COLUMBUS, Ga. – Defending champion Scott Wolfes of St. Simons Island birdied 18 to break a tie with Davin White of Locust Grove and win his second-straight Georgia Junior Championship title. The 45th annual Championship took place at Green Island Country Club, June 21-23.

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

Russell Henley already had what is sure to be a memorable golf trip to Ireland on his schedule this summer.

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.

Augusta State won its first national title in any sport, upsetting top-ranked Oklahoma State in the finals of the NCAA Golf Championship at the Honors Club outside Chattanooga.

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.

Villa Rica, GA- University of Georgia golfer Harris English earned medalist honors with rounds of 66-64, winning by four strokes over University of South Carolina golfer George Bryan of Chapin S.C. Tevis Upton of Acworth, Ga., earned the final spot over current Georgia Tech golfer Seth Reeves of Duluth, Ga., by sinking a five-foot birdie putt on the first playoff hole (No. 10). The Sectional qualifier was held at The Frog Golf Club on July 13 & 14. The three above qualifiers advance to the 85th annual U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship will be held at Bryan Park Golf Course in Greensboro, N.C., July 12-17.

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

MARIETTA, Ga. – In an exciting new chapter of its rich history, the Georgia State Golf Association (GSGA) has entered into an agreement with the Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD) to manage the ongoing activities associated with the Georgia Golf Hall of Fame (GGHOF). The terms of the agreement authorize the GSGA to:

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.

Augusta State won its first national title in any sport, upsetting top-ranked Oklahoma State in the finals of the NCAA Golf Championship at the Honors Club outside Chattanooga.

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.

ROSWELL, GA – Jonathan Howard of Columbus, Ga. and Margaret Yeh of Cumming, Ga. won the 2010 Georgia PGA Junior Championship Tuesday, June 8 at the Country Club of Columbus in Columbus, Ga.

By winning the boys’ and girls’ divisions respectively, Howard and Yeh qualified for the 35^th Junior PGA Championship, Aug. 2-5, 2010, at Sycamore Hills Golf Club in Fort Wayne, Ind.

Howard, 17, posted a final-round 6-under 65 for a two-day total of 139 and a 2-stroke victory over Robert Robertson of Evans, Ga.  Yeh, 17, had a final-round 83 for a two-day total of 165 and a 1-stroke victory over Judy Nam of Buford.

Girls Overall Results

Boys Overall Results

By Mike Blum

In the third round of the Nationwide Tour Stadion Athens Classic at UGA, Martin Piller carded seven birdies and shot a 64 to begin the final day only one stroke behind leader Daniel Summerhays.

In Sunday’s final round, Piller made just one birdie. But as it turned, that was all he needed.

Piller turned in an even-par 71 with just one bogey, and wound up as the tournament winner when his two primary competitors both stumbled down the stretch. Both Summerhays and Bradley Iles faltered at the finish, leaving the 24-year-old Texas A&M grad with his first Nationwide victory.

Iles fell out of contention first, making a bogey at the par-4 14^th and a double bogey at the par-3 16^th. That dropped him to fourth at 9-under 275 behind Gary Christian, the only player in the final eight groups to shoot in the 60s the final round. Christian’s 66 jumped him a third place finish at 274, two shots behind Piller.

After two birdies on his first four holes, Summerhays held a 3-stroke lead over both Piller and Iles, but managed just one birdie the rest of the day, that coming at the 15^th hole to give him a brief lead. But he bogeyed the pesky 16^th and made another at the 18^th after missing the green on the lengthy par 4.

Meanwhile, Piller plodded his way along, matching a bogey at the par-4 fourth with a birdie at the 11^th, the shortest par-4 on the UGA course, but one with a treacherous green featuring one of the most severe false fronts on any course, anywhere.

“I knew it would be a battle with the course and with Danny,” said Piller, who moved from 16^th on the Nationwide Tour money list to 2^nd, trailing only former Texas A&M teammate and roommate Bobby Gates.

Piller said his plan was “to be cautious. You had to be smart. I knew nobody was going to run away. Not on this course.”

There were a lot of good scores shot in the final round, including a 64 by Scott Gutschewski, which matched Piller’s Saturday showing as a tournament best. A total of 17 players, about one-quarter of the field, shot in the 60s Sunday, but just two players in the final 13 groups were among the 17.

Christian, who was the lone player to make a move on the three main contenders, was 5-under after 11 and within range of the lead, but a bogey at 16 ended his hopes.

