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.

Burger carded a steady round of even par 72 which included 3 birdies, one bogey, and one nearly disastrous double bogey on the 16^th hole to finish at five-under par 139.  Two-time Georgia Women’s Open champion Margaret Shirley of Roswell made a bogey on the 18^th hole to end up alone in second place at four-under par 140.

Burger, a rising sophomore at the University of Georgia, had a three shot lead with three holes to play as she stood on the tee of the 167 yard par three 16^th hole.  Her tee shot just came up short of the green, and her chip shot went by the hole to about six feet.  Burger then missed her par attempt, and went to tap in for bogey from a very short distance-but her putt caught the edge of the hole and lipped out.  She made the next one for an untidy double bogey and her lead was cut to one shot over her playing partner and assistant golf coach at UGA, Shirley.

Shirley, a former Auburn All-American, who won this championship in 2006 and 2008 went on to birdie the par four 17^th hole to capture her first share of the lead and was in prime position to add another title in the state championship of women’s golf in Georgia.

Her drive on the 18^th hole found the deep fairway bunker and she had to lay up to about 100 yards away from the hole.  Burger’s drive found the center of the fairway and she hit a 7-iron from 158 yards just over the flagstick to ten feet.  The diminutive Shirley would not go away as she hit her third shot to six feet right of the hole.  Burger’s birdie attempt just slid by the hole to about 12 inches, but she wisely chose to mark her putt.  Shirley’s par saving attempt to force a playoff was a bit firm and didn’t take the break.  She tapped in for a bogey.  Burger with thoughts of the near disaster on the 16^th hole quickly tapped in her putt for par and the championship and the coveted W.A. (Bill) Roquemore trophy.  Bill Roquemore was the founder of the Canongate family of golf courses and a long time supporter of women’s golf in Georgia.

The defending champion sixteen year old, Mariah Stackhouse of Riverdale, carded an even par round of 72 and finished the tournament at three-under par 141 and alone in third place.

Finishing in a three-way tie for fourth place were University of Georgia player, Kendall Wright of Suwanee and two professionals who tied for the low professional honors, Futures Tour player Carmen Bandea of Atlanta and Lacy Agnew of Jonesboro who was making her professional debut.

Womack shot a 4-under 67 in the first round at Canongate’s Georgia National GC, and was playing in the final group with Jeff Hull, the leader after an opening 66.

After nine consecutive pars to start the final round, Womack was still one shot behind Hull and Travis Nance, the third member of the final threesome off the tee. But all three had been overtaken by defending champion Tim Weinhart, who went out in 4-under 31 to take a one-stroke lead at the turn.

Womack preserved his par streak with a terrific save at the 9^th, holing his first putt of note on the day after missing the green,

The par save propelled Womack to birdies on each of the next four holes to take a one-shot lead when play was suspended for the day by lightning in the area. When play resumed the next morning, Womack preserved his advantage with four pars and a birdie, edging out both Weinhart and Hull by one stroke.

Womack shot 66 in the second round for a 9-under 133 total. Weinhart and Hull were second at 134, with Weinhart closing with a 65, the lowest score of the tournament. The two players split first/second place points for Georgia PGA Player of the Year (Weinhart leads in his quest for a sixth title) as well as first/second place money, with both taking home $4,150.

Nance and Seth McCain tied for 4^th at 137, with Michael Raines 6^th overall and 2^nd among the amateurs at 138.

“The up and down at nine did it,” Womack said. “When that putt went in, something clicked. I hit it close at 10 and that was huge. That birdie got me going. For the next few holes everything was clicking and I was really striking it good.”

The birdie at 10 pulled Womack even with Weinhart, who suffered his only bogey of the day when his second shot flew the green and he missed his par putt after a deft pitch. Weinhart, playing in the group in front of Womack, regained the lead with a birdie at the par-3 11^th, but Womack matched him.

The two players also birdied the par-5 12^th, with Weinhart again chipping it close while Womack hit a beautiful second shot to the back fringe of the small target. Weinhart again had a chance to move in front but missed from just inside 10 feet at the short par-4 13^th, while Womack made it four in a row when he holed his birdie putt of similar length.

Play was suspended minutes later, and tournament officials were never able to get players back on the course that afternoon.

“I was a little concerned,” Womack said of his loss of momentum by the delay. “It was in the back of my mind because I was playing so good when we stopped.”

Womack played solidly after play resumed the next morning, just missing a birdie opportunity at 16 before moving two in front when he hit his tee shot to 10 feet on the par-3 17^th and holed the birdie putt.

Weinhart had two excellent birdie chances at 16 and 17 but could not convert either one before closing out his round with a birdie at the par-5 18^th. Hull, who was three off the lead when play was suspended, rolled in a 30-footer for birdie on 14 after play resumed and lipped out for birdie on both 15 and 16 before hitting his tee shot to 2 feet for another birdie at 17.

