May 2016 FORE Georgia Magazine by FORE Georgia

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MAY 2016

JUNIOR GOLF in Georgia

PGA Junior League Golf a big hit Individual game now a team sport

By Mike Blum

eam sports are a staple of life for most youngsters growing up in America, whether the sport is baseball, basketball, soccer or some other activity with a ball involved. Being part of a team has been an integral aspect of the formative years of millions of U.S. kids, who have benefitted from the experience and camaraderie that team sports provide. With the exception of scholastic and collegiate teams, which involve a tiny fraction of golfers who play on a regular basis while in high school and college, golf is a purely individual sport. Millions of American youngsters who are never going to be accomplished enough at baseball, basketball or soccer to make a high school team, enjoy playing those sports from an early age through their teens in Little League, recreation leagues and on club teams. Unlike those sports, youth golf has been without teams and its competi-

ms in Dubli put together JLG tea Jack Dean (blue shirt)

tive aspect is largely limited to relatively small percentage of young golfers with sufficient skill and confidence to play in tournaments while learning the game. About five years ago, a handful of

n without a golf course

junior golf leagues began to appear in four U.S. cities – Atlanta, Tampa, Dallas and San Diego. A total of 16 teams with approximately 170 players competed that first year, with the numbers growing to 123 teams and 1,500 players the next

year with the concept expanding into many new markets. The participatory levels reached 740 teams and 9,000 golfers in 2013 and [ See PGA Junior League, page 6 ]

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Instruction Fore You

Getting Your Child Started in Golf

By Lisa Chirichetti

PGA Professional, Country Club of Roswell There are countless reasons why kids fall in love with and pick up the game of golf. Some children are born into golfing families. Learning to play the game is a rite of passage in becoming a real member of the family. Some children have parents who expose them and give them opportunities to experience many different sports until they find a sport they feel passionate toward. Other children might have a close personal friend that plays golf, and that sparks their interest in getting involved. Some kids like the idea of being part of a team at their school or have a friend that is already on the team, and encourages them to try out. Perhaps Mom and Dad or Grandma and Grandpa are members at a country club, such as Country Club of Roswell, where I’ve been for 15 years, and register their little darlings in the Junior Golf Program. No matter what avenue brought the child to golf, parents want help and advice on ways to best help their child grow and succeed in learning golf. We receive phone calls and e-mails weekly from parents who are members of our club, and from non-members,asking advice about how they can best help their child along in their golf. The questions we get asked most are: “How do I get my child started in golf?”, “At what age should my

child begin taking golf instruction?”, “What tournaments should I be registering my child to play in?”, and my all-time favorite parent question…“What do we need to do to get a college golf scholarship?” Well, there’s a lot of golf that needs to take place between 4, 5, & 6 years of age, and packing the car and sending your child off to play college golf. If your child is going to one day pick golf as the sport they decide to specialize in, then you as a parent better make sure that it’s Fun, Fun, Fun for them while they’re young and first getting started. In case you haven’t heard, golf is a tough game. When you add Tough Game + No Fun, you get a very short-lived golf experience from your child. Not every child gets started at 4, 5, or 6 years of age. At CCR we have Wee Linkster Clinics for children this age; it’s more about the exposure to the sport and being around golf than really developing a golf swing. Most children would as much like to tumble down a hill or watch an airplane fly overhead,as swing a golf club. Attention, compliments, praise, encouragement, and keeping it as fun as possible goes a long way. When your child gets to between 7 and 10 years of age, you’ll want to find a teacher with experience and someone who enjoys working with children. Hopefully your child can find a teacher to build a relationship with and someone they really enjoy being around. At CCR we have Future Star clinics for this age group that is as much about playing

Forecast

INSIDE THIS ISSUE FEATURES:

GPGA Rivermont preview . . . . . . . 23

Scott Parel aces qualifiers . . . . . . . 10

Women’s college round-up . . . . . . 25

Austin takes Champions title . . . . . 8

Symetra Tour in Atlanta . . . . . . . . 12

Mini-tour round-up . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

Echelon Golf Club . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

JUNIOR GOLF IN GEORGIA:

Near win for Katie Burnett . . . . . . 14

Willett wins Masters. . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Georgians star on Web.com . . . . . 20

Men’s college round-up . . . . . . . . . 24

Georgia Senior Open wrap-up . . . 22 FOREGEORGIA.COM

3 Georgians win AJGA events . . . 26

Georgia junior tours . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Georgia junior camps. . . . . . . . . . . 30

P R E S E N T E D BY

games, keeping it fun, as it is instructional. No matter how much you as a parent would like your child to play golf, your child has to want to golf more. It’s my experience that kids love spending time with their peers, friends and family, but don’t really like having Mom or Dad coaching them. They love spending quality time with their family practicing or playing but not receiving instruction from them. My father taught me how to play many sports, but I had a golf pro teach me golf. Thank you, Dad! I took up golf at the age of 13 with my father, and it was our thing that we did together. If your child seems to enjoy practicing golf, is showing signs of improvement, has been taking instruction, has gotten out on the course and experienced playing, even if only for a few holes at a time, and loving it all, you may want to ask him or her if they think they might enjoy playing in a tournament. Some children love the idea of competition and some do not. Competition isn’t for everyone, but can be approached as a way to measure yourself against other kids your age to see how you’re doing in comparison. If you have a child who does not want to play in tournaments, you may take the approach of not caring about the result as much as being proud of your child for being willing to go out and try. If your child loves the idea of playing in a tournament, get them registered in US Kids Golf and/or Atlanta Junior Golf or local junior organization. Check out their websites and schedule of events and find a tournament near you to get started. Parents, do your research. If you want a child to like golf and play golf, and possibly later compete in golf, find a facility that welcomes and wants children. I hate to steal the line from the movie Field of Dreams, but “If You Build It They Will Come.” If you offer Junior Clinics, Kids Camps, Girl’s Golf Club, PGA Junior League Golf, Drive, Chip, & Putt, Summer Junior Golf Programs, Adult/Junior Tournaments, Incentive Programs, and more, you’ll have a successful junior golf program. They will come, just like they do at CCR! If you’re [ See Instruction Article, page 30 ]

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Lisa Chirichetti • Steve Dinberg Kate Awtrey • Al Kooistra GEORGIA SECTION, PGA OF AMERICA OFFICERS

President Brian Albertson, PGA / bamulligan@bellsouth.net Vice President John Godwin, PGA / jgodwinpga@earthlink.net Secretary Brandon Stooksbury, PGA / bjstooks@pga.com Honorary President Mark Mongell, PGA / mmongell@cherokeetcc.org CHAPTER PRESIDENTS

Central Chapter President Cary Brown, PGA / cary@valdosta-country-club.com East Chapter President Brandon Youmans, PGA / brandonyoumans@pga.com North Chapter President Jordon Arnold, PGA / jordonarnold@hotmail.com AT - L A R G E D I R E C T O R S

Brian Conley, PGA / pgaugadawg@aol.com Jeff Dunovant, PGA / jdunovant@pga.com Matthew Evans, PGA / mevans@pga.com Shawn Koch, PGA / prokoch@pga.com Mark Lammi, PGA / mal9599@msn.com Todd Ormsby, PGA / taormsby1020@gmail.com Rashad Wilson, PGA / rashadwilson40@gmail.com SENIOR DIVISION

President Scott Hare, PGA / shhare@pga.com A S S I S TA N T S ’ D I V I S I O N

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

Executive Director Mike Paull Assistant Executive Director/ Junior Golf Director Scott Gordon Tournament Director Pat Day, PGA Operations Manager Eric Wagner Foundation Program Manager Maria Bengtsson Section Assistant Carrie Ann Byrne FOREGeorgia is produced by Golf Media, Inc. Copyright ©2014 with all rights reserved. Reproduction or use, without permission, of editorial or graphic content is prohibited. Georgia PGA website: www.georgiapga.com. FORE Georgia website: www.foregeorgia.com

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PGA Junior League [ Continued from the cover ]

1,425 and 17,500 in 2014 before another exponential increase in 2015 to 2,500 and 30,000. PGA Junior League began for youngsters age 13 and under, but some leagues instituted a 16-and-under division last year. The PGA of America assumed operations of the league shortly after its debut, and the PGA Junior League Golf has expanded into all 41 PGA Sections and 48 states, with leagues having formed in most Georgia cities with enough local clubs to fill out the rosters. The person in charge of PGA Junior League Golf in Georgia is Daryl Batey, the Section’s Player Development Regional Manager. Batey is tasked with trying to convince club professionals throughout the state to form teams and leagues, a challenge in areas of the state where there are few courses within reasonable proximity to each other. Georgia began with 12 teams in 2011 and a little over 100 players, with those numbers having reached more than 100 teams and 1,000 players. Batey says PGA Junior League Golf was created to be “the Little League of golf. That’s what they tried to pattern the thing after.” Most of the teams that have formed in the state are from private clubs, particularly in metro Atlanta. Some private clubs have enough teams to form their own leagues, but Batey says, “the daily fee courses are buying into the concept.” Scott Gordon, the Georgia PGA’s Junior Golf Director, points out that teams can be formed with players from

Georgia juniors place in Drive, Chip & Putt Three Georgia juniors qualifier for the national Drive, Chip and Putt Championship, held last month at Augusta National just prior to the Masters. The two Georgia girls who competed in the event both placed second, with Buford’s Skylar Thompson the runnerup in the 14-15 age group with 23 points, just behind the winner at 26.5 Mary Miller was a close second in the 79 division with 23.5 points, with the winner totaling 24 points. Ryan Knight of Loganville was fourth

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outside a club, with the efforts of the PGA (or LPGA) member critical to putting together teams and a league in areas where there are not an abundance of courses. Batey cited the work of Dublin pro Jack Dean, who managed to get a league started in that area without the aid of a club. Batey says Dean convinced area courses of the benefits of hosting a PGA Junior Golf League match, and the area clubs discovered that they were bringing in increased business while helping to grow the game at the same time. The costs of participating in PGA Junior League Golf vary but are not prohibitive, with team members typically getting coaching assistance from the club pros who take on the roles of team captain. In keeping with the team sports concept, players wear team jerseys with numbers and compete in a true team format. Teams consist of a minimum of eight players and as many as 10 to 12, with each “game” consisting of four matches played in a scramble format. The ninehole matches are broken up into three three-hole “flags”, with the winning team receiving a point for winning a three-hole flag for a maximum point total of 12 per match. For teams with more than eight players, team members can be substituted in after the third and sixth holes, with players not participating able to help their teammates as a caddie or green reader. Each player has to play at least three holes and over the course of the five or six games that make up a season, “everybody gets to play with everybody,” Batey points out.

in boys 7-9 with a total of 18 points. Qualifiers for the 2017 Drive, Chip & Putt Championship begin in June, with 10 qualifiers scheduled in Georgia. Host courses are Reynolds Landing (June 9), Lane Creek (June 16), Charlie Yates (June 20), Bridge Mill and Wilmington Island (June 22), Braelinn (July 6), Woodmont (July 7), CC of Columbus (July 18), and Cuscowilla and Idle Hour (July 25). Georgia winners will advance to sub-regionals at Chateau Elan, Augusta CC, World Golf Village in St. Augustine and Pinehurst, with the finals at Augusta National next April. For information, visit www.Drive ChipandPutt.com.

Chuck Scoggins' Hami lto

n Mill team won a 20 13 national title

Batey says teams are encouraged to split up their teams to pair the more experienced players with those in the early stages of learning the game. Because the matches are played in a scramble format, Gordon says that those new to the game “are not intimidated by having to play stroke play. It can also be a mentoring type experience for older players.” The teams can be mixed by gender, with boys and girls playing from the same tees, which are set up at yardages friendly to the age and skill levels of the participants. The PGA Junior League Golf is not designed for the elite player, but some of the state’s most talented youngsters have participated on teams that have gone on to compete at the national level. Luka Karaulic, Andy Mao, Stephen Foernsler and Tess Davenport were among the players on the Hamilton Mill team that won a national title in 2013, with Will Stakel, Bruce Murphy, Deven Patel and Peyton Balent on an Alpharetta team coached by Tom Joyce that lost in the championship match in 2015. At the conclusion of the regular season, which typically is played in June and July, the captain of the first place

Skylar Thompson

team selects an all-star team from the league, which competes at the local and regional level for the right to be one of eight teams that qualify on a geographic basis for nationals. At least one player from each team in the league must make the all-star team, with the possibility vying for a championship an incentive for the top players to compete alongside players new to the game. A chance at a national team championship is part of the competitive aspect of PGA Junior League Golf, but it’s not the primary purpose for the league’s creation and increasing popularity. “If the program does its job, it’s getting kids involved at the grass roots level,” Gordon said. “The reason for the program is to grow the game.” Batey added that “a lot of good things are happening with this program. The numbers are going in the right direction.” Among the challenges for Batey is to find pros like Dean in the less populated areas of the state to form teams and create leagues. It takes at least four teams to have a league, with leagues having as many as six or seven teams. One of the cities that does not have a league yet is Valdosta, but Batey says he is working on that. Among the strongest areas of participation are Peachtree City with Chris Knobloch, Atlanta Athletic Club with Chuck Moore and Augusta Country Club with Gary Cressend. As in other youth team sports, parents have a role to play in helping coordinate activities surrounding the matches, much in the manner of “soccer moms.” While the captains are responsible for registering the teams, parents have to register their children, with information available at www.pgajlg.com. For parents who are not members of a club, the web site will list the closest teams and leagues in their area, with PGA Junior League Golf doing its best to make things as geographically convenient as possible. M AY 2 0 1 6

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FOREGEORGIA.COM

Scores second Champions Tour win in 3 starts

Austin captures Gwinnett playoff against Short By Mike Blum

Wes Short

KATE AWTREY

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who was coming off his farewell appearance in the Masters. A 69 on Saturday left Austin four behind Short, with 15 players in front of him with 18 holes to play. Austin made his move with four straight birdies on the opening nine starting at the third, but was still two behind Short after a birdie at the 10th, his third of the day on a par 5. Birdies at holes 4, 6 and 7 kept Short in control, but he lost his lead when he bogeyed the difficult par-4 ninth while Atlanta resident Billy Andrade was making birdie at the 10th, his sixth in eight holes. Bogeys at 11 and 12 cost Andrade the lead and dropped him out of contention, with Short reclaiming his lead with a birdie at the 11th. Austin began another birdie streak with a quick, downhill 20-footer at the 15th followed by a 12-footer at 16. He hit his approach within three feet to a tough pin to reach on 17 for his eighth birdie of the day and the solo lead before Short pulled even with a birdie at 16. A closing 68 by Short was not enough to hold off Austin’s Sunday surge. The only other person who had a chance to make it a three-way playoff was Paul Goydos, who shot a final round 67 but lipped out a birdie try on 18 and placed third at 10-under 206. Tying for fourth at 207 were Joey Sindelar and Tom Lehman, who shot 67 on Sunday, along with 2014 tournament winner Miguel Angel Jimenez (68) and Colin Montgomerie (69). Andrade finished eighth at 208 after an adventurous final round 69 that included seven birdies, four bogeys, two balls in hazards and one tee shot out of bounds. Watson,

