as “a small town and my wife is from a small town.”

With his job at Cartersville CC, Hamilton lives and works in a small town setting while being just a short drive down I-75 from all Atlanta Golf has to offer.

From his base in Cartersville, Hamilton has built a thriving teaching base, with his stable of students including a number of tour professionals, Cartersville CC member Jason Bohn among them. Hamilton began working with Bohn long before he made his way to the PGA Tour.

Hamilton’s first made his name as a teacher helping to develop the skills of Cartersville native Bryant Odom, who went on to play at the U. of Georgia and on the Nationwide Tour.

Former PGA Tour winner Michael Clark has joined Hamilton’s list of students and is on the comeback trail after being lost in the wilderness for several years. Hamilton’s stable includes a number of other tour players as well as top amateurs like David Noll and aspiring youngsters.

“Golf instruction is about word of mouth,” Hamilton says, pointing out that when a tour player begins playing better after working with a particular instructor, that instructor can expect to hear from some of said players’ peers, as well as those looking to become a tour player.

Teaching is just part of Hamilton’s “old school” job at Cartersville CC. He also owns the golf shop and is “involved in all aspects of the club. I’m one of those guys that gets bored doing just one thing.”

Hamilton also has what he calls the “entrepreneurial gene” and “owns other things” besides the Cartersville golf shop.

“I love juggling all these things. Sometimes I’m worn out. But never bored.”

Cartersville Country Club is a frequent host of events for both the Georgia PGA and GSGA, with the club hosting the Georgia PGA’s Junior Championship in 2009 and the Senior PNC this year.

“The club is a real supporter of golf,” Hamilton says. “It tries to do all it can.”

The course itself is an enjoyable, well-conditioned layout that offers a sufficient challenge to serve as a tournament host for statewide events, while providing a friendly setting for its members, who have made Hamilton feel at home during his years with the club.

Woodstock teen-ager Anders Albertson came to the final hole of the recent Dogwood Invitational tied for the lead, but had to settle for second place in the tournament when Stanford’s Andrew Yun birdied the 72^nd hole.

Albertson, a rising senior at Etowah High School who will attend Georgia Tech on a golf scholarship, battled Yun the entire tournament, beginning with a 63 to take the lead after the opening round.

Yun matched the course record with a 62 the next day to take a one-stroke lead over Albertson, who dropped into second place despite a 66. Both players shot 71-69 over the final two rounds. Yun finished at 20-under 268 at Druid Hills Golf Club, with Albertson second at 269.

UGA golfer Bryden Macpherson made up eight strokes on the two primary contenders over the final 36 holes with scores of 64-68, and tied for third at 273, with Georgia Tech’s J.T. Griffin shooting a final round 64 to tie for fifth at 274.

Albertson got off to a shaky start early in the final round, but ran off a string of birdies to take a 2-stroke lead after 12 holes. Yun chipped in for eagle on the par-5 14^th to pull into a tie, but Albertson nearly holed his approach shot at the 15^th for a birdie to reclaim the lead.

A bogey by Albertson at the long par-3 17^th dropped him back into a tie, with Yun winning when he wedged it close with his third shot on the par-5 18^th.

Also finishing in the top 10 was Acworth’s Cameron Simmons, who played his way into the field in a qualifier. Simmons tied for eighth at 275. Powder Springs’ Ollie Schniederjans, who will join Albertson on the Georgia Tech golf team, tied for 10^th at 277.

UGA golfer Russell Henley of Macon, the pre-tournament favorite, was among the leaders after an opening 66, but his hectic June schedule eventually caught up with him. Henley followed his 66 with scores of 68-70-74 for a 10-under 278 total and a 12^th place finish.

Henley’s June itinerary began with a top 20 finish in the NCAA Championship, which he followed a few days later with a final round 64 at Ansley Golf Club’s Settindown Creek in Roswell to earn medalist honors in a 36-hole U.S. Open qualifier.

The rising UGA junior tied for 16^th at Pebble Beach to share low amateur honors, then immediately headed to Ireland where he helped lead the U.S. to a 3-1 victory over Europe in the annual Palmer Cup, an event matching top college players from the U.S. and Europe.

Henley then flew home for the Dogwood, and was among the leaders before falling back in the final round.

Harris English, Henley’s teammate in Athens, tied for 29^th at 285 along with Georgia Tech’s James White. English, a Thomasville resident, will compete in the U.S. Public Links Championship this month, with White, an Acworth resident, coming off an appearance in the British Amateur, where he made it to match play.

