Volvik bringing personality to golf

GOLFFOREGEORGIA.COM
«
«
GEORGIAPGA.COM
JULY 2013
Volvik bringing personality to golf
Color balls making big splash in market
By Mike Blum
right colors have long been
associated with golf, with the
advent of color television
bringing the verdant green of
Augusta National and the pastels of
Georgia native Doug Sanders into the
homes of golf fans across the country.
Modern golf fans have become
accustomed to Bubba Watson’s pink
driver, Rickie Fowler’s orange outfits
and Ian Poulter’s blue shoes. But
after a brief splash in the 1980s
when orange golf balls enjoyed their
15 minutes of modest visibility,
the golf ball has overwhelmingly
remained white.
B
The lone high profile exception was
the pink golf ball of Paula Creamer, an
aspect of her “Pink Panther” persona
that is more about branding her and not
promoting a particular product.
In recent months, however, regular
viewers of LPGA tournaments on Golf
Channel have noticed a growing number
of tour members playing balls of
various colors, mostly orange and
yellow with the occasional pink and
even a green or two.
The company behind the expansion of
color golf balls on the LPGA Tour is
Volvik, which is hoping to repeat the
success in the U.S. that it has enjoyed in
Asian markets.
Volvik is making a big push to bring
some color to the U.S. golf ball
market, and its initial efforts have
been promising.
The company has been manufacturing
golf balls for 30 years, but was not introduced to the American market until this
year’s PGA Merchandise Show. Thanks
to the success of its color balls, Volvik
has risen to second in sales in Korea and
fourth in Japan.
Volvik has 37 international golf ball
patents, many of them stemming from
its new Vista iV, a 4-piece dual core ball
with a soft outer layer and hard inner
core that has made Volvik a player in the
high-performance ball market.
The visibility of Volvik has been raised
by ads on Golf Channel, but the company is also making an impact at the
state and local level with its
involvement with tournaments like the Georgia
Women’s Open. Volvik has
signed on as title sponsor of
the 2013 event, which will be
played this month at Roswell’s
Brookfield Country Club.
The recent impact Volvik
has had on the golf ball market
goes beyond the distinctive
colors that have become
increasingly popular on the
LPGA Tour.
“We are making golf balls fun
and bringing personality back to
the golf ball.” Volvik National
[ See Volvik, page 6 ]
Volvik player Erik Flores
Like Us
on Facebook
Follow Us
on Twitter
@GolfFOREGeorgia
Expand Your Horizons...
Earn Your Associate of Science in
Golf Management in as Little as 14 Months
graduates for a full range of positions in the golf industry. Students acquire knowledge and skills in topics such as
golf instruction, golf course operations, golf club fitting and repair, tournament operations, retail management and
an opportunity to practice new skills in a real world environment.
Keiser University Advantage
t YoucancountonKeiserUniversitytohelpyouinyourtransitionfromschoollifetoyournewcareer.
OurDepartmentofStudentServiceswillsupportyouinyourjobsearchwithhelpfulservicesincluding
counseling,interviewtechniquesandresumeandcoverletterwriting.
t KeiserUniversityisaccreditedbytheCommissiononCollegesoftheSouthernAssociationofColleges
anddegreesattheassociate,baccalaureate,masters,anddoctorallevels.
andSchoolstoaward
ContacttheCommissiononCollegesat
1866SouthernLane,Decatur,GA30033or
call404-679-4500forquestionsaboutthe
accreditationofKeiserUniversity.
t Classesstartapproximatelyevery8weeks.
t FinancialAidisavailableforthosewhoqualify.
t Smallclasssizesprovidesindividualfocused
attentionandinteraction.
t Newscholarshipopportunitiesforcurrent
ClassAPGAandClassA&BLPGAmembers
andtheirimmediatefamilies.
Call to speak to an Admissions Counselor Today
888-355-4465 or 772-446-8361
www.collegeofgolf.com
2
GOLFFOREGEORGIA.COM
J U LY 2 0 1 3
I T A LLLL C
CO
OMES DOWN T
TO
O AT
AT L A N T
TA
A
OW ON SAL
E
T
TICKETS
ICKETS N
NOW
SALE
AT P
GATOUR.COM/T TC
AT
PGATOUR.COM/TTC
SEPTEMBER
SEPTEMBE R 18-22, 2013
201 3
EAST
E A ST LAKE
L AKE GOLF
GOLF CLUB
CLUB | ATLANTA,
AT
TL ANT
TA
A, G
GA
A
YOUTH
Y O U T H 18 AND YOUNGER
Y O U N G E R FREE
F R EE WITH
WIT H TICKETED
T IC K ETED ADULT
AD U LT
COMPLIMENTS
TS OF SOUTHERN
COMPANY
MP
PAN
A Y
COMP L IMENT
S OUTHER N C
OMP
2 0 1 3 J U LY
GOLFFOREGEORGIA.COM
3
Instruction Fore You
3021 Kalah Place, Marietta, GA 30067
770-933-04GA / 770-953-6638 fax
golfforegeorgia.com / [email protected]
Send all press releases to: [email protected]
What is a “Flat” wrist?
By Ted Fort
PGA Director of Instruction
Marietta Golf Center
Early in my golf career, I was
told that my left wrist should
be flat at the top of the swing.
In other words, the back of the
left hand should be in line
with the left forearm. It’s not
bad advice, but I was not
given a grip that would allow
it. If all strokes required a flat
wrist at the top, then Fred
Couples would be a hacker. Most of us
would agree that he can play a little. And, if
you are using a video phone, an ipad, or a
camera to fix your own swing, it’s important to know the differences.
I’m going to use a series of pictures to
help you to find the proper picture for your
top, based on the grip type that you use.
My focus will be on the way the left wrist
works. Everyone should agree that an angle
is created between the left arm and the
club to create potential energy. We call this
the cocking of the wrist. For the right
handed golfer, it’s the same as holding a
hammer in the left hand, in front of your
u Vertical hand
body, and creating a vertical motion to
drive a nail. Therefore, the way that you
hold the hammer will affect the way the
wrist cocks. The pictures are
from the golfer’s perspective.
And, for you to have a better
understanding, I’d like for you
to try each of these grip
types instead of only using
your grip.
The first grip type is what we
would call vertical. Some may
call it neutral or a one knuckle
grip, because only the first knuckle is visible
by the golfer. This should be the only grip
type that results in the visually flat wrist at
the top. When the hammer moves vertically, away from the nail, the left wrist
remains flat.
u Vertical hand
= Flat wrist at top
The second grip type would be a left hand
that’s slightly turned to the right. With this
grip the golfer may be able to see the
second knuckle of the hand. If the hammer
is moved in the same vertical manner, there
will be a slight bend in the left wrist.
v Slightly turned hand
PUBLISHER
v Slightly turned hand
= Slight bend in the wrist at top
The final grip type would be a left hand that
has the palm facing down or extremely
turned to the right. With this grip, the golfer
could see 3 or 4 knuckles. Using the
hammer to drive the same nail would cause
considerable bend in the left wrist.
w Extremely turned hand =
Extremely bent wrist at top
I have great golfers as students that use
each of these grip types. So, using any of
these would be a preference, not a requirement. But, when you choose a grip, you
need to know the matching position at top.
If you don’t know which pictures are compatible, you may miss the golf course
instead of missing the fairway. By holding
a club or wooden dowel in front of
you and moving it up and down like
hammering a nail, you’ll be able to see
the change in the wrist. Then, if you
have any questions, feel free to contact
me at [email protected] or at
fortifiedgolf.com.
w Extremely turned hand
Golf Media, Inc. / John Barrett
E D I T O R Mike Blum
W E B S I T E / FA C E B O O K / S O C I A L M E D I A
HYPDMedia, Inc. / Ellen Marsau
S O C I A L M E D I A S E R V I C E & CO N T E N T
Alli Hunt / Ellen Marsau
JUNIOR / COLLEGE GOLF NEWS COORDINATOR
Lauren Freeman
SPECIAL PROJECTS COORDINATOR
Abby Bergquist
MARKETING & ADVERTISING
National Sales: Ed Bowen/Bowen Group,
[email protected]
Local & Corporate Sale: John Barrett/Rick Holt,
[email protected]
A R T D I R E C T O R Lori Montgomery
C R E AT I V E S E R V I C E S Catalina Montana
CONTRIBUTORS
Ted Fort • Robert Matre • Steve Dinberg
• Ed C. Thompson Photography
GEORGIA SECTION,
PGA OF AMERICA OFFICERS
President
Brian Stubbs, PGA / [email protected]
Vice President
Mark Mongell, PGA / [email protected]
Secretary
Brian Albertson, PGA / [email protected]
Honorary President
Patrick Richardson, PGA / [email protected]
CHAPTER PRESIDENTS
Central Chapter President
Mike Baker, PGA, [email protected]
East Chapter President
Josh Williams, PGA / [email protected]
North Chapter President
Jeff Fraiser, PGA / [email protected]
AT - L A R G E D I R E C T O R S
Jeff Dunovant, PGA
[email protected]
Matthew Evans, PGA
[email protected]
John Godwin, PGA
[email protected]
Billy Jack, PGA
[email protected]
Chad O’Dell, PGA
[email protected]
Bob Stevenson, PGA
[email protected]
Darin Stinson, PGA
[email protected]
SENIOR DIVISION
President
Steve Barfoot, PGA / [email protected]
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
Forecast
A S S I S TA N T S ’ D I V I S I O N
FEATURES:
DEPARTMENTS:
DEPARTMENTS:
Georgia
Open preview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8
TK
Course feature: Lake Spivey . . . . . . . . 16
Travel spotlight: Steelwood CC . . . . . 24
Golf FORE Juniors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Chip Shots . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Course reviews:
Monroe G&CC; CC of Roswell . . . . . . . 30
Atlanta Open wrap-up . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10
Skinner qualifies for PGA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12
July tournament previews . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14
English a winner in Memphis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20
Parel nearing PGA Tour . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22
TK
4
GOLFFOREGEORGIA.COM
President
Bill Fedder, PGA / [email protected]
Executive Director Mike Paull
Assistant Executive Director/
Junior Golf Director Scott Gordon
Tournament Director Pat Day, PGA
Operations Manager Eric Wagner
Section Assistant Carrie Ann Byrne
FOREGeorgia is produced by Golf Media, Inc.
Copyright ©2013 with all rights reserved.
Reproduction or use, without permission,
of editorial or graphic content is prohibited.
Georgia PGA web site: www.georgiapga.com.
Got the Winter Blues?
GET BACK INTO
THE SWING
OF THINGS
AT BRIDGEMILL!
So what are you waiting for?
BridgeMill Athletic Club is located off
I-575 at Sixes Road. The drive is 30
minutes or less from most places near or
above the northern I-285 Perimeter.
1190 BridgeMill Avenue
Canton, GA 30114
770.345.5500
BOOK ONLINE ANY TIME
WITH NO BOOKING FEES AT
www.bridgemillathleticclub.com
BRIDGEMILL ATHLETIC CLUB
2 0 1 3 J U LY
GOLFFOREGEORGIA.COM
5
“Color is the future of golf and
we are at the forefront of the
color revolution” —Jon Claffey, Volvik
Pornanong
Phatlum
Volvik color balls
making big splash
[ Continued from the cover ]
Director of Sales and Marketing Jon
Claffey says. “But we are doing it a little
differently in that the balls we make are
very high quality.
“We manufacture our balls differently
and we spend more money on our materials. We do this to make sure we have
top-shelf performance. There’s no way
we could have 20 LPGA players using
our colorful balls if we didn’t have one of
the best out there.”
Among the players competing with
Volvik color balls is Ilhee Lee, who won
the LPGA’s recent tournament in the
Bahamas. Lee, Pornanong Phatlum and
Chella Choi are all ranked among the
top 25 on the money list, with four
others (Jee Young Lee, Lindsey Wright,
Jeong Jang and Meena Lee) among the
top 70.
“If you feel like been you’ve seeing
Volvik all over the LPGA Tour coverage,
you are not mistaken.” Claffey says. “We
have been very fortunate to have our staff
players performing extremely well this
year with our highly visible golf balls.
Every week it seems to be someone different stepping into the limelight.”
Volvik is looking to expand its tour
reach beyond the LPGA. Web.com Tour
member Erik Flores, a three-time AllAmerican at UCLA, is playing the
Orange Vista iV four-piece ball. Flores
recorded a top 20 finish in the Web.com
tournament in Greenville, S.C., and
scored a hole-in-one in the tour’s recent
stop in Raleigh, N.C., carding a 65 for
the day.
The plan for Volvik is to have three to
five Web.com Tour staffers by next year.
“We are here to break two misconceptions,” Claffey points out. “One is that
color golf balls are not high performance.
We have three-piece and four-piece golf
balls that have beaten the best of the best
in distance and spin time and time again
in independent Iron Byron tests.
“The number two misconception is
that the color golf balls are only for
women. Color is the future of golf
and we are at the forefront of the color
revolution.”
Volvik’s collection of color balls
includes four that each serve a different
group.
The new four-piece Vista iV features a
soft feel and longer distance with its
patented dual core with a soft outer layer
and hard inner core. The 95compression ball has an excellent putting
feel and optimal spin rates. The Vista iV
is Volvik’s premier ball.
The Volvik Crystal is a premium level
three-piece ball with an 80 compression
and is designed for golfers with swing
speeds between 60 and 95 mph. It is the
evolution of the original Crystal ball that
revolutionized the color golf ball market,
providing distance with a hyper soft feel.
The Volvik Lady 350 is a high performance, premium level three-piece ball
designed for female golfers seeking
longer distance and a soft feel. The 80
compression ball with light weight feel
enables women to play more accurately
with greater spin control.
The Volvik Pro Bismuth is a premium
level, three-piece ball designed for
advanced golfers with higher swing
speeds, with its design and materials
providing explosive distance. Unlike
Volvik’s other balls, the Bismuth is available in white.
Claffey stresses that Volvik offers more
than just a colorful product.
“Performance is leading the way.
That’s what you need to do in this
market,” he says. “We feel we have something entirely different, regardless of
color. We make the golf ball a little
differently.
“Everybody else has a soft inner core
and a harder outer core. But our harder
inner core has a better energy transfer,
and the very soft cover is what allows us
to have different colors.”
The most popular of the bright Volvik
colors are orange and yellow, followed by
green and pink. Volvik’s green offers sufficient contrast with golf ’s playing
surfaces to keep it from blending into
fairways or putting surfaces.
In addition to the bringing a little
more personality to the game, Volvik’s
color balls have the advantage of offering
better visibility while in flight for those
who have difficulty following the ball
once it is hit.
After the brief splash of orange balls in
the 1980s, color was almost totally
absent from the golf ball business until
Volvik’s recent surge, which has been
aided by its sizeable roster of professional
players using the ball on tour.
“We’ve seen an absolute market shift,”
Claffey says. “With all the different competitors in tournaments, we have the
color ball showing up on the LPGA
Tour. The average golfer thinks, ‘If the
pros do it, I can do it’.”
Claffey believes color is the wave of the
future in golf, not just in golf balls.
“Color has been a part of golf, and the
younger generation is more open to it.
“This is a long term proposition, and
we’re not going anywhere. We’re here for
the long term.”