Woody Austin

KATE AWTREY

fter grinding his way to four wins in his 20-year PGA Tour career, Woody Austin had mixed feelings about turning 50 and joining the Champions Tour. Austin scored his final victory at the age of 49 in 2013, extending his PGA Tour career for a few years while delaying his decision to join the Champions Tour full time. Playing part time on the Champions Tour the last two years, Austin was a frequent contender with 16 top-10 finishes in 25 starts. With his PGA Tour exempt status expired, Austin is a full time Champions Tour player for the first time this year, and has stepped up as a potential challenger to Bernhard Langer’s long reign as the top player among the over-50 set. Austin scored his second win in three tournaments in the Mitsubishi Electric Classic at TPC Sugarloaf in Duluth, firing a final round 64 to get into a playoff at 11-under 205 with secondround leader Wes Short. Austin won when Short made bogey on the second extra hole. Both of Austin’s Champions Tour victories came in come-from-behind fashion. He came from three shots back in Tucson thanks to a final round 65, and was four off the pace coming to the final round at Sugarloaf before tying the tournament record. Austin has long been known as a first rate ball striker but a suspect putter, with

his success during his PGA Tour career usually occurring when he managed to get some putts to fall. He holed his share of putts in the final round at Sugarloaf, rolling in a 25-footer for birdie on the tough fifth hole and holing a 20-footer and a pair of putts in the 10-foot range on the back nine. A shorter birdie putt at the 17th gave him the lead before Short pulled even with a birdie at 16. Short, who won once in his brief stay on the PGA Tour and has added a Champions Tour title to his resume, had a 6-footer for a winning birdie at 18 in regulation but missed. He hit two errant tee shots on 18 in the playoff, salvaging par the first time but taking two shots to get back to the fairway on the second extra hole for a bogey. Austin won the playoff with a pair of pars, earning first place money of $270,000. He is the first Champions Tour player with two wins this year, but still trails Langer on the money list thanks to middling finishes in his other three starts. In his two tournament wins, Austin has shot 65 and 64 the final round. In his other three starts, Austin’s final round average is over 75, a reflection on both his frequent putting woes as well as some motivation issues. Austin spent the hour or so between when he finished and when Short missed a putt to win on the 18th in the player’s locker room, watching the conclusion of an NBA playoff game as well as keeping his eye on Short. “I’m not a range guy,” says Austin, who did not a hit a ball prior to the playoff. “I’m not a normal person when it comes to golf.” Unlike most of his contemporaries, Austin was in no rush to join the Champions Tour as he neared his 50th birthday. “The competitor in me did not want to come out here. This, to me, is my retirement. This is supposed to be fun. I figured since I stayed competitive at 50, I should be able to make the transition to the Champions Tour. I’ve kept my ball striking up enough – I’m still in the upper echelon – so if I can get the ball in the hole, I can be around the lead a lot.” Austin needed an eagle at the 18th to shoot even par 72 in the opening round, finishing the day four behind co-leaders Mark O’Meara, Tom Byrum and Tom

After scores of 70 and 69, Andrade began the final round two behind Short, but made bogey on the opening hole after punching his approach under tree limbs into a greenside bunker and missing his par attempt. Andrade didn’t miss much the rest of the day, carding six birdies in eight holes beginning at the third along with a terrific par save after pulling his tee shot on the par-5 fourth into the creek that winds along the left side of the fairway. A slick, downhill 8-footer at the third started Andrade’s stretch of torrid putting, and he followed with a 15-footer for par at 4 and a 20-footer for birdie at 5. He reached the par-5 sixth in two for a third birdie on the opening nine, and concluded his run of four in a row with putts of 12 feet at the seventh and 25 feet at the long, par-3 eighth. Andrade took the outright lead when he rolled in a 15-footer at the 10th, but was the first player in his group to tee off on the perilous par-3 11th and misjudged the wind. His tee shot carried across the green and into the pond on the other side of the cart path. He got up and down to save bogey, but took another bogey at the 12th, missing the green and hitting a weak chip following a poor tee shot. [ See Gwinnett Champions, page 11 ] M AY 2 0 1 6

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FOREGEORGIA.COM

Web.com veteran 5-for-5 on Monday, Tuesday

Augusta’s Parel perfect in Champions qualifiers By Mike Blum

FOREGEORGIA.COM

Scott Parel

AL KOOISTRA

n baseball, if you get two hits every five at-bats over the course of a season, you bat .400, something that hasn’t been accomplished in 75 years. After five full-field events on the 2016 Champions Tour, Augusta’s Scott Parel is 5-for-5 in Monday/Tuesday qualifiers, with his fifth successful attempt coming in the recent Mitsubishi Electric Classic at TPC Sugarloaf. Parel, who has played on the Web.com Tour since 2003 and remains a member as he nears his 51st birthday, is looking to move beyond the Monday qualifier category, something he became all too familiar with during his long Web.com stint. To do that, he has to play more like he’s done on Mondays and Tuesdays as opposed to his play on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, which has not been as impressive. After five 2016 starts on the Champions Tour, Parel was 56th in earnings with $50,975, with his best finishes a tie for 19th in his first tournament of the year in Boca Raton, Fla., and a tie for 28th in Tucson. The other three starts, he placed between 40th and 60th, including a tie for 41st at Sugarloaf. Parel, who grew up in Augusta and still lives there, discussed his unusual rookie season on the Champions Tour after the first round of the Mitsubishi Electric Classic, when he shot 1-over 217 after rounds of 73-73-71. “It’s been about what I expected,” he said of the Champions Tour. “You’ve got to play. You can’t just come out and dominate. The guys here play well and know how to get it in the hole. It’s been eyeopening a little bit.” Parel, who is one of the shortest players in professional golf at 5-foot-5, has gone from being around average in length off the tee on the Web.com Tour to being in the top 10 in driving distance as a senior. “I was pretty much in the middle on the Web.com, but out here I hit it a little farther than most. I thought my distance would give me a little bigger advantage, but it doesn’t help if you don’t make any putts.” Through the Mitsubishi Classic, Parel was ninth in driving distance on the Champions Tour with an average of 287

yards, and his putting numbers were respectable, although he has struggled somewhat on the greens in the final round, which has accounted for his highest scoring average coming on Sundays. A poor final round in his season opener in Naples cost Parel a possible top-10 finish, with his closing 71 at Sugarloaf just his second under-par Sunday round in five attempts. Fortunately for Parel, scoring has not been a problem when he’s teed it up in the five Champions Tour qualifiers held on Monday or Tuesday of tournament week. Parel, who spent much of his Web.com Tour career needing to make it through Monday qualifiers to get into tournament fields, has averaged 67 in his five Champions Tour qualifiers, and has finished tied for fourth or better in each of the five. With one exception, the qualifiers were playing for four spots in the tournament field, with Parel twice having to go to a playoff to earn his spot. Two days after his final round 75 in Boca Raton, Parel was back on the course in Naples, Fla., and needed only a par on the par-5 18th hole to earn one of four spots in the field. Parel bogeyed the hole to wind up in an 8-way tie for fourth place. No problem. He eagled the par-5 first hole to quickly put an end to the 8-man playoff and needed to go to a playoff again in the next tour event in Tucson. That one was a much more manageable four-players-for-three-spots playoff, with Parel again emerging as one of event’s qualifiers. Parel did not need extra holes to enjoy success in his other three qualifying attempts thanks to a pair of 66s and a 65 in the recent Mitsubishi Electric Classic qualifier at Country Club of the South. The 65 at CCoS included a double bogey on the opening hole, but Parel shrugged off his faltering start, running off nine birdies on the next 17 holes to finish second in the qualifier. After turning 50 in May of last year, Parel made several attempts at Champions Tour qualifiers between Web.com events, but was successful just once, frequently having to play a course he had not seen prior to the qualifying round. “Last year I came in blind and did not

do as well,” Parel said. “This year I’ve had time to prepare.” When the Champions Tour plays back-to-back weeks, the qualifier for the following tournament is pushed back to Tuesday, allowing players like Parel to get in a practice round on Monday if they played in the tour event the day before. After competing in qualifiers that sometimes included as many as 300 players, Parel is much more comfortable on the Champions Tour, where 40 or so golfers compete for four or more spots. “The odds are much better,” says Parel, who also admits that the scores required to qualify are typically not as low on the Champions Tour. “In the PGA and Web.com qualifiers, I had to be at my best. There is less pressure here. If I play well on Monday or Tuesday, I know I have a chance. I don’t feel like I have to shoot really low.” Parel believes he has the capability to transfer the quality of his play in qualifiers into the tournaments. “On Mondays and Tuesday’s I’ve putted lights out, but the greens are tougher and firmer in the tournament. Then there’s the pressure of playing in the tournament and I just have not putted with quite as much confidence. “There’s also a little different mindset. During every tournament, it seems like I bogey the first hole. I don’t feel that nervous, but maybe I’m more relaxed than I should be.”

Parel was 56th in earnings after the tour left Duluth, but by the time he tees it up in his next Champions Tour event, he will have dropped farther down the money list. He may not get into a tournament until the Senior PGA Championship in late May, missing at least three straight events. With his playing opportunities limited, Parel will have to perform well when gets the opportunity if he wants to qualify for the first ever Champions Tour playoffs later this season. The top 72 players on the money list at the end of the regular season will get into the field for the first playoff event in Los Angeles in late October, with the field reduced to 54 the next week and then 36 for the Schwab Cup Championship. Parel would need to make it to the Schwab Cup Championship to be exempt for next year, and the advent of the playoffs makes it “a little bit easier for guys with no status like me,” says Parel, who in the past would have needed to be in the top 30 to be exempt and the top 50 to have limited status for the following year. Until then, Parel says it’s “Monday, Monday, Monday. It’s difficult, but it is what it is.” So far, Parel says his experience in Monday qualifiers has been “really fantastic,” but with some idle time before his next Champions Tour start, Parel will try his hand at a few Web.com events, and may need to go through a Monday qualifier or two. “I’ve done so many of them, I don’t even think about Monday qualifying. There’s no shame in that. It’s just part of the deal.” Parel took a unique path to arrive at his current location, which helps explain his positive attitude in the face of the obstacles he has to overcome to find a home on the Champions Tour. Unlike almost all the players he has competed against for the past two decades, Parel did not play golf in college and did not turn pro until he was in his early 30s. Parel attended the U. of Georgia and graduated with a degree in computer science. He elected to concentrate on his studies in Athens, although he did make an attempt to walk on to the baseball team. After a decade in the business world, Parel was convinced by some of the M AY 2 0 1 6

members at West Lake Country Club to take a shot at playing professionally, and they backed his initial efforts, which consisted mainly of playing on regional mini-tours. Parel played well enough at the minitour level to keep going, but was already 38 when he made it to the Web.com Tour in 2003. His rookie season did not go very well, but he made it back two years later and has remained on the tour

[ Continued from page 8 ]

After driving into the greenside bunker at the drivable par-4 13th, Andrade had a chance for a birdie that would have gotten him back in the hunt, but missed from inside 10 feet. Needing to finish birdie-eagle to get into a playoff, Andrade’s tee shot on the 17th sailed out of bounds. He managed a “birdie” on his second ball after driving into a fairway bunker, holing a long bogey putt from across the green. He recorded his seventh birdie of the day at 18, narrowly missing his eagle attempt

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Parel struggled throughout 2014, but bounced back with a better showing last year, hoping to play his rookie season on the PGA Tour this year at the age of 51. But he got bumped out of the top 75 the final week of the season, just missing the cutoff for getting to compete in the four events that make up the Web.com Finals, which offers PGA Tour cards to the top 25 money winners from that series of tournaments.

after a beautiful second shot. “Overall, it was a nice week,” said Andrade, who had not enjoyed much success at Sugarloaf when it hosted a PGA Tour event or in his previous Champions Tour appearances. “If I had not made so many mistakes today, I would have had a chance. “I had a chance with nine holes to go, and that’s all I wanted to do this week. I think I can build on this and it’s a sign I have some good play ahead.” Duluth resident Scott Dunlap, who came into the tournament fourth on the money list, shot a final round 66 and tied for 20th at 3-under 213. Augusta’s Scott Parel shot 65 in a Monday qualifier at Country Club of the

South to finish second, making him 5for-5 in pre-tournament qualifiers this year. Parel shot 73-73-71—217 and tied for 41st in the tournament. For the first time since the Champions Tour came to Duluth in 2013, the tournament was not hampered by rain, with no weather problems all week and the final round played in sunny, slightly breezy conditions. Austin added his third win of the season the following week, teaming with Michael Allen to win the Legends of Golf in Branson, Mo. Austin and Allen shot 23-under for 54 holes, with the tournament consisting of 18 holes on the par-54 Top of the Rock and 18 holes on the par-71 Buffalo Ridge.

Billy Andrade

KATE AWTREY

Gwinnett Champions

ever since. After making just 10 combined starts in 2010 and ’11, Parel enjoyed his two best years as a pro in 2012 and ’13, placing 35th and 31st on the money list in his late 40s. He lost in a playoff in Raleigh in 2012 and scored his lone Web.com victory in Wichita the following year, but was unable to finish in the top 25 on the money list and earn his PGA Tour card.

David Frost and Roger Chapman were second at 22-under, and defending champions Andrade and Joe Durant were third at 21-under. Marietta’s Larry Nelson teamed with Bruce Fleisher to win the Legends

Division for the second straight year with a 19-under total for 45 holes on Top of the Rock. John Bland and Graham Marsh were second at 17-under with Allen Doyle of LaGrange and Hubert Green tying for third at 15-under. Doyle and Green are both retired from the Champions Tour other than this event.

FOREGEORGIA.COM

Shirley, Paolozzi join Reynolds, Phillips in field

Symetra Tour to play in May at Atlanta National

FOREGEORGIA.COM

year. She hopes to return later this season, and will play on a medical extension in 2017. “This is very disappointing,” Agnew said of missing the Symetra Tour’s Atlanta stop. “I hope Atlanta National stays on the schedule for next year and is not a one and done thing.” Phillips is back on the Symetra Tour after playing on the LPGA Tour in 2015. The former UGA golfer has placed between 35th and 40th on the Symetra money list four times between 2009 and ’14, but is off to a slow start this year, making just one of three cuts in Florida. The fourth Georgian on the Symetra Tour is former Mercer golfer Lacey Fears from Bonaire, who is a rookie this season. Fears played in all three Florida tournaments but did not make a cut. The tournament’s two sponsor exemptions went to two of the most prominent female golfers in the state, both of whom played professionally after concluding their college careers. Margaret Shirley is the state’s most successful female amateur, reaching the finals of the USGA Women’s MidAmateur Championship the last three years, winning the title in 2014. Shirley, who played her college golf at Auburn before working at both Georgia and Auburn as an assistant coach, competed briefly as a professional, winning two mini-tour events before regaining her amateur status. Shirley, the Executive Director of Atlanta Junior Golf, has won the Georgia Women’s Open three times, most recently in 2013. The other sponsor exemption went to Karen Paolozzi, a former Futures Tour player who is one of the top female club professionals in the country. Paolozzi, an assistant pro at Druid Hills GC, played the Futures Tour for two years about a decade ago, nearly winning a tournament in Tucson, where she lost in a playoff. She became a club professional after that and has been in the Georgia PGA Section since early 2014, making her mark at both the state and national level. In her first appearance in the Georgia Women’s Open, Paolozzi won the title in 2014 and tied for second last year behind Ashlan Ramsey, who played the Symetra Tour in 2015 and is now a rookie on the LPGA Tour.