White, playing one group ahead of Wolfes, started the day in a tie for fifth place but turned in a final-round 68 to move into a tie for the lead. White needed some heroics of his own on 18, as he missed the green far right but hit his chip shot to one foot to save par and remain at 4-under-par 209 for the Championship.

Wolfes, who entered the final round tied for first at 4-under-par, hit his approach on the final hole to 10 feet, then sank the putt for birdie and to finish the Championship at 5-under-par 208.

Three players tied for third at even-par 213 – second-round co-leader Austin Vick of Evans, Caleb Morris of Metter and Jack Gibbs of Evans, who carded the low round of the day (67). Jimmy Beck of Columbus and Joe Lewis of Savannah tied for sixth at 214, while Matthew Beringer of Macon placed eighth with a 215.

The top eight finishers qualified to represent the state in the 35th annual Georgia-South Carolina Junior Challenge Match, which takes place July 16-17 at Atlanta Golf Country Club in Marietta.

Michael Garretson of Acworth and Sanders Park of Alpharetta, two of four competitors who tied for 10th, finished as first and second alternate, respectively, after a four-hole playoff for the Challenge Match Team. Also finishing 10th were Andy Shim of Lawrenceville and Henry Mabbett Jr. of Griffin.

The field of 144 was cut to the low 70 and ties for Wednesday’s final round, with the cutline falling at 12-over 154 and 72 players advancing.

Entries were open to male amateur golfers between the ages of 14-17 as of June 21, who are Georgia residents and GSGA members or dependants of GSGA members.

45th Annual Georgia Junior Championship Green Island Country Club, Columbus June 21-23, 2010

Final Results
Par 71

Place Name Rd. 1 Rd. 2 Rd. 3 Score To Par
1 Scott T Wolfes Jr., St. Simons Island 69 69 70 208 -5
2 Davin White, Locust Grove 71 70 68 209 -4
T3 Austin Vick, Evans 67 71 75 213 Even
T3 Jack Gibbs, Evans 73 73 67 213 Even
T3 Caleb Morris, Metter 69 71 73 213 Even
T6 Joe Lewis, Savannah 70 72 72 214 1
T6 Jimmy Beck, Columbus 73 70 71 214 1
8 Matthew Beringer, Macon 72 70 73 215 2
T9 Michael Garretson, Acworth 73 73 70 216 3
T9 Henry Mabbett Jr., Griffin 75 65 76 216 3
T9 Sanders Park, Alpharetta 72 73 71 216 3
T13 Ty Howze, Hahira 70 74 73 217 4
T13 Christopher Guglielmo, Cumming 74 73 70 217 4
T13 David Yowell, Marietta 73 69 75 217 4
T13 Wyatt Larkin, Morganton 71 72 74 217 4
T13 Parker Derby, Columbus 70 74 73 217 4
18 Cates Culpepper, Columbus 76 71 71 218 5
T19 Trevor Smith, Newnan 74 74 71 219 6
T19 Will Summers, Macon 73 74 72 219 6
T19 Greyson Sigg, Augusta 74 70 75 219 6
T22 David Sullivan, Woodstock 75 73 72 220 7
T22 Joshuah Klipstein, Norcross 70 74 76 220 7
T22 Robert Mize, Fortson 72 73 75 220 7
T22 David Hobby, Valdosta 74 73 73 220 7
T26 Elton Chang, Alpharetta 73 73 75 221 8
T26 Alex Grossman, Acworth 74 73 74 221 8
T26 John Russo, Alpharetta 75 74 72 221 8
T29 Matt Mckagen, Powder Springs 74 73 75 222 9
T29 Davis Parker, Augusta 76 75 71 222 9
T29 Will Morrow, Dalton 74 72 76 222 9
T29 Brian Beringer, Macon 74 74 74 222 9
T29 Dawson Armstrong, Valdosta 74 72 76 222 9
T29 Olin “Neil” Graham Jr., Douglas 72 73 77 222 9
T35 Michael Hines, Acworth 76 72 75 223 10
T35 Patrick Flake, Martinez 72 74 77 223 10
T35 Robert Swift, Columbus 72 75 76 223 10
T35 Joshua Crews, Albany 76 72 75 223 10
T39 Cory D Griffin, Mcdonough 71 72 81 224 11
T39 Travis Oestmann, Columbus 75 76 73 224 11
T39 Jason Mendel, Norcross 71 76 77 224 11
T39 Robert Persons, Macon 72 76 76 224 11
T43 Preston Heyward, Duluth 79 73 73 225 12
T43 Dru Love, Sea Island 79 75 71 225 12
T43 Chris Campos, Columbus 74 76 75 225 12
T43 Emerson Newsome, Dacula 72 76 77 225 12
T43 Blake Snellings, Atlanta 73 74 78 225 12
T48 Hinson Arwood, Thomasville 75 77 74 226 13
T48 Justin Cho, Norcross 73 76 77 226 13
T48 Charlie Smiley, Savannah 76 75 75 226 13
T48 Joey Maziar, Atlanta 77 74 75 226 13
T48 Jacob Joiner, Albany 76 76 74 226 13
T48 Allen Bradford, Elberton 73 76 77 226 13
T48 Michael Toler, Marietta 72 79 75 226 13
T48 Nick Green, Covington 70 79 77 226 13
T48 Evan Usry, Evans 76 75 75 226 13
T57 Billy Shuman, St Simons 76 76 75 227 14
T57 Garrett Marschke, Suwanee 77 76 74 227 14
T59 Zachary Bryant, Buckhead 71 76 81 228 15
T59 Matt Mell, Savannah 77 71 80 228 15
61 Buster Bruton, Dallas 76 78 75 229 16
62 Nathan Mallonee, Lexington 74 79 77 230 17
T63 Will Mcfarlin, Milton 77 76 78 231 18
T63 Christopher Jodis, Savannah 78 74 79 231 18
65 Mitchell Yates, Atlanta 80 74 78 232 19
66 Will Brackett, Canton 78 74 82 234 21
67 Cole Hunsucker, Kennesaw 78 75 82 235 22
68 Carson Willis, Griffin 79 74 84 237 24
69 Joshua Turner, Hazlehurst 72 82 86 240 27
70 Matthew Hines, Acworth 78 72 93 243 30
T71 Chase Wood, Acworth 71 70 WD
T71 Tyler Young, Kennesaw 76 70 NC