Volvik is doing more than just promoting its product through nationally
televised broadcasts. The company will
have a presence at the Georgia Women’s
Open in an effort to introduce its color
balls to those playing in the tournament,
as well as those who are there to support
a friend or family member, or simply as
a spectator.
Visit www.volvik.com.
Jeong Jang
6
GOLFFOREGEORGIA.COM
Lindsey Wright
Pornanong Phatlum
J U LY 2 0 1 3
MEMBERSHIP
at its best
Call today for special
membership offerings
Atlanta’s Best Venue
for Golf Events
770.966.5353
4200 Governors Towne Drive, Acworth, Georgia 30101
www.governorstowneclub.com
2 0 1 3 J U LY
GOLFFOREGEORGIA.COM
7
Georgia Open back at Legends at Chateau Elan
State’s mini-tour players look to continue success
By Mike Blum
he Georgia Open returns to
the Legends at Chateau Elan
for a second straight year,
with the tournament undergoing a slight change in its playing dates.
The tournament has traditionally been
played in a standard Thursday to Sunday
schedule, with a pro-am on Wednesday.
To better accommodate members of the
T
GEORIGA OPEN
Preview
GEORGIA PGA
Jonathan Fricke
Georgia PGA, the tournament will be
played Monday to Thursday this year,
with the pro-am set for Sunday. The
tournament dates are July 29-August 1.
For the first time, the tournament is
being sponsored by Tilted Kilt Pub
& Eatery, which has six locations in
metro Atlanta.
The Georgia Open annually attracts a
diverse field, with mini-tour pros and
amateurs joining Georgia PGA members
and apprentices.
Since Stephen Keppler won back-toback tournaments at Lake Oconee
courses in 1994 and ‘95, current or
recent tour players have won the Georgia
Open 15 of the last 17 years. The only
exceptions were Georgia PGA members
Tim Weinhart, who won at the Legends
in 2004, and Jeff Hull, currently in the
Carolinas PGA Section, who won at
Champions Retreat in ‘07.
In both cases, Weinhart and Hull
edged out players currently competing
8
GOLFFOREGEORGIA.COM
on the PGA Tour. Weinhart finished one
shot ahead of Kris Blanks, at the time an
assistant pro at The Landings in
Savannah, with Hull also winning by one
stroke in ‘07 over Luke List, now a PGA
Tour rookie.
Jonathan Fricke, who plays primarily
on the North Carolina-based eGolf Tour,
is the defending champion, winning at
the Legends last year by one shot over
recent Kennesaw State standout Matt
Nagy, who completed his college career
shortly before the 2012 Georgia Open.
Last year’s tournament was the
most closely-contested Georgia
Open since Hull won by a shot over
List in 2007. Veteran mini-tour player
Jay McLuen scored a decisive 7-stroke
victory at Barnsley Gardens in 2011,
with Samuel Del Val winning by four
over Tim O’Neal at Savannah Harbor
in 2010.
Both Del Val, who had recently concluded his college career at Berry in
Rome, and O’Neal, a former Nationwide
Tour member and Georgia Amateur
champion, are playing on the fledgling
PGA Latinoamerica Tour, with O’Neal
winning recently in Colombia. Del Val
was 4th last year at the Legends and
McLuen tied for 6th. McLuen had three
straight finishes of 4th or better in the
tournament from 2006-08 before winning in ‘11.
McLuen is 2nd on the Georgia-based
Hopkins Golf Peach State Tour money
list behind fellow Georgia resident Wade
Binfield. The Peach State Tour is off the
week of the Georgia Open.
The most prominent player to win the
Georgia Open in recent years is current
PGA Tour member Roberto Castro. He
won by two shots in ‘09 at Barnsley
Gardens, one year after finishing 2nd at
the same site, five behind former
Nationwide Tour player Bryant Odom,
now an assistant golf coach at Wisconsin.
Castro is one of two players currently
on the PGA Tour to have won the
Georgia Open in the past decade. Justin
Bolli, like Castro a mini-tour player at
the time, won in a playoff at Ansley Golf
Club’s Settindown Creek in ‘03, with
Weinhart part of a three-way playoff.
Weinhart came back the next year to
win at The Legends. But other than
Hull’s win at Champions Retreat in ‘07,
Georgia PGA members have rarely contended in the event since then.
Hull, making his final appearance in
the state before joining former UGA
women’s coach Kelly Hester on the staff
at Furman, was low among Section
members last year, tying for 11th.
Keppler, Clark Spratlin and Bill
Murchison tied for 6th at Barnsley
Gardens in 2011, with Hull and Shawn
Koch 7th at Savannah Harbor the previous year. Craig Stevens was 5th and
Matt Peterson 7th at Barnsley Gardens
in ‘09, with Murchison 5th at Barnsley
the year before.
Peterson, the head pro at the UGA
course in Athens, won the tournament in
Savannah in ‘93 on his way to more than
a decade as a tour player, primarily on
what is now the Web.com Tour, along
with one year on the PGA Tour.
The state’s mini-tour players face conflicts with the Georgia Open, as both the
eGolf and NGA (formerly Hooters)
Tours have events that week in North
Carolina. The state’s top amateurs also
have a conflict, as one of the two U.S.
Amateur qualifiers in the Atlanta and
Athens areas will be played the week of
the Georgia Open. There are also conflicts for the state’s top juniors, with an
American Junior Golf Association scheduled that week in Augusta and the
Southeastern Junior Tour playing at
Atlanta Athletic Club.
Although there have been some strong
efforts in recent years in the Georgia
Open by amateurs, the tournament has
not attracted many of the top college and
mid-amateur players due to its proximity
to U.S. Amateur qualifiers.
John Hopper of Eatonton was low
amateur last year, tying for 6th overall,
with Dalton’s David Noll, the state’s
most successful amateur, tying for 8th.
College golfer Ted Moon tied for 2nd in
2011 behind McLuen, with Doug
Hanzel, Georgia’s top senior amateur,
tying for 4th in his home town of
Savannah in 2010. Noll made a strong
run at victory in ‘07, placing 3rd behind
Hull and List
The last amateur to win the Georgia
Open was former PGA Tour player
Franklin Langham, who scored the first
of his two victories in the event in 1989,
one year after fellow amateur DeWitt
Weaver III claimed the title.
Weaver’s father, DeWitt Weaver Jr.,
won the Georgia Open four times
between 1972 and ‘79, and was one of a
number of PGA Tour players to win
during the 1970s and ‘80s, joining
Tommy Aaron, Larry Nelson, Tim
Simpson and Gene Sauers. Bob Tway
was also among the Georgia Open champions during that stretch, sharing the
title with Simpson in 1980 prior to
turning pro.
This will be the fourth time in the last
10 years that the tournament has been
played at the Legends, which hosted the
Sarazen World Open in the 1990s and
included Ernie Els, Frank Nobilo
and Mark Calcavecchia among
its champions.
Weinhart and former tour player Tim
Conley were the 2004 and ‘05 winners,
with Conley posting a winning score of
15-under 273. Among the Georgia PGA
members joining Weinhart in the top 10
in ‘04 were Keppler, Russ Davis, Stevens
and Chan Reeves. Bill McDonald, now
the golf coach at South Carolina, was 4th
the next year, with Tommy Brannen,
Sonny Skinner and Stevens also among
the top 10.
No Section members managed top-10
showings last year, when just three
players broke par for 72 holes. Fricke
shot 5-under 283 to finish one ahead of
Nagy. Fricke recorded two birdies and a
clutch par over the final four holes to
hold off Nagy, who also had a pair of
birdies late in the round.
The Legends opened in the early
1990s to considerable fanfare, with its
Denis Griffiths design including holes
that featured strategic similarities from
holes at some of the most prominent
courses in the world, including the
Olympic Club, Medinah, Winged Foot,
Merion, Pinehurst, St. Andrews, Troon,
Riviera and Nos. 12 and 13 from
Augusta National, the latter two the
most visible examples. The holes are not
copies of their famous counterparts
(Augusta’s 12th is the closest to replicating the original), but feature
comparable shot values.
The change from bent grass to
Champions Bermuda on the greens has
made the Legends more of a test for the
Georgia Open participants, with the putting surfaces firm and fast, challenging
both iron play and putting touch.
At right around 7,000 yards, the
Legends lacks serious length, but features
[ See Georgia Open, page 18 ]
J U LY 2 0 1 3
, , %, #, , #! ,
(,)*,)(*,),"#,)(,',)*,
)',)(*,"#,%#&,)',)(*,% #&(#
,
,
,
,
,
,+,*)('&%,$#*,")'!
,,*)('&%,$#*,")'!
,,*)('&,$#*,")'!
*!,'(&#&
'"!#&,(%#,),! #,$*!#,*#
,&%)('!,)',$*!#,),'%!*(!)',
'&,),"#* '&%#
,&,&'#&,!##,!"#,))'
*##,##,'%
""! !!
2 0 1 3 J U LY
GOLFFOREGEORGIA.COM
9
Amateur Griffin wins Atlanta Open playoff
Keppler falls just short of first title in event
By Mike Blum
he Yamaha Atlanta Open
has had a wide variety of
champions in recent years,
but one category missing was
college golfers.
The tournament title has also eluded
some of the Georgia PGA’s most prominent names, and perhaps the most
successful member on that distinguished
list was in position to finally end his
long quest.
Marietta CC Director of Golf
Stephen Keppler, who has won the
other three of the Georgia PGA’s four
majors a total of eight times, was on the
verge of his first Atlanta Open victory
when one of the state’s sizeable stable
of promising young college golfers
intervened.
McDonough’s Cory Griffin, who
plays on the golf team at Armstrong
Atlantic in Savannah, birdied the 17th
hole of the rain-shortened 18-hole tournament to force a playoff with Keppler,
who bogeyed the first extra hole to
quickly dash his hopes of achieving the
Georgia PGA Grand Slam.
Keppler, who had one of the earlier
morning tee times, shot a 4-under 68 at
Polo G&CC and waited for hours to see
if his score would hold up.
For most of the afternoon, it appeared
it would. Several players came close but
no one could match Keppler’s score until
Griffin emerged late in the day as the last
challenger to Keppler’s lead.
Griffin reached the dangerous par-5
17th in two and made birdie to get to
4-under, then scrambled for par at the
18th after coming up well short of the
green following a tee shot into a fairway
bunker. A superb pitch shot left him just
a tap-in for par, and Griffin followed
with a solid par on Polo’s difficult ninth
hole to win when Keppler missed the
green with his approach, came up short
with his pitch shot and missed his
par attempt.
Griffin enjoyed some success several
years ago on the Georgia PGA Junior
T
n
en champio
Atlanta Op
in
ff
ri
G
ry
Co
Tour, winning consecutive events during
his senior year in high school. He was
one of Armstrong’s top players as a sophomore, placing 3rd in the Peach Belt
Conference Tournament, and was
coming off a strong effort in a Georgia
Amateur qualifier, sharing medalist
honors at Orchard Hills.
But Griffin was largely unknown to
most of the Georgia PGA contingent in
the field, just as his playoff opponent was
unfamiliar to him.
Keppler, one of the state’s highest profile club professionals for the past
20-plus years, will be inducted into the
Georgia Golf Hall of Fame early next
year. But until they were introduced on
the ninth tee for the playoff, Griffin had
never met Keppler and was unaware of
his long list of accomplishments in
Georgia golf.
When Griffin learned a little about the
player he defeated in the playoff, he
smiled and said it was probably a good
thing that he didn’t know who he was
matched against. But he showed no sign
of nerves either on the closing holes of
his round or in the playoff.
A clutch save at the tough par-4 16th
kept him at 3-under, and after playing
conservatively on the first three par 5s,
all shorter than the 17th, he elected to go
Bad break Craig Stevens was 5-under when the
first round of the Atlanta Open was washed out.
He shot 71 the next day and tied for ninth.
10
GOLFFOREGEORGIA.COM
Stephen
Keppler
for the green in two and the birdie pulled
him even with Keppler.
When Griffin teed off, his main focus
was to finish as low amateur. Two amateurs in the morning wave shot 69, and
that was Griffin’s target. When he birdied
the 17th, he thought that was for the lead,
but as it turned out, he needed his upand-down par at the 18th to match
Keppler for the day’s low score.
“This means the world to me,” Griffin
said of his victory, “to have my name on
the same trophy as Bobby Jones and
Dave Womack.”
Jones won the Atlanta Open in 1928,
with Womack, a former USGA MidAmateur champion and a member at the
same club as Griffin (Georgia National),
the most recent amateur to win the
tournament.
Womack’s victory came in 2010, and
continued the recent pattern of amateurs
winning every three years. Bob Royak, at
the time one of the state’s top mid-amateurs, won in 2007, with Womack
winning the event on his home course
three years later.
College golfers won the Atlanta Open
three times between 1987 and ‘96, with
all three (Jon Hough, Kevin Blanton and
Matt Russell) winning the event again as
professionals. But Russell’s win in ‘96 was
the last for a college player until Griffin’s
recent triumph.
With the tournament reduced to 18
holes, Griffin said he “wanted to make as
many birdies as possible and don’t make
any big numbers. There were three or four
birdies I should have converted, but other
than the shot at 16, I played well.”
The key stretch for Griffin came in the
middle of his round, as he scored birdies
on three of the more vulnerable holes at
Polo G&CC (7, 8 and 10) around a
bogey at the ninth, when he said he
“breathed” on a lightning fast putt down
the slope from the fringe and watched it
trickle 10 feet past the cup.
In the playoff, Griffin wisely kept his
approach shot below the hole, and lagged
his birdie try close enough for an easy par,
while Keppler left himself a longer par
attempt than he would have preferred.
Keppler capitalized on a “Mulligan” of
sorts, as he was one of the players in the
morning wave who had his partial score
from the first scheduled round washed
away by heavy rain that rendered the
course unplayable for the rest of the day.
When play was halted, Keppler was
4-over par, with 2011 Atlanta Open
champion Craig Stevens, an instructor at
Brookstone CC, leading at 5-under. But
with no chance to complete 36 holes, all
partial scores from the scheduled first day
were erased, with the tournament reduced
to 18 holes.
Early morning rain delayed the start of
play the next day, but the sun soon came
out, and the field was able to complete 18
holes uninterrupted.
Keppler was 4-under after 13 holes
before taking his lone bogey of the day at
the par-5 17th. He followed with a birdie
at 18 for his 68. It was the second time
Keppler placed 2nd in the Atlanta Open
to an amateur, the first coming 20 years
ago. It was his third straight top-5 finish
in the tournament, all coming since he
turned 50.
As the low club professional, Keppler
took home first place money of $3,600
and was also awarded first place points
in the Georgia PGA Player of the
Year standings.
Tying for 3rd at 69 were Hank Smith,
an assistant at Frederica GC on St. Simons
Island, Georgia State golfer Damon
Stephenson and Georgia State signee
Nathan Mallonee of Lexington. After
starting his round with a double bogey on
the 10th hole, Mallonee birdied his next
three holes and got to 3-under after 11,
but parred his last seven holes.