RICA

omen’s professional golf has been missing from metro Atlanta for almost a decade, but that will change this month when the Symetra Tour makes a stop at Atlanta National in the North Fulton suburb of Milton. The Gosling’s Dark ‘n Stormy Classic will be played May 19-21 at the highly regarded Pete Dye layout, with the tournament field including a sizeable number of players who either have limited LPGA status this year or have played on the tour in the recent past. The Symetra Tour is the LPGA’s version of the Web.com Tour, and serves as the developmental tour for players seeking to reach the highest level in women’s golf. The top 10 money winners earn LPGA Tour cards for the following year, and many of the top finishers in the finals of the LPGA Qualifying are players who competed on the Symetra Tour. This will be the first time the Symetra Tour has visited Georgia since its inaugural year of 2012, when the tour made a stop in Vidalia. Prior to that, the Futures Tour played at several Georgia courses throughout the state, stayed only once for more than a year or two. The last stop in metro Atlanta was 2008 at Chateau Elan. Since Symetra assumed title sponsorship, the tour has grown significantly in the number of tournaments and size of purses, with 22 events on this year’s schedule. All the tournaments have purses of at least $100,000, with a few reaching $200,000. The Gosling’s Dark ‘n Stormy Classic was a late addition to the 2016 schedule, and will feature one of the best and most demanding courses the tour visits. Atlanta National has been considered among the most challenging courses in the state since opening in the late 1980s, with an ample number of hazards in play along with some penal bunkers, waste areas and testy greens complexes. For the benefit of spectators, the nines will be reversed for the tournament, with Atlanta National’s par-5 ninth hole serving as the 18th for the Symetra Tour event. The long and difficult par-4 18th will be the ninth hole for the tournament and will play as a par 5, with the par-5 15th (tournament 6), playing as a par 4 to keep the course’s par at 72.

Tournament week begins with practice rounds on Monday, May 16, and a junior clinic for girls age 18-and-under at 11 a.m. on Tuesday. The pro-am is set for Wednesday, with the 54-hole tournament played Thursday to Saturday. The 144-player field will be cut to the low 60 and ties for the final round, with the field competing for a purse of $100,000. The tournament will be the seventh on the tour’s 2016 schedule and the third and final stop on a Southern swing that includes Greenwood, S.C., May 5-8 and Charlotte May 13-15. Of the tour’s first four events this year, two were won by players with limited LPGA Tour status for 2016. Brittany Altomare won the last of three tournaments in Florida, with Samantha Richdale previously winning in the state. The names of the Symetra Tour players are unfamiliar to all but the most diehard women’s golf fans, but many of the LPGA’s top players starred on the Symetra and Futures Tours on their way to the top. Among that group are Inbee Park, Lorena Ochoa, Gerina Piller and Brooke Henderson, who won tournaments on both the Symetra and LPGA Tour last year. The three most prominent Georgia golfers on the 2016 Symetra Tour are Newnan’s Jean Reynolds, Jonesboro’s Lacey Agnew and St. Simons’ Garrett Phillips, all of whom have played on the LPGA Tour. Reynolds has played on the Symetra Tour since 2008 and played two seasons on the LPGA Tour after finishing second on the Futures Tour money list in 2009. She has placed 34th, 27th and 31st on the Symetra money list the past three seasons, and is currently 17th in earnings after consecutive finishes of sixth and 15th in Florida. Agnew has played the Symetra Tour each of the last three years, improving each season from 70th to 58th to 33rd last year after splitting her playing time between the Symetra and LPGA Tour in 2012. Agnew lost in a playoff to current LPGA Tour player Dori Carter in the Georgia Women’s Open in 2011 after completing her college career at Florida State. Unfortunately for Agnew, she will be unable to play at Atlanta National after undergoing shoulder surgery earlier this

MONTANA PRITCHA RD/THE PGA OF AME

By Mike Blum

Karen Paolozzi

Later in 2014 Paolozzi became just the second woman to make the cut in the PGA Professional National Championship, getting plenty of air time on Golf Channel’s broadcast. She also placed second in the LPGA Teaching and Club Professional Championship at Chateau Elan behind a former LPGA Tour veteran, and repeated that runner-up finish last year, again trailing only a veteran ex-LPGA member. Paolozzi scored victories against otherwise all-male Georgia PGA fields last year, winning both the Assistants’ Championship and the Section’s PNC, the qualifier for the national club professional championship. She became the first female to win the Georgia PGA PNC and will make a second appearance at nationals in June. With her invitation to the Symetra Tour event, Paolozzi will have a busy stretch of tournament golf the next few months, and will be playing in a U.S. Women’s Open qualifier two days after Gosling’s Dark ‘n Stormy Classic concludes. Thanks to her play in the 2014 LPGA T&CP Championship, Paolozzi earned a spot in the 2015 Women’s PGA Championship and will be in the field again this year. “That was very humbling,” Paolozzi said of playing against the top female golfers in the game at last year’s Women’s PGA Championship. “It was a neat experience. I had never played in a major and I really enjoyed that.” [ See Symetra Tour, page 14 ] M AY 2 0 1 6

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FOREGEORGIA.COM

Almost becomes first Georgia winner in 20 years

Burnett ties for second in LPGA event in Hawaii By Mike Blum

he last time a Georgia native won a tournament on the LPGA Tour was 1995 when Tifton’s Nanci Bowen scored a stunning victory in the Nabisco Dinah Shore, one of the tour’s four major championships. The winless stretch of more than two decades almost came to an end last month when Brunswick’s Katie Burnett tied for second in the Lotte Championship in Hawaii, finishing just one shot behind tournament winner Minjee Lee. Burnett, in her fourth season on the tour, had just one previous top 10 finish in an LPGA event, that coming two years ago in the same Hawaii tournament, where she tied for eighth. In her first five starts of 2016, Burnett’s best LPGA finish was a tie for 28th in the Australian Open, although she did tie for fifth in the Australian Masters, a Ladies European Tour event, the following week. Burnett has played on both the LPGA and European Tours since she turned pro in 2012, enjoying much of her early success overseas. She notched three top-5 finishes on the LET that year, including a tie for second in the South African Open. The 26-year-old Burnett qualified for the LPGA Tour in her first attempt and tied for 12th in her first-ever LPGA start at Kingsmill in 2013. Playing a partial schedule, she finished the year 99th on the money list to retain her playing privileges, and played respectably in both 2014 and ’15, placing 87th and 85th in earnings with a pair of top-20 finishes both years. Burnett placed herself in contention early in the Lotte Championship, playing holes 1-6 at Ko Olina GC on Oahu in 4under in both the first and second rounds. Scores of 70 and 66 had her within two shots of Lee after 36 holes, and Burnett moved to the front with a bogey-free third round 67 to take a onestroke lead to the final round. Lee shot 74 in the third round and fell to a tie for sixth, five shots off the lead. A pair of early birdies in the fourth round enabled Burnett to hold off an early challenge by 2015 U.S. Open champion In Gee Chun, who had finished second or third in all three previous LPGA starts in 2016, including a tie for second in the LPGA’s first major of the

Katie Burnett

FOREGEORGIA.COM

year two weeks earlier. Burnett retained her lead with backto-back birdies on the two par 5s on the back nine, but Lee shot 6-under on the final nine for a 64 to take the clubhouse lead at 16-under. Burnett got to 16under after the two par-5 birdies and got up-and-down for a third straight hole to save par at the 15th. But after an excellent tee shot at the long, par-3 16th, Burnett got a little too aggressive with her birdie putt and missed her attempt for par coming back. She gave herself a chance to tie Lee when she hit a beautiful short iron approach to close range at the 17th, but lipped out the birdie try. Burnett put her second shot on the dangerous par-4 18th on the green, but just missed her long birdie putt, finishing in a tie for second with Chun at 15-under, one behind Lee’s winning score. Playing with the lead in the final round for the first time on the LPGA Tour, Burnett shot a solid 2-under 70 and earned by far her biggest paycheck as a pro -- $143,265, exceeding her season earnings from both 2014 and ‘15. “I don’t think I gave it away by any means,” Burnett said after the round. “I don’t necessarily feel like I lost the tournament. I feel like Minjee just won it. “I didn’t hit it great really all week, but I still scored. Again today, I didn’t hit it that great, but I still made some

putts coming in. I could have made a few more, but that’s how golf goes.” Burnett played well in the tournament two years earlier, and said she believes playing in the wind at home in Brunswick and on St. Simons Island has enabled her to deal with the ocean breezes in Hawaii. Although she was thousands of miles from home, Burnett was cheered on during the tournament by her older brother Ben, who is stationed at nearby

Symetra Tour [ Continued from page 12 ]

Paolozzi has made a few trips to Atlanta National to gain some muchneeded local knowledge about the course, and hopes that will give her a little edge over the Symetra Tour regulars, who will have no more than a practice round or two. “There will not be a lot of birdies out here,” Paolozzi said of Atlanta National, which will play around 6,400 yards for the tournament, approximately the yardage from the club’s burgundy tees. Hazards are seriously in play on about half the holes, including a pair of allcarry-over-water pars 3s that are now part of the front nine. With the par changes to holes 15 and 18, the course will now have a trio of potentially risk/reward par 5s,

Pearl Harbor. With her tie for second, Burnett vaulted to 24th on the money list, and should be exempt into the tour’s majors for the rest of 2016, as well as locking up her exempt status for 2017. Burnett followed up her career best with a 69 in the opening round the next week in the LPGA’s tour stop in San Francisco, but her run of outstanding play ended the day, as she got off to a stumbling start and shot 80 to miss the cut by one shot. Burnett was a relative late arrival to competitive golf, playing her first nonscholastic tournament at the age of 16. It didn’t take her long to adapt to competition in state and national junior events. She was the Georgia PGA Junior Tour’s Player of the Year and earned a scholarship to South Carolina, graduating as the school’s all-time scoring leader. After turning pro in 2012, Burnett won her first tournament as a professional in Michigan by 10 shots, qualified for the U.S. Women’s Open and finished 25th in the finals of qualifying to earn her playing privileges for 2013. She reached the finals by winning her second stage qualifier by six strokes. Burnett also qualified for the 2013 European Tour and divided her time that year between the U.S. and overseas, placing in the top 50 on the LET money list despite not playing a full schedule.

with the risk on the converted 18th the devilishly deep bunker off the right side of the sharply elevated green. Instead of having a potentially drivable par 4, an island green par 3 and a long and demanding par 4 for its closing holes, the course will have a different finish for the tournament. The dogleg right eighth (tournament 17) is one of the better par 4s at Atlanta National, with the second shot over a hazard to a wide, shallow green one of the most demanding on the course. The tournament finishing hole is a risk/reward par 5 with a large waste bunker in the middle of the fairway having to be negotiated from the tee and a winding stream fronting the green. Tickets for the tournament are $10 daily, and can be purchased at the gate. For information, visit www.goslingsclassic.com. M AY 2 0 1 6

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FOREGEORGIA.COM

Clubhouse to add to course’s lofty status

Echelon among Georgia’s finest layouts By Mike Blum

ince it opened almost a decade ago, Echelon Golf Club has held the somewhat dubious distinction of being considered the best golf course in metro Atlanta – if not the entire state of Georgia – without a clubhouse. If the recently begun construction process continues on schedule, sometime early next year the club will finally shed that label and take on a new one – a legitimate contender for the designation as Atlanta’s (and the state’s) best daily fee golf course. Echelon has suffered through some ups and downs since it opened under a different name (Georgia Tech Club) and status (private club) in 2006. One thing, however, has not changed during the past decade. Echelon was considered an outstanding layout when it opened in 2006 and that hasn’t changed. Neither has Echelon’s reputation for first rate conditioning, particularly some of the metro area’s finest putting surfaces. Jeff Peltz, who has been involved with high profile golf course facilities in Colorado, Texas and south Florida, took a look three years ago at about 15 properties in the Southeast and decided on Echelon, even though the club was without a clubhouse. Peltz recognized the overall quality of the course and its conditions and acquired the club, knowing he would need to add a clubhouse at some point. That point is now, and golfers who have been coming to the club on the North Fulton/Cherokee border for years can see visible signs of construction that heralds the arrival of a clubhouse in the near future. Since Peltz acquired Echelon in early 2013, the club has been “stable,” he says, with “a growing membership and solid daily fee play.” With the clubhouse under construction, he expects “the membership to grow exponentially because of it. People have come for the golf course and the quality of conditions and our numbers have been up with slight increases each year.” With the addition of a clubhouse, the future appears bright for Echelon, which will be positioned to assume the status of White Columns as the area’s premier upscale daily fee facility before it went private.