Trailing by two going to the final hole, he carded his third birdie of the morning to tie Weinhart, but Womack was never in danger of making more than par on the hole. He hit his second shot just in front of the green and chipped to about 6 feet, two-putting for a par and the victory.

“This means a lot to me,” Womack said. “I haven’t won since the USGA Mid-Am in 2006. I’ve gotten in a rut the past few years. I’ve been trying to get out of my own way and just start playing.”

Womack, a long time member at Georgia National, enjoyed the added satisfaction of winning the tournament on his home course, with a small gallery of fellow members cheering him on.

“It’s nice to do it on your home course in front of the home town guys. They really don’t get to see me compete.”

Womack won the GSGA Public Links title twice in three years on nearby courses (Cherokee Run and since-closed Southerness), and took advantage of the rare opportunity to win even closer to his home in McDonough.

“It’s pretty neat to play on your home course in a big event. It’s a huge advantage, but it can get a little overwhelming.  I tried to play it like I usually do and that seemed to relax me.”

Womack got off to a strong start in the opening round with two birdies on his first four holes. He was even par at the turn before closing with a 4-under 32, scoring birdies on three of his last four holes to end the day just one in back of Hull in second place.

Hull, an instructor at the UGA course in Athens, has now finished second three times in the Atlanta Golf Open, losing once in a playoff (to Greg Lee at Marietta CC in 2003) and twice being edged out by an amateur, taking second behind Bob Royak at the Standard Club in ’07.

“I’m pretty happy at the result,” said Hull, who came out to the course the morning after the delay with thoughts of making five birdies on five holes.

“I knew it was out there,” he said, and came pretty close to making it happen.

Leading by one after the opening day, Hull’s second round got off to a tough start when he lipped out for birdie on the par-5 first hole. He took a brief two-shot lead when he made a spectacular birdie from the trees on the difficult 4^th, getting a nice break when his second shot wound up close to the cup after making contact with tree limbs.

“I got away with it on 4,” he said. “I turned what could have been a 6 or a 7 into a 3.”

Hull lost the lead when he bogeyed from a greenside bunker at the 5^th and fell three behind Womack and Weinhart when his third shot to the par-5 12^th flew the green and he took bogey. He hit it close at the inviting 13^th for birdie before play was halted, and came back the next morning with three birdies in five holes and two near-misses.

Weinhart, who won last year’s Atlanta Open at Heron Bay, was three back of Hull after an opening 69, but surged into the lead when he began his second round with birdies on four of the first six holes. A chip-in at the 6^th vaulted him into first place, and he remained on top thanks to two outstanding par saves from a buried lie in a bunker at 7 and after a wayward tee shot at the 9^th.

After another excellent recovery failed to produce a par at 10, he birdied the next two holes to stay within one shot of the suddenly sizzling Womack. Weinhart,. an instructor at St. Marlo, had his opportunities after play resumed the next morning, but could not quite catch the leader.

“I gave myself some chances,” said Weinhart, who has come close in the tournament several times previously, including a pair of playoff losses and a close third place finish at Newnan CC in 2008.

“I made some really good par saves. If I made one or two more putts the first day, it might have been a different story. But I saw a lot of good stuff the last few days. I’ve got no room to complain.

“I’m really pleased with where my game is going to the club professional championship.”

Weinhart and Hull are among a group of Georgia PGA members who will compete in the PGA PNC in Indiana later this month.

Nance, a former tour player who is now working as an assistant at Coosa CC in Rome, made six birdies on his first 13 holes in the final round, including three in a row before play was suspended. He encountered some tree trouble at the 9^th and made a double bogey, and was two behind Womack when play was halted, but a bogey at 15 the next morning ended his chances.

Tying Nance for third at 137 was Jennings Mill assistant Seth McCain, who had 10 birdies and an eagle over two rounds, but also had seven bogeys on his card. McCain went 4-under for four holes on the back nine, beginning with an eagle at the 12^th, in the final round to move up the leader board.

Raines, a Marietta resident and a member of the South Carolina golf team, posted a pair of 69s to take 2^nd behind Womack in the amateur competition and 6^th overall.

Tying for 7^th at 139 were Towne Lake Hills assistant Chris Nicol, Cherokee CC instructor Kevin Roman and Mike Pavao, the head professional at Bobby Jones GC. Nicol, who tied for third last year at Heron Bay, made a big splash in the final round, playing his first 11 holes in 7-under before settling for a 5-under 66.

Brookfield CC instructor Michael Parrott was 5-under after 11 in the final round, shooting a 68 to take 10^th at 140.

Among those tying for 11^th at 142 were Matt Peterson, head pro at the UGA course, and tour player/instructor Sonny Skinner, who finished 1-2 at Newnan CC two years ago. CC of the South Director of Instruction Shawn Koch also tied for 11^th along with Rivermont CC head pro Matthew Evans, Achasta assistant Jordan Arnold and amateurs Cameron Simmons, Tyler Smith and Wade Binfield, who was runner-up last year to Weinhart.