Thanks to a spectacular round of golf at one of Georgia’s most demanding courses, he added Pebble Beach to his calendar.

Henley, a Macon native and a member of the U. of Georgia golf team, earned a spot in the 2010 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach, winning a sectional qualifier at Ansley Golf Club’s Settindown Creek in Roswell.

As soon as he concludes play in one of the most prestigious tournaments in golf on one of the most heralded venues in the world, he will head for Northern Ireland to compete in the Palmer Cup, an annual event matching top college players from the U.S. and Europe.

Henley was to play in the British Amateur the week before the Palmer Cup, but he erased that event from his schedule after qualifying for the U.S. Open.

“This is one of the biggest tournaments in the world; it’s definitely the biggest of my career,” Henley said a few days after qualifying for the U.S. Open. “It hasn’t really hit me yet.”

Henley opened the 36-hole qualifier at Settindown Creek with a 73, trailing six players with one round to go. With no tour players in the field, there were only two spots available from the 28-man field. But with only one player breaking 70 in the morning round, Henley was in decent position with 18 holes to go.

Needing to go low to secure a spot in the U.S. Open field, Henley accomplished his goal and then some. He fired an 8-under 64, by five strokes the low round of the afternoon. His 137 total was five shots clear of two players who tied for second, with Savannah mini-tour pro Mark Silvers getting the second trip to Pebble Beach in a playoff.

“I’ve done that before,” Henley said of his disparate scores. “I used to play 36 holes when I was younger. I’d shoot one or two-over in the morning at Idle Hour (his home course) and the next 18 I’d let it go.”

Henley always wondered why he would shoot higher scores in the morning, when the greens were smoother and he was not as tired, but eventually adopted the viewpoint of why ask why.

“I tried to take it as low as I could. I’ve been putting great this year and I knew if I made some putts, a number was out there. I had every aspect of my game working.”

Henley had never played Settindown Creek before, but was aware of its reputation as a demanding test of golf. He was 3-over after his first seven holes in the opening round, but was 2-under the rest of the way without a bogey for a73 to stay within range of a top finish.

A pair of early birdies in his afternoon round got him under par for the day and he closed out his front nine with three consecutive birdies, following with a fourth straight birdie at the par-5 10^th. After his lone bogey of the round on the long par-3 12^th, Henley birdied three of his final five holes for a 64 to claim a coveted spot in the U.S. Open field.