Four players tied for 6th at 70,
including Polo G&CC Director of
Instruction Steven Mitchell and Sea
[ See Atlanta Open, page 18 ]
J U LY 2 0 1 3
.-,+*)('&+%$#"+'!,--#+',$'
'
'
' ' "'#%$'."*#'*%',%+
'
'
' '
'''''$'+%$#"+,--#+
' '
'' '
'
'''&'
' '
'
'
''
' ' '
'
(
(
(
(
(
(
(
(
(
( (
(
( (
(
(
(
(
(
(
(
(
(
(
(
( (
(
''''&+%$#"+!,--#+
'' ''
!
!
!
2 0 1 3 J U LY
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
! !
(
(
( (
(
(
(
(
(
(
(
(
(
(
(
(
(
(
(
(
(
(
(
(
(
(
(
(
(
(
( (
(
(
(
(
!
!
GOLFFOREGEORGIA.COM
11
Skinner scores top-10 finish in PNC
Earns berth in 2013 PGA
T
Skinner birdied the 18th hole in the
third round to stay in the top 10 after 54
holes, and clinched his spot in the PGA
Championship with a birdie at the long,
par-3 17th the final day. He finished at
1-under 286 in a 5-way tie for 9th.
During his career as a tour player,
which included four seasons on the PGA
Tour, Skinner never qualified for a major
championship, but will be making
his third start in the PGA next month
since becoming a Georgia PGA member
in ‘08.
Murchison was in position to get into
a playoff for the final three spots in the
PGA Championship, but a bogey at the
17th knocked him out, Murchison finished at 2-over 289, shooting 75-73 the
final two days. He qualified for the PGA
Championship last year, getting a spot in
the PNC field as an alternate after
Skinner withdrew to compete in a
Champions Tour event.
A second round 70 on the Meadows
course gave Murchison a 2-under 141
total after 36 holes and a spot in the top
20. He struggled on the front nine in the
third round before a spectacular finish
put him back in contention. Murchison
played his final five holes birdie-birdiebirdie-eagle, making 2 on the par-4 18th
when his approach shot one-hopped into
the hole.
Murchison was 1-under after seven
holes the final day before taking a double
bogey on the par-4 eighth.
Weinhart was hoping to qualify for the
PGA Championship in the city where he
was born and still has a strong family
connection, but was
never inside the top 30
after any round. He shot
71-73-74-77 for an 8-over
295 total. Weinhart was
either under par or even
pat late on the front nine in
each of his last three
rounds, but suffered a
double bogey on the back
nine all four days to cost him
a chance of a top-20 finish
and a sixth career start in the
PGA Championship.
Tommy Brannen, the head
professional at Augusta CC,
and Brian Dixon of Fox Creek
both missed the 36-hole cut by
ner
Sonny Skin
one shot, posting 146 totals
over the first two days.
Brannen shot 72-74 and was
inside the cut line before a pair of bogeys par on his round the first day after backon the back nine the second day. Dixon, to-back birdies at 15 and 16, but made a
making his first start in the PNC, scored triple on the 18th on Meadows. He was
an eagle on the Meadows course in a first 1-under after eight holes on Crosswater,
round 74, and shot 1-over 72 the next but a triple bogey on his ninth hole of
day on the easier Crosswater layout, the day dropped him well outside the
making 17 pars and a bogey in a birdie- cut line.
less round.
After shooting 74 on the tougher
Country Club of the South Director Meadows, Chicopee Woods assistant
of Instructor Shawn Koch shot 74-74— Greg Lee struggled to a 79 the next day
148, managing just one birdie in 36 on Crosswater to miss the cut. Gregg
holes, none the second day on the Wolff, one of four Georgia PGA qualiCrosswater course.
fiers for the PNC over the age of 50, shot
Craig Stevens, playing in his 16th 76-78—154. Wolff, the head pro at
PNC, triple-bogeyed the 18th hole on Willow Lake in Metter, was 2-under
both courses, and shot 75-74—149 to after four holes the second day on the
miss the cut by four strokes. Stevens, an Meadows course to briefly get close to
instructor at Brookstone CC, was even the cut line.
A
GEORGIA PG
he Georgia PGA will be represented at the PGA
Championship for a sixth
straight year, as River Pointe
pro Sonny Skinner recorded a top-10
finish in the recent PGA Professional
National Championship in Oregon.
Skinner earned a spot in the 2013
PGA Championship in August at Oak
Hill in Rochester, N.Y., tying for 9th in
the PNC. It will be Skinner’s third start
in the PGA Championship – and was his
third top 10 in the PNC – since 2008.
Bill Murchison, an assistant at Towne
Lake Hills, nearly qualified for the PGA
Championship for a second straight year,
missing a top-20 finish by just one shot.
Nine Georgia PGA members competed in the PNC, with three of them
making the 36-hole cut. Tim Weinhart,
an instructor with Nuclear Golf, which is
based at the Standard Club, finished in
a tie for 59th in his 15th career start in
the PNC.
Skinner finished 2nd in the PNC in
both 2008 (at Reynolds Plantation) and
2010. It will be his second appearance in
a PGA Championship this year, as he
also qualified for the 2013 Senior PGA
Championship, narrowly missing low
club professional honors in that event.
An opening 67 on the easier of the two
courses used for the first two days at
Sunriver Resort put Skinner in a tie for
6th, but he fell out of a top 20 with a 75
the next day on the Meadows course.
Skinner moved into the top 10 by
shooting even par (71-73) over the
weekend, finishing strong both days.
Just Minutes from Atlanta
Relaxed Golfing Atmosphere • Tournaments & Leagues
Aenve & Professional Sta • Family-Friendly Golf
Visit us online at www.TowneLakeHillsGC.com for great golf specials | 770.592.9969
12
GOLFFOREGEORGIA.COM
J U LY 2 0 1 3
Pla
Playing
lay
la
aying Golf
Go
olf More
Mor
re
re
Than
T
Tha
han
an Twice
T
This
T
Year?
Yea
Ye
ear
r?
r?
The
e ExecGolf
ExecGolf
f Membership
Membe
Mem
bers
rsh
hip
ip is a Must
Mus
Mu
u t Ha
ust
H
Have!
av
av
ve
e!
e!
BONUS
BONUS
R
OUND
O
S
ROUNDS
UNLIMITED
GOLF
G
OLF
1
2
If you live close by or just really
FREE greens fee passes at each
Participating Course. All you have
to pay is the course’s applicable
ExecGolf Cart Fee. We call these
“Bonus Rounds” and you will
love them!
those courses as many times as you
like for the special ExecGolf Rate
of up to 50% OFF the normal
cost to play.
T
TOURNAMENT
OURNAMENT
M
SERIES
Like to play in individual ball
tournaments? ExecGolf Members
can play in Elite Tournaments
at the best courses in the area.
Meet new golfers and win some
great prizes along the way.
3
1
2$0
OVER
00
$2A,0
INGS!
VIN
IN S
15,000
MEMB
ERS &
GROWI
IN
NG
3
24
95
+tax
(REG. PRICE $69.95)
MUST USE
PROMO CODE
O F F E R E X P I R E S 7/31/13
FORE
OVER 100 PARTICIPATING
PARTICIPAT
TING COURSES!
COURSES!
SES
S
NORTH GEORGIA
A
SOUTH GEORGIA
GEORG
GIA
or
or
re
eek
Bull Cr
Golf Course
AND MANY
MANY
A
MORE!
MORE! SEE WEBSITE F
FOR
OR COMPLETE
COMPLETE LIST O
OF
F COU
COURSES!
RSES!
S
(877) 221-6893 | ExecGolf.com
ExecGolf.com
Georgia Section
2 0 1 3 J U LY
GOLFFOREGEORGIA.COM
13
July a busy tournament month in Georgia
State Am, Women’s Open among events
By Mike Blum
J
uly is a busy month for statewide
tournaments in Georgia, concluding with the Georgia Open at
the Legends at Chateau Elan.
The month also includes the GSGA’s
premier championship, two more
Georgia PGA tournaments and a unique
women’s event that features some of the
all-time greats from the LPGA Tour with
current collegiate golfers.
July begins with the Championship at
Berkeley Hills, which will be played for
the fourth time July 8-9.
The tournament features a field of
club pros and amateurs, with two of the
Georgia PGA’s top players winning the
event the past two years.
Bill Murchison scored his first
Section victory at Berkeley Hills in 2011,
winning a lengthy playoff over Jeff Hull,
who has since moved into the Carolinas
PGA Section.
Stephen Keppler, one of the Section’s
most successful players over the past 25
years, won last year, holding off a fastfinishing Craig Stevens. Keppler opened
with a 64 on the par 72 layout and followed it up with a 69 for an 11-under
133 total, two ahead of Stevens who shot
a final round 65.
Sonny Skinner, who was 2nd in the
first Berkeley Hills Championship in
2010, was 3rd at 137, completing a
1-2-3 finish by the Georgia PGA’s top
trio of senior players. All three
have top-10 finishes in each of the
tournament’s first three years.
Stevens will have a conflict that week,
as he is playing in the U.S. Senior Open
in Omaha, which begins two days after
the tournament at Berkeley Hills ends.
Berkeley Hills, which has also served as
a qualifying site for top Georgia PGA
and GSGA events, is a short layout by
modern standards, measuring under
6700 yards from the tips. While the
course has yielded some low scores, it is
far from a pushover, with relatively tight
tree lines and some of the more
challenging putting surfaces in the
metro area.
The greens at Berkeley Hills are not
particularly large, but feature ample of
amounts of slope and speed, with some
extremely demanding putts from above
the hole. They are the primary defense
on a course that allows the state’s top
club professionals and amateurs to hit
short irons into a majority of holes.
Only two par 4s are longer than 406
yards from the back tees, with the par 3s
ranging from short to medium and two
par 5s that are easily reachable after an
accurate tee shot.
The layout rewards skilled shot-making,
with precision play a greater asset than
power because of the absence of length.
The Georgia Amateur also begins two
days after the tournament at Berkeley
Hills ends, and will be played July 11-14
at Pinetree CC in Kennesaw.
This will be the fourth time Pinetree
has hosted the GSGA Championship,
with David Noll, the state’s top
GSGA
GPGA
Bill Murchison
14
GOLFFOREGEORGIA.COM
David Noll
mid-amateur, winning the last time it
was played there in 2003.
Noll won the 2011 Georgia Amateur
at Cherokee T&CC and was 2nd last
year behind Lee Knox, who also won in
2010 at The Landings in Savannah. Noll
has been a frequent contender in the
championship, and heads up the state’s
mid-amateur contingent that has not
been able to keep up with Georgia’s
growing list of talented college players
who have taken over the tournament in
recent years.
Three players who have won the tournament since 2005 are currently playing
on the PGA Tour – Brian Harman,
Harris English and Russell Henley,
who won back-to-back titles in 2008 and
‘09. Only one other mid-amateur has
won the championship since Noll’s first
title in 2003.Thanks to the two wins by
Knox, who has completed his college
career at Alabama, college players have
won seven of the last nine State Ams and
nine of the last 13 dating back to 2000.
There is a long list of potential winners
among this year’s college field, even with
the state’s most prominent collegians
from Georgia Tech and Georgia not
competing.
Among the college players exempt into
the field are Jimmy Beck (Kennesaw
State), Franco Castro (Charlotte) and
Sepp Straka (Georgia). Among those
who had to qualify are Straka’s teammates Brian Carter and Mookie
DeMoss. Georgia Southern will have
as many players in the field as in a
college tournament, led by No. 1 player
Scott Wolfes.
Kennesaw State also has a multi-player
contingent, as does Georgia State and
Armstrong Atlantic, whose contingent
includes recent Atlanta Open champion
Corey Griffin.
Pinetree has been renovated since it
last hosted the Georgia Amateur, adding
length (it can now be stretched to over
7100 yards), with some changes to
greens complexes.
Since the renovation, Pinetree is a
stronger track, with no player breaking
par in the qualifier for the State Am
played at the club. The course still offers
a number of scoring opportunities, with
a trio of short par 4s and only one par 5
measuring longer than 530.
But there are also six par 4s averaging
almost 450 and a strong group of par 3s,
with hazards in play on several of par 3s
and par 5s. The greens are large and typically fast, with enough movement to
place serious pressure on players trying to
two-putt from long range.
The Judson Collegiate & Legends
Pro-Am Challenge returns to the CC of
Roswell for a second year, with the tournament’s unique format pairing college
golfers with players from the LPGA
Legends Tour.
The tournament begins with a pro-am
July 12 including one player from the
Legends Tour, one collegian and three
amateurs, with the teams competing in
scramble format.
Tournament competition begins the
next day, with each group consisting of
one Legends player and two collegians.
The Legends event will consist of 18
holes, with the college players competing
over 54 holes, with their tournament
ending July 15.
The Judson Collegiate & Legends ProAm made its debut last year, with Alicia
Dibos taking the Legends title with a 68
to earn the winner’s check of $15,000.
Sherri Steinhauer was 2nd at 69, followed by tournament host Rosie Jones
at 70 and Beth Daniel at 71.
Dibos, Steinhauer and Jones will be in
the 30-player field at CC of Roswell this
month along with fellow LPGA Legends
Amy Alcott, Pat Bradley, Betsy King,
Nancy Lopez, Liselotte Neumann, Jan
Stephenson and Kathy Whitworth,
who will compete in the pro-am.
Lopez, who lived for a number of years
in Albany, is one of several players in the
Legends field with Georgia ties. Tifton’s
Nanci Bowen and Peachtree City’s
Cindy Schreyer are both Georgia natives
and former college standouts at Georgia.
Jones is a long time Atlanta resident,
with Jenny Lidback and Luciana
Bemvenuti joining her in the metro
area. Lidback is the aunt of PGA Tour
standout Roberto Castro, with
Bemvenuti working at CC of Roswell
since she retired as a tour player.
The defending champion of the
Judson Collegiate – Ohio State’s Rachel
Rohanna – has since turned pro. The
college field will include some players
with Georgia ties as well, including UGA
golfer Amira Alexander of Alpharetta
and Mercer’s Lacey Fears from Bonaire.
[ See Tournaments, page 18 ]
J U LY 2 0 1 3
3210/0.-/3
,,3+*)/(3'3.&%$-3
3+*)/(3'3.&%$-3
#*"*-&!.3/-*1-&.%3*-3
#
*"*-&!.3/-*1-&.%3*-3
++*)(''&
*)(''&''''%
*.3$##"! #!3#*"*-&!.(3
/3(30/!1-310+&-3
!13-
!3*+-/3
*&1*103.!-3&."+0+
"*.".1)/-)0"!
"*.".1)/-)0"!
%
3
%
3
3
%
3 3
3
3 3
3
3
%
%
3 3
3
3
3
3 3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
%
3
3
%
3
%
3
3
3
% %
3
3
3
3
3
3
3 3
3
3
%
3
3
3
3
3
3
%
3
3
3
3
3
3 3
3
0.-)3!3/ 00"-*"*13*0.&-&0/3-!3"$!!/031!3&/&-3!13/&-03!13*3"!