FOREGEORGIA.COM

Peltz foresees Echelon as “a business men’s golf club. We have a lot of telecommuters who are business reps, and this will be an environment where they can entertain and conduct business in our meeting rooms.” In addition to its reputation for the quality of its layout and conditioning, Echelon has also acquired some notoriety for its difficulty, with some elevated Course Rating/Slope numbers from the back two sets of tees. Acclaimed golf course architect Rees Jones designed Echelon in part to be a home course for the Georgia Tech golf team, with the tournament tees stretching to just over 7,550 yards and rated at a daunting 77.8/154. Those tees will rarely be used, with the gold tees more than enough of a challenge for pros and low handicap amateurs at Echelon’s daunting par-5 11th hole 7,076 yards (74.9/150). The majority of players who visit Echelon will play either the blue or white tees, with both very playable for golfers of more modest abilities. The blue tees measure 6,550 (71/9/139) with the whites 6,025 (70.0/129) and a mostly comfortable fit for seniors and higher handicappers. The for-

Echelon’s well-bunker ed,

"We have a growing membership and solid daily fee play. People have come for the golf course and the quality of conditions and our numbers have been up." —Echelon Owner/General Manager Jeff Peltz

ward tees are just under 5,000 yards. Echelon’s hilly terrain results in a sizeable number of elevated tees that effectively reduces the course’s length,

but there are enough sharply uphill shots to compensate. With a few exceptions, Echelon is quite generous off the tee, with minimal rough and at least one

par-4 13th hole

fairway bunker on every hole, the vast majority along the left side. Thanks to the generosity of most of the landing areas, Echelon is more of a second shot course. Jones provides open access to almost every green, with the bunkers that flank the putting surfaces large, fairly deep and a real test of your sand game, especially when the pins are cut in reasonable proximity to them. With many of the greens carved out of hillsides, several holes feature sharp drop-offs around them, and the putting surfaces are also impacted by the bordering terrain. The large, rolling greens are not overly undulating, but with their size and significant movement, your entire short game will get a strenuous test. Thanks to the quality of the greens, you have a chance to hole some putts, but your touch better be precise. Even with the lofty slope numbers, there are only about four holes where hazards are seriously in play, but wetlands areas along the way can also swallow up some miss-hits. Most of the trouble is found during the middle portion of the course, with holes 6, 8 and 11 the most perilous you’ll encounter at Echelon. The sixth is a par 4 of moderate dis[ See Echelon, page 30 ] M AY 2 0 1 6

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FOREGEORGIA.COM

Flawless final round produces major victory

Willett capitalizes on Spieth’s Masters stumble By Mike Blum

s he walked from the ninth green to the 10th tee Sunday afternoon early last month in Augusta, Jordan Spieth seemed on his way to a second straight wire-to-wire victory in the Masters. Spieth closed out his front nine with four consecutive birdies to take a 5-shot lead over England’s Danny Willett, and seemed poised to become just the fourth back-to-back champion in tournament history. When Spieth got up-and-down from the back bunker on the par-3 12th for a stunning quadruple bogey less than 45 minutes after the last of his four straight birdies, his commanding 5-shot lead was suddenly transformed into a 3-stroke deficit. Spieth played holes 10, 11 and 12 in 6-over par, with a pair of bogeys leading up to his meltdown at the short but perilous 12th, where he dumped two shots into Rae’s Creek. Willett, a late-blooming European star, rattled off three birdies in a 4-hole stretch beginning at the par-5 13th, and found himself in control of golf’s most celebrated event with only two holes left to play. After birdies at 13, 15 and 16, Willett was two in front of playing partner Lee Westwood and long-hitting Dustin Johnson, who carded five birdies in a 10-hole stretch to put himself in position for another disappointing finish in a major championship.

Jordan Spieth

STEVE DINBERG

FOREGEORGIA.COM

Johnson predictably flamed out with a double bogey at the 17th, while Westwood three-putted the 16th for bogey after a spectacular chip-in eagle at the 15th got him within a shot of Willett. Like Johnson, Westwood has a history of close calls in majors, with his tie for second giving him nine career top-3 finishes in the four Grand Slam events. While his three remaining challengers all struggled over the closing holes at Augusta National, Willett produced an exceptional chip shot from beyond the 17th green to save par. He followed with a drive that spilt the fairway at the 18th, and got a fortuitous bounce on his approach shot that left him with an easy two-putt par that clinched his victory. Willett matched the best score of the final round with a bogey free, 5-under 67, and wound up with a 3-shot margin over Westwood and Spieth, who recovered from his disaster at the 12th with birdies at 13 and 15 to give himself a chance to force a playoff. An excellent tee shot at the par-3 16th left Spieth with a birdie putt of less than 10 feet that would have pulled him within a shot of Willett, with an inviting pin position at the 18th providing the realistic hope of a 72nd hole birdie and a playoff in the fading daylight of a late April afternoon in Augusta. Spieth’s uncanny putting touch had kept him in the lead for the entire tournament for a second straight year, offsetting some shaky ball striking that resulted in an exorbitant number of shots that sailed wide right, both off the tee and on approaches. This time, Spieth’s putter failed him. He missed his birdie attempt on the 16th and bogeyed the 17th after another errant iron shot to seal his fate. After a where-did-that-come-from 41 on the back nine, Spieth tied for second with Westwood at 2-under for the tournament, three behind Willett. After winning the first two majors of 2015,

Danny Willett

Spieth has placed second twice and finished one shot out of a playoff in the last three majors, with the 2016 Masters the only one of the three he lost due to his own failures. Most of the post-Masters commentary and reporting focused on Spieth’s backnine meltdown, much as occurred 20 years ago when Greg Norman shot an ugly 78 to turn a 6-stroke lead over Nick Faldo after 54 holes into a 5-shot defeat. Even with his bogey-bogey-quad collapse at 10, 11 and 12 and an unseemly back nine 41, Spieth shot 73 on Sunday, and was one indecisive swing away from a 69 and another green jacket. He carded seven birdies on the day and had a good look for an eighth at 16, a far cry from Norman’s awful final round effort in 1996. Spieth displayed character with his birdies at 13 and 15 after squandering a sizeable lead, and it took a Faldo-like clutch effort by Willett to deny him a chance to win a second consecutive Masters. Spieth has finished second, first and T2 in his three Masters appearances, giving up the lead late on the front nine two years ago to eventual champion Bubba Watson. A tournament-best 66 gave Spieth a 2-shot lead after the opening round, and he remained in front despite a 74 under difficult conditions Friday and a Saturday 73. Willett hung around near the top of the leader board for three days before

making a Sunday surge. He trailed Spieth by just three shots after 54 holes when Spieth let a lot of players back into contention with a bogey-double bogey finish. A bogey at the 18th was Willett’s only blemish in a 70 that left him inside the top 10 after the opening round, and he remained four behind Spieth in a tie for eighth after 36 holes with a 74 that included a lone birdie at the third. Willett cut his deficit from four to three after a Saturday 72, which included stretches on each nine where he alternated bogeys with birdies. Birdies at 6 and 8 Sunday moved Willett within a shot of Spieth before the leader’s birdie run separated him from the field. While Spieth was making bogeys on 10 and 11, Willett carded birdies at 13

PGA Tour Notes As Acworth’s Jason Bohn was returning to action after suffering a heart attack in late February, Duluth’s Stewart Cink announced he was taking a leave of absence after his wife Lisa was diagnosed with breast cancer. Bohn was sidelined six weeks, returning at Hilton Head, where he made the cut. Cink withdrew from the tournament in Charlotte and said he would not return to the tour until his wife’s condition improves.

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A powerhouse group that included pre-tournament favorites Jason Day, Rory McIlroy and Justin Rose tied for 10th at 1-over 289, with McIlroy matching Spieth with seven birdies in a final round 71. McIlroy shot himself out of contention with a birdie-less 77 in the third round, spoiling a heavyweight final pairing on Saturday with Spieth. Although he began the week as the 12th ranked player in the world, Willett was mostly known on this side of the Atlantic as the player who might have to miss the Masters because his wife was about to give birth. The baby was due to arrive on Masters Sunday, but was born the previous week, enabling Willett to compete at Augusta for just the second time. Willett was still the last player to arrive in Augusta, but his reduced preparation was outweighed by the experience of becoming a father for the first time. Coming into the Masters, Willett was considered at the top of the list of darkhorse candidates due to his outstanding play internationally over the past year. He has played on the European Tour since 2008, and emerged as one of the

STEVE DINBERG

and 14 to cut his 5-shot deficit to three and then one. He was one ahead of Westwood and Johnson before making birdie at 16, and wound up winning by three over Westwood and Spieth with a 5-under 283 total, the highest winning score in Augusta since Zach Johnson won at 1-over 289 in 2007. After moderate breezy conditions on Thursday, the scoring average rose significantly as the wind increased in strength on Friday and Saturday. The low score Friday was 71, with Smylie Kaufman (69) and 58-year-old Bernhard Langer (70) the only players under 71 on Saturday. Both faltered the next day, with Langer struggling to a 79 and Kaufman fading to 81 while playing in the final twosome with Spieth. Dustin Johnson tied for fourth at 287 with Paul Casey and J.B. Holmes, who took advantage of calmer playing conditions to close with scores of 67 and 68 respectively. Matthew Fitzpatrick, one of five Englishmen to finish in the top 10, birdied four of his last five holes to match the low score of the day (67) and tied for seventh at even par with Soren Kjeldsen and Hideki Matsuyama.

Rory McIlroy

game’s top players last year when he won the Nedbank Challenge in South Africa and the European Masters and tied for sixth in the British Open, finishing second on the tour’s money list behind McIlroy. Willett finished 2015 strong, shooting a final round 62 in the HSBC Champions in China to place third, and tied for fourth in the European Tour finale in Dubai. He returned to Dubai to score his fourth European Tour victory early in 2016, and in his first U.S. start of the year, was a

close third in the WGC Doral event, more than holding his own the final day along side Adam Scott, Bubba Watson, McIlroy and Phil Mickelson, who all joined him in the top five. Before turning pro in 2008, Willett was the world’s top-ranked amateur, but won just once in his first six seasons on the European Tour before his breakthrough last year. Like Graeme McDowell, Willett played his college golf in Alabama, competing for two seasons at Jacksonville State. He was named the OVC Freshman of the Year in 2007, and won the conference championship the next year, one of his college victories before returning home to play professionally. Willett’s game is relatively similar to that of Spieth. Neither is particularly long nor accurate off the tee, but both hit a lot of greens and make more than their share of putts compared to their fellow pros. He was planning on joining the PGA Tour for the 2015-16 season, but delayed that decision because of the impending birth of his first child. Thanks to his Masters victory, Willett has now accepted PGA Tour membership.

FOREGEORGIA.COM

3 recent Tech grads near top of money list

Augusta’s Bryan scores 2 Web.com wins By Mike Blum

ix tournaments into the 2016 Web.com Tour schedule, five Georgians are in excellent position to finish in the top 25 on the money list and earn a spot on the 2016-17 PGA Tour, with one of the quintet one victory away from an immediate promotion this year. Three of the five are recent Georgia Tech graduates, with a veteran PGA Tour member and a Web.com rookie who already has two wins this season joining the ex-Yellow Jackets in the top 15 on the money list after the late April event in Mexico.

19-under 269 total and a 4-shot win in Mexico. Recent Georgia Tech graduate Ollie Schniederjans almost joined Bryan in the winner’s circle, losing in a playoff in Cartagena, Colombia. Schniederjans, who grew up in Powder Springs, took the lead with his sixth birdie of the day on the par-5 18th, but hit his tee shot in the water when the playoff started on the 18th. His opponent, who also birdied the par-5 18th to force a playoff, reached the green in two after Schniederjans’ errant drive to lock up the playoff victory. Schniederjans recovered from an opening 74 to shoot 68-66-69 the next three days and finish at 11-under 277,

Wesley Bryan, an Augusta resident who played his college golf at South Carolina, won the tour’s first U.S. tournament of 2016 in Louisiana and added a second title one month later in Mexico. He also has top-10 finishes in Panama and Colombia and leads the money list with almost $261,000, ensuring him a spot on the 2016-17 PGA Tour if he doesn’t make another cent this season. Bryan, who teams with his brother George to form a trick shot duo that has many internet fans, competed on regional mini-tours before qualifying for the Web.com Tour with a top-10 finish in last year’s qualifying finals. He tied for seventh in Panama in his first-ever Web.com Tour event and shot 14-under in Louisiana to score a narrow victory thanks to a tie-breaking birdie on the 17th hole in the final round. A second round 63 powered Bryan to a

FOREGEORGIA.COM

GEORGIA TECH

USGA

Ollie Schniederjans

champion also birdied the 18th to win by one. He was 12th on the money list. He shot three 66s in his runner-up finish in Mexico, but a second round 75 cost him a chance to win. Jonathan Byrd has played on the PGA Tour since 2002, winning four times including the final tournament played at Callaway Gardens during his rookie season. But he has struggled since undergoing wrist surgery early in 2013 and has only limited PGA Tour status this season, making the cut in four of five starts with a best finish of T39. Byrd, a St. Simons Island resident, already has two top-5 Web.com finishes, tying for fifth in the season opener in

Anders Albertson

moving up to ninth on the money list. He missed the cut in his first two Web.com starts of 2016 before shooting 11-under and tying for 35th in Brazil and remained ninth with a tie for 13th in Mexico. The former No. 1 ranked amateur in the world has made six PGA Tour starts in the 2015-16 season, making four cuts. Richy Werenski, a 2014 Georgia Tech grad, missed the cut in four of the first five Web.com events of 2016, but tied for second in Colombia and was second in Mexico behind Bryan to move from 12th to seventh in earnings. Werenski, who was 79th on the money list last year, earned his exempt status for 2016 with a strong showing in the qualifying finals despite a final round 78. Werenski shot a final round 68 in Bogota and tied for the lead with a birdie on the par-5 18th, but the eventual

Panama and for third in Louisiana, closing with scores 65 and 66 respectively. He was 13th in earnings after a tie for 10th in Mexico. Anders Albertson, Schniederjans’ teammate for four seasons at Georgia Tech and a fellow Web.com rookie, made a run at victory in Brazil, placing third with a 20-under 264 total, three shots behind the winner. After three straight missed cuts, Albertson shot 62 in the second round in Sao Paolo and closed with back-to-back 66s. Albertson, who grew up in Woodstock, shared the lead after 18 holes the next week in Colombia, and wound up tied for 30th. He joined Schniederjans in a tie for 13th in Mexico to stand 15th in earnings after narrowly earning his exempt status for 2016 in the qualifying finals. Trey Mullinax moved to St. Simons

Island after playing on Alabama’s backto-back NCAA Championship teams in 2013 and ’14, and qualified for the Web.com Tour in his first attempt, placing 60th in earnings last year. He was 27th this year, tying for fourth in Columbia, just two shots behind the eventual winner. Mullinax also played in last Fall’s McGladrey Classic at Sea Island GC on a sponsor’s exemption and tied for 25th after shooting 65 in the opening round. Recent UGA golfer Keith Mitchell finished well back in the finals of Web.com qualifying late last year, but got into the season-opening event in Panama after playing well as a rookie on the Latino America Tour in 2015. He tied for 14th in Panama after an opening 66 to get into the next week’s event in Colombia and played respectably there. He did not get into the next three events, but at 70 on the money list after the first re-shuffle, should be a regular on the tour for the remainder of the season. Former UGA golfer Bryden Macpherson struggled last year in his first full season on the Web.com Tour, finishing 126th on the money list. But he spent the end of the year in China, where he scored six straight top-5 finishes on PGA Tour China, including a pair of victories, and regained his Web.com Tour status for 2016. Macpherson, who won the British Amateur during his time in Athens, was 91st on the 2016 money list after six events, with a tie for 20th in Louisiana his best showing. Snellville native Jonathan Fricke was right behind Macpherson at 92nd, including a tie for 18th in the 2016 opener in Panama. Fricke played the Web.com Tour full time in 2008 and ’14, finishing around 100 on the money list both seasons. The former Georgia State golfer won the Georgia Open in 2012 and ’13. Savannah’s Mark Silvers was 105th in earnings in his first full Web.com season in 2015, regained his status when he closed with a 66 in the finals of qualifying. He moved up to 77th after a tie for 30th in Mexico, and has made four of six cuts with a best finish of 27th. Silvers is best known as a former Big Break winner on the Golf Channel, and also won a number of events at the regional minitour level, along with a victory on the M AY 2 0 1 6

2 0 1 6 M AY

in all of his first three starts this year, Scott missed the cut in all three before making it to the weekend in Sao Paolo, Cartagena and Mexico. The Decatur resident was 115th in earnings. Fellow ex-Yellow Jacket Troy Matteson won twice during his nine full seasons on the PGA Tour, but has not played well since finishing 45th in the FedExCup standings in 2012 and is playing primarily on the Web.com Tour this year. Matteson enjoyed one of the best seasons in Web.com history in 2005, winning twice and leading the tour in earnings, but has not enjoyed a great deal of success in 20 starts since 2013. He was 1-for-3 in cuts this season, and was a distant 142nd in earnings. Atlanta resident Casey Wittenberg has played six full seasons on the Web.com Tour and two on the PGA Tour, but began 2016 with limited Web.com status after placing 113th in earnings last year. His lone made cut in two starts thus far this season came in Louisiana, where he scored one of his two victories in 2012, when he topped the money list. Wittenberg struggled in his

second shot on the PGA Tour in 2013 and has been unable to re-capture his 2012 form on the Web.com Tour the last two years. Blake Adams, a Swainsboro resident and former Georgia Southern golfer, lost his PGA Tour status earlier this year after undergoing hip surgery in 2014 and is playing the Web.com Tour this year, making his first cut in Mexico.