It will be Henley’s first appearance in a PGA Tour event, but his first against a field of professionals. Earlier this spring, Henley competed in the Nationwide Tour Stadion Classic at UGA and acquitted himself commendably in his first pro start, making the cut and shooting 1-under for the tournament, tying for 32^nd after a final round 67.

“I learned a lot that week,” said Henley, who observed how the tour pros went about their business. He is keenly aware that competing in a Nationwide Tour event on his college course and playing in a U.S. Open at Pebble Beach are vastly different.

“The main thing will be nerves. I know there will be a lot of people watching. I won’t be scared, but it will be just so exciting.”

Henley is coming off an appearance in the NCAA Championship, where he posted a top-20 finish at the Honors Course outside Chattanooga. However, Henley was competing as an individual, as the Georgia team did not advance past regionals, losing in a playoff to miss out on nationals.

“That was pretty disappointing,” said Henley, who earned his spot at nationals by finishing first individually at regionals. “Even though I was playing in it, I felt like I was out of the loop.”

Henley has one more season in Athens, and with Hudson Swafford returning after missing the entire season with an injury, Henley believes the Bulldogs can make a run at a national championship next year. Swafford will join Henley at Pebble Beach after earning medalist honors in a sectional qualifier in Memphis against a field of largely PGA Tour players.

The past year has been a good one for Henley. He won a second straight Georgia Amateur title last summer and enjoyed an exceptional junior season on the Georgia golf team, earning first team All-American honors and being one of three finalists for national Player of the Year.

Henley has begun his quest for what seems like a near certain spot on next year’s Walker Cup team, and will be playing a busy tournament schedule this summer, including the annual Dogwood Invitational at Atlanta’s Druid Hills GC.

The Jaguars, seeded 6^th among the eight teams in the match play portion of the tournament, defeated Georgia Tech 3-2 and Florida State 4-1 to reach the finals, where they defeated No. 1 Oklahoma State 3-1-1.

In the title match, Augusta got outstanding performances from its top two players, who drubbed Oklahoma State’s two Walker Cup players, as well as a tremendous comeback from Aussie Mitch Krywulycz and a gritty effort from ailing Taylor Floyd.

Henrik Norlander, Augusta’s No.1 player, was 6-up after eight holes against Morgan Hoffman and won 5&4. Patrick Reed, one of two Augusta residents on the Jaguars’ team, followed with a 4&2 victory over Peter Uihlein at No. 2 after leading 5-up after 10 holes.

Carter Newman, the other local on the Augusta squad, lost the first match at No. 5 by a 2&1 score, but Augusta took the lead with wins at 1 and 2 before Krywulycz clinched the title by beating Kevin Tway on the 19^th hole after being 4-down after 11. Krywulycz lost the first four holes of the match, but pulled even after 15 by winning four holes in succession, the last three with birdies. Tway missed a short par putt on the 19^th hole to end the match and hand Augusta the victory.

Floyd, whose match at No. 4 went off last so he could get an IV to enable him to compete, was all square on the 17^th hole when his match was halted. He jumped out to a 3-up lead after four holes, but was 1-down after 15 before a birdie at 16 evened the match for the Macon resident.

The Jaguars opened the match play competition with a hotly-contested win over third-seeded Georgia Tech, as four of the matches went to the 18^th hole and the other ended at 17.

Newman led Tech’s Paul Haley 4-up at the turn, but had to hang on for a 1-up decision. The Yellow Jackets’ Kyle Scott evened the match when he won three of the last four holes to defeat Floyd 1-up. Acworth’s James White gave Tech the lead when he defeated Krywulycz 2&1, but Augusta’s top two players delivered in the final two matches.

Reed earned halves with birdies on the final two holes to edge Chesson Hadley 1-up, while Norlander won by the same score against John Tyler Griffin after being 4-up after 12.

Newman got Augusta off to a strong start against second-seeded Florida State with a 4&3 victory, and Floyd followed with a clutch effort at No. 4. His match was all square after 13, but birdies on three of the final five holes, including one at the 18^th, gave him a 2-up victory.

Krywulycz lost 4&3, but Norlander clinched the win when he holed out for eagle at 17 to defeat Drew Kittleson 3&1. The match was all square after 11, with Norlander carding birdies on three of the next five holes before his match-clinching shot. Reed led all the way and won 1-up for the final Augusta point.

Augusta played consistent golf in the three stroke play rounds to finish among the top 8 and advance to the match play competition. The Jaguars posted scores of 287, 288 and 288 for a 1-under 863 total to finish sixth, five shots clear of a tie for the final spot.