"-*"*13*0.&-&0/3-!3"$!!/031!3&/&-3!13/&-03!13*3"! 0-03&/-33
0-03&/-33
!13.!.%!01/3-$0103*103
!13.!.%!01/3-$0103*103 0.-)3!3/
!3!!3)!13#*"*-&!.3!13!13!103&.!1*-&!.3%!3-!3&$ #
#&3
!3!!3)!13#*"*-&!.3!13!13!103&.!1*-&!.3%!3-!3&$
##&3
$0.30*&3/3&-$3)!1310
0/-(3*.+303&3*./013*.)3
0/-&!./3*.+3-*03"*103!3*3-$03+0-*&/33
$0.30*&3/3&-$3)!1310
0/-(3*.+303&3*./013*.)3
0/-&!./3*.+3-*03"*103!3*3-$03+0-*&/33
2 0 1 3 J U LY
GOLFFOREGEORGIA.COM
15
Lake Spivey a south Atlanta success story
By Mike Blum
G
olf on Atlanta’s south side has
changed significantly since
the golf boom of the 1990s,
but the one consistent presence has been that of Lake Spivey.
The club opened as a 9-hole course
in 1963 and added two more nines at
11-year intervals (1974 and ‘85), before
reverting to 18 (actually 19) holes in
2007. Lake Spivey has been around
longer than any other daily fee course in
south metro Atlanta, and other than its
renovation almost six years ago, has been
a stable operation in an area where most
courses have either closed or experienced
financial difficulties.
COURSE Profile
Lake Spivey has long been a family run
operation, one of just a handful of
courses in Atlanta that fits that description. Jeoff Hamilton, the son of the
club’s owner, manages the facility, and
the Hamiltons have been innovators in
Atlanta’s golf community. Lake Spivey
was the first course in Atlanta to install
Crenshaw bent grass greens, and their
consistently excellent conditioning over
the years has been among the reasons for
the club’s success.
The club has long held the reputation
as one of the metro area’s friendliest operations, and its location is perhaps the
most accessible for courses south of
Atlanta to golfers north of the city. Both
Lake Spivey’s membership packages and
daily fee rates are extremely reasonable,
and the club has been cited by Golf
Digest as Atlanta’s best value.
For more than 20 years, Lake Spivey
was a 27-hole course with three complementary nines, even though each opened
Perilous par-3 15th
16
GOLFFOREGEORGIA.COM
View from the tee on the par-5 12th
in a different decade. Economic reality
required ownership to sell some of the
land on which the course was built,
resulting in the loss of holes from both
the Lake and Hill nines, the original 18.
The newer Club nine remains intact,
and is now the front nine, with the back
nine a mixture of holes from the two
original nines. The only remaining hole
to have been altered to any significant
degree is the par-4 11th (formerly Hill
No. 7), which has been converted from a
par 5.
When the re-worked 18 was unveiled
in 2007, the 11th was one of two former
par 5s that were transformed into tourlength par 4s, changing the character of
the otherwise inviting layout.
Both holes retain the hefty yardages
listed after the re-design, but rarely if
ever are played from those distances,
making both considerably more playable
for the distance challenged among us.
That is particularly key for the 11th,
which remained a virtual par 5 for many
at 438 from the blues and 412 from the
whites, with water fronting the green.
The former eighth hole on the Club
nine is now the 18th, and changed from
a par 5 to par 4 with very little difference
in yardage from the back two sets of tees
(now 471 and 461). When the course is
playing fast and firm during the Summer
(in between days of heavy rain), the hole
does not play its listed yardage from
those tees and has no hazards in play. But
it remains a lot of hole, even from shorter
tees, with its angled, sloping green wellprotected by a sizeable front bunker.
Lake Spivey’s front nine features an
excellent mix of holes, beginning and
ending with a pair of potentially perilous
par 5s. A creek snakes along the left side
of the first, with out of bounds uncomfortably close down the right side. The
long green angles from right to left and
will produce some very lengthy,
demanding putts, particularly when the
pin is cut back left.
Although most of Lake Spivey’s greens
don’t appear to have an excess of slope,
you can expect to encounter a decent
number of putts with significant breaks.
With the course listed at around 6800
yards from the gold tees, 6400 from
the blues and 6000 from the whites –
but effectively playing a little shorter
– the challenge of the putting surfaces
more than compensates for the overall
modest length.
The ninth is one of Atlanta’s most
entertaining par 5s, with a wide expanse
of fairway but OB again a concern down
the right side. The primary danger is a
pond which guards the green front and
left, with an especially scary back left pin
that can make for some very testy short
game shots for those who bail out to
the right.
All the par 4s on the nine are bunched
from holes 3 to 7, with none of the five
longer than 376 from the blues. The
short third appears inviting, but its wide,
shallow green can be tough to hold, and
is among the toughest to putt on the
course. The slightly longer fourth is
among the tighter driving holes, with a
narrow green pinched on both sides
by bunkers.
Tree lines on both sides require accuracy on 5 and 6, the latter the longest of
the five, with the long, narrow green at
the sixth guarded by trees short right and
sand left.
The stretch of par 4s concludes with
the seventh, which features a trio of sideby-side-by-side bunkers stretching across
the fairway near the landing area. Bigger
hitters can fly them, with the rest of us
having to either skirt them to the side or
come as close as possible to them without
going in.
Some well-placed bunkers on the
short-to-mid-length par 3s are very
much in play, with the large expanse of
sand fronting the eighth green obscuring
the view of the right side of the expansive
putting surface.
One of the strengths of Lake Spivey is
the quality of its conditions around the
greens, which make the short game shots
you’ll encounter a little easier to negotiate.
Like the front nine, the back begins
with a hazardous par 5, with water down
the right of the 10th causing many tee
shots to find the trees that are tight to the
left. The hole doglegs right over the
water, with another hazard looming on
the left for those whose who get a little
aggressive with their lay-up. The uphill
J U LY 2 0 1 3
with enjoyable layout, friendly attitude
third requires a deft touch to set up a
possible birdie opportunity.
After getting past the shortened but
still dangerous 11th, the par-5 12th
offers a scoring opportunity, provided
you can avoid the OB stakes just off the
right side of the fairway. The rolling terrain will pose a problem for those going
for the green in two, with trees and sand
the main concerns.
Both par 3s on the nine require carries
over water, but neither shot is especially
lengthy. The 15th, which was an uncomfortable opening hole on the Club nine,
is just 150 from the blues, but with a
green fronted by water and wood planks
and bordered by a small bunker and a
steep hill, there is little room to safely
miss.
Length is not a concern on the three
par 4s leading up to the 18th, but accuracy, especially on 16 and 17, is vital.
Both turn slightly to the left, with trees
very much in play off the tee, along with
a bunker at the corner of the dogleg on
17. As with most holes at Lake Spivey,
bunkering is at a minimum on all three,
but there are several, the 18th among
them, that take some effort to keep it out
of the greenside sand.
Among the more appealing aspects of
Lake Spivey is its 19th hole, the ninth
from the Club nine. The tee, which is
well above the landing area, does not provide a view of a pond right of the fairway,
but there is more room to that side than
you might think. Find the fairway and it’s
a short second into a multi-tier green
guarded by sand short and left.
The 19th can be used to decide bets or
toss out a score from either 11 or 18 to
keep the par at 72 and prevent possible
serious damage to your scorecard.
Although Lake Spivey is among the
shorter and more inviting courses on
Atlanta’s south side, it is far from a
pushover. Thanks to the mostly narrow
corridors and testy greens, the course is
rated at 72.7/136 from the back tees,
71.0/132 from the blues and 68.9/127
from the whites, with the numbers from
the latter two sets of tees reflecting the
scorecard yardage on holes 11 and 18.
The gray (senior) tees measure 5558
yards with the forward tees 4879. The
12th plays as a par 5 for the women and
the 18th as a par 4.
In addition to its daily fee play, Lake
Spivey has an active membership, with
men’s, women’s and senior groups.
“It’s easy to get involved,” Hamilton
says. “People love groups. One reason
why people leave golf is they lose their
groups. We’ve always got groups to play
with, and that’s a big asset.”
Typically, the men’s group plays on
Saturday and Sunday, the seniors on
Tuesday and Thursday and the women
also on Tuesday, with all three having
their own tournament schedules.
Lake Spivey, which has a strong presence in the local community, also has a
growing junior program, headed up by
head professional Jeffrey Biggers and
assistant Derrick Ayers.
The staff at Lake Spivey has long had
the reputation for its welcoming attitude, and that hasn’t changed over the
years, although there was an added
challenge about a decade ago. Prior to
the club going from 27 holes to 19,
8
> 6; 8
:/88 ;9&>,5967=97/88 >/988 )>=<;=:;=988 $>6.88
)>&/;28-98>..;&/878
8 8
8 8
%
%
8
97988 :=)6%;/88 388 >6;/88 >.88 .=88 .7:&88 7=%88
)766;=$:=$88 $>6.288 588 '767=);88 >.88 %:/97=);88
)>=9>&8>>%;%8&>$/87=%879;&8&;/;=9/8
8
8
8
8
8
8
7=8;=>7'6;8$>6.8)>&/;8.>&876686;<;6/8>.8672
8
8
8
8 8 8
8 8
*;=:>&/82
*
;=:>&/82
;;(;=%/8289>82
; ; ( ; = % / 8 2 8 9 > 8 2 ;;(%7/82
; ; ( % 7 / 8 2 88
88
88
%0,-%/(%'-,%
%%!
%
%
%
%
%%
>6;83
8
2 0 1 3 J U LY
?>=<;=:;=989>876685967=978432180:6;/8>..8-,+18798*9>)('&:%$;8#":9!
8 8 8
8
8
8 8
8 8
8
38>6;/86/838;"9&78>6;8.>&8&;;8
398
8
8
8 8
8
8 8
8
8
>6;
&;798&7)9:);87):6:9:;/,&:<:=$87=$;8
8
8
8
8
:9):=$85&;78&7)9:);8=(;&8*>&987;8
8
8
8
8
8
8
&7)9:);85&;7
8
0;';&/:/87<7:67'6;
8
8
8
*;=:>&86787/
88
;;(;=%80;=/8>6.85//>):79:>=
8
8
8
88
0>=968?>6;8#<;=9/
8
8
88
22210/.-,+*)-(1'-&%%%$%%%#""!
%%% %%%
%"%#
%
%
For information, call 770-471-4653
or visit www.lakespivey.net.
5#8*-#8
8
8
8?
8 88
> 6; 88
Lake Spivey expanded its reach by taking
over River’s Edge, a struggling daily fee
course in Fayetteville.
The Hamiltons made a valiant effort,
but were unable to turn around the fortunes of a course once considered among
the best in the south metro area. The next
group that took over River’s Edge had no
more success, and it eventually closed, as a
number of south side courses have during
Lake Spivey’s half century in business.
Without the burden of operating
River’s Edge and having 19 holes instead
of 27, things are not quiet as hectic at
Lake Spivey as they were a decade ago.
But keeping things operating smoothly in
an economy that is not exactly ideal for
golf still keeps Hamilton and his staff on
their toes, as they strive to continue the
deserved success the club has enjoyed
over the years.
88
;;(%788 7%:;/8>6.85//>):79:>=
8
8
58-=/9&)9:>=8:=)6%:=$8-=%:<:%7686;//>=/8
8
8
8
8
8
)6:=:)/87=%8=:>&8&>$&7/
8
8
8
GOLFFOREGEORGIA.COM
17
Georgia Open
[ Continued from page 8 ]
a strong group of par 4s, only one of
which is a relative breather, the 344-yard
16th. Several of the par 5s are reachable in
two, but three of the four are quite narrow
and all four exact penalties for those who
stray off the tee or on the approach.
With a few exceptions, the Legends is a
relatively tight driving course, with most
holes lined by trees that are frequently
uncomfortably close to the fairways. The
mostly well-protected greens require precision approach shots to avoid bunkers
and potential three-putts, with two of
them fronted by rock walls that add a
little spice to the otherwise straightforward layout.
The par 3s are highlighted by the
Tournaments
[ Continued from page 14 ]
For more information on the tournament, visit www.judsongolf.com.
The Volvik Georgia Women’s Open
has a new title sponsor, a new host course
(Brookfield Country Club) and has
expanded its reach to include players from
outside the state. The tournament will be
played July 15-16.
Kendall Wright
Augusta National-like 12th (the 15th at
the Legends) and the short seventh,
inspired by Troon’s “postage stamp” hole.
The other two have more length and are
among the tougher holes on the course.
The Legends also sports an interesting
group of finishing holes, with the par-5
14th – one of the two with greens perched
atop rock walls – 15th and 16th all
offering birdie opportunities before a
stout pair of closing par 4s, The 17th is
among the most difficult holes on the
course, with the 18th a tough hole to
birdie for those coming to the final hole
needing one.
Four qualifiers will be played this
month for players not exempt into the
field. They will be played at Coosa CC
(July 15) Eagle’s Landing and Savannah
Quarters (July 18) and Berkeley Hills
(July 22).
Atlanta Open
Because of the late eligibility change
and some restrictions on the Georgia
PGA’s efforts to contact players from outside the state, the field is expected to
consist primarily of Georgians.
The tournament faces conflicts with
different groups of players. Defending
champion Kendall Wright is one of several Georgians competing on the Symetra
Tour, the development tour for the
LPGA, which has a tournament in
Albany, N.Y., that ends the day before the
Georgia Women’s Open begins. Recent
UGA golfer Emilie Burger, who won the
event as an amateur in 2010, has joined
Wright on the Symetra Tour. Dori
Carter, who won in 2011, is playing on
the LPGA Tour.
There are also conflicts for the state’s
college and top amateur players, including
Riverdale’s Mariah Stackhouse, who won
the Georgia Women’s Open while still in
high school in 2009.
Among the players who have entered
are Carmen Bandea, a frequent contender in the tournament, and Mari
Chun, both Atlanta area residents who
compete on the Canadian Women’s Tour.
Bandea is in the top 10 on the tour’s
money list, tying for 6th in the season
opener, and had a runner-up finish in
Canada last year. Bandea has five top-5
finishes in the Georgia Women’s Open
since 2005, including a playoff loss to
two-time champion Margaret Shirley
in 2008.
There will be three divisions in the
tournament, one for pros and top
amateurs, one for amateurs not competing in that flight, and one for seniors.
Each of the three divisions will play from
separate tees.
Brookfield hosted an LPGA tournament from 1977-84 and its champions
included JoAnne Carner, Amy Alcott
and Kathy Whitworth. The course
has been extensively renovated in
recent years, with significant changes in
[ Continued from page 10 ]
Island GC head pro Will Hutter, who
carded six birdies. Also shooting 70 were
college golfers Will McFarlin (Roswell)
of North Georgia and Jack Walsh
(Lawrenceville) of Western Carolina.
Walsh bogeyed the opening hole, but
birdied three of the next four and was the
only player to get to 5-under when he
notched his sixth birdie of the day on the
12th. But Walsh bogeyed 15 and double
bogeyed 16 to lose his lead.
Among nine players tying for 10th at
71 were Stevens; CC of the South
Director of Instruction Shawn Koch,
the 2006 Atlanta Open champion;
Currahee Director of Golf Clark
Spratlin, who won a recent Georgia
PGA event at Chicopee Woods; and Fox
Creek head pro Brian Dixon.
Koch was 4-under after 5 holes, highlighted by an eagle at the 13th, but did
not make another birdie. Dixon was
3-under after 8 before bogeys on the final
hole of each nine. Stevens again had five
birdies, but also took four bogeys.
Defending champion Seth McCain of
Jennings Mill was 4-under after an eagle
at 13, but settled for a 72 after consecutive double bogeys at 16 and 17. Jason
Bruce, a GolfTec instructor, was 3-under
before a double bogey at 12 and also shot
72, as did Sonny Skinner, who was
4-under on his final nine before a bogey
at the 9th.
bunkering and some of the greens
complexes.