Jonathan Byrd

SCOTT HALLERAN, GETTY IMAGES

Canadian Tour in 2014. Atlanta native and former UGA golfer Adam Mitchell made 14 scattered starts on the Web.com Tour between 2008 and â&#x20AC;&#x2122;14, and has full status for the first time this year after tying for 21st in the finals of qualifying late in 2015. He has played respectably thus far, but the 2009 Walker Cup team member has made just two cuts with a top finish of 30th and was 110th in earnings. At the age of 41, Reid Edstrom is one of the Web.comâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s veteran players, and is playing his fourth full season on the tour since 2008. Edstrom, who grew up in metro Atlanta before attending Auburn and then settling there, tied for ninth in the finals of qualifying last year, but played only two of the first six tournaments this season, tying for 25th in the second of two tournaments in 25th. He was 118th on the money list. Former Georgia Tech golfer Kyle Scott made it into just three Web.com events last year, but competed in the first six events of 2016 after narrowly earning his exempt status in the finals of qualifying. Despite shooting in the 60s once

For updates on this month's tournaments, including the Rivermont Championship,

Symetra Tour event at Atlanta National,

and women's and men's NCAA Regionals, visit www.foregeorgia.com.

FOREGEORGIA.COM

Takes title after daughter’s serious accident

Mitchell wins Georgia Senior Open in playoff By Mike Blum

John L. Smith

GEORGIA PGA

Mitchell followed with a 68 and wound up in a playoff with former PGA Tour caddie John L. Smith, the brother of Frederica Club head pro Hank Smith. Mitchell parred the 18th to win on the first extra hole when Smith encountered an awkward yardage for his second shot 22

FOREGEORGIA.COM

GEORGIA PGA

or much of March and April, Billy Mitchell’s thoughts were far from the golf course, where he has been one of Georgia’s top amateur players for more than a decade. Mitchell’s 23-year-old daughter Sarah was severely injured in a scooter accident while on vacation in Mexico and spent two weeks in the ICU and CCU recovering from extensive injuries. After some touch and go moments, Sarah is out of the hospital and is “projected to make a full recovery,” according to her very relieved father. Sarah still has a long way to go to fully regain her health, but her father felt comfortable enough to return to competition in late April, playing in consecutive tournaments in Thomasville and Gainesville. Mitchell and playing partner Chris Waters teamed up to finish second in the GSGA Four-Ball Championship at Glen Arven, falling out of a tie for first when the winning team eagled the final hole. The next day, Mitchell was playing without a partner in the Yamaha Georgia Senior Open at Chattahoochee GC, and put himself in position for victory after opening with a 3-under 69.

in the playoff. He made bogey after coming up short with his approach. After playing professionally all over the world during the 1980s and ‘90s, Mitchell regained his amateur status and settled in the Atlanta area in the mid-‘90s. He has lived in east Cobb County since 2001 and has been a long time fixture in Georgia amateur circles, winning the GSGA Public Links Championship in 2010 and ’11, and quailfying16 times for various USGA events. Mitchell, whose father is a career club pro in the Daytona Beach area, says he has “nothing but respect for PGA professionals,” and said his victory was particularly sweet coming against Georgia’s standout group of senior club pros. “Wins are all special,” said Mitchell, with his playoff victory at Chattahoochee especially sweet because of all he experienced in the weeks leading up to the tournament. “Your perspective on life changes. I’ve always loved this game, but this helps put golf back in place.” Over the years, Mitchell has had a number of close calls in statewide tournaments. “I’ve knocked on the door a lot, but I haven’t closed the deal.” That could have happened again in the Yamaha Georgia Senior Open, as Mitchell built a 3-stroke lead early on the back nine of the final round after beginning his day with four birdies on his first six holes. A double bogey on the par-5 13th hole cost Mitchell the outright lead, but he followed at the next hole with a birdie and found himself in a playoff after pars on his last four holes. Mitchell was in between clubs for his second on the 13th and said he “tried to back off a 3-wood. I pulled it and hit the cart path.” The ball bounced into thick trees left of the green and was sitting up in leaves. Mitchell hit “right under the ball” and barely advanced, getting back to the fairway with his fourth shot before chipping onto the green and two-putting. “I bounced back with a birdie after the seven,” Mitchell said, quickly regaining the top spot over Smith, who pulled even with his birdie at the par-5 15th. Mitchell and Smith both finished at 7under 137, with Mitchell shooting 68

the final round with six birdies and the one slip on the 13th. Smith, part of a threeway tie for the lead after an opening 68, closed with a 69 highlighted by an eagle on the par-5 eighth. His only bogey of the day came on the opening hole, with his two birdies coming on Chattahoochee’s back nine par 5s. Craig Stevens, who won the Georgia Senior Open three times between 2011 and ’14 and was runner-up in 2012, finished one shot out of a playoff for the second straight year, the third time he’s come up one shot short in the last five years. Stevens, an instructor at Brookstone G&CC, was third at 138 after a pair of 69s. Stevens carded three birdies on the back nine and had an excellent chance for a fourth after a beautiful tee shot on the downhill par-3 17th, but missed from five feet and came up just short on his birdie try on the 18th. Smith, a Statesboro resident, took home $2,200 for finishing as low pro in his first appearance in the Georgia Senior Open. He shared the first round lead at 68 with Marietta CC Director of Golf Stephen Keppler and Atlanta pro Shouting Huang. Without a great deal of tournament options for players 50 and over, Smith is primarily playing in pre-qualifiers and Monday qualifiers on the Champions Tour. He has made it through most of the pre-qualifiers, but has yet to play his way into a tour event.

Prior to turning 50, Smith caddied for Will Swainsboro’s Claxton on the PGA Tour for two-plus years, but Claxton has not played since undergoing hip surgery two years ago. Since Claxton’s injury, Smith has played more than he’s caddied, and placed 20th in the 2014 Georgia Open and tied for sixth last year at Pinetree. Smith said he was ll “definitely encourhe itc M lly Bi aged” by his Georgia Senior Open showing. “I only had two bogeys the whole tournament.” Unfortunately for Smith, he made a third bogey on the first playoff hole, the par-4 18th. After a beautiful drive, he had what he described as “an odd yardage into the green,” and caught his short second shot heavy, coming up well short. He was unable to get up and down for par, with Mitchell making a routine par for the victory. “I saw one or two of those shots today,” Smith said of his final round playing partners. “And then it happened to me.” Keppler, who has finished fifth, third, third, second in a playoff and fourth in his five Georgia Senior Open starts, earned a spot in the final pairing of the second round with an opening 68 highlighted by an eagle at the par-5 13th. After 11 pars and a birdie on his first 12 holes in the final round, Keppler was one shot off Mitchell’s lead and was in position to move into a tie with a wellplaced wedge shot on the 13th. But he chunked his approach and made bogey, keeping himself in contention with a birdie at the par-4 14th. Keppler was just off the green on the par-5 15th in two with an excellent chance for a second straight birdie, but barely advanced his chip shot and suffered another costly bogey. Keppler birdied the 18th hole for a 71 and a tie for fourth at 5-under 139 with Johns Creek amateur Don Marsh, who shot a second round 69. [ See Senior Open, page 23] M AY 2 0 1 6

Rivermont GPGA event set for 36 holes in 1 day By Mike Blum

Stephen Keppler

[ Continued from page 22 ]

2 0 1 6 M AY

GEORGIA PGA

Huang fought back after a shaky start to shoot even par 72 and tie for sixth at 140. He struggled to find fairways early in the final round and bogeyed three of his first four holes, saving par on the par3 third after topping his tee shot. He was 3-under over his final 14 holes, closing with birdies at 15, 16 and 18 around a bogey at the 17th. An adventurous finish to his opening round left Huang with a share of the lead going to the final day of play. Huang had two birdies and no bogeys for his first 14 holes before going birdie-eagle-birdie on holes 6, 7 and 8. The two birdies came on

GEORGIA PG A

Senior Open

Travis Na nce

GEORGIA PGA

ach of the first two Rivermont Championships has featured a down-to-the-wire finish with multiple players having an opportunity to win the Georgia PGA event late in the final round. This month’s tournament, one of seven individual Georgia PGA events that determine the Section’s Player of the Year, will feature a format change, playing all 36 holes in one day with shotgun starts to both rounds. In order to have the top finishers after the morning 18 paired together in the afternoon round, the field will be repaired for the second round, which is scheduled for approximately 2 p.m. after an 8:30 a.m. start for the first round. The tournament field consisted of a little over 70 players in 2014 and just over 60 last year, when the date was changed from March 31-April 1 to midMay. The 2016 event is scheduled for May 9. Travis Nance, an assistant at Coosa Country Club in Rome, has taken a liking to Rivermont, winning the tournament last year after losing in a playoff in 2014 to Georgia Golf Center assistant pro Chris Nicol, who placed sixth last year. Nicol’s win in 2014 was his second in an inaugural Georgia PGA event, as he also won the first Championship at Berkeley Hills in 2010. He led at Rivermont after an opening 66, shooting a 70 in the second round to tie Nance at 6-under 136. Both players had chances to

win in regulation, but each made bogey on the 18th hole. Nance hit his tee shot on the first playoff hole – the 18th – into the trees left of the fairway and was unable to find his ball, enabling Nicol to win with a bogey. Nance shot 3-under 68 in both rounds, as the course was played as a par 71 with the par-5 12th hole converted to a par 4 for the tournament. Nicol and Nance finished just ahead of a trio of veteran Georgia PGA standouts who have a combined 12 Player of the Year titles among them. Seven-time GPGA Player of the Year Tim Weinhart tied for third at 137 with two-time award winner Sonny Skinner. James Mason, the Section’s Player of the Year three times between 1997 and 2000, was fifth at 138. Low amateur for the tournament was Atlanta-based radio golf broadcaster Brian Katrek, who was tied with Weinhart for second after an opening round 67 that included a 6-under 29 on the back nine, his first nine of the opening round. Playing in the final group of the second round with Nicol and Weinhart, Katrek shot 74 to tie for seventh overall at 141. Nance, who played briefly on what is now the Web.com Tour and won twice on the Hooters Tour during his career as a tour player, collected his first Georgia PGA title last year at Rivermont with a 3-under 139 total, edging Weinhart, West Pines head pro Chris Cartwright and amateur Erik Martin by one shot. Martin, a former Rivermont member, led by two shots after an opening 67 and

Nicol 2014 Champion Chris

held a comfortable lead for most of the second round before playing holes 12-16 in 5-over. He reclaimed a share of the lead when he birdied the sharply downhill par-3 17th, but a three-putt bogey at the 18th dropped him into a tie for second, one shot behind Nance, who posted scores of 70 and 69. Nance carded four birdies the final day, including a pair on the back nine at holes 11 and 14. Nance eagled the drivable par-4 11th twice in 2014, hitting his tee shot both days within 10 feet of the hole. Weinhart, the Director of Instruction at Heritage Golf Links, came up one shot short of a playoff for the second straight year, carding a pair of 70s. He collected three birdies on the back nine in the second round, but also suffered a pair of bogeys. Cartwright held a share of the lead late in the final round, but dropped into a tie

Chattahoochee’s front nine par 5s, with his eagle the result of a hole-out on the difficult par-4 seventh. But with a chance to claim the outright lead after 18 holes, Huang made double bogey on the ninth to finish tied with Smith and Keppler, who set the standard when he shot 68 as part of the first group off the first tee. Sharing sixth place with Huang was Athens amateur Doug Stiles and Spring Hill head pro Sonny Skinner, the 2012 Georgia Senior Open champion. Stiles closed with a 67, making six of his seven birdies late on each of the nines. Skinner shot 69-71, scoring birdies on two of the first three holes the final day but managing just one more over the final 15 holes.

for second when he bogeyed the 17th. He also shot back-to-back scores of 70. Nicol shot a final round 70 to place sixth at 142, making a strong early move before his charge stalled on the back nine. Skinner, the head pro at Spring Hill in Tifton, tied for seventh at 143 with Highland CC head pro Todd Ormsby and CC of the South instructor David Potts, who was tied for second after an opening 69. Ormsby’s 67 was the low round of the day. Cherokee T&CC assistant Peter Jones, who tied for sixth the previous year at 139, was one of five players tying for 10th last year at 144. Also tying for 10th was Rivermont Director of Golf Matthew Evans, who shot 69 in the opening round. The tournament will again be sponsored by Ste. Michelle Wine Estates.