Georgia National, a Denis Griffiths design, was in outstanding condition for the tournament, with the low scores a result of high temperatures that required the superintendent’s staff to water the greens, making them receptive to approach shots while retaining their speed that gave players an opportunity to hole some putts.

Alexander, 16, opened up a quick lead in the Championship’s final match as Coble made bogey on at hole number one. Coble squared the match up after Alexander recorded a three-putt bogey on the par-3 fourth and took a short-lived lead after a birdie at number five. Back-to-back bogeys by Coble at holes six and seven allowed Alexander to jump back into the lead before Coble sank a 25-foot, downhill birdie putt on the ninth hole.

“That really was the turning point in the match for me,” Coble said afterward. “[Alexander] is a tremendous player and I could have let things get away from me at that point.”

Heading to the inward nine with the match all square, Coble landed her approach to the tenth green a foot and a half from the hole. Connecting on that birdie, she never looked back. Coble posted another birdie on the 323-yard twelfth and won holes 14 and 15 with pars to close the match out with a 4 and 3 victory.

This victory marks Coble’s second victory in as many years and the eighth of her career. Her road to the finals began by first defeating Ellen Dempsey of Saint Simons Island, 6 and 4. She then topped Marietta’s Brenda Pictor, the reigning GSGA Senior Women’s Player of the Year, in the semifinals, 2 and 1. Alexander opened the championship with a dominating win over Ellen Connors of Sharpsburg, 6 and 5, before besting Mary Riley of Perry, 4 and 3, in the semifinals.

Other flight winners: Jodie Shepard of Newnan defeated Lisa Vicknair-Rush of Macon, 6 and 5, in the first flight; Kathleen’s Sissi Gann won over Dorothy Beckler of Mableton after 20 holes in the second flight; Macon’s Jirapon Carlson topped Jean Franks of Peachtree City, 3 and 2, in the third flight; and Fran Coody of Perry posted a 5 and 4 victory over Carrollton’s Joyce Doss, in the fifth flight.

This was the 13th playing of the Georgia Women’s Match Play Championship, which has been held at Sunset Hills Country Club each year. Entries were open to female amateur golfers who are Georgia residents and members of a GSGA member club. The field consisted of the low 40 entrants, who were divided into five flights and seeded by handicap index.

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.

–more–

Georgia State Golf Association
13th Annual Georgia Women’s Match Play Championship
Sunset Hills Country Club
Carrollton, Georgia
April 14-16, 2010

Final Results

Championship Flight
Laura Coble, Augusta def. Amira Alexander, Alpharetta, 4 & 3
Championship Flight Consolation
Dayana Marquez, Atlanta def. Ellen Connors, Sharpsburg, 3 & 2

First Flight
Jodie Shepard, Newnan def. Lisa Vicknair-Rush, Buford, 6 & 5
First Flight Consolation
Sue King, Chatsworth def. Stephanie Vandiver, Douglasville, 2 & 1

Second Flight
Sissi Gann, Kathleen def. Dorothy Beckler, Mableton, 20 holes
Second Flight Consolation
Marilyn Johnson, Marietta def. Dawn Young, Douglasville, 1 up

Third Flight
Jirapon Carlson, Macon def. Jean Franks, Peachtree City, 3 & 2
Third Flight Consolation
Janet MacGregor, Peachtree City def. Dale Perry, Carrollton, 5 & 4

Fourth Flight
Fran Coody, Perry def. Joyce Doss, Carrollton, 5 & 4
Fourth Flight Consolation
Nicole Wood, Buchanan def. Alicia Bartlett, Powder Springs, 2 & 1

MARIETTA, Ga. – Three highly successful golfers were selected as the shared recipients of the 2009 Tommy Barnes Award after capturing a national championship for the state of Georgia. Dori Carter of Valdosta, Laura Coble of Augusta and Mariah Stackhouse of Riverdale teamed up to win the USGA Women’s State Team Championship at Sycamore Hills Golf Club in Fort Wayne, Ind., last September. The trio was announced as the winners and honored at the GSGA’s Players of the Year Luncheon, held at Cherokee Town Club in Atlanta on January 23, 2010.

Team Georgia became the first state to win multiple titles in the biennial competition that’s been conducted since 1995. Georgia won the 2005 title at Berkeley Hall in Bluffton, S.C., with a team that also featured Coble.

Georgia led wire-to-wire but South Carolina and Hawaii trailed by only three strokes going into the final round. Carter made the uphill climb a little more difficult for their competitors, shooting 4-under-par 32 on the outward nine. She eventually got it to 6-under for the round after making three consecutive birdies from No. 13. Carter finished as the individual medalist by two strokes, shooting 69-76-69 for 2-under-par 214 for the Championship.

Stackhouse triple-bogeyed the par-3 fourth hole and stood at 4-over for the round. But she then played her final 14 holes in 6-under, making four consecutive birdies from No. 7, including a chip-in at the eighth and a 30-footer from the fringe at the ninth. She also added birdies at the par-5 12th and 15th holes for her 2-under 70 for the round, good enough for a tie for sixth place in the individual standings. Coble finished 11th overall.