With a handful of exceptions,
Brookfield is not an especially lengthy
layout, but is relatively tight off the tee,
with out of bounds within reach on a
number of holes. There is also a decent
amount of trouble in play, including a
pair of stout par 4s on the opening nine
and a pair of par 5s on the back.
The renovated greens complexes
are among the primary challenges, with
the putting surfaces on the quick side,
many of which include considerable
movement.
For information on the tournament,
visit www.georgiapga.com or call
678-461-8600.
For updates on Georgia’s
July tournaments, visit
www.golfforegeorgia.com.
1 minutes from I-575 and 45 minutes from Atlanta.
Only 15
Crisp Mountain Air, Fantastic Views
and Daily Fee Rates starting at under $30
No Fee Online Tee Times available at
18
GOLFFOREGEORGIA.COM
LakeArrowheadClub.net
770.721.7900
486 Arrowridge
Waleska, GA 30183
J U LY 2 0 1 3
2XWKHUHWKHELJJHVWKDQGLFDSLVNHHSLQJ\RXUKHDGGRZQ
*)+('&+%*$(+$(#"!"
+&(")+'*&$+*)+*)+*+&&#++#&+
"(" + )*#+ *+ (+ #"+ $ + *('+ #*" + + '&+ & + *" (+ " !$+
*#$&+ &$" &+ + &*#&+ *+ *$($+ + '*&$+ "('+ $( " + "&$+ *)+
('&+ *& + *#+ " &(+ + + ('&+ $*('+ & + *)+ ('&+ "$ + "$+ & + #&&!+ "$+
*&+$+)"#$(+$" (#&+*#$&++& +#&&!+"$+* &+% ")"& (+ *#%"+
"&+ )(&#+ *('&#+ *)+ ('&+ #&(+ $(+ %#$'+ + )#&$'(&#+ !&$+ (+ #" +
*#++%&+'& +*+*%&+&$&+('&$&+*#$&$+ +&++(&$(+*)+*#+
$!"$+ +(&%&#%& (++*#+#&$&#("* $+++*#+&# +%*#&+
*(+$+(+)#""$ #&$*#(*%+*%&++" +('&+ (#+&(+*)+
*#+"$ +" +('&+$ +
2 0 1 3 J U LY
GOLFFOREGEORGIA.COM
19
English joins Henley as PGA Tour winner
Recent Bulldog standout takes Memphis title
lish
H
arris English has been a
familiar name on the
Georgia golf scene since he
won the Georgia Amateur
in 2007 shortly before enrolling at the
University of Georgia.
English made headlines during his college career in Athens, winning four
tournaments and earning All-America
honors each year for the Bulldogs, who
had a pair of top-3 finishes in the NCAA
Championship during his four years on
the team.
Just after completing his college career,
English began drawing some national
attention. He won one of the
Nationwide Tour’s top events as an amateur, and was a member of the 2011 U.S.
Walker Cup team later that year.
English turned pro after his Walker
Cup appearance and was an immediate
success. In his second start on the
Nationwide Tour as a pro, he lost in a
playoff in Midland, Tex. Two weeks later,
English was 3rd in Miami. He closed out
his brief rookie season as a pro with a
strong showing in the finals of Q-school,
earning a PGA Tour card in his
first attempt.
Although English did not win during
his debut season on the PGA Tour, his
name kept popping up on leader boards,
and he easily retained his status, finishing
84th on the final money list.
English was enjoying a comparable
sophomore season when he made his first
major mark as a professional, winning
the FedEx St. Jude Classic at TPC
Southwind in Memphis.
With the victory, English joined UGA
teammate Russell Henley as a winner on
the 2013 PGA Tour, and stamped himself as one of the tour’s up and coming
stars. The win earned English spots in
the 2013 WGC Bridgestone Invitational
and PGA Championship, as well as the
2014 season-opening Tournament of
Champions and, most importantly, next
year’s Masters.
“The main thing that I am looking
forward to is playing in the Masters next
year,” English said after his victory.
“Growing up in Georgia, that was the
main tournament that I always watched
and went to when I was a kid.”
English did not get into the U.S.
Open, but is likely to compete in the
20
GOLFFOREGEORGIA.COM
British Open for the second straight year,
with last year’s tournament his first
appearance in a major championship.
As he has done a number of times in
his brief PGA Tour career, English was an
early contender in Memphis, sharing the
first round lead at 66 and taking first by
himself after a 64 Friday.
As a rookie, English established a pattern of fast starts but stumbling finishes,
particularly in a trio of events in Florida
at different stages of the season. English
has improved his weekend play this year,
and even though his back-to-back 69s in
Memphis did not match his scores the
English wound up winning by two
with a 12-under 268 total. Stallings and
fast-finishing Phil Mickelson tied for
2nd at 10-under, with English preserving his lead on the dangerous 18th
hole at TPC Southwind, something
more experienced players have failed to
do in the past.
“That was my first time holding the
lead in a PGA Tour event, especially after
36 holes,” English said. “I felt very, very
comfortable, very calm out there. I
haven’t been leading a tournament
before, but I’ve been around the lead and
I really know how it felt.”
Harris Eng
“The main thing I’m looking forward to is
playing in the Masters next year”— Harris English
first two days, they were good enough to
secure his first PGA Tour victory.
English lost the third round lead to
playing partner Shawn Stefani, who
went to the front with a 66 despite a
quadruple bogey on a par 3. English
began the final round one off the lead,
and both he and Stefani were overtaken
on the opening nine by Scott Stallings.
But after carding four bogeys on the
front nine, English came back with four
birdies on his final nine, taking the lead
with consecutive birdies at 16 and 17.
The birdie on the par-5 16th, a hole he
eagled in the opening round, was
expected, but not the one on the difficult
par-4 17th.
“That birdie on 17 was huge,” English
said. “I really wasn’t going for birdie
there. I had that 20-footer downhill.
I was really trying to two-putt and it
went in dead center. It gave me a lot of
momentum coming into 18.”
English got a little unexpected help
over the weekend from a friendly sky box
and a few of his competitors. An offtarget approach shot late in the third
round landed on top of a sky box and
landed closer to the putting surface
before deflecting off a spectator into a
very favorable lie in a greenside bunker,
leading to a par.
Stefani’s quadruple bogey kept English
close to the lead after 54 holes, and
Stallings gave up a 2-shot lead late
Sunday when he chunked a short
iron approach into a pond and made
double bogey.
The first big win for English was the
2007 Georgia Amateur at Ansley Golf
Club’s Settindown Creek, and he finished 2nd and 3rd the next two years in
the tournament behind Henley.
English and Henley were the Bulldogs’
top two players for most of their college
careers, and have spent the last few years
one-upping each other.
Henley struck first with a strong
showing in the 2010 U.S. Open, followed by his win in the 2011 Stadion
Classic at UGA late in his senior season
with the Bulldogs. English won as an
amateur on the Nationwide Tour a few
months after his second straight solid
showing in the Stadion Classic. English
and Henley were both part of a talented
U.S. side in the Walker Cup that lost to
the GBI team in Scotland.
English made it to the PGA Tour first
and played well as a rookie, but Henley
closed out his rookie season on the
Web.com Tour with a pair of victories to
join English this year. Henley made a
dramatic debut by winning his first PGA
start in Hawaii to beat English to
Augusta, but English is guaranteed a spot
in the 2014 Masters while Henley is still
working on securing an invitation.
While English and Henley have
enjoyed comparable degrees of success
throughout their days in college, amateur
and professional golf, they have done so
with different styles.
Henley is an aggressive, intense competitor known for his deadly putting
touch. English favors a more low-key
approach, relying on a textbook swing
and a power game he has dialed back a bit
since joining the PGA Tour. English is not
as dangerous on the greens as his former
teammate, but his putting stats are
above average.
Unlike Henley, a Macon native who has
since moved to Charleston, S.C., after
living briefly on St. Simons Island,
English has settled on the Georgia coast as
part of a large contingent of tour players
on the island.
“I’m still learning every day and trying
to learn from the veterans at Sea Island as
much as I can,” English said. “They’ve
been in this situation and know what it
feels like to be on 18 and you can’t feel
your hands and you’re shaking. It’s good
to have guys like that I can lean on.”
The win by English was the second in
two weeks on the PGA Tour for the St.
Simons contingent. The previous week,
former Georgia Tech great Matt Kuchar
won the Memorial Tournament, his
second title of 2013 along with his WGC
Match Play victory.
The final leader board in Memphis was
filled with players with ties to Georgia.
Patrick Reed, a teammate of English for
one season before transferring to Augusta
State, was a contender down the stretch,
placing 5th at 8-under.
Jonathan Byrd tied for 10th at
5-under, with fellow St. Simon resident
Davis Love T18 at 4-under along with
Roberto Castro, Brendon Todd and
Jason Bohn, all of whom live in metro
Atlanta.
J U LY 2 0 1 3
IMAGES BY AL KOOISTRA
By Mike Blum
GOLF
A TRU
TRULY
ULLY UNIQUE
UNIQU
UE
2 0 1 3 J U LY
***)('&%$#"'!!# ) #!))
!)
('
GOLFFOREGEORGIA.COM
21
Augusta’s Parel a first-time winner at 48
Web.com title puts PGA Tour within reach
By Mike Blum
O
ne month after turning 48,
Augusta’s Scott Parel took
his biggest step toward
reaching a goal that always
seemed a bit beyond his grasp.
With a victory in a recent Web.com
Tour event in Wichita, Parel is in position to earn a spot on the 2014 PGA
Tour, a remarkable achievement for
someone who did not turn pro until he
was in his early 30s.
Parel would be the oldest PGA Tour
rookie ever, replacing fellow Georgian
Allen Doyle, who was 47 when he
joined the tour in 1997.
To earn a spot on next year’s PGA
Tour, Parel must remain in the top 25 on
the Web.com Tour money list through
the final regular season event in August.
Parel, who was 153rd on the money list
coming into the Wichita tournament,
moved up to 14th with earnings of
almost $125,000.
It will likely take somewhere in the
$140,000 range to finish in the top 25,
with Parel having eight tournaments left
in July and August to collect another
$15,000 or so. Parel made only $7,800
ATHENS REGIONAL FOUNDATION CLASSIC
Scott Parel
through the first 11 tournaments, but
after his outstanding performance in
Wichita, appears in great shape to make
his PGA Tour debut next year, less than
a year-and-a-half before he turns 50.
Parel has been grinding away in golf ’s
minor leagues his entire professional
career, which did not begin until 10 years
after he graduated from the University of
Georgia in 1986 with a degree in computer science.
Unlike the four other ex-Bulldogs who
have won on either the PGA or Web.com
Tours this year, Parel did not play on the
golf team in Athens, with his game not
sufficiently advanced to compete at that
level. He tried out for the baseball team
as a middle infielder, but did not make
the roster.
After graduating, Parel returned home
to Augusta, where he put his college
degree to use and also developed into one
of the better amateurs in the area. He
qualified for the 1994 U.S. Amateur and
made it to match play at TPC Sawgrass,
and that started him thinking about the
possibility of a professional career.
Not long after his wife Mary gave birth
to the couple’s second child, Parel
decided to give pro golf a shot, allowing
himself five years to make a go of it. He
enjoyed some success at the mini-tour
level, but was unable to move beyond
that. He qualified for four events on
what is now the Web.com Tour, but did
not make the cut in any of them, and was
unable to advance to the finals of
Q-school.
Parel qualified for the 2002 U.S. Open
at Bethpage and made his first
Nationwide Tour cut one month later.
He closed out the year by making it to
the finals of Q-school and earned
Nationwide Tour status for 2003. He has
played on the tour ever since, some years
as an exempt member, some with no
status when he was able to make just a
handful of starts.
The first year as a tour member did
not go well for Parel, who made the cut
in just 2 of 16 starts and lost his status.
He returned to the tour full time in 2005
– notching his first top 10 finish -- and
also made his second U.S. Open appearance. He was a Nationwide Tour
member for the next five years, playing
respectably for the most part but never
seriously threatening to earn his PGA
Tour card.
Parel lost his status again after the
2009 season, and spent the next two
years back on the mini-tours, occasionally playing his way into Nationwide
Tour events in Monday qualifiers. A
strong showing in the finals of Q-school
came up just short, as he missed by just
one shot of earning his PGA Tour card.
That gave Parel exempt status on the
Nationwide Tour for just the second
time, and he enjoyed his best season as a
pro last year, placing 35th in earnings
with $147,000. He nearly scored his first
win on the tour, losing in a playoff in
Raleigh, N.C. He dropped out of the top
25 on the money list during the latter
stages of the season and was unable to
repeat his successful effort in the finals of
Q-school, sending him back to the renamed Web.com Tour this year.
Parel was slowed for much of the early
stages of this season with a back injury,
and made just two of his first nine cuts
before a decent showing in the
Washington, D.C. area. After a week off,
Parel came back with the best week of his
career, winning one of just a handful of
Web.com events that was part of the
Hogan Tour’s initial schedule in 1990.
With his victory, Parel added his name
to the list of tournament champions in
Wichita that includes Tom Lehman,
David Duval, David Toms, Ben Crane,
Jason Dufner, Scott Piercy and
Jhonattan Vegas.
Parel won with an outstanding allaround performance. He was 5th in both
in fairways hit (73 percent) and greens in
regulation (75 percent) and 2nd in putting. Parel was a respectable 32nd in
driving distance, averaging right at 300
yards, an impressive number for
someone who is just 5-5 in height. He
recorded 22 birdies and two eagles, both
coming on a par 5 on the back nine. He
eagled the hole late in the third round
Saturday, helping to give him a onestroke lead heading to the final round.
Finding himself in the unaccustomed
position of leading after 54 holes, Parel
responded with the low round on
Sunday, firing a 7-under 64 that
included four birdies on the front nine
and a birdie-eagle-birdie stretch on the
incoming nine that enabled him to pull
away from his challengers.
Parel finished the tournament at
18-under 268, three ahead of the runnerup and five clear of 3rd place.
A 45-footer for eagle at the 14th was
part of a stretch of five straight key putts
by Parel, including a clutch pair of parsavers to start the streak.
“All week long over longer putts, I felt
like I could make them;” he said after his
victory. “You get in the zone with the
putter. I didn’t feel nearly as comfortable
from maybe four or five feet, but from
20 feet and out, I felt like I had the speed
and was seeing the lines well.”
The victory has altered Parel’s outlook
on his aim for the remainder of
the season.
“My goal was to get in the top 75,” he
said, referring to the spot on the money
list required to qualify for a four-tournament series at the end of the Web.com
Tour season that will determine the
status for the players who earn berths on
the 2014 PGA Tour.
“I may have to re-evaluate. I want to
do what it takes to be in the top 25.”
The top 25 finishers on the Web.com
Tour money list at the end of the regular
season are guaranteed spots on the 2014
PGA Tour. But their position for next
year will be determined by their play in
the four post-season events, which will
also include players from the PGA Tour,
who will compete for 25 additional spots
for next season along with other
Web.com members.
Parel still needs another strong tournament showing or two to secure his PGA
Tour card for 2014, and will need to play
well in the four Finals events to put him
near the top of the priority list for the
50 qualifiers.