Tying for ninth at 141 was defending champion James Mason of Dillard and amateur Larry Vaughan of Greensboro. Mason shot 70 the second round with 16 pars and two birdies, while Vaughan had six birdies in a 68. Currahee Club Director of Golf Clark Spratlin, Brunswick CC instructor Mark Anderson and Peachtree City amateur Jack Kearney tied for 11th at 142. Spratlin shot 72 the second day, playing his first 12 holes in 4-over before closing with birdies on four of the last six. Anderson began his first round with 13 straight pars before consecutive birdies at 14, 15 and 16 for a 69. He settled for a 73 the next day with just one birdie. Like Mason, Kearney had 16 pars and two birdies in a final round 70. FOREGEORGIA.COM

Owls, Jaguars win conference titles

McCoy, Bulldogs claim SEC victories By Mike Blum

Lee McCoy

TE KENNESAW STA

Championship title, six of which have come at Sea Island GC. Eight of Georgia’s titles have come under head coach Chris Haack. Georgia will play in one of six NCAA Regionals May 16-18, with the NCAA Championship set for May 27-June 1 in Eugene, Ore. Kennesaw State won the Atlantic Sun Championship for a second straight year, scoring a 7-stroke victory at the Legends at Chateau Elan. The Owls led by six after an opening score of 5-under 283, and held on with totals of 291 and 290 the next two days for an even par total of 864. All five Kennesaw golfers finished tied for 12th or better, with all five contributing at least two counting scores. Sophomore Fredrik Nilehn was one of three players under par in the opening round with a 70, and added a 72 the final day to place third at even par 216. Chris Guglielmo, a junior from Cumming, closed with scores of 72 and a team-best 70 in the third round and tied for fourth at 217. Freshman Jake Fendt, also from Cumming, shot 71-74-74 and tied for eighth at 219. Wyatt Larkin, a sophomore from Morganton, shot 69 the first day and contributed a final round 74 to tie for 12th at 220 with junior Teremoana Beaucousin, who opened with scores of 73 and 71. Augusta easily won the Mid-Eastern title for the second straight year, scoring a runaway 33-shot victory at Crosswinds

COLLEGE Roundup

Both Georgia and Kentucky shot 3under 277 in the first round, the only under par team scores for the tournament. McCoy and Peachtree Corners sophomore Zach Healy opened with scores of 68 and junior Greyson Sigg of Augusta added a 69. Valdosta senior Sepp Straka contributed a 72. The Bulldogs fell two shots behind Kentucky after 36 holes, shooting 11over 291 in the second round. McCoy matched par at 70 to take the individual lead, while freshman Tye Waller of Griffin had the second low team score at 72. Also counting was a 75 by Sigg and a 76 by Healy. McCoy claimed the individual title with a final round 69, giving him a 3under 207 total, two strokes ahead of the runner-up. Straka recovered from a poor second round to shoot 71, with Sigg matching that score. Waller chipped in with a 74, with Healy’s 76 not counting. Sigg finished tied for 10th at 215 with Healy T18 at 218. Waller, who shot 221, and Straka both had two of their three rounds count. The victory was the seventh career title for McCoy, who closed out his victory by holing a 25-footer for birdie on the 54th hole. It was Georgia’s 29th SEC 24

FOREGEORGIA.COM

lmo Chris Guglie

in Savannah. The Jaguars’ starters finished first, second, third, fourth and tied for fifth, with senior Robin Petersson earning medalist honors. The Jaguars posted scores of 284-280270 for a 30-under 834 total. Augusta led by just three shots after the opening round, but expanded its lead to 14 after 36 holes before shooting 18-under the final day to finish 72 strokes ahead of the third place team. Petersson shot 69-67-69 for an 11under 205 total, four ahead of sophomore Broc Everett, who closed with a 64 to take second at 209. Junior Jake Marriott was third at 210, with senior Maverick Antcliff firing a final round 66 to take fourth at 213. Junior Emmanuel Kountakis of Augusta shot even par 216 to tie for fifth. Georgia State won the stroke play portion of the Sun Belt Championship at Sandestin Resort’s Raven course to earn a spot in match play, but lost in the finals after an overwhelming semifinal victory. The Panthers led by six strokes after the first round, by six after 36 holes and finished six ahead of runner-up Troy with a 4-under 848 total for 54 holes, posting scores of 282-279-287. But after sweeping past No. 4 South Alabama 4-01 in the semifinals, Georgia State lost 3-2 to Troy in the title match. In the semifinals, the Panthers got big wins from sophomore brothers Max and Alex Herrmann by scores of 4&2 and 3&2, Lexington junior Nathan Mallonee (3&2) and senior J.J. Grey,

UGA PHOTOS

he Georgia Bulldogs won their first SEC Championship since 2010, taking the 2016 title at Sea Island Golf Club. Lee McCoy, a senior from Clarkesville, captured the individual title, also the first for the Bulldogs since 2010. The Bulldogs finished the tournament with a 13-over 853 total on the par-70 Seaside course, three shots ahead of runner-up Texas A&M. Florida and Arkansas tied for third at 861. Georgia and Kentucky battled for the lead over the first two rounds, with the teams tied after 18 holes and Kentucky two ahead going to the final day. But the Bulldogs closed with a 5-over 285, the second lowest team score of the final round, while Kentucky shot 302 and fell to seventh place.

the team’s No. 1 (6&5). Woodstock freshman Nick Budd halved his match. In the finals, Grey won big (6&5 again), but Mallonee lost 5&3 and Budd dropped a 2&1 decision in the opening match. Both matches involving the Herrmann brothers went down to the wire, with Max winning 1-up but Alex lost on the 19th hole in the decisive match. Max Herrmann and Grey shared medalist honors at 3-under 210, with Herrmann closing with scores of 70 and 67 and Grey shooting 65-70 the first two rounds. Herrmann won the individual championship in a playoff. After a non-counting first round, Alex Herrmann shot 64 the next day and closed with a 72 to tie for eighth at 214. Budd opened with a 71 and tied for 24th at 220, with Mallonee T32 at 222. Georgia Southern finished last in the 11-team Sun Belt tournament, 41 shots behind Georgia State at 889. Sophomore Archer Price tied for 12th at 215, shooting 69-71 the first two rounds. In his final round for the Eagles, Griffin senior Henry Mabbett shot a team best 73. Georgia Tech placed fourth in the ACC Championship hosted by North Carolina State. The Yellow Jackets played consistently with scores of 287288-289 for an even par 864 total, 25 shots behind Clemson. Tech trailed by 14 [ See College roundup, page 25 ] M AY 2 0 1 6

Georgia, Augusta receive NCAA invitations By Mike Blum

College roundup [ Continued from page 24 ]

after 18 holes and by 18 after 36. Sophomore Chris Petefish tied for seventh at 4-under 212, shooting 69-7469. Junior Vince Whaley was T25 at 218, followed by Columbus sophomore James Clark (T29, 219), Acworth junior Michael Hines (T31, 220) and Albany sophomore Jacob Joiner (T39, 223). All five Tech players had at least one under-par round. Both Georgia Tech and Georgia State are in line to get bids to NCAA Regionals on May 5, joining Georgia, Kennesaw State and Augusta in the field. The Regionals will be played May 18-20 at six sites, with the NCAA Championship at Eugene (Ore.) CC May 2 0 1 6 M AY

NCAA Champion Stanford will host a Regional, with Stanford the No. 3 seed. All four regionals will be played May 5-7. Georgia’s other Division I women’s teams ended their seasons in conference tournaments. Georgia Southern placed fourth and Georgia State was seventh in the 9team Sun Belt tournament at the Sandestin Resort in Destin, Fla. Kennesaw State took third in the Atlantic Sun tournament at Reunion Resort in Kissimmee, Fla., and Mercer was fourth in the Southern Conference Championship at Savannah Quarters.

Haigwood shooting 71 in the first round before struggling the next two days. Augusta shot 911 on the demanding Scarlett course at Ohio State to finish in eighth place. Junior Josefine Nyqvist led the Lady Jaguars, tying for 11th at 224, with Yi T20 at 226 and Haigwood T43 at 236. Georgia and Augusta were the only women’s teams from the state to earn NCAA Division 1 bids. Georgia is the No. 2 seed in the Texas A&M Regional, while Augusta is seeded 11th in the LSU Regional. Newnan’s Ji Eun Baik, who plays at Mississippi State, will compete in Regionals as an individual. Riverdale’s Mariah Stackhouse and defending

After no Mercer golfer broke 80 the first day, the team improved 38 shots in the second round, shooting 1-under 287. Juniga shot 70, sophomore Jaelyn Tindal shot 72 and both Schanen and Hanna posted scores of 73.

27-June 1. In late Spring regular season events: Augusta placed third and Georgia was fourth in the annual 3M Invitational hosted by the Jaguars at Forest Hills. Augusta led Illinois and Texas by three shots after 36 holes with scores of 275 and 283, but the Jaguars shot 288 the final day to finish nine behind Illinois and six behind Texas with an 18-under 846 total. Petersson led Augusta, tying for fourth at 8-under 208. Everett tied for 13th at 213 and Antcliff was T16 at 214 after opening with a 67. McCoy was low for the Bulldogs, placing seventh at 209 with scores of 6970-70. Straka shot a final round 67 to take 11th at 211, with Healy T20 at 215 and Sigg T35 at 219. Kennesaw State was ninth at Forest

Hills with an 870 total. Beaucousin tied for 25th at 216, with Guglielmo T27 at 217 after a final round 69. Larkin had the team’s low score – a 67 – in the opening round. The Owls closed out the regular season with a second place finish in the Irish Creek Collegiate in Charlotte, four shots behind Wake Forest at 7-over 859. Kennesaw led by three after opening with a 284, and remained one ahead going to the final round after a 283. Guglielmo tied for 10th at 71-6974—214, with Nilehn shooting three straight scores of 72 to tie for 12th at 216 with Larkin, who opened with a 70. Fendt shot 70-72 the last two rounds and was T19 at 218, with his 72 the team’s low score in the third round. In its final two regular season events, Georgia Tech tied for second behind the

host team in the Clemson Invitational, and tied for third in an event in Princeton, N.J. The Yellow Jackets posted a score of 872 at Clemson, 11 shots behind the Tigers. Whaley earned medalist honors at 208 with scores of 70-67-71, finishing two ahead of the runner-up. Clark tied for seventh at 217, with Hines opening with scores of 73-70 before struggling in the final round. Whaley shot 74-68—142 to tie for ninth at Princeton, with Tech one shot out of second with a 578 total, but 35 behind Duke’s winning score. Joiner and Petefish tied for 12th at 143. Georgia State was fourth in its regular season finale in Mississippi with a score of 880 at Old Waverly. Mallonee tied for 12th at 219, with Grey T17 at 221 and Budd T22 at 222.

AJGA

he Georgia Lady Bulldogs finished a distant sixth in the SEC Women’s Golf Championship at Greystone CC in Birmingham, ending the 54-hole event 30 strokes behind Alabama’s winning total of 859. The Lady Bulldogs posted scores of 296-296-297 for a 25-over 889 total. They trailed by 10 shots after the first round and by 14 after 36, with Alabama pulling away in the final round with a 7under 281 to finish five shots in front of runner-up Florida, which was tied for the lead with one round to play. Freshman Jillian Hollis led Georgia, tying for 11th at 219, with junior Harang Lee T16 at 221. Freshman Bailey Tardy of Peachtree Corners shot 1under 71 in the opening round, but closed with scores of 77 and 75 and tied for 23rd at 223. Roswell’s Rinko Mitsunaga, the third freshman in Georgia’s starting lineup, closed with back-to-back scores of 75 and placed 39th at 228. Georgia closed out the regular season at home earlier in April, hosting the annual Liz Murphy Collegiate Classic, which featured three rounds of match play to give the Lady Bulldogs some experience in that format prior to the NCAA Championship, which will be played May 20-25 in Eugene, Ore. The Lady Bulldogs placed second out

Mariah Stackhouse

of 12 teams in stroke play qualifying with an even-par 288 total, two shots behind UCLA. Lee was second individually in qualifying with a 69, with Tardy third at 70. Hollis shot 74, Mitsunaga contributed a 75 and sophomore Isabella Skinner of Cumming shot 76. Georgia won its first match, defeating Purdue 3 ½ - 1 ½ with Lee, Tardy and Mitsunaga all winning their matches handily. Lee won 4&3, Mitsunaga scored a 3&2 victory and Tardy took her match 3&1. Hollis halved her match and Skinner lost. The Lady Bulldogs finished 1-2 in match play, losing to Alabama 3 ½ – 1 ½ and to Southern Cal 4-1. Lee, who won all three of her matches, was the lone Georgia winner in the team’s final matches, with Hollis getting her second half against Alabama. Hollis and Tardy both lost 1-up against USC. The Augusta women’s team, which does not belong to a conference, closed out its season with tournaments at Clemson and Ohio State. The Lady Jaguars were eighth at Clemson with an 885 total, shooting 1over 289 in the first round and 291 in the final round. Junior Teresa Caballer Hernani closed with a 5-under 67 at the Reserve at Lake Kiowee to tie for second individually at 210, two shots behind the winner. Junior Eunice Yi of Evans tied for 36th at 224, with Roswell junior Jessica

WOMEN’S COLLEGE

Roundup

Mercer was led by the freshman Mary Juniga, who tied for 10th at 225. Fellow freshman Payton Schanen of Alpharetta was 12th at 227 with sophomore Hannah Mae Deems of Taylorsville T15 at 232 and Moultrie junior Marin Hanna T17 at 233.

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JUNIOR GOLF in Georgia

Eaton, Cassidy, Bae take titles at CCoS, Coosa

3 Georgians win AJGA events in home state trio of Georgia juniors won American Junior Golf Association tournaments in their home state in recent events hosted by Coosa Country Club and Country Club of the South. Nicolas Cassidy of Johns Creek and Jenny Bae of Lawrenceville swept the boys and girls titles at Coosa, with Alpharetta’s Chandler Eaton scoring a decisive victory at CCoS. Cassidy, a freshman at Johns Creek HS, shot 9-under 133 at Coosa to capture his first AJGA title by four strokes over Jacob Bayer of Lawrenceville, who posted scores of 68-69. Austin Fulton of Villa Rica tied for fifth at 141, closing with a 68. Although it was Cassidy’s initial AJGA win, it was not the first time he had contended for victory. “I head the lead with three holes left in Kentucky last year and finished fourth,” Cassidy recalled. “I didn’t play too bad at the end, the other kids came from behind and caught me. I closed out better this time than I did before.” Cassidy opened the tournament at Coosa with a 5-under 66, carding four straight birdies in a back nine 31 to lead by two. He pulled away from the field with a 32 on the front nine the next day and was 6-under after 11 holes before settling for a 67. A hot putter helped provide Cassidy with a comfortable margin midway

through the final round, beginning with a stellar 20-putt total in the opening round. “I putted really well,” he said of his first-round showing at Coosa. “That gave me a lot of confidence and I kept putting well the next day and got to 6-under after 11 holes. I chilled the last seven holes.” Winning an AJGA tournament “is a dream for me,” said Cassidy, who has played four years in AJGA events. “The kids out here are really good and I was really excited to win.” Cassidy is the fifth Georgian to win in the last seven AJGA tournaments at Coosa, with the tournament resuming after a two-year absence. Rome has been the site of an AJGA event since 1996, with Coosa the host course since ’99. Among the past winners are Georgians Roberto Castro, Chris Kirk and Hudson Swafford, all current PGA Tour members. Bae, a freshman at Collins Hill, won a Junior All-Star event, which is limited to ages 15-and-under, last year. Her win at Coosa was her first in the AJGA against an all-age field. “It was harder to win last week,” Bae said after playing in the AJGA event at Country Club of the South. “Now I’m competing against players with more experience.” Earlier last month, Bae led an AJGA event in Florida after opening with a 71, but slipped to fourth, three shots behind the winner, after a second round 77.