Iles held a share of the first round lead at 66 with Gates, who won the season opener in New Zealand and was third the next week in Australia, and Mark Anderson, who closed with a 68 to tie for fifth at 277. Piller and Summerhays were among a group of six at 67, with a bogey at his final hole of the day (No. 9) dropping Piller out of a share of the lead.

Anderson, Gates and Summerhays followed with strong rounds on Friday to finish in a three-way tie at the top at 7-under 135. Piller was tied for fifth at 137, with a triple bogey 8 at the perilous par-5 12^th more than offsetting an eagle on the much more inviting par-5 seventh.

Summerhays, Piller and Iles separated themselves from the field on Saturday. With four straight birdies on the front nine and three more on the back, Summerhays, who was one of the last players to get into the field as an alternate, shot 65 to take a one-shot lead at 13-under 200 despite a bogey at the 18^th.

Piller ran off five birdies in a six-hole stretch from 5 to 10 and closed with birdies at 17 and 18 for his 64, making up three shots on the last two holes to stand one back at 201.

New Zealand’s Iles was two back at 202 after a 65, closing out the front nine with five straight 3s, an eagle and three birdies in that span.

One day after shooting 64, Piller was content with his a closing 71. He said the difference between the two rounds was “the conditions. They were tough today. Yesterday was perfect. It was muggy, no wind, the greens were soft, right in my wheelhouse. Those were really good scoring conditions.

“With the wind switching today and the pins tucked, it was tricky. You had to pick your spots.”

Piller, who is listed at 5-foot-9, 155 pounds in the Nationwide Tour media guide, averaged 317 yards on the two designated holes for driving distance, but trailed 18 other players who made the cut. He led the field in putts per round (27) despite 33 on Sunday.

The last of the 33 was just a tap-in, as he hit a superb approach to about 7 feet and was able to two-putt after Summerhays missed his par attempt.

“I was shaking. I could not believe how nervous I was.”

Of the victory, Piller said, “I couldn’t believe it. I couldn’t stop smiling.”

Piller was 35^th on the money list in his first season on the Nationwide Tour in 2009, getting off to a strong start before going the last seven months of the season without a top-20 finish. Coming into Athens, he had three finishes this season between 7^th and 11^th.

Summerhays, a nephew of Champions Tour player Bruce Summerhays, nearly had his first Nationwide win since capturing one of the tour’s biggest tournaments as an amateur in 2007. He had missed five of his first six cuts this year, and barely managed to get into the field thanks to a tie for 25^th earlier this season in Panama.

Iles was 45^th in earnings in his second Nationwide season in ’09 and had notched three top-25 finishes along side four missed cuts this year.

Leading the Georgia contingent in the tournament were veteran tour pro Scott Dunlap of Duluth and ex-Bulldog Kevin Kisner of Aiken, S.C., who tied for 10^th at 280. Kisner shot 65 in the second and Dunlap carded a 66 the next day.

Ringgold’s Luke List, who is just outside the top 25 on the money list, and rookie pro Brian Harman of Savannah tied for 18^th at 281, earning Harman a spot in the next Nationwide event in Greenville, S.C. Harman played his way into the Athens field in a Monday qualifier, having to win a playoff to advance. He made the cut on the number at 143 and shot 66 in the third round.

UGA golf team member Harris English tied for 27^th at 282, opening with a 68. Georgia teammate Russell Henley closed with a 67 and tied for 34^th at 283 along with former Bulldog Chris Kirk of Woodstock, who is well inside the top 10 on the money list.

By Mike Blum

The Nationwide Tour Stadion Athens Classic at UGA featured a sizeable contingent of current and former Georgia Bulldogs, and for the majority of them, it was a week to remember.

Current UGA golf team members Harris English of Thomasville and Russell Henley of Macon made their first appearances in a professional event and both made the cut, tying for 27^th and 34^th respectively.

Brian Harman, who graduated from Georgia less than a year ago, tied for 18^th in his first Nationwide Tour start to earn a spot in the field at the next Nationwide event.

Kevin Kisner, an ’06 Georgia grad and a Nationwide Tour rookie, notched his third top 10 of the young 2010 season to move into the top 25 on the money list and boost his hopes of qualifying for the 2011 PGA Tour.

Three other former Bulldogs made the cut in the Stadion Athens Classic, including ’07 Georgia grad Chris Kirk, who left Athens after a respectable showing on his former home course 6^th on the tour’s money list.