“At the last tournament, I felt like
I was close to where I needed to be,”
Parel said.
“The great thing about winning is that
I’m going to be 49 next year, and I’ll have
some place to play.”
“I want to do what it takes to be in the top 25”—Scott Parel
22
GOLFFOREGEORGIA.COM
J U LY 2 0 1 3
Park. Drive.
!RROWHEAD0OINTEs%LBERTON'!
"RAZELLS#REEKs2EIDSVILLE'!
(IGHLAND7ALKs2OYSTON'!
Enjoy some of the state’s most
beautiful nature trails, the Georgia
State Park Golf Courses. Each
course is woven into a peaceful
natural surroundings.
Visit our south Georgia lodge parks
to stay and play in comfort.
-EADOW,INKSs&ORT'AINES'!
4HE#REEKs2UTLEDGE'!
4HE,AKESs7AYCROSS'!
Golf packages include 18 holes
of golf, lodging and breakfast. For
package details and online tee
times visit GeorgiaGolf.com or
call 800.434.0982.
So hit the road, then
hit the greens.
7ALLACE!DAMSs(ELENA'!
2 0 1 3 J U LY
Got Junior Golfers? Play the Georgia Junior Golf Tour. Visit www.gajgt.com
GOLFFOREGEORGIA.COM
23
Steelwood a shining gem off the beaten path
Alabama course rated among state’s finest
FORE GEORGIA Travel
By Ed Bowen
O
utstanding golf destinations
can be found in a variety of
locales in states that border
on Georgia, including some
a bit off the beaten path.
Many Georgians are familiar with
courses in the Gulf Shores area of what
is known as LA (Lower Alabama) to
residents of the state on Georgia’s
western border.
A little to the north along the I-10 corridor that connects Pensacola, Mobile and
Biloxi is Steelwood Country Club, a
secluded 1400-acre private/resort facility
located just outside the small city
of Loxley.
Loxley is on the east side of Mobile Bay,
with the city of Mobile across the bay and
I-10 to the west. Steelwood CC is just
north of I-10 and is a familiar site to some
of the state’s top junior golfers, who have
been competing in an American Junior
Golf Association tournament there
since 2008.
Jimmy Beck of Columbus, the No. 1
player on the golf team at Kennesaw State,
won an AJGA event there in 2010, with
Riverdale’s Mariah Stackhouse, who is
coming off a terrific freshman season on
the women’s team at Stanford, winning
the girls division the same year
as Beck and repeating her title in
2011.
China’s
Tianglan
Guan, who made headlines
at this year’s Masters and has
competed in several other PGA Tour
events since, has also played in the AJGA
event there.
Steelwood CC is a private facility, but is
accessible to guests staying at one of the
two Stewart Lodges, which serve as ideal
hosts for corporate retreats and meetings,
as well as vacations for family and friends.
The lodges feature views of either the
golf course or a 200-acre stocked, fresh
water lake that gives the Jerry Patedesigned course much of its character, as
well as serving as a great opportunity to
fish for bass or bream. Hunting is also
available on site, along with miles of
nature trails.
All the amenities at Steelwood CC and
the Stewart Lodges are first class, with the
golf course ranked among the top 5 new
private courses in the country when it
opened in the late 1990s. Steelwood CC
has maintained its lofty status, twice
ranking behind only Shoal Creek as the
No. 2 course in Alabama.
Pate has deep roots in the South. He
was born in Macon, attended college at
the U. of Alabama and now resides in
Pensacola, Fla. He won the 1976 U.S.
Open at Atlanta Athletic Club as a
PGA Tour rookie, and has done
most of his golf course design work with
Tom Fazio and Bob Cupp in the Gulf
Coast area, although he has also worked
on high profile courses in Arizona,
southern California, Michigan and New
Jersey.
Among Pate’s designs that may be
familiar to Georgia golfers are Bluewater
Bay (with Fazio) in the Destin area, Gulf
Shore’s Kiva Dunes, Limestone Springs
outside Birmingham and Dancing Rabbit
(with Fazio) and Old Waverly (with
Cupp) in Mississippi.
From the tips, Steelwood CC is s stout
test, measuring just under 7100 yards
with a Course Rating/Slope of 74.0/144.
There are significant gaps in yardage
between the next two sets of tees, with the
blues a reasonable 6456 (71.1/138) and
the senior tees a friendly 5694 (67.5/131).
The forward tees are right at 5100 yards
and rated at 69.3/128.
The course begins and ends with holes
along Lake Steelwood, with the inland
parts of the course routed through a forest
and dotted with wetlands that are partially
responsible for the relatively healthy
slope numbers.
With majestic tree lines bordering just
about every fairway on both sides,
Steelwood is a fairly tight course off the
tee. The trees account for half the name of
d CC
Clubhouse at Steelwoo
Overhead views of gorgeous Steelwood layout
24
GOLFFOREGEORGIA.COM
the club, with the property acquired by
U.S. Steel in the mid-1950s.
Steelwood Lake sits off to the left of the
opening hole, a sweeping, mid-length
dogleg left par 4 with the longest gap on
the course between the blue (419) and
white (324) tees.
The lake is not in play on the par-3
second, but provides a splendid view,
with the main concern a trio of
bunkers that surround the green. The
putting surface slopes toward the lake,
and like the greens throughout the course,
is smooth, fast and a real challenge to read
with subtle breaks.
The course turns away from the lake
beginning at the third, which requires a
short cart ride along an ecologically sensitive area and a boardwalk from the second
green. The third is the first of several short
par 4s that offer scoring opportunities,
provided you can avoid bunkers at the
corner of the dogleg left and a big sand
trap just right of a green that measures 53
yards from front to back.
The par-5 fourth bends sharply to the
right, with an environmentally sensitive
area lining the right side and requiring a
carry over it to reach the green in three.
The hole measures over 600 from the tips,
but is less daunting from the next two sets
(513 and 477).
Another short par 4 without a great
deal of trouble follows, but the toughest
par 4 on the course awaits two holes later,
with a demanding second shot over a wetlands area. Fortunately, there is some
bailout area short and right.
The front nine closes with a risk/reward
par 5 that measures only 485 from the
blues, but features a wide, shallow green
fronted by a hazard and a pair of bunkers
that cover the width of the putting surface.
The incoming nine includes another
par 4 where a wetlands area short of the
green has to be negotiated (11) and a
lengthy, straightaway par 4 (13) with
another sizeable gap (87 yards) between
the blue and white tees, before turning
back towards the lake at the 15th. The
lake forms a backdrop on the dogleg right
par 4, with the final three holes playing
along the water to provide a memorable
finish to an enjoyable round.
The 16th is the last of the short par 4s,
with the tee located near one of the
lodges. After a lay-up off the tee, the hole
angles sharply to the left over wetlands
and sand to s small-ish target.
The lake is more in view than in play
on the par-3 17th, but lines the entire left
side of the par-5 finishing hole. A
yawning bunker down the right side is
very much a concern off the tee, as is a
fairway that slopes toward the water.
Water looms just off the left edge of the
long, narrow green, which is protected
in front by a pair of bunkers flanking
either side.
For information on Steelwood,
visit www.stewartsteelwood.com,
mail [email protected]
or call 866-580-4343.
J U LY 2 0 1 3
Exceptional
Mountain Golf
Champion Hills Club is Tom Fazio’s summer home course, a masterpiece nestled in the Blue Ridge
mountains above Hendersonville, North Carolina. Conveniently situated just south of Asheville,
Champion Hills is less than two hours from Charlotte — and less than four from Atlanta. If you’re
looking for a mountain golf getaway, there is no better choice.
Few courses in the eastern U.S. offer the beauty, challenge and playability that Fazio created here.
And Champion Hills Club is private, member-owned and debt free. Recently, the Club created a new
national membership program for golfers who live outside the Hendersonville area and want to use
the Western North Carolina region as their weekend playground.
We invite you to call Champion Hills at 828-696-1962 or e-mail us at
[email protected] to learn more about our new membership options.
Champion Hills Club is a private, member-owned country club. Admission is member-sponsored and requires approval by the Board of Governors.
ChampionHills.com
2 0 1 3 J U LY
GOLFFOREGEORGIA.COM
25
Golf FORE Juniors
GPGA
GPGA
Murphy, Harris
GPGA champions
Sean Murphy of Decatur and Katy Harris
of St. Simons Island were the boys and girls
winner of the Georgia PGA Junior
Championship, played last month at
Cuscowilla on Lake Oconee.
Murphy shot 5-under 139 with scores of
69 and 70 to finish one shot ahead of
Buford’s S.M. Lee and Tyler Barker of
Evans. Lee shot 69-71 and Barker posted
scores of 71-69.
Jacob Joiner of Albany shot a second
round 68 to take 4th at 141. Tying for 5th at
143 was Steven Fisk of Stockbridge, who
also shot 68 in the second round, Reid
Rathburn of Alpharetta and John Yi of
Marietta. Rathburn shot 69 the second day.
Brandon Alsobrook of Powder Springs
was 8th at 144 and Matt Goodman of
Johns Creek took 9th at 146.
Murphy had five birdies and an eagle
during his second round 70, taking the lead
with birdies at 17 and 18. He eagled the
ninth hole both days.
Harris shot 69-72—141 to win the girls
title by one over Janet Mao of Johns Creek.
Rinko Mitsunaga of Roswell was 3rd at
143 after a second round 69, with Eunice Yi
of Johns Creek 4th at 144. Kayla Jones of
Alpharetta and Diane Lim of Norcross tied
for 5th at 147.
Mao led Harris by one shot after the first
round, carding seven birdies in her opening
68. Harris was 2-over after 14 holes, but
played her last five holes in 5-under
including a birdie-birdie-eagle finish. Mao
could not keep pace the next day, playing
her first 17 holes in 3-over without a birdie
before closing with an eagle on 18.
Mitsunaga was 3-under on her final nine,
but was edged out for 2nd place by Mao’s
final hole eagle.
In a Georgia PGA Junior Tour event at
Stone Mountain GC, Joseph Reich of
Kennesaw shot 75-74—149 to take the
boys title by two strokes over Alexander
Quinn of Grayson.
Andrew Yowell of Marietta was the
14-15 age group winner at 157, with
Cameron Stokes of Cumming 2nd at 161.
Lorenzo Elbert of East Point won the
11-13 division with a 157 total, one ahead
of Atlanta’s Daniel McKenzie. The overall
girls winner was Reece Brooks of
Lawrenceville at 171, with Dunwoody’s
Woo Wade 1st in the 11-14 division.
Pro-Junior: A team from Flat Creek in
Peachtree City won the Georgia PGA ProJunior Championship, played at the
26
GOLFFOREGEORGIA.COM
Legends at Chateau Elan. Flat Creek and
Rivermont CC both shot 67, with Flat Creek
winning a scorecard playoff.
The Flat Creek team consisted of pro
Brandon Lovelady and juniors Andrew
and
Coffee
Connor
Hitchcock,
David Bartels. Competing for Rivermont
were pro Matthew Evans and juniors
Ryan Dyleski, Ryan Elmore and
Dominic Terragno.
Georgia Golf Center and Summit Chase
tied for 3rd at 69. Playing for Georgia Golf
Center were pro Danny Elkins and juniors
Matthew Fraschilla, Austin Haynes and
Jacob Price. The Summit Chase team
was pro David Epps and juniors
Phillip Westberry, Michael Clay and
Brittany Tarnowski.
Byrd, Tardy score
GSGA junior titles
Dunwoody’s Marcus Byrd and Bailey
Tardy of Norcross won the GSGA Junior
and Girls Championships, both played in
June. Byrd won the Junior Championship at
The Farm in Rocky Face, with Tardy taking
the Girls title at Atlanta Athletic Club.
Byrd shot 70-71-74 for a 1-under 215
total, three ahead of a trio of runners-up.
Tying for 2nd at 216 were Jack Larkin of
Atlanta, Tye Waller of Griffin and Ryan
Stachler of Alpharetta. A birdie on the 16th
hole provided Byrd’s margin of victory.
Carter Mobley of Waynesboro was tied
with Byrd going to the final round, but shot
80 and ended up tied for 6th with Atlanta’s
Will Duma. Stachler shared the opening
round lead at 68 with Albany’s Tyler
Hanson, who placed 5th at 218.
Larkin closed with a 69, carding three
birdies on his last four holes, but bogeyed
the 17th. Waller was 3-under on the back
nine the final day, closing with a 70. Both
Stachler and Hanson were under par in
their final rounds before struggling down
the finish.
The Girls Championship was a two-way
battle between Tardy and Rinko
Mitsunaga. Tardy recorded 13 birdies over
three rounds on AAC’s Highlands Course,
posting scores of 68-71-71 for a 6-under
210 total. Mitsunaga was 2nd at 212 with
scores of 71-69-71. She had 12 birdies for
the tournament.
Eunice Yi was 3rd at 222, with Annie
Swords of Newnan 4th at 226. Diane Lim
and Janet Mao tied for 5th at 227.
Sean Murphy
4 Georgians make
U.S. Junior field
Four Georgians qualified at the UGA
course in Athens for this month’s U.S. Junior
Championship in California.
Sharing medalist honors at 143 were
Spencer Ralston of Gainesville (72-71),
Jacob Joiner (70-73) and Carter Mobley
(69-74). Jonathan Keppler of Marietta
earned the 4th spot at 144, with Tyler
Joiner, Jacob’s brother, first alternate at 145.
The U.S. Junior Championship will be
played July 22-27.
Lim places 2nd
in AJGA event
Diane Lim took 2nd in an American Junior
Golf Association Pre-Season tournament
recently at Chateau Elan, the site of the
organization’s headquarters.
Lim shot 71-74—145 to finish three
behind the winner. Madison Caldwell of
Dawsonville was 3rd at 149 and Caroline
Griffin of Tifton tied for 8th at 155.
Stanton Schorr of Columbus tied for 6th
in the boys division at 69-75—144, with
Jake Thomas of Cumming also tying for
6th. Matt Collins of Duluth and Park
Brady of St. Simons Island were T13 at 148.
In an AJGA Junior All-Star event last
month at WindStone GC in Ringgold,
Hunter Dunagan of Martinez tied for 4th,
four behind the winner, with scores of
69-69-73—211. Salil Ghamande of Evans
tied for 16th at 214 and Spencer Ralston
was T20 at 215. Lauren Lightfritz of
Suwanee was 9th in the girls division
at 229.
In other AJGA events last month:
Rachel Dai of Milton was 3rd at
Steelwood CC in Loxley, Ala., with a 1-over
Katy Harris
217 total. Payton Schanen opened with a
68 and tied for 6th at 225. In the boys division, David Mackey of Bogart was 4th at
211 with scores of 71-69-71. Jake Fendt of
Suwanee tied for 8th at 214, with Brennan
Bogdanovich of Suwanee and Jonathan
Keppler T11 at 215. Zach Zeddiker of Gray
and Benjamin Shipp of Duluth were T16 at
216, with Shipp shooting a tournamentlow 65 in the final round.
At Ashland, Ky., Janet Mao was 4th at
223, five behind the winner, and Kayley
Marschke of Suwanee was 6th at 226. In
the boys division, Wyatt Larkin of
Morganton shot 2-over 212, including an
opening 67, and tied for 5th, five behind
the winner. Kyle Mueller of Watkinsville
was T11 at 214.