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AJGA

Nicolas Cassidy

Chandler Eaton

Bae recorded nine birdies at Coosa, posting scores of 68 and 71 for a 3-under 139 total, three strokes ahead of Marietta’s Elizabeth Reedy, who shot 7072—142. “My putting supported me a lot,” Bae said. “That was the highlight of my game.” Bae was two in front after the Jenny Bae opening round and maintained her lead throughout the final round, carding four of her nine birdies to match par of 71. This is Bae’s second year of playing in the AJGA, and she has taken to playing events outside Georgia. “I like traveling. It’s pretty fun playing new courses I’ve never played and seeing places I’ve never been to before.” Eaton wound up winning at Country Club of the South by six shots, with the tournament reduced from 54 holes to 45 after some rainy weather delayed play during the second of two rounds the first day. The second round was completed Sunday morning, with just nine holes scheduled for the afternoon with more rain in the forecast. Thomas Hogan of St. Simons led after an opening 66, but Eaton took control of the tournament with four birdies on the front nine before play was halted in the afternoon. He settled for a 70 with a double bogey on his final hole and led by four going to the final nine holes. Eaton, a senior at Alpharetta HS, put the tournament away with birdies on four of the first five holes on the back nine, and shot 3-under 33 to finish with a 10-under 170 total. Hogan fell back with a 76 in the second round including three double bogeys. He claimed second place at 4-under after shooting 2-under on the back nine Sunday afternoon. It was the second AJGA win for Eaton, who won a pre-season event in 2014. His win at CCoS came in a higher profile setting, and he said his victory was “a huge deal. This is one of the best fields in the

AJGA

By Mike Blum

AJGA. “My goal was to win at the junior level this year and then in college and at the amateur level.” Eaton will attend Duke on a golf scholarship, and is looking forward to attending an outstanding school with a top-20 golf program. With his victory, Eaton became the fourth Georgian to win at CCoS since the North Fulton club began hosting an AJGA event in 2009. Past winners include Alpharetta resident Franco Castro, current UGA standout Lee McCoy and Buford’s SM Lee, last year’s champion. “I drove it really well and a made a lot of putts,” Eaton said, a good formula to notching 16 birdies in 45 holes on a difficult golf course. Eaton went from one shot behind after 18 holes to four ahead after 36, and expanded his lead thanks to a hot start on the final nine holes Sunday afternoon. “That was kind of weird,” he said of playing with a large lead in the final round. “I’ve never done that before. It’s easier to lose it, because everybody behind you is playing more aggressively.” Winning close to home was a big deal to Eaton, who was able to score a significant AJGA victory with his family present before wrapping up his junior career. Other than a possible appearance in the Rolex Tournament of Champions at [ See AJGA roundup, page 29 ] M AY 2 0 1 6

JUNIOR GOLF in Georgia

7 tours based in or visit Georgia courses

Plenty of options for state’s junior golfers By Mike Blum

or junior golfers throughout the state, there are a multitude of competitive options ranging from local organizations that offer introductory playing opportunities to events involving top juniors from all over the country and around the world. Beyond the local level, there are three statewide junior organizations offering tournament schedules, two regional tours that include a number of stops in Georgia and the country’s most prominent national operation, which is based in Georgia and annually holds tournaments in various parts of the state. Another national junior organization also calls the Atlanta area home and plays a series of events in the metro area. The three statewide junior operations are the Georgia PGA Junior Tour, the Georgia State Parks Junior Tour and the Georgia State Golf Association’s Junior Sectional program, which consists of regionally-oriented events.

Georgia PGA Junior Tour

The Georgia PGA initiated a statewide junior tour in 2002, providing a quality, affordable bridge for the state’s top junior players between local organizations and regional and national tours. Almost all the state’s top juniors have competed in Georgia PGA Junior Tour events on their way up the tournament ladder, with the tour visiting many of the state’s top courses and featuring stops in almost every geographic section of the Peach State. This year’s Georgia PGA Junior Tour began in February at Valdosta Country Club and included a high school team event at Chateau Elan in April. A total of 13 tournaments remain on the 2016 schedule, including the Georgia PGA Junior Championship, which is separate from the tour. The GPGA Junior Championship will be played June 6-7 at Jennings Mill outside Athens and does not require Junior Tour membership to participate. Among the highlights of the 2016 schedule is a one day Summer Series event 2 0 1 6 M AY

July 26 at East Lake. All the other tournaments on the schedule are played over 36 holes. Other tournament hosts for Georgian PGA Junior Tour events this year include Legacy on Lanier, Stone Mountain GC, the UGA course, Country Club of Columbus, Callaway Gardens, Sea Island GC (Plantation), Oak Mountain in Carrollton, the new Georgia Southern course, Chattahoochee in Gainesville, Coosa CC in Rome and a season-ending Tour Championship at Great Waters on Lake Oconee. The majority of courses hosting Georgia PGA Junior events this year have been the site of either PGA or Web.com. Tournaments are divided into five age groups (boys 11-13, 14-15 and 16-18; girls 11-14 and 15-18), with winners in each division as well as overall boys and girls champions in each tournament. The top players in each division qualify for the season-ending Tour Championship. Membership is $75 per year and provides entry into all tour events with the exception of the Tour Championship. Membership benefits include a tour cap, towel and bag tag, a USGA Rules of Golf book and various other items. Scott Gordon is the Georgia PGA’s Junior Golf Director.

GSGA Sectional Program

In addition to its two Junior Championships, the GSGA conducts a series of events in each of seven designated sections of the state. The metro Atlanta area is spread out among four different sections, with each of the seven

sections conducting four or five tournaments in June and July. Juniors can play in sectional events outside their geographic area, but can only earn points for events within their section. The leaders in points in the various age groups qualify for the Junior Sectional Challenge Match. The GSGA divides its junior fields into seven divisions, including four for the boys (11-under, 12-13, 14-15, 16-18) and three for the girls (11-under, 12-13, 1418). The GSGA Sectional Program is open to all juniors, with pre-registration fee for each event $20. Both Junior Championships will be played June 20-22, with the boys playing at Athens Country Club and the girls at Reynolds Plantation on Lake Oconee. The GSGA also conducts qualifiers for the U.S. Junior Championships, with the boys playing June 27 at the UGA course and the girls qualifier June 13 at Cartersville CC. Richard Adams is the GSGA’s Manager of Rules and Competition for Junior Golf.

Georgia State Parks Junior Tour

This is the ninth year of operation for the Georgia Junior Tour, which plays its tournaments at State Parks courses. The 2016 season began with tournaments in March and April at the Lakes at Laura Walker and Brazell’s Creek, and will include seven more events from May through August. Other tournaments this year are at Golf Club of South Georgia, the lone non-State Parks course to host a tournament (May

21-22); Georgia Vets (June 4-5); Jekyll Island GC (June 25-26); Creek at Hard Labor (July 9-10) Arrowhead Pointe (July 30-31); Highland Walk (Aug. 13); and Little Ocmulgee (Aug. 27-28). Annual memberships are $20, with entry fees $100-$110 for two day events. All events are played on weekends, with five age groups for boys and girls starting with ages 7-9. Karl Gross, a long-time head pro at State Parks courses, operates the Georgia Junior Tour and can be reached via e-mail at: kgrosspga@gmail,com, Information is available at gastateparks.org. There are two regional tours that play a sizeable number of tournaments in the state.

Southeastern Junior Tour

The tour, which is based in Auburn, Ala., was founded for former Georgia PGA Tournament Director Todd Thompson, and has been a popular choice for top Georgia juniors since it began in the mid 1990s. Almost half of the 36 tournaments on the SJGT’s 2016 schedule are played in Georgia, with most of the rest held in Alabama, many of them on courses that are part of the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail. The age range for the tour is 12-19, with three boys divisions and two girls divisions. The tour’s schedule mirrors the school year, beginning in mid-August and concluding with its Tour Championship early the following August. Two of the 15 Georgia tournaments on the 2016 schedule have already been played with 13 remaining this year. Other Georgia stops this year include: Chattahoochee GC (May 7-8); UGA GC (May 28-29); Achasta (June 1-2); Georgia Club (June 6-7); Idle Hour (June 13-14); Berkeley Hills (July 25-26); Doublegate (Aug. 13-14); Forest Hills (Aug. 27-28); CC of Columbus (Sept. 1011); Glen Arven (Sept. 24-25); Kinderlou and UGA GC (both Oct. 8-9); Callaway Gardens (Nov. 5-6). Earlier events were at played at Sea Island GC and Brunswick CC. FOREGEORGIA.COM

JUNIOR GOLF in Georgia Hurricane Junior Golf Tour

The Jacksonville-based tour began play in 2008 and quickly expanded its reach beyond Florida with events in Georgia and the Carolinas. This year’s schedule includes tournaments all over the country, with the tour playing as many as four and five events each week in different states. The tour plays several events each month in Georgia, with Callaway Gardens, King & Prince GC, White Oak, Chateau Elan, Jekyll Island GC and Traditions of Braselton hosting tournaments earlier this year. The White Oak and Traditions events are part of the tour’s Canongate series of tournaments in metro Atlanta. Remaining tournaments this year on the HJGT include: Bartram Trail (May 7-8); Canongate I (May 28-30); Royal Lakes (June 25-26); Georgia Club (July 6-7); UGA GC (July 16-17); Forest Hills (July 30-31); Heron Bay (Aug. 6-7); Braelinn (Aug. 20-21); Canongate I Roquemore (Sept. 3-5); Flat Creek (Sept. 17-18); Jekyll Island GC (Oct. 1-2); Bentwater (Oct. 15-16); UGA GC (Oct. 29-30); Jones Creek (Nov. 5-6); Bear’s Best (Nov. 19-20); and Sea Island Retreat (Nov. 26-27). Two national organizations based in metro Atlanta also play events in the state.

American Junior Golf Association

The AJGA represents the ultimate goal for the elite junior golfers across the country and outside the U.S., with the organization based in Georgia since it was founded in the late 1970s. Horseshoe Bend in Roswell was the AJGA’s original home, with the organization moving to more spacious accommodations at Chateau Elan more than 15 years ago. The AJGA conducts events all over the country, including seven in Georgia this year. The tour has already visited Coosa Country Club and Country Club of the South on consecutive weeks in April. Other sites for AJGA events this year include Chateau Elan (May 29-30), WindStone GC in Ringgold and Brunswick CC (both June 7-9), and Jones Creek in Augusta (July 12-14). PGA Tour players Vaughn Taylor and Davis Love have leant their names to the tournaments in Augusta and Brunswick. Great Waters on Lake Oconee will host the Rolex Tournament of Champions,

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one of the top events in junior golf, June 28-July 1. The event has been played annually since 1978, with Horseshoe Bend hosting it eight times in the 1980s and ‘90s. Chateau Elan served as tournament host in 2003, when soon-to-be UGA golfer Brendon Todd was the champion, and again in 2012 at Capital City Club’s Crabapple course. Phil Mickelson won the Rolex three straight years at Horseshoe Bend, with other Rolex champions including David Duval, Webb Simpson and Georgia natives Charles Howell and Louis Brown. The AJGA’s Georgia tournaments include open events, an invitational, a Junior All-Star events for players age 1215 and a tournament for juniors looking to earn a coveted spot in AJGA open events.

U.S. Kids Golf

The Norcross-based junior golf company also features a competitive aspect, with local, regional and national events. Atlanta is one of the U.S. Kids Golf local programs , with the state also hosting a Regional Championship USKG event at Jekyll Island GC. Jekyll Island hosted the first USKG Regional Championship in 2004, with past winners including Lexi Thompson, current UGA golfer Lee McCoy and Georgians Ashlan Ramsey and Mariah Stackhouse. The 2016 event was held in March, with Alpharetta’s Patmon Malcom and Brad Peacock among the age group winners. U.S. Kids Golf plays a State Invitational at Callaway Gardens June 18-19 for juniors in Georgia and neighboring states looking to play in regional and national events. There are also Spring and Summer tours with eight events each in the Atlanta area. The Spring schedule wraps up this month with events at Mystery Valley and Orchard Hills, the latter the Tour Championship. The Summer schedule begins Junes 10 at Orchard Hills, with other tournaments at Fairways of Canton, Rivermont, TPC Sugarloaf, Heritage Golf Links, Horseshoe Bend CC, Braelinn and the Tour Championship July 25 at White Columns. There are eight USKG age groups for boys and four for girls, ranging to age 14. Georgia PGA member John Godwin is the Tour Director for the Atlanta series of tournaments and can be reached at jgodwin@uskidsgolf.com. M AY 2 0 1 6

Cedar Lake Golf Club

Fairfield Pros of Tomorrow

Loganville • 770-466-4043 • Dial DB Direct 678-794-6715 for info and registration. Tuesday & Thursday • 10 a.m. • June 7-July 2 Resident PGA Professional David Bowman will host his Train & Play series for Junior players 12 years old through high school. Each session will include 1 hour of skill training and then access to the course.

7500 Monticello, Villa Rica • 770-836-1112 Ages 8-17: June 6-10 & 20-24 • 9-11 a.m.

Marietta Golf Center

Johns Creek • 770-442-5960 • 4775 Old Alabama Road Johns Creek, Ga 30022 www.riverpinesgolf.com/shop/ category/35-registrations Ages 7-14: June 7-10 • June 13-16 • June 27-30 • July 11-14 • July 18-21 • August 1-4 • 8:30 a.m.-12 p.m. Contact: pauljb727@gmail.com

Cherokee Run Golf Club Conyers • 770-785-7904 www.cherokeerungolfclub.com

2016 Schedule Jr. Golf Camps (Ages 6-12)

Laurel Springs Golf Club Junior Summer Camp

Frasier Golf Instruction

Suwanee • 770-884-0065 • 6400 Golf Club Drive, Suwanee, Ga 30024 • scheduling.carenmahergolf.com Ages 7-14: June 6-9 • 9-11 a.m.