GSGA senior director Sissi Gann of Kathleen, who served as captain of the successful Georgia squad, called this her “dream team.” And the team members’ track records in all levels of competition in 2009 certainly backed up her claim. Coble is also the 2009 GSGA Women’s Player of the Year for the 11th time, while Stackhouse captured her third consecutive GSGA Girls’
Player of the Year title. Carter finished second in the women’s standings behind Coble, earning points for her runner-up finish in the Georgia Women’s Top 60 Classic, her fifth-place showing at the Georgia Women’s Open and runner-up finish (falling in a playoff to Stackhouse) at the Georgia Women’s Golf Association (GWGA) Amateur Championship. Carter also qualified and advanced to match play at the U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship.

The award’s namesake, Tommy Barnes of Atlanta, was one of Georgia’s legendary amateur golfers. Among his many accomplishments, Barnes captured the 1941 Georgia Amateur Championship, won the 1947 and ’49 Southern Amateur titles, qualified for 16 consecutive U.S. Amateur Championships and played in the 1950 Masters Tournament. In 1989, at age 73, Barnes shot 62 to break Bobby Jones’ 67-year-old record at his home course, East Lake Golf Club. He also had a long history of service to GSGA and other golf associations, and was a member of numerous Halls of Fame. Barnes passed away in 2007 at age 91.

In honor of this special gentleman, GSGA established the Tommy Barnes Award in 1983-84 to recognize its Men’s Player of the Year. Beginning in 1998, the Tommy Barnes Award was given to the annual overall player of the year.

Four other golfers received GSGA Players of the Year awards during the Luncheon. Players of the Year are annually awarded in six categories: Men, Women, Junior, Girls’, Senior Men and Senior Women.

David Noll Jr. of Dalton captured his third-straight and fifth overall GSGA Men’s Player of the Year award in 2009 with five strong performances on the state level. Only current Champions Tour player Allen Doyle owns more, with seven Player of the Year titles from 1983-92.

Noll started the season by tying for seventh at the Georgia Four-Ball Championship with partner Doug Green, marking their fourth top-10 finish in the last five years. With a tie for eighth at the Georgia Mid-Amateur Championship, Noll posted his fourth-straight and sixth overall top-10 finish in that event.

In the Georgia Amateur Championship, Noll, the 2003 champion, finished runner-up to defending champion Russell Henley, marking his fifth-consecutive top-6 finish in the state’s most prestigious amateur event. In the Georgia Open, Noll tied for low amateur honors, finishing 11th overall.

Noll successfully defended his title at the Atlanta Amateur Match Play Championship, becoming the first golfer in a decade to do so and just the seventh player in the 91-year history of the tournament to capture three titles. He won his first Atlanta Amateur in 2005.

Noll also represented the GSGA in the biennial Billy Peters Cup Matches and led his Dalton Golf and Country Club team to their second Georgia Team Championship in three years.

After a one-year hiatus following 10 straight Women’s Player of the Year titles, Coble is back atop the standings, cruising to the title in 2009.
Coble won two GSGA statewide events, posted top-5 finishes in two others and qualified for two national championships, advancing to the finals in one.

Coble started the season by winning the Georgia Women’s Match Play Championship in 21 holes over Stackhouse, the two-time defending champion.
It was Coble’s seventh title in the 12-year history of the event.

Coble captured her fourth Greater Atlanta Women’s Amateur Championship with a two-stroke victory over Ashley Medders. She also earned points for finishing fifth at the Georgia Top 60 Women’s Classic, 12th in the Georgia Women’s Open and fifth in the GWGA Championship.

On the national level – in addition to her success at the USGA State Team Championship – Coble qualified for the U.S. Women’s Amateur for the second-straight year and third time since 2005. But she made her mark at the
2009 U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur Championship, where she advanced to the final match to face a former Georgian, Martha Leach, who went on to win 3 and 2.
It was Coble’s best career finish in a USGA individual national championship.

Oliver Schniederjans of Powder Springs came up just short in his bid to win the Georgia Junior Championship, but strong performances in other events garnered him enough points to earn GSGA’s Junior Player of the Year title for 2009.

The 16-year-old Schniederjans finished runner-up in the state Junior, four strokes back of champion Scott Wolfes. It marked the second time in three years he finished among the top six. He did, however, capture the Georgia PGA Junior Championship, shooting 11-under-par 133 for a three-stroke victory at Cartersville Country Club.

Schniederjans also qualified for the U.S. Junior Amateur, finishing third in stroke-play qualifying before dropping his first round in match play.

The teenager capped off his GSGA season by becoming the youngest winner in the history of the Georgia Public Links Championship. Schniederjans carded rounds of 66-68 to win by two strokes.