At Okatie, S.C., Ji Eun Baik of Newnan
tied for 3rd at 145, shooting 68 in the final
round. Maggie Ashmore of Kingston and
Katy Harris tied for 10th at 150. Steven
Wysocki of Hoschton tied for 7th in the
boys division at 144. Billy Johns of Johns
Creek and Stanton Schorr were T11 at 145,
with Johns closing with a 68.
Chandler shoots 62
in SJGT victory
Atlanta’s Will Chandler won a
Southeastern Junior Golf Tour event last
month at the Georgia Club, shooting a 10under 62 in the second round for a winning
score of 13-under 131. Chandler won the
boys overall title by seven strokes and the
14-15 age group by eight over Alpharetta’s
Chandler Eaton.
Carter Mobley was the 16-19 winner at
139, with Dalton Johnson of Forsyth and
Steven Wysocki tying for 2nd at 143.
Preston Topper of Suwanee was the 12-13
winner at 144, one ahead of Nicolas
Cassidy of Alpharetta and Daniel
J U LY 2 0 1 3
GSGA
GSGA
Huntzinger, Murphy
win Atlanta events
Bailey Tardy
Fienemann of Peachtree City.
Hannah Barger of Elberton was 2nd in
the girls division at 148, two behind the
winner. Gracie Henderson of Norcross was
3rd at 150. Hannah Jones of Sandy Springs
was the 12-14 winner at 168.
In an SJGT event at Orchard Hills,
Michaela Owen of Suwanee won the girls
division by six shots with scores of 70-72—
142. Annie Swords and Lauren Lightfritz
tied for 3rd at 147. Ivy Shepherd of
Peachtree City won the 12-14 age group by
10, shooting 78-77—155.
David Mackey was the boys overall and
14-15 age group winner with scores of
69-67—136. Bill Sharpe of Albany was 2nd
in 14-15 at 141 and Steffen Smith of
Norcross 3rd at 142.
In the 16-19 age group, Jonathan
Keppler shot 70-69—139 to tie for first, but
lost in a playoff. Joseph Jarrard of
Dahlonega was 3rd at 141, with Andrew
Eunice of Moultrie, Shea Sylvester of
Roswell and Tye Waller tying for 4th at 142.
Tyler Lipscomb of Carrollton was the
12-13 winner in a playoff at 74-68—142
over Fienemann (69-73). Cassidy was 3rd
at 144.
In the annual Peach Blossom Junior at
Idle Hour in Macon, Lilburn’s Ted Moon
shot 70-71—141 to take the boys 16-19
division. David Hobby of Valdosta was 2nd
at 143.
Jack Larkin was the 14-15 winner with
scores of 70-78—148. Atlanta’s John
Gabianelli was 2nd at 151 and Jake Harpe
of Griffin took 3rd at 152.
Girls winners were Mary Ellen Shuman
(15-19) of St. Simons Island and Anna
Buchanan (12-14) of Athens, who both
posted 153 totals. Hannah Mae Deems of
Taylorsville was 2nd in 15-19 at 158.
In a SJGT event at the Furman University
course in Greenville, S.C., Campbell Fisher
of Alpharetta was the boys 16-19 winner at
2 0 1 3 J U LY
Marcus Byrd
145, one ahead of Roswell’s Zack Zwitter
and Augusta’s Joey Lawrence. Michael
Cheesborough of Augusta was 1st in
14-15 at 149, shooting 70 in the second
round. Dougan Annan of Avondale was
3rd at 151. Bradley Plaziak of Alpharetta
shot 165 to win the 12-13 age group.
Lightfritz was the girls winner at 150, followed by Kayla Wilbourn of Cairo at 152
and Abbey Williams of Marietta at 154.
In Chattanooga, Savannah Satterfield
of Chatsworth was the girls 12-14 winner
(85-80—165), with Morgan Reece of
Gainesville tying for 3rd in 15-19 at 164.
Tommy Su of Johns Creek shot 73-75—148
to win boys 12-13 by three over Dalton’s
Carter Pendley. Jack Warren of Atlanta
was 2nd in 14-15 at 149 and Jonathan
Martin of Roswell was 4th in 16-19 at 148.
Atlanta Junior Golf held two special
events last month – the Atlanta Junior
Classic at Atlanta CC and the Atlanta Junior
Open at Trophy Club of Atlanta.
Charlie Huntzinger of Duluth won the
15-18 age group at Atlanta CC, shooting
4-under 68 the second day for a 147 total.
He won in a playoff over Bailey Ulp of
Suwanee, who closed with a 71. S.M. Lee
was 3rd at 148 with Adam Wright of
Marietta 4th at 149.
JonErik Alford of Roswell was the 12-14
winner at 152, with Daniel Fienemann
2nd at 156 and Jeremy Smith of Roswell
3rd at 157. Nicole Latka was the girls
winner at 180, just ahead of Lizzie Reedy
of Marietta (181), Alejandra Ayala of
Alpharetta (183) and Jordyn Sims of
Berkeley Lake (184).
Quinn Murphy of Covington won a
playoff in boys 15-18 at Trophy Club over
Drew Wagner of Atlanta after both players
shot 70 the second day for a 149 total.
Dougan Annan was 3rd at 150.
Alford and Fienemann were again 1-2 in
the 12-14 age group. Alford shot 70-73—
143, with Fienemann 2nd at 145. Seth
McAfee of Buford was 3rd at 146. Ashley
Brown of Alpharetta was the girls winner at
163, with Emily Haigwood of Roswell 2nd
at 169 and Jakari Harris of Atlanta 3rd
at 172.
State Parks Junior Tour: In a Georgia
Junior Tour tournament at Georgia
Veterans in Cordele, division winners were:
Boys 16-18: Zach Forshee, Tifton, 162;
14-15: Grant Metts, Tifton, 151; 12-13:
Jackson Toole, Vidalia, and Zac Thornton,
Bristol, 163; Girls 16-18: Samantha Blount,
Brunswick, 161.
Winners at The Creek at Hard Labor in
Rutledge were:
Connelly,
Justin
16-18:
Boys
McDonough, 148; 14-15: Charlie Jarrett,
Jefferson, 165; 12-13: Bailey Smith,
Buckhead, and Zac Thornton, 159; 10-11:
Brantley Baker, Leesburg, 165; Girls 16-18:
Samantha Blount, 170; 12-13: Erin Peters,
Canton, 171.
Pence, Austin win
on Hurricane Tour
Dylan Pence of Dacula and Haley Austin
of McDonough were the winners of a
Hurricane Junior Golf Tour event last month
at Heron Bay.
Pence shot 73-73—146 and won in a
playoff against Barrett Waters of Dallas,
who led after an opening 70. Chandler
Avery of Dacula and Brandon Alsobrook
tied for 3rd at 147. Daniel Fienemann shot
142 to placed 2nd in the 11-14 age group,
one behind the winner. Austin Fulton of
Villa Rica was 4th at 144.
Austin was the girls winner at 77-74—
151, with Roswell’s Nicole Latka 2nd at
159. Ivy Shepherd was 2nd in the 11-14
division at 153, two behind the winner,
Jenny Bae of Lawrenceville tied for 3rd
at 156.
In a Hurricane Junior Tour event in
Greenwood, S.C., Alex Markham of Dacula
shot 152 to win the 11-14 division by two.
GOLFFOREGEORGIA.COM
27
Chip Shots
Bulldogs’ Reach
grabs Palmetto title
UGA golfer Nick Reach won the recent
Palmetto Amateur, played at the historic
Palmetto GC in Aiken, S.C., taking a playoff
over Scott Strohmeyer, a member of
Alabama’s national championship team.
Both Reach and Strohmeyer finished at
5-under 205, with Reach winning with a
birdie on the second extra hole after
Strohmeyer birdied the 18th hole of regulation to force the playoff. Reach had taken
the lead with a birdie at 17.
Reach shot 71-66-68, beginning the final
round one behind Strohmeyer, who placed
2nd in the tournament for a third time.
Tying for 5th at 208 were Alpharetta’s
Billy Kennerly, a member of the Clemson
golf team, and Duluth’s Mookie DeMoss,
Reach’s teammate in Athens. Kennerly shot
68 in the first and third rounds, and DeMoss
closed with scores of 68 and 69.
Reeves tied for 13th at 212 with Georgia
Southern golfer Henry Mabbett of Griffin.
Engler a winner: Augusta’s John
28
GOLFFOREGEORGIA.COM
Seth Reeves
Engler won the Birmingham National
Invitational at Birmingham CC, shooting
6-under 207 to finish four stokes ahead of
his closest pursuer
In other recent amateur events: Atlanta’s
Charlie Harrison, who plays on the golf
team at Wake Forest, tied for 5th in the
Monroe Invitational in New York at 1-under
212…Georgia Tech’s Bo Andrews was 2nd
in the Northeast Amateur, shooting a final
round 62 for an 8-under 268 total, two
behind Alabama’s Cory Whitsett. Ollie
Schniederjans of Powder Springs,
Andrews’ teammate at Tech, was 8th
at 276…
Augusta State’s Maverick Antcliff won
the Rice Planters event in Mount Pleasant,
S.C., shooting a final round 66 for a 204
total and taking a playoff that went six
holes. Augusta’s Brian Carter, a member of
the UGA golf team, was 5th at 208.
Stevens, Hall, Belk
qualify for Sr. Open
Three Georgians – one of the Georgia
PGA’s top players and two amateurs –
qualified for this month’s U.S. Senior Open.
All three competed in a qualifier at the
Standard Club.
Sharing medalist honors at 68 were
Craig Stevens, an instructor at Brookstone
CC and the 2012 Georgia PGA Player of the
Year, and amateur Jeff Belk of Marietta.
Getting the final two spots with scores of
70 were Jack Hall, an amateur from Sea
Island, and Champions Tour player
Mike Hulbert. Al Jernigan of Gray is the
first alternate.
The U.S. Senior Open will be played July
11-14 in Omaha.
Public Links qualifier: A qualifier for the
U.S. Public Links Championship was played
recently at Woodmont GC, with two
Georgians among the three to advance.
Mark Buchholz of Cumming, who
was a placekicker in high school at
Chattahoochee and in college at Clemson,
was 2nd at 8-under 136, with UGA golf
team member Sam Straka of Valdosta 3rd
at 139. Straka won a playoff over Kennesaw
State golfer Kelby Burton of Augusta and
Georgia Southern golfer Scott Wolfes of
St. Simons, who are the first and second
alternates.
The U.S. Public Links Championship will
be played July 15-20 in Virginia.
Ashlan Ramsey
GSGA
Duluth’s Seth Reeves, a member of the
golf team at Georgia Tech, won the 84th
Southeastern Amateur at Country Club of
Columbus, his second victory in the event
in the past three years.
Reeves, who will be a senior at Georgia
Tech this Fall, won by three strokes with an
11-under 273 total. Reeves trailed
Kennesaw State golfer Jimmy Beck, a
Columbus resident, by one stroke after 54
holes. Reeves shot a final round 67 while
Beck closed with a 71.
Beck ran into some trouble with four
bogeys during the middle of his final round
before rallying with three birdies on the last
seven holes. Reeves took advantage of his
opportunity, shooting 4-under 31 on the
back nine.
Reeves, who also won the tournament in
2011, posted scores of 69-71-66-67, while
Beck led after each of the first three rounds,
shooting 65-72-68 before his final
round 71.
Ross Thomson of Marietta tied for 3rd at
277, with Georgia signee Greyson Sigg of
Augusta tying for 8th at 283. Parker
Derby of Columbus, also a UGA signee, tied
for 10th at 284 with fellow Columbus
resident Cates Culpepper and Georgia
Southwestern golfer Nate Gahman
of Leesburg.
ROBERT MATRE
Tech’s Reeves takes
Southeastern Am
Ramsey romps
to GSGA victory
Milledgeville’s Ashlan Ramsey, who will
be a freshman on Clemson’s first women’s
golf team this Fall, easily won the recent
GSGA Women’s Match Play Championship,
played at the Legends at Chateau Elan.
Ramsey never went past the 14th hole in
any of her five matches, winning 7&5 in the
finals over Newnan’s Ji Eun Baik, who will
be a freshman on the Mississippi State
women’s team this Fall.
After taking her first two matches 5&4
and 8&7, Ramsey won 5&4 in the quarterfinals over Jackie Rajek of Suwanee and
defeated Roswell’s Jessica Haigwood, an
Augusta State signee, 6&5 in the semis.
Baik defeated stroke play medalist
Sydney Needham of Villa Rica 6&5 in the
semifinals after getting past UGA golf team
member Amira Alexander of Alpharetta
4&3 in the quarters.
Needham, who shot 72 in qualifying,
knocked out 9-time tournament champion
Laura Coble of Augusta, 2-up in the quarterfinals. Ramsey, one of three players to
shoot 72, was the 3rd seed, with Alexander
seeded 4th. Baik was seeded 12th.
This was the first time since the tournament began in 1998 that it was not played
at Sunset Hills in Carrollton. Sunset Hills is
now the host of the GSGA Senior Women’s
Match Play Championship.
Ramsey a winner
in Ohio, Virginia
Following her win in the GSGA Women’s
Match Play Championship, Ashlan
Ramsey won two national amateur tournaments later in June, taking the Western
Amateur in Dayton and the Eastern
Amateur in Williamsburg, Va.
In the Eastern Amateur, played at current
LPGA and former PGA Tout host Kingsmill,
Ramsey shot 66-70-70—206 to win the
stroke play event by two strokes. Roswell’s
Rinko Mitsunaga tied for 5th at 216.
Ramsey won a third straight event at
Dayton CC, capturing the grueling Western
Amateur, which consisted of nine rounds of
golf over six days, including a 36-hole final.
Ramsey won 7&6 in the title match over
Ball State golfer Jenna Hague after
receiving treatment for an arm injury prior
to the match.
Only one of Ramsey’s matches went past
the 16th hole, a 2-up win in the third round.
She shot 141 to tie for 4th in stroke play
qualifying. Emee Herbert of Johns Creek,
who tied for 16th in the Eastern Amateur,
also reached match play in the Western,
losing in the second round.
Austin takes title
in Top 60 event
Haley Austin of McDonough won the
GSGA Women’s Top 60 tournament at
Green Island CC in Columbus, shooting
a final round 67 for an even par 142 total
and a two-stroke victory over Mercedes
Huarte of Suwanee.
Austin, who will play on the women’s
golf team at Mercer, trailed by three after
the opening round before shooting the
low score of the tournament. Huarte’s 70
the second day was the only other
under-par score.
Caitlin Watts of LaGrange, the first
round leader at 72, placed 3rd at 145, followed by Eunice Yi of Evans at 147. Emee
Herbert was 5th at 148, with Ji Eun Baik
and Sydney Needham T6 at 149.
J U LY 2 0 1 3
Schniederjans second
to Johnson in Dogwood
Mason edges Smith
in Senior Division
GEORGIA PGA
eorgia Tech golfer Ollie
Schniederjans shot a 63 in
the opening round of the
Dogwood Invitational and
took the lead at the midway point of the
tournament at 12-under 132.
He followed with scores of 67 and 68
to finish at 21-under 267 at Druid
Hills GC.