Gainesville • 770-534-0512 • www.frasiergolf.com Junior Camps: (Ages 7-15) June 7-9 • June 21-23 • July 19-21

Hamilton Mill Golf Club Dacula • 770-362-7571 • 1995 Hamilton Mill Parkway Dacula, Ga 30019 Ages 5 to 15: May 30-Jun 2 • June 6-9 • June 13-16 • June 20-23 • June 27-3 • July 11-14 • July 18-21 • July 25-28 • Aug 1-4 • 9:30 a.m.-12 p.m. Contact: Charles Scoggins, 770-362-7571 • charles@pga.com

June 1-4 • 9 a.m.-12 p.m. (4 days)

The Hampton Club (King and Prince Golf Course)

Summer Camp #2:

Hampton Junior Camps

July 20-23 • 9 a.m.-12 p.m. (4 days)

St Simons Island • 912-634-0255 Ages 8-16: June 28-30 • July 19-21 • 8:30-11 a.m. Contact: rlong@mmihg.com

Summer Camp #1:

The Oaks Course Camp Summer Junior Camps • Covington 770-786-3801 • www.golfoaks.com 11240 Brown Bridge Road Covington, Ga 30014

Ages 6-16 Week 1: June 6-13 • 9 a.m.-12 p.m. Week 2: June 13-17 • 9 a.m.-12 p.m. Week 3: June 27-July 1 • 9 a.m.-12 p.m. Week 4: July 18-22 • 9 a.m.-12 p.m. Contact: Gary Miller, Head Golf Professional, gary@golfoaks.com

Idle Hour Junior Golf Summer Camp Macon • 478-477-8777 • www.ihcgolf.com 251 Idle Hour Drive Macon, Ga 31210 Ages 4-17: July 12-15 & August 9-12 Ages 4-5: 8:30-11 a.m. 6 & Up: 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Contact: Neal Johnson, njohnson@ihcgolf.com

Emory University Eagles Golf Camp Smoke Rise Country Club Stone Mountain • 404-712-4538 www.swingingeaglesgolfcamp.com Ages 10-18: May 31-June 3 • 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Contact: jsjober@emory.edu

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Contact: jkittinger@georgiasouthern.edu

Please see Junior and S.N.A.G. listings for dates and times.

Chicopee Woods Golf Course

RiverPines Junior Golf Camp

Ages 5-16 Camp 1: June 13-17 Camp 2: July 18-22 (all 8 a.m.-12 p.m.)

Georgia Southern University Junior Golf Day Camp Statesboro • 912-GSU-GOLF (478-4653) 1031 Golf Club Road, Statesboro, Ga 30458 • www.recreation.GeorgiaSouthern .edu/summer

AJGA roundup [ Continued from page 26 ]

Reynolds Lake Oconee late in June, Eaton may be done with junior golf, closing out his career on a high note. Cassidy, playing on his home course, tied for fifth at 2-under 178, rebounding from an opening 75 to shoot 5-under for his next 27 holes. He tied with Johns Creek teammate Andy Mao, who birdied three of his final four holes in the last round for a 3-under total on his final nine. Also tying for fifth at 2-under was Jake Milanowsi of Peachtree City. Tying for ninth at even par 180 was Justin Kim of Rome and Luke Schniederjans of Alpharetta. Kayley Marschke of Suwanee was the

SNAG Camp, Ages 5-8: June 20-23: 9 a.m.-12 p.m. June 27-30: 9 a.m.-12 p.m. July 11-14: 9 a.m.-12 p.m. July 18-21: 9 a.m.-12 p.m. July 25-28: 9 a.m.-12 p.m.

Windy Hill Golf Academy All Camps will be hosted at Fox Creek Golf Club • www.atlgolflessons.com Ages 4-6: $69 June 13-15: 12:30-2 p.m. June 27-29: 12:30-2 p.m. July 18-20: 12:30-2 p.m. Ages 7-10: $125 June 1-3: 9 a.m.-12 p.m. June 13-15: 9 a.m.-12 p.m. June 27-29: 9 a.m.-12 p.m. July 18-20: 9 a.m.-12 p.m. Ages 11-15: $199 June 20-23: 9 a.m.-12 p.m. July 11-14: 9 a.m.-12 p.m. July 25-28: 9 a.m.-12 p.m.

West Pines Junior Golf Camp

J UNI OR GOLF Directory

Crooked Creek Club Alpharetta • 770-475-2300 ext. 112 • 3430 Highway 9 North, Alpharetta, Ga 30004 • www.thecrookedcreekclub.com

Ages 6-15 Instructional camps: June 1-3 • June 22-24 • July 13-15

Oncourse camps: June 8-10 • June 29July 1 • July 27-29 (Participants must be able to walk and carry their own bag). All 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. (Lunch included) Contact: Director of Player Development, Tom Joyce Jr., PGA, tom.joyce@alpharettaac.com

Lake Spivey Summer Junior Camps 8-10 a.m. Monday, Wednesday, Friday Session I: June 6, 8, 10 Session II: July 18, 20, 22 One Week (members): $50; Second Week: $90 First week (non-members): $65.00; Second week: $120

Tuesday Night Jr Clinics: 5:30-7:30 p.m. May-August • $10/Jr. per night Sign-up on Tuesdays by 5 p.m. Contact: 770-471-4653

Douglasville • 678-391-1600 • 9090 Rose Ave, Douglasville, Ga • westpinesgc.com

Kinderlou Forest Golf Academy

Ages 8-14:

Kinderlou Forest Golf Club

June 7-10 • June 21-24 • 9 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Contact: Chris Cartwright, cartwrightc@douglasvillega.gov

229-834-1775 • Bob Burk June 14-17 • July 12-15 • August 2-5 Contact: 229-219-2300 ext. 1

top finisher among the Georgia girls in the field, tying for sixth at 5-over 185. Lauren Lightfritz, also of Suwanee, was 11th at 188. In the tournament at Coosa, Peachtree City’s Jackson Lawlor tied for ninth at 143, with Logan Perkins of Locust Grove T11 at 144. Elisa Yang of Norcross tied for fifth in the girls division at 147. In other recent AJGA tournaments: Luka Karaulic of Dacula tied for third in Frisco, Tex., at 144, two behind the winner. Karaulic was tied for the lead after an opening 70. Corey Chrzanowski of Suwanee placed sixth in an AJGA Preview event at Innisbrook in Palm Harbor, Fla, with Hannah Jones of Sandy Springs tying for sixth in the girls division. Evans

Copeland of Columbus shot a final round 69 to finish fifth in a Preview event in Ocala, Fla., three behind the winner. Atlanta’s Najae Butler tied for fourth among the girls, also three behind the winner.

For complete results of the GHSA state boys

and girls golf tourna-

ments this month, visit www.foregeorgia.com

FOREGEORGIA.COM

Echelon

[ Continued from page 16 ]

tance with the uphill second shot having to carry a ravine just short of a steep hill that requires you to carry the approach all the way to the green. The par-3 eighth is not especially long, but a pond at the base of a hill makes for another all-carry shot with a pair of bunkers behind the putting surface making for some dicey sand shots to a green that slopes toward the trouble. Any list of the state’s toughest holes will include the par-5 11th, which starts with a tee shot over a wetlands area that is not as intimidating as it looks like, providing you’re playing from the correct tees. The hole turns gently to the left before taking a sharp leftward turn after crossing a ravine well short of the green that is definitely in

Instruction

[ Continued from page 4 ]

looking at facilities and they’re not offering programs such as these, there’s a reason. If the facility wants Mommy and Daddy and believes that children are to be

FOREGEORGIA.COM

play for big hitters as well as the distance challenged. The bunker-less green sits at an angle for players approaching from the other side of the ravine, and is not an easy target to hit with the ravine uncomfortably close on the left. With the 500-yard gap between the main three sets of tees, making the correct choice should not be difficult except for those with an unrealistic view of their own ability. Echelon is a much more playable course than the numbers might attest, with plenty of scoring opportunities if you are reasonably accurate off the tee and can fit your approach shots between the greenside bunkers. The downhill nature of many of the holes will treat some run-up shots surprisingly favorably, with the lack of serious length on a number of holes from the blues and whites allowing for more short and mid-iron approaches than you

would expect. The changes in elevation provide gorgeous views along with memorable holes, the considerably downhill par-4 13th among them. The par-5 14th, however, is considerably uphill, and plays much longer than its seemingly friendly yardage, the opposite of the 13th and the par-3 15th, holes that are much longer on the scorecard than in actuality. The consistently interesting back nine includes a short but pesky par 4 (No. 12) and one of the more distinctive finishing holes you’ll encounter. The dogleg right par-4 18th has plenty of length and a very challenging second shot that has to avoid trees down the right side and a severe drop-off short that will claim any shot not well-judged and well-struck, with a narrow target nestled at an angle between the descending terrain and a sprawling back, left bunker.

For a course of its caliber, Echelon’s greens fees are quite reasonable, and many out-of-town visitors accustomed to higher costs at home have been pleasantly surprised by Echelon’s affordability. Echelon is relatively remote for those outside the North Fulton/south Cherokee area, and Peltz points out that “people are still discovering we’re here,” even though the club’s 10th anniversary is approaching. Both White Columns and Trophy Club of Atlanta are located nearby, with Echelon not quite as distant from other parts of the metro area as you might think. At any rate, the drive through rural North Fulton is a pleasant one, with the destination well worth the time it takes to get there. For information in Echelon, visit www.echelongolf.com or call 770-8884653.

seen and not heard, the golf staff is either understaffed or extremely lazy, or the leader of the operation talks the talk, but doesn’t walk the walk. Junior Golfers push one another to excel. Find a facility that has a lot of kids who love the game and a successful junior

golf program with a lot of programming targeted towards children if you want your child to grow, succeed and love the game of golf. This year at CCR we have four of our junior golfers moving on to play collegiate golf. JonErik Alford is going to play at Ohio

State, Amanda Doherty is going to play at Florida State, Madison Barnett is going to play at Wofford and Jordyn Sims is going to play at North Georgia. Congratulations to these Junior Golfers who definitely pushed one another, definitely had fun and definitely love golf.

M AY 2 0 1 6

Swing Thought Tour beginning Georgia Series

White, Garber among state’s mini-tour winners UGA

By Mike Blum

or the past 25-plus years, Georgia’s aspiring young playing pros have had multiple mini-tour options in the state and around the Southeast. From the T.C. Jordan Tour (which became the Hooters Tour) to the Hurricane Tour, the DP Tour, the eGolf Tour, the Peach State Tour and others long since forgotten, young tour pros throughout the Southeast have had plenty of options to hone their games before taking their shot at what is now the Web.com Tour, and eventually the PGA Tour. Most of the state’s current and recent PGA Tour members developed their skills on at least one of the above tours. From veterans like Zach Johnson, Bubba Watson, Stewart Cink, Vaughn Taylor and Jason Bohn, to former tour players Dave Schreyer, Franklin Langham, Matt Peterson, Paul Claxton and Justin Bolli, to more recent pros like Brendon Todd, Roberto Castro, Kevin Kisner, Brian Harman and Scott Brown, those tours – the Hooters Tour in particular – gave the region’s promising young pros a place to experience life as a tour player before moving up to the major leagues. In recent years, however, those options have dwindled. The two Southeast minitour mainstays – the Hooters and eGolf Tours, were both absorbed into a new entity known as the Swing Thought Tour, which is still struggling to provide the number of opportunities and purses that were available when the Hooters and eGolf Tours were viable operations. The Georgia-based Peach State tour provided a bridge from college golf to the

James White

GEORGIA TECH

2 0 1 6 M AY

more popular mini-tours, but encountered financial problems a few years back and went out of business. The PGA Tour has expanded its presence into golf’s minor leagues the past few years, creating the LatinoAmerica Tour and taking over the Canadian Tour, but neither is as convenient an option as the regional mini-tours that attracted large numbers of young Georgia pros. Tim Savannah native O’Neal and Atlanta resident Drew Weaver have enjoyed recent success on those two tours, but only a relative handful of players from Georgia have ventured north or south of the U.S. border in pursuit of their golfing goals. The Swing Thought Tour has the largest share of the state’s mini-tour players, and is introducing a Georgia Series of tournaments beginning in May to go along with its National Pro Series, which is largely a scaled-down combination of the former Hooters and eGolf Tours. The National Pro Series began its 2016 schedule at Kinderlou Forest in Valdosta, and includes July tournaments at Grand Island in Albany and Sapelo Hammock on the Georgia coast, along with two South Carolina stops in the Augusta area that have long histories with the Hooters Tour. The Swing Thought Tour held three events early in the year along the Georgia coast, and has scheduled 10 tournaments in the Georgia Pro Series beginning this month, with one of the 10 in Alabama. The Georgia Pro Series schedule begins at Governor’s Towne Club May 12-13 and includes stops at Bartram Trail (May 2223), Chattahoochee GC (May 31-June 1), Callaway Gardens (June 29-30), Bear’s Best (August 2-3), Eagle’s Landing (August 30-31), a second Callaway Gardens stop (Sept. 13-15), Brunswick CC (Sept. 27-28) and Crooked Creek (Nov. 1-3), which has reclaimed its original name after changing to Alpharetta Athletic Club East. Georgia golfers won two of the three early-season tournaments played on the coast, beginning with St. Simon’ Trey Mullinax, who won the 2016 season opener at Brunswick CC before he began play on the Web.com Tour.

Joey Garber

Mullinax shot 9-under 133 (67-66), scoring birdies on four of his last six holes including 16, 17 and 18 to finish two ahead of recent UGA golfer Joey Garber (67-68—135). Fellow exBulldog Keith Mitchell, like Mullinax a 2016 Web.com member, tied for third at 136 (66-70), with St. Simons’ Scott Wolfes sixth at 138 (66-72) and Athens’ Dylan Freeman T7 at 139. Warner Robins native Chris Wolfe won by four shots at Sapelo Hammock, shooting 68-68—136, with Evans’ Chip Deason second at 140. Tying for third at 141 were Freeman, recent UGA golfer Michael Cromie and Savannah’s Drew Aimone, who shot a final round 66. Wolfe led by one shot after 18 holes and pulled away on the front nine the next day, shooting 6-under 30. Like Mullinax the week before, Wolfe took home $5,000 for his victory. Wolfes shot 66-70—136 the next week at Sanctuary Cove in Brunswick, but finished six behind the winner. Deason and Aimone tied for third at 137 along with Forsyth’s Jay McLuen, Eatonton’s Trey Rule and Ringgold’s Hunter Cornelius, who played on Georgia Coastal’s NAIA Championship team with Freeman. Former Georgia Tech golfer James White of Acworth won the National Pro Series event at Kinderlou Forest, shooting 9-under 279 at the former

Web.com Tour tournament site. White led by six shots after 54 holes with scores of 70-69-66 and wound up winning by three after a final round 74, taking home $16,500 for his victory. Fellow ex-Yellow Jacket Seth Reeves of Suwanee tied for third at 283, opening with a 68 and closing with a 69. Duluth’s Brent Witcher, who played his college golf at Valdosta State, was seventh at 284, with Roswell’s Bryan Fox eighth at 285. Cornelius shot a final round 67 to finish 11th at 287, and Wolfes matched par of 288 to tie for 12th. Garber won the next National Pro Series event in Texarkana, Tex., by a whopping 10 shots, shooting 19-under 265 with scores of 62-65-70-68 to take home $16,500. Former UGA teammate T.J. Mitchell of Albany tied for 10th at 283. At Amelia Island, Fla., Rule finished third at 13-under 203, one shot out of a playoff. The recent Mercer golfer and 2014 Dogwood Invitational champion posted scores of 71-64-68, with a bogey on the 17th hole in the third round keeping him out of the playoff. Cromie shot 69-69-67 and tied for fourth at 205. Augusta’s Dykes Harbin, who played his college golf at South Carolina, tied for eighth at 206 after opening with scores of 69-66. Reeves closed a 66 to tie for 12th with Garber at 207.

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