The best finish by a non-Bulldog Georgian was turned in by veteran tour pro Scott Dunlap of Duluth, who joined Kisner in a tie for 10^th, his second top 10 of 2010.

Dunlap, who is in his 10^th season on the Nationwide Tour, posted a 4-under 280 total to tie for 10^th, highlighted by a third round 66 that included four birdies on his last six holes, including three straight to end the day on holes 7-9. A tough putting round the final day left Dunlap with a 72 and his third solid showing this season.

“I hit a lot of good putts I could not get to go in,” Dunlap said. “A foot out from the hole, they all looked like they could go in, but not a one did.”

For the week, Dunlap was second in greens in regulation, hitting 15 greens three of the four days and averaging over 80 percent for the tournament.

“This would be the kind of course I would have a shot at it and I played well,” he observed, although he lamented his struggles to get the ball into the hole, averaging 31.5 putts per round.

Like Dunlap, Kisner’s tie for 10^th came largely on the strength of one outstanding round. He shot 6-under 65 in the second round with no bogeys, requiring just 23 putts. In his other three rounds, Kisner took either 30 or 31 putts. It was the third top 10 this season for Kisner, an Aiken, S.C., resident, but just his first in the U.S. He has made the cut in all seven of his starts and left Athens 24^th on the money list with almost $55,000. A birdie at the par-5 17^th in the final round lifted Kisner into the top 10 with a closing 1-under 70.

Harman shot 67 in a qualifier at Chicopee Woods and had to survive a 6-players-for-4-spots playoff to get into the field. His first round in Athens got off to shaky start with three bogeys on his first four holes and a double bogey later in the round, but he also carded four of his 18 birdies for the week for a 73, and made the cut on the number with a 70 the next day.

A third round 66 that included a birdie-birdie finish on holes 8 and 9 moved Harman well up the standings. But he again faltered early in his final round before rallying for a 72 to finish at 3-under 281. Birdies on the two back-nine par 5s at the UGA course enabled Harman to finish in the top 20 and earn him a second straight Nationwide start.

“I had to really grind it,” said Harman, a former Georgia Amateur champion and two-time Walker Cup team member. “I feel very good about the way I played. I held it together today and got back from being three-over.”

Harman enjoyed considerable success earlier this year on the eGolf Tour, recording a string of top finishes, and hopes he can continue that on the Nationwide Tour. He is looking to follow the example set by fellow Georgians and current PGA Tour players Jason Bohn and Vaughn Taylor, who both played their way onto the PGA Tour after beginning the year with no status on the Nationwide Tour.

“That’s what I’m looking to do. If I can play well and keep doing what I’m doing, I’ll be all right.”

List, who also tied for 18^th, wasn’t quite as excited about his finish as was Harman. He was 2-under for the day coming to the 18^th hole Sunday, and would have finished T7 with a closing par. But he missed the fairway, missed the green after chipping out and missed a short putt, leaving him with his only double bogey of the tournament.

The double bogey cost List about $10,000 and kept him from moving back into the top 25. He left Athens 29^th on the money list, a little less than $4,000 out of the top 25. It was his sixth straight made cut and followed previous finishes of 9^th, 10^th and 12^th, as he looks to move up to the PGA Tour after just one full Nationwide season. A third round 68 that included six birdies highlighted List’s week.

It was a very memorable week for both Georgia golf team members in the field. English opened with a 68 and almost closed his tournament with three straight birdies, shooting 71 the final day to finish at 2-under 282. Henley fired a final round 67 to end up at 283.

“It was awesome,” English said after concluding his first professional tournament. “I learned a lot this week. I’m going to take this and move on. I’m happy at the opportunity. Not many amateurs get a chance to do this. I couldn’t have asked for a better week.”

Coming into the tournament, English said he had “not many expectations. The first day I played really well. The second day was not so good, but overall it was a great week.”

After a second round 73, English almost made it through 18 holes Saturday without a bogey, but the tough 18^th got him and he finished with a 70. He shot even par 71 Sunday with birdies at 16 and 17 and a near miss at 18 after an excellent approach shot. English finished the week tied for 10^th in greens in regulation, averaging more than 14 per round.

It was an interesting week for Henley, who is supposed to be the more consistent of the two UGA standouts, but his scorecards and statistics did not reflect that. As is his reputation, he putted beautifully, finishing 3rd in putts per green in regulation and T6 in putts per round. But he also finished 6^th in driving distance, averaging more than 322 yards on the two measured holes.