Stackhouse won her third-straight GSGA Girls’ Player of the Year title, thanks to victories in two statewide Championships and a runner-up finish in another. She becomes the first golfer to capture the honor three times since the Girls’ Player of the Year award was established in 1994.

Stackhouse, who won the Georgia Women’s Match Play Championship in 2007 and ’08, took Coble to 21 holes before falling in the final match to finish as runner-up.

Stackhouse made history at the Georgia Women’s Open, becoming the youngest champion in the 15-year history of the event. She outlasted professional Jackie Szymoniak in a one-hole playoff to pocket the title after shooting 5-under 139 over the first 36 holes.

It took a late rally and yet another playoff, but Stackhouse also successfully defended her GWGA Amateur Championship title. Stackhouse trailed Carter by five shots during the final round but managed to even things up after 54 holes of regulation. In the three-hole aggregate playoff, Stackhouse trailed Carter by a stroke going into the final hole, but birdied the hole to secure her second-straight playoff victory in this event.

GSGA’s senior division welcomed a new champion and new Senior Player of the Year in 2009 in Jimmy Thomas of Johns Creek. Thomas won the Georgia Senior Championship at Green Island Country Club in Columbus in an exciting finish over perennial contender and second-round leader Spencer Sappington. Thomas trailed Sappington by one stroke entering the final round, but also had to contend with another past Senior Player of the Year, Jerry Greenbaum, who made a charge over the front nine to take the lead. When Greenbaum fell back late in the round, Sappington made a rally of his own to tie Thomas for the lead going into the final hole. Sappington couldn’t get up and down for par on 18, while Thomas, just needing par, sank his 20-foot birdie putt for the two-shot margin of victory.

Thomas’ victory was indeed special, considering that he had overcome neck cancer in the previous year, enduring surgery, chemotherapy and radiation treatments while wondering if he would even be able to play golf again. He called his victory at Green Island a “great testimony.”

Though not a point-earning event, Thomas also participated on the GSGA squad for the Billy Peters Cup Matches, which notched its fourth-straight victory over the Georgia PGA.

2009 marks the third-straight year Brenda Pictor of Marietta has won at least a share of GSGA’s Senior Women’s Player of the Year honor. She shared the title with Darlene Werhnyak in 2007 before winning it outright in 2008.
She had no trouble securing the title this year, with nearly three times as many points as the second-place finisher in the standings.

Pictor also won her second GSGA Senior Women’s Championship in three years, with a three-stroke victory over Patti Huxford. She posted strong finishes at the Greater Atlanta Women’s Amateur Championship (tied for ninth) and the Georgia Top 60 Women’s Classic (sixth). She also earned points for her top-20 finish at the GWGA Amateur Championship.

On the national stage, Pictor advanced to the semifinals of the USGA Senior Women’s Amateur, winning four matches after tying for 23rd in stroke-play qualifying. She also qualified for the U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur Championship, winning her first match in 19 holes before falling in the second round.

Pictor also represented the state in the Georgia-Florida Women’s Team
Matches for the second-straight year.

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.

Tommy Barnes Award History

1998 Bill Roberts, Pine Mountain
1999 Bill Ploeger, Columbus
2000 Laura Coble, Augusta
2001 Rick Cloninger, Dacula
2002 Bill Ploeger, Columbus
2003 Brian Harman, Savannah
2004 Spencer Sappington, Alpharetta
2005 Laura Coble, Augusta
2006 Dave Womack, McDonough
2007 Mark Strickland, Woodstock
2008 David Noll Jr., Dalton
2009 Dori Carter, Valdosta; Laura Coble, Augusta; Mariah Stackhouse,
Riverdale

2009 Players of the Year Final Points Standings Top five and ties listed – complete final standings available at www.gsga.org

Men’s Player of the Year
David Noll Jr., Dalton 550
Matt Nagy, Buena Vista 450
Mark Strickland, Woodstock 450
Jeff Knox, Augusta 400
Russell Henley, Macon 350

Women’s Player of the Year
Laura Coble, Augusta 1,450
Dori Carter, Valdosta 850
Mariah Stackhouse, Riverdale 800
Emilie Burger, Hoschton 550
Kaley Branton, Cartersville 450
Brenda Pictor, Marietta 450

Junior Player of the Year
Oliver Schniederjans, Powder Springs 350
Anders Albertson, Woodstock 275
Scott Wolfes, St. Simons Island 150
Blaine Woodruff, Acworth 75
Michael Garretson, Acworth 75
Will Evans, McDonough 75
Jack Walsh, Lawrenceville 75
Cole Hunsucker, Kennesaw 75

Girls’ Player of the Year
Mariah Stackhouse, Riverdale 800
Rinko Mitsunaga, Roswell 400
Amira Alexander, Alpharetta 250
Abby Johnson, Braselton 250
Anna Leigh Keith, Moultrie 200

Senior Player of the Year
Jimmy Thomas, Johns Creek 250
Larry Clark, Kingston 200
Spencer Sappington, Milton 175
Bill Ploeger, Columbus 175
Bill Leonard, Kennesaw 150
Karl Simon, Lawrenceville 150
Bobby Brent, Columbus 150

Senior Women’s Player of the Year
Brenda Pictor, Marietta 950
Mary Helen McElreath, Augusta 325
Ginette Spinucci, Stone Mountain 250
Patti Huxford, Cumming 250
Sue King, Chatsworth 200
Mary Riley, Perry 200

This marks Spinucci’s fourth-career win at the Georgia Women’s Team Championship and is the second victory for Davis.  Spinucci captured her first two titles in 2005 and 2006 while teamed with Marilyn Nolan-Johnson of Marietta and captured last year’s event with Marietta’s Brenda Pictor.