Unfortunately for Schniederjans,
Auburn’s Michael Johnson shot 63-64
the final two days to finish at 28-under
260, seven ahead of the Yellow
Jackets’ standout, who had to settle for
second place.
Johnson’s score was a tournament
record. He opened with a 64 to trail
North Carolina high school golfer Ben
Griffin by three shots, and followed with
a 69 to take 2nd after 36 holes, one
behind Schniederjans. His third round
63 gave him a 3-shot advantage heading
to the final round.
Griffin wound up 3rd at 16-under
272, with Georgia State golfer Davin
White of Locust Grove 4th at 273 that
included an opening round of 64.
Michael Garretson of Acworth, who
plays at South Alabama, was 7th at 275,
with Woodstock’s Anders Albertson
(Georgia Tech), Milton’s Zack Jaworski
(Vanderbilt), Jimmy Beck of Columbus
(Kennesaw State) and Joey Garber
(UGA) tying for 10th at 278.
Tying for 15th at 279 were Duluth’s
Seth Reeves (Georgia Tech), Alpharetta’s
Billy Kennerly (Clemson) and Keith
Mitchell (UGA).
Johnson played the first six holes at
Druid Hills in even par all four days, but
tore up the last 12 throughout the tournament. He had eight birdies the final 12
holes in the opening round, was 9-under
on the last 12 with two eagles to take the
lead after the third round, and went
6-under on a 6-hole stretch the final day
beginning at the par-5 seventh to pull
away from Schniederjans.
His only stumble during the tournament came on holes 16 and 17 in the
second round (his 7th and 8th of the
day), when he went double bogey-bogey.
But he held on for a 69 to stay one back
of Schniederjans at the end of the day.
For the week, Johnson was 18-under
on Druid Hills’ par 5s, with three eagles,
12 birdies and just one par. He was also
a combined 7-under on holes 11 and 12
– both par 4s, carding birdies on the
12th each round.
Schniederjans, who played his high
school golf at Harrison in west Cobb,
carded 24 birdies during the tournament
and only three bogeys. He led until the
Fayetteville resident Wade Holland.
Binfield, who earned $2,800 for his victory, shot 64-67 to edge out Holland, who
carded 16 birdies in 36 holes with scores of
64-69. Binfield had 15 birdies over two
days. Robbie Biershenk was 3rd at 134,
with Denny Lucas of Williamson one of
three players tying for 4th at 137.
Lucas won the following week at
Summer Grove in a playoff over Andrew
Georgiou of Columbus, with both tying at
5-under 139. Lucas, who earned $2,100 for
his victory, birdied four of his last seven
holes for a second round 68 to catch
Georgiou, who led by four after an opening
65. Binfield shot 69-71—140 to take 3rd.
Former Georgia Bulldog golfer Christo
Greyling won a 54-hole Peach State
Tour event at Trophy Club of Atlanta,
posting scores of 64-65-69 for an 18-under
198 total.
Greyling and Binfield were tied going to
the 18th, but Greyling eagled the par-5 and
Binfield made bogey to drop into a tie for
2nd at 201 with Canton’s Blake Stark, who
shot a final round 61. Stark was 7-under
after seven holes on the day, scoring an
eagle on the short, par-4 fourth.
After carding 16 birdies and an eagle
over the first two rounds, Greyling was
even par the final day after 14 holes, but
played his last four in 3-under to break a tie
with Binfield. Greyling earned $3,600 with
his victory. Former Georgia Tech golfer Kyle
Scott of Decatur was 4th at 205. Scott also
tied for 4th at Summer Grove.
Sam Bedwell won a Peach State tournament at Bradshaw Farm at 5-under 139,
one shot ahead of Brett Munson of Evans,
Brandon Holtz and Lucas. Binfield was 5th
at 141. First place was worth $3,000.
G
GEORGIA TECH
Champions Tour player James Mason of
Dillard won last month’s Georgia PGA
Senior Division tournament at Bent Tree in
Jasper, edging host pro Russell Smith by
one shot.
Mason shot 67-68—135, 9-under on the
Bent Tree layout. Smith shared the first
round lead with Mason at 67, following
with a 69. Sonny Skinner was 3rd at 140,
with Rusty Strawn low amateur and 4th
overall at 143 after opening with a 68. Local
amateur Ron Hunter was 5th at 146, with
Brookstone CC instructor Craig Stevens
6th at 148.
Ollie Schniederjans
9th hole of the third round, but trailed
by three by the end of the day, as he shot
33 on the back nine to Johnson’s 30.
An eagle on the 7th hole the final day
opened Johnson’s lead to four, and
became seven after his run of four
straight birdies beginning at the 9th.
Craig Stevens
In the annual Red Dobbins tournament
at Mystery Valley, Robert Burk of Stone
Creek in Valdosta shot 70-68 to win by two
shots over Orchard Hills’ Wyatt Detmer
with a 6-under 138 total. Detmer was
2nd at 140, followed by Danny Elins of
Georgia Golf Center at 141 and Mike
Schlueter at 143.
Allern Peake and Chris Hall shared low
amateur honors at 144, followed by Matt
O'Brien and Scotty Scott at 145. Scott shot
68 in the second round.
Binfield captures
Peach State title
Fayetteville’s Wade Binfield won a
Hopkins Golf Peach State Tour event
last month at Planterra Ridge, shooting
13-under 131 to finish two ahead of fellow
2 0 1 3 J U LY
Krywulycz wins
eGolf event by 8
Recent Augusta State golfer Mitch
Krywulycz won an eGolf Tour tournament
at Sedgefield CC in Greensboro, N.C., by
eight strokes with a 12-under 198 total to
earn $15,000. Krywulycz posted scores of
67-65-66.
In an eGolf event in Virginia, recent
Georgia Tech standout James White of
Acworth was 6th at 9-under 207, with exUGA golfer Adam Mitchell of Atlanta tying
for 7th at 209.
Taylor Floyd of Forsyth, Krywulycz’s
teammate at Augusta State, tied for 7th in
an eGolf Tour stop in Morganton, N.C., at
9-under 201. White tied for 9th at 202.
GOLFFOREGEORGIA.COM
29
Course Reviews
Monroe Golf & CC (Semi-Private)
Top
T
op R
o
Reasons
e ons to
eas
to Join the Tour
Tour
o
P
Play
lay gr
great
eat ccourses
ourses such as EEast
ast Lak
Lake
e GC, TPC Sugar
Sugarloaf
loaf
1212 Alcovy St., Monroe; 770-267-8424; www.monroegcc.com
STAFF: Keith Tanner is the PGA Director of Golf; Steve Long is the General
Manager/Superintendent
PAR/YARDAGE: Monroe G&CC is a par 72 with four sets of tees – Blue (6400 yards),
White (6027), Gold (5484) and Red (4955).
COURSE RATING/SLOPE: 70.4/126 (Blue); 68.6/120 (White); 66.0/114 (Gold);
67.9/116 (Red).
& Sea
Sea Island
Island GC
Membership
Membership B
Benefits
enefits Packages
Packages
E
Economically
conomically pr
priced
iced & close to
to home
M
Most
ost competitive
competitive & professionally
proffe
essionally run
run junior program
program in Georgia
Georgia
AJGA PBE exempted
exempted events
events & all 36-hole
ttournaments
ournaments ar
are
e JGS rranked
anked
F
Fun,
un,, lifetime
liffe
etime relationship
relationship building events
events
Expanded summer ser
series
ies schedule
G
Graduate
raduate division
on ffor
or
o ages 19-21
The Season
Season
as started!
sttart
a ted!
e
has
SSo
o Register
Register
Now!
Now!
2013
2
013 T
Tour
ou
our
o Schedule
MAR 9-10
MAR 23-24
APR 1-2
APR 20-21
JUN 3-4
JUN 26-27
JUL 8-9
AUG
AUG 5-6
A
AUG
UG 17-18
SEPT 7-8
SEPT 21-22
Oct
O
ct 12-13
NOV 2-3
DEC 14-15
Junior
Woods
Junior Piney
Piney W
oods @ Glen
Glen Arven
Arven CC,
CC, Thomasville
Thomasville
Country
Club
Columbus,
Columbus
Country C
lub of C
olumbus, C
olumbus
North
Georgia
Dahlonega*
North G
eorgia High School
Club
b, D
ahlonega*
School Golf
Golf Classic,
Classic, Achasta
Achasta Golf
Golf Club,
Oglethorpe
Wilmington
Club,
O
glethorpe Junior
Junior Invitational
Invitational @ W
ilmington IIsland
sland C
lub, SSavannah
avannah
GA PGA Junior
Junior Championship
Eatonton
Championship @ Golf
Golf Club
Club at
at Cuscowilla,
Cuscowilla,, Eatonton
Stone
Mountain
Mountain
Stone M
ountain Golf
Golf Club,
Club, Stone
Stone M
ountain
University
Georgia
Golf
Course,
Athens
U
niversity of G
thens
eorgia G
olf C
ourse, A
Governors
Governors Towne
Towne Club,
Club, Acworth
Acworth
Callaway
Callaway G
Gardens
ardens R
Resort,
Mountain
esort, Pine
Pine M
ountain
SSavannah
avannah Quarters
Quarters Country
Club,
Pooler
Country C
lub, P
ooler
The
The Georgia
Georgia Club,
Club, Statham
Statham
Chattahoochee
Golf
Course,
Gainesville
olf C
ourse, G
ainesville
Chattahoochee G
Coosa
Club,
Rome
Coosa Country
Country C
lub
b, R
ome
Junior
Junior Tour
To
our Championship,
Championship, Sea
Sea Island
Island GC, St.
St.. SSimons
imons Island
Island
Summer Series (18-Hole)
JUN
JUL 11
JUL 16
JUL 23
TBA
TBA
TPC @ Sugar
loaf
Duluth
Sugarloaf,
aff, Duluth
Ansley G
olf C
lub SSettindown
ettindown C
reek, R
oswell
Ansley
Golf
Club
Creek,
Roswell
East Lake
Lake Golf
Golf Club,
Club, Atlanta
Atlanta
East
*Boys
*B
oys only ev
event
ent
To
T
o sign up & get
g t the de
ge
details,
etails,
a
visit us online
on
ge
georgiapga.com
or
rg
giapga.com
Or contac
contactt SScott
cott Gordon
Gordon at 678-461-8600 or [email protected].
[email protected].
30
GOLFFOREGEORGIA.COM
ABOUT THE COURSE: A long-time favorite between Athens and Atlanta, Monroe G&CC
has been around since the late 1950s, and hosts the Monroe Classic, an annual four-ball
tournament that has been one of the state’s most popular events for years. Elite will serve
as the title sponsor for this month’s event (July 19-21). The course has passed the test of
time despite its seemingly out-of-date yardage totals. Monroe G&CC measures just 6400
yards from the back tees and barely over 6000 from the whites, but for those who stray off
the tee or struggle with the putter, it poses more of a challenge than its modest Course
Rating/Slope numbers. With some exceptions, the mostly tree-lined layout is on the tight
side, with out of bounds within reach on a number of holes. The other primary challenge
is the bent grass putting surfaces, which have decent amounts of slope and can get quite
speedy for tournament play. The greens allow for some testy pin positions, both in terms
of getting to them on approach shots and holing putts once you reach them. Because of
the absence of length, you will be hitting a number of short irons, with seven par 4s 370 or
shorter from the blue tees and just one (the tour length 450-yard 6th) over 405. The par 5s
are also on the short side, averaging right at 500 yards from the tips without serious
amounts of trouble, but as with the par 4s, you need to hit it straight to produce scoring
opportunities. Although there are no serious elevation changes, there is a decent amount
of roll from many tees to greens, with a number of the approach shots slightly uphill. There
are not a large number of hazards in play and the bunkering is modest, making it an excellent venue for higher handicappers or those who can still play, but just don’t hit it as far as
they used to. Course conditions are excellent, with the friendly staff doing a nice job of balancing the needs of its membership and daily fee visitors.
Country Club of Roswell (Private)
2500 Club Springs Drive, Roswell; 770-475-7800; www.ccroswell.com
STAFF: Tim Farrell is the PGA Golf Professional; Jackie Cannizzo is the
PGA Director of Instruction
PAR/YARDAGE: CC of Roswell is a par 71 with three sets of tees: Blue (6593 yards);
White (6068) and Red (5151). There are also two combination tees and two shorter sets.
COURSE RATING/SLOPE: 72.4/136 (Blue); 70.3/131 (White); 71.3/128 (Red).
ABOUT THE COURSE: The host venue for this month’s Judson Collegiate & Legends ProAm Challenge, CC of Roswell sports one of the shortest layouts among metro Atlanta’s
wealth of quality private courses, but also one of the most enjoyable. The course is among
the tightest in the metro area, with tree lines and out of bounds a frequent presence off
the tee. Because of the narrow corridors and absence of serious length, longer hitters can
keep the driver in the bag on a number of holes, but keeping it in the fairway can still be a
challenge with a shorter club. Only two par 4s measure longer than 400 yards from the
back tees, and one of them plays sharply downhill. However, the first and 10th holes are
the only par 4s that can be considered short, with the 10th one of about half the holes
where a hazard is seriously in play. Carries are required either from the tee or ao the
approach on most of those holes, including the short but perilous 10th and its peninsula
green. The back nine has a series of hazardous holes, including two par 4s with intimidating tee shots (12 and 17), a short, scenic par 3 (16) and an inviting par-5 finishing hole
with water lining the right side on the second shot and extending behind the green. The
front nine includes a dangerous par 4 with hazards in play off the tee and on the approach
(4) and a visually appealing but demanding downhill par 5 with an angled creek short of
the green that requires some thought and precision to negotiate (6). The greens complexes are also among the primary concerns, requiring a deft touch to deal with the
moderately undulating putting surfaces and a quality short game to handle some of the
inevitable short-sided misses you’ll encounter. The course is in excellent shape from tee to
green, with the club known for its family-oriented nature and thriving junior program.
J U LY 2 0 1 3
COME FOR
THE LOVE
OF THE
b
Experience the sport the way it’s meant to be.
Played by golf’s biggest names on one of the most
stunning golf courses in the country. Don’t miss your
chance to feel the LOVE. Buy your tickets today.
*1 ( -:T7@N8@79k .')*'!'0
MCGLADREYCLASSIC.COM
*./ 41$.*1 2 0 1 3 J U LY
GOLFFOREGEORGIA.COM
31
Weekday Hotel Golf Packages
Starting at $126*
“Top 100 Courses You Can Play” - Ranked #32 - Golf Magazine
“Best Course in State” - Voted by readers of Mississippi Magazine
“Top 100 Best Resort Courses” - GolfWeek Magazine
“Top Casino Course in America” - GolfWeek, Golf Digest and Southern Gaming
“The Augusta You Can Play” - Named by Golf Magazine
*Rate based on double occupancy, tax included. Hotel golf package includes hotel room, round of golf and clubhouse breakfast.
Multiple golf package and lodging options available.
Follow us!
We Are Pearl River Resort • Vegas with Sweet Tea!
Scan Here!
Here!
32
Pearl River Resort • Choctaw, MS • 1.866.44PEARL (1.866.447.3275) • www.pearlriverresort.com • A development of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians
GOLFFOREGEORGIA.COM
J U LY 2 0 1 3