Sweden’s Norlander, the latest in a long line of European standouts who have played for Augusta, finished 5^th individually with scores of 68-69-73—210. No other Augusta golfer placed in the top 50, but the team score was right around par each day. Krywulycz shot 218 with a pair of 72s, Reed closed with a team-best 70 for a 219 total and Floyd opened 73-70 before struggling the final day. After poor efforts the first two days, Newman shot 73 in the third round to keep Augusta comfortably in the top 8.

It was Augusta’s fifth appearance in the NCAA Championship, with the Jaguars’ best previous finish coming in 2002, when they finished 5^th. Former Augusta State players include Ryder Cuppers Vaughn Taylor and Oliver Wilson, one of a number of international players who have played on the Augusta State golf team. Augusta competes at the Division II level in all sports other than golf.

Georgia Tech was third in stroke play competition at 6-under 858, eight shots behind Oklahoma State and four behind Florida State. Haley tied for 9^th at 212 with Hadley 14^th at 213 and Grffin 25^th at 215. Both White and Scott posted 221 totals.

The U.S. Amateur Public Links is one of 13 national championships conducted annually by the United States Golf Association.

1) Host the banquet to honor inductees;

2) Store memorabilia of the members of the Hall of Fame and display as available; and

3) Have right, title and interest to the trademarks, trade names and logos associated with the GGHOF.

This agreement has been worked out in accordance with the wishes of the former Board of Directors of the GGHOF Authority and Commission, which was abolished as part of Senate Bill 449 on the final day of the 2010 Georgia legislative session. Governor Sonny Perdue signed the bill on June 2, 2010.

GSGA’s acquisition of the Georgia Golf Hall of Fame comes with the support of the other golf organizations in the state, including the Georgia Section PGA, Georgia Golf Course Superintendents Association, Georgia Club Managers Association and Georgia Golf Course Owners Association, for the Hall of Fame’s banquet and ongoing plans.

Regarding other aspects of the Hall of Fame’s assets and activities, Senate Bill 449 transfers ownership of the 17 acres of land in Augusta, previously owned by the GGHOF and which was operated as the Augusta Golf and Gardens for several years, to the Georgia State Properties Commission (GSPC), in order to be put up for sale. The GSGA has no interest or claim on this property, nor would it realize any gain that might occur from proceeds following a sale.

Also, in a separate loan arrangement from GDEcD, the Augusta Museum of History (AMH) has obtained the six statues of famous golfers that the Hall of Fame owned and were previously located on the Augusta Golf and Gardens property. After the closing of the Gardens, the statues were stored in the Augusta property’s maintenance facility until March of this year, when they were moved and placed on display in the rotunda of the AMH. The statues are now properly secured and maintained, and the public is able to view them at no charge during normal museum opening hours seven days a week. The GSGA has no interest or claim on the statues, and it is expected that the Museum will continue to be able to display them under an agreement with GDEcD.

The GSGA expresses its appreciation to Bryan Persons, past chairman of the GGHOF, and the other former Board members, for their tireless efforts in working to make this a great Hall of Fame. The GSGA pledges to continue to live up to the high standards set by the former GGHOF Board. The Association also recognizes its Executive Committee for their foresight in committing to this new chapter in the GSGA’s history.

“The Georgia State Golf Association takes very seriously our role in preserving the rich history of the game as one of our services to golf clubs and golfers in Georgia,” said Mike Waldron, GSGA executive director. “We look forward to working with our allied organizations and others in the golf industry in Georgia in making this transition as seamless as possible.”

Over the next few months there will be additional announcements regarding the next banquet location and date and the members of the new induction class. Also, there are plans to produce a display of Georgia Golf Hall of Fame members’ memorabilia both at the GSGA headquarters and at the offices of the other allied organizations in the state, subject to the approval of the members.

Founded in 1916, the Georgia State Golf Association (GSGA) received its official charter on June 24, 1924.  Since that date, the GSGA has grown to one of the largest state amateur golf associations in the country, with over 350 member clubs and 85,000 individual members.  With a mission to promote and preserve amateur golf in the state of Georgia, GSGA offers a computerized handicapping service, course rating and measuring, and annually conducts a full schedule of statewide competitions for men and women of all age groups.  Other services include a summer-long junior sectional program, award-winning Golf Georgia magazine, membership recognition and rewards programs and a charitable foundation administering two college scholarship programs.