Davis made her championship run in 2004 while teamed with Jesup’s Maria Johnson.

Tied in second place was first-round leaders Darlene Werhnyak of Lawrenceville and Cheryl Grigg of Sea Island, Jennifer King of Smyrna and Leslie Elkins of Roswell, who posted the best score of the final round with a 65, and Augusta’s Elaine Montano and Lee Burton of St. Simons Island.

Each team ended with a two-under 140 for the championship.  Marilyn Nolan-Johnson of Marietta and her partner Mary Riley of Perry finished fifth overall.  Sixth position went to Atlanta’s Betsy Butler and Statham’s Phyllis Foisy, who combined to post 144 for the championship. Athens-duo Elaine Carsel and Nancy Hendrix finished seventh at 145.  Finishing eighth at 146 was Ellen Dempsey and Julie Criss, both of St. Simons Island.

Augusta’s Mary Helen McElreath teamed with Waynesboro’s Sandra Moody to finish ninth overall at five-over par.  Jan Cross of Evans and Sherry Tindle of Alpharetta finished in tenth place with a 152 total.

Other flight winners included: Cheryl Drewyer and Jodie Shepard, both of Newnan, from the first flight (142); Atlanta-duo Susan Tucker and Suzie Tindall in flight two (141); Becky Bordelon and Deborah Leach of Clayton in the third flight (148); in the fourth flight, Dahlonega’s Debbie Smith and Bogart’s Shelley Smith tied Beth Thurmond of Athens and Mona White of Gainesville (162); and in the fifth flight, with a 160, was Dee Earp of Roswell and Judith Robertson of Suwanee.

The Championship flight, the only flight eligible for the overall title, was playing the course at Sea Palms Golf Resort at approximately 5,582 yards.

The remaining flights played from approximately 5,126 yards.  All flights were playing the course as a par 71.

Entries were open to two-person teams of female amateur golfers who belong to a GSGA member club and are residents of Georgia.  Teammates must have a handicap differential of no more than eight strokes and players must have reached the age of 18 by October 8.

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 355 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.

The clinics are open at no charge to all girls ages 6-17. A variety of activities, including instruction on putting, chipping and long game, will be offered for all skill levels. Girls can bring their own golf clubs, or clubs will be provided as needed. Participants will also have a brief introduction to etiquette and the Rules of Golf.

In the Proclamation, Governor Perdue states, “Athletics play an important role in the development of discipline, initiative, confidence and leadership skills; and involvement in sports provides girls with an opportunity to expand their social worlds as well as develop their emotional and physical well-being.”

Allen Peake of Macon, a GSGA volunteer and member of the Georgia House of Representatives, worked with Gov. Perdue to produce the Proclamation. “I am grateful to Governor Sonny Perdue for proclaiming September 19, 2009, as Girls Golf Day in Georgia,” Peake said. “We should do everything in our power to encourage girls and young women to discover the joy of playing golf, and to develop the life lessons of integrity, sportsmanship, and honor that are inherent in the game of golf.”

Clinics are being held at sites in Albany, Athens, Atlanta, Augusta, Columbus, LaGrange, Macon and Savannah. See the list below for site addresses and specific times. To register for a clinic, please email or call the GSGA (mbell@gsga.org, 770-955-4272 or 800-949-4742) with the following information by Wednesday, September 16:

. Girls’ Name
. Age
. Email Address
. Site Selection
. If golf clubs are needed

“My hope is that this day will spark interest among young women, like my 14-year-old daughter, that will grow into a lifelong passion of playing, and competing, in the wonderful sport of golf,” said Peake.

Founded in 1916, the Georgia State Golf Association 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.

Girls Golf Day in Georgia Sites
Saturday, September 19
(All clinics take place 2:00-4:00 p.m. except Atlanta and Savannah, which run 2:30-4:30.)