Henley also tied for 4^th in birdies with 18, but needed them to offset two triple bogeys and two doubles. After a triple on the par-3 13^th on Friday, Henley was 5-over for the tournament, but carded five birdies over his final 13 holes to shoot 70 and make the cut on the number at 143. His third round included a triple at the 18^th (his ninth hole), but he held on to shoot 73. Henley’s final round 67 included only one bogey, the perilous par-5 12^th, which he played 3-over for the week.

“I learned a lot today,” Henley said after final round pairing with former Ryder Cupper and 6-time PGA Tour winner Steve Pate. “Playing with him was cool. He’s a legendary player.

“Every day it got a little bit easier. Today was very satisfying. The round could have been a lot lower. It was a good way to finish.”

It was a pretty quiet week for Kirk, one of four members of Georgia’s 2005 NCAA Championship team to play in the tournament (Harman, Kisner and Brendon Todd were the other three). He came into the tournament 5^th on the money list thanks to three top 10s, including a playoff loss early in the year in Australia, but never really got anything going after beginning his first round with three straight birdies.

Kirk finished with a 69 on Thursday, but managed just one birdie Friday and settled for a 73. He put himself in position for a top-10 finish with a third round 68, and began his final round with two birdies on his first four holes. But he was 4-over from there with no birdies and ended up tied for 34^th with Henley at 283. Kirk was among the tournament leaders in greens in regulation, but was near the bottom in both putting categories, averaging 32 putts per round.

Also making the cut were former Alpharetta resident Brent Delahoussaye (T51, 286) and ex-Bulldogs Paul Claxton of Sea Island (T56, 287) and Roswell’s Justin Bolli (T60, 288). Both Delahoussaye and Bolli are playing on the PGA Tour this year, but did not get into that week’s event in Charlotte.

Claxton was two shots over the cut line with nine holes to play Friday, but birdied four holes coming in to shoot 69 and make the cut by two. He was 1-under for the tournament with nine holes to play, but lost a battle with the false front on the 11^th green and shot 40 on the back nine to plummet down the standings. This is Claxton’s 12^th year on the Nationwide Tour (plus four on the PGA Tour) and he left Athens 59^th on the money list.

Bolli, who has struggled this year in his third season on the PGA Tour, was hoping to duplicate two previous top finishes in the Athens Nationwide event when it was played at Jennings Mill. After 28 holes, Bolli was 5-over for the tournament (four over the cut line) and had not made a birdie over his last 19 holes. But he closed out the second round with four birdies on his last eight, including three straight at 16, 17 and 18 to give himself a chance to play on the weekend. In both the third and fourth rounds Bolli was 2-under for the day on his final nine, but stumbled down the stretch to shoot 72 and 73.

None of the three Georgia PGA members in the field made the cut. UGA head professional Matt Peterson, who played for a decade on the Nationwide Tour, survived a 4-putt green on the 11^th to shoot even par 71 in the first round. He birdied the 11^th (his second hole of the day Friday) to briefly get into double figures, but did not make another birdie and shot 76, missing the cut by four.

Athens resident Greg Lee, a PGA professional at Chicopee Woods, was 1-under par on the front nine at the UGA course over his two rounds, including a hole-out from the fairway on the par-4 9^th for eagle on Thursday. But he shot 83 on the back nine, with the result a pair of 76s.

Tim Weinhart, an instructor at St. Marlo and the 2009 Georgia PGA Player of the Year, shot 76-77 to miss the cut for the second straight week. Weinhart, a member of the Nationwide Tour a few years ago, also missed the cut in the South Georgia Classic in Valdosta.

Nationwide Tour member Jay McLuen, who lives in the community of Smarr outside Macon, received a sponsor exemption and played his first Nationwide event of the year. He shot 73 the first round with three birdies on his final nine, and was even par the second day after his second birdie of the round at the 16^th, his seventh hole. But he parred his last 11 holes and missed the cut by one shot.

The other sponsor exemption went to former Bulldog Todd, who missed his first seven cuts of the year. Todd, a Nationwide Tour winner in 2008 who played on the PGA Tour last year, missed his eighth straight cut, shooting 76-74 on the UGA course, which has been renovated since he played on the golf team in Athens.

John Daly asked for a sponsor exemption just before the beginning of the tournament, but Stadion Athens Classic officials stuck with McLuen and Todd over Daly, who withdrew with an injury from the New Orleans PGA Tour event the previous week.