Albany
The First Tee of Albany
110 Mercer Avenue
Albany, GA 31701

Athens
University of Georgia Golf Course
2600 Riverbend Road
Athens, GA 30605

Atlanta
Country Club of Roswell
2500 Club Springs Drive
Roswell, GA 30076

Augusta
The First Tee of Augusta
3165 Damascus Road
Augusta, GA 30909

Columbus
Maple Ridge Golf Club
4700 Maple Ridge Trail
Columbus, GA 31909

LaGrange
The First Tee of Troup County
1220 Lafayette Parkway
LaGrange, GA 30241

Macon
Idle Hour Club
251 Idle Hour Drive
Macon, GA 31210

Savannah
Wilmington Island Club
501 Wilmington Island Road
Savannah, GA 31410

Mary Riley of Perry climbed into third place overall at 160 after carding a final-round 73, the lowest 18-hole score of the event. Mary Helen McElreath of Augusta finished fourth after shooting 82 and 79, for a tournament total of 161. Chatsworth’s Sue King improved on her first-round score of 85 with a final-round 80 – good for fifth position. Two-time past champion Ginette Spinucci of Stone Mountain posted two rounds of 83 and finished tied for sixth with first-flight winner Liz Butler of Greensboro at 166. Four players tied for eighth at 167. They are defending champion Darlene Werhnyak of Lawrenceville, Lee Burton of St. Simons Island, Greensboro’s Ena Harvey and Jodie Shepard of Newnan.

Pictor, whose first GSGA Senior Women’s title came in 2007, entered the final round with a four-shot advantage. Pictor posted a double-bogey on the par-5 16th hole and a bogey on the 18th but had a sizeable enough lead to hold onto the victory.

Other flight winners include Betsy Butler of Atlanta (170) in the second flight, Macon’s Barbara Stuart in flight three at 177, Atlanta’s Nancy Freeman carded 168 in the fourth flight, Mal Elder of Athens in flight five with a 180, Julie Hebert of Marietta took flight six with a 184, Gwen Creswell of Americus (195) took the overall honors in the seventh flight, in the eighth at 198 is Bogart’s Ann Kohler and Rose Mary Dixon of Bainbridge took honors in the ninth flight with a 201.

The championship through third flights played the course as a par-72 and to approximately 5,659 yards and were eligible for the overall title. The fourth through ninth flights played the course at approximately 5,337 yards.

Entries were open to female amateur golfers who are GSGA members, Georgia residents, and age 50 and above as of September 1. The field of 118 was divided into flights based on handicap index.

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 355 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.

Final Results

Top Ten Overall
Rank Name Rd. 1 Rd. 2 Total
1 Brenda Pictor, Marietta 78 76 154
2 Patti Huxford, Cumming 82 75 157
3 Mary Riley, Perry 87 73 160
4 Mary Helen McElreath, Augusta 82 79 161
5 Sue King, Chatsworth 85 80 165
T6 Ginette Spinucci, Stone Mountain 83 83 166
T6 Liz Butler, Greensboro 87 79 166
T8 Darlene Werhnyak, Lawrenceville 84 83 167
T8 Lee Burton, St. Simons Island 85 82 167
T8 Ena Harvey, Greensboro 87 80 167
T8 Jodie Shepard, Newnan 85 82 167

Flight: Championship
Rank Name Rd. 1 Rd. 2 Total
1 Brenda Pictor, Marietta 78 76 154
2 Patti Huxford, Cumming 82 75 157
3 Mary Riley, Perry 87 73 160
4 Mary Helen McElreath, Augusta 82 79 161
5 Sue King, Chatsworth 85 80 165
6 Ginette Spinucci, Stone Mountain 83 83 166
T7 Darlene Werhnyak, Lawrenceville 84 83 167
T7 Lee Burton, St. Simons Island 85 82 167
9 Rochelle Weaver, Resaca 88 91 179
T10 Elaine Carsel, Athens 82 WD WD
T10 Mary Holmes, Sautee 87 WD WD

Flight: 1
Rank Name Rd. 1 Rd. 2 Total
1 Liz Butler, Greensboro 87 79 166
T2 Ena Harvey, Greensboro 87 80 167
T2 Jodie Shepard, Newnan 85 82 167
4 Ellen Connors, Sharpsburg 85 86 171
5 Gwen Young, Cochran 86 87 173
T6 Belinda Marsh, Alpharetta 87 89 176
T6 Dottie Farmer, Greensboro 91 85 176
8 Debra Hatcher, Evans 89 88 177
T9 Barbara Brown, Carrollton 84 94 178
T9 Donna Eaton, Greensboro 92 86 178
11 Rebecca Rocker, Eatonton 89 96 185
12 Jean Dawson, Suwanee 98 89 187

Flight: 2
Rank Name Rd. 1 Rd. 2 Total
1 Betsy Butler, Atlanta 89 81 170
2 Eleanor Kirkland, Stockbridge 87 86 173
3 Jan Cross, Evans 86 88 174
4 Ann Schuette, Clayton 86 90 176
5 Elaine Darnell, Gainesville 92 87 179
6 Alice Richardson, Alphareta 95 85 180
7 Sydney Dunning, Marietta 90 91 181
T8 Jean Davis, Kathleen 90 92 182
T8 Marilyn Nolan Johnson, Marietta 94 88 182
10 Gayle Gibson, Dacula 95 88 183
11 Donnie Faucette, Big Canoe 96 94 190

Flight: 3
Rank Name Rd. 1 Rd. 2 Total
1 Barbara Stuart, Macon 90 87 177
T2 Sandra Moody, Waynesboro 88 92 180
T2 Sherry Huchet, Peachtree City 95 85 180
4 Jinna Wheeler, Canton 99 89 188
5 Kathryn Heriford, Hartwell 93 96 189
6 Sandra Lee, Perry 102 88 190
7 Lucky Mahler, Warner Robins 100 93 193
T8 Lurisa Waldron, Lavonia 98 96 194
T8 Yvonne Bailey, Lithonia 101 93 194
10 Phoebe Fulford, Meigs 102 93 195
11 Marion Currow, Augusta 101 102 203

Flight: 4
Rank Name Rd. 1 Rd. 2 Total
1 Nancy Freeman, Atlanta 81 87 168
T2 Louise Beaudoin, Alpharetta 91 87 178
T2 Sally Boice, Atlanta 89 89 178
4 Suzn Stewart, Atlanta 90 89 179
5 Dana Seay, Duluth 89 91 180
6 June Marbutt, Douglasville 92 95 187
7 Deborah Leach, Clayton 91 97 188
8 Andrea Jackson, Winder 92 98 190
9 Brenda Escoe, Watkinsville 100 95 195
T10 Barbara Miller, Alpharetta 104 94 198
T10 Joanie Rogge, Alpharetta 107 91 198
12 Diane Lesley, Tiger 100 111 211

Flight: 5
Rank Name Rd. 1 Rd. 2 Total
1 Mal Elder, Athens 88 92 180
2 Patty Hudspeth, Midland 92 89 181
3 Carole Cavanaugh, Sharpsburg 91 92 183
4 Anne Russell, Atlanta 90 96 186
5 Alicia Bartlett, Powder Springs 92 97 189
6 Betty Rich, Villa Rica 90 102 192
T7 Brenda Duke, Perry 97 98 195
T7 Ellen Keough, Roswell 97 98 195
9 Fran Coody, Perry 103 99 202
10 Clare Clark, Canton 97 108 205
11 Carol Boucher, Roswell 113 101 214

Flight: 6
Rank Name Rd. 1 Rd. 2 Total
1 Julie Hebert, Marietta 94 90 184
2 Margaret Padgett, Calhoun 99 93 192
3 Joyce Garrett, Avondale Estates 96 97 193
4 Lou Gibson, Jasper 98 97 195
T5 Pamela Pangle, Leesburg 97 99 196
T5 Tina Hawkins, Macon 97 99 196
T7 Loma Young, Oxford 98 100 198
T7 Margie Williams, Rome 95 103 198
T9 Patti Dicus, Alpharetta 107 95 202
T9 Rhea Vezmar, Athens 103 99 202
11 Marian Almon, Carrollton 102 101 203
12 Rhonda Graybeal, Martinez 99 107 206

Flight: 7
Rank Name Rd. 1 Rd. 2 Total
1 Gwen Creswell, Americus 95 100 195
2 Barbara Lewis, Rome 97 99 196
3 Billie Gibson, Warner Robins 103 97 200
4 Linda Hill, Roswell 103 100 203
5 Lorraine Kirby, Roswell 102 102 204
6 Vesta Cole, Dunwoody 105 100 205
7 Pat Cunningham, Clayton 105 104 209
T8 Ann McSpadden, Canon 112 100 212
T8 Beth Thurmond, Athens 104 108 212
10 Shirley McDaniel, Tucker 108 110 218

Flight: 8
Rank Name Rd. 1 Rd. 2 Total
1 Ann Kohler, Bogart 100 98 198
2 Putzie Patterson, Juliette 98 109 207
T3 Brenda Evans, Fort Valley 107 101 208
T3 Ina Martin, White 103 105 208
T3 Janet Richards, Kathleen 105 103 208
6 Melinda Maguire, Roswell 104 105 209
T7 Cheryl Stafford, Kathleen 108 102 210
T7 Linda McDonald, Hawkinsville 108 102 210
9 Dianne Boatright, Bogart 107 105 212
10 Coni Yager, Hartwell 111 103 214
11 Carol Williams, Martin 113 113 226
12 Pat Frame, Hartwell 103 WD WD

Flight: 9
Rank Name Rd. 1 Rd. 2 Total
1 Rose Mary Dixon, Bainbridge 102 99 201
2 Darla Stahl, Kathleen 101 104 205
3 Irma Johnson, Fort Valley 111 100 211
4 Mary Jo Adams, Warner Robins 103 109 212
5 Sally Stevens, Marietta 111 104 215
6 Caroline Johnson, Conyers 107 109 216
T7 Bobbie Lott, Carrollton 102 115 217
T7 Nita Bridges, Perry 108 109 217
9 Beverly Edmonds, Decatur 119 117 236
10 Pat Bowlin, Bonaire 130 WD WD