fore georgia 0409

GEORGIAPGA.COM GOLFFOREGEORGIA.COM APRIL 2009

««

the most inviting on the course. Butamong the four finishing holes are twodemanding par 4s and the quirky par-518th, which features an island landing areathat makes it a three-shot hole for all butthe most aggressive and daring players.

Jennings Mill’s 18th, which plays as theninth for the club’s members, has decidedthe tournament each of the last two years.

Those four holes, along with the par-3third, form the heart of Jennings Mill’schallenge, with both nines providing somebirdie opportunities early before closingwith the most demanding holes on thecourse, the third being an exception.

The tournament back nine offers playersa chance to make up some ground on thefirst five holes, which including some of

B y M i k e B l u m

he Athens Regional FoundationClassic will tee it up for thefourth time this month atJennings Mill Country Club,

with a strong field expected for what hasbecome one of the tour’s top events.

Jennings Mill, an outstanding BobCupp design, ranks as one of the mostdemanding courses the Nationwide Tourvisits, ranking fourth in difficulty last year.Robert Damron won with an 11-under277 total, among the highest for aNationwide Tour champion in 2008.

The course has played harder each suc-ceeding year, with the winning score goingup five strokes from 2006 (267) to 2007(272) and five more last year. At just a fewsteps over 7,000 yards, Jennings Mill is notamong the longer courses on theNationwide Tour, and with three short par4s and a pair of par 5s that are reachable intwo by just about every player in the field,the course offers several excellent scoringopportunities.

But there are an equal number of holeswhere pars do not come easily, with two ofthem ranking among the 50 most difficulton tour. The ninth, which the membersplay as their 18th, tied for 13th toughestlast year, and is one of four par 4s atJennings Mill measuring between 469 and480 yards.

G e o r g i a G o l f B u s i n e s s

GeorgiaGolf Course

OwnersAssociation

w w w . g g c o a . c o m

770-235-0735TigerWoods shootsfor 5th Masters title

Matt Peterson claimsMatch Play victory

Governors Towne Clubamong Atlanta’s best

INSIDETHISISSUE

16 18 20

Jennings Mill poses stern test

(See Nationwide Tour, page 6)

COVERARTICLEPHOTOSBY

ATHENSREGIONALFOUNDATIONCLASSIC

STEV

EDINBE

RG

TFans gather around 18th hole at Jennings Mill

Nationwide Tour makes 4th stop in Athens

welcome to the driving range.(golf optional)

2009 Cadillac Escalade

2009 Cadillac CTS

2 G O L F F O R E G E O R G I A . C O M A P R I L 2 0 0 9

3G O L F F O R E G E O R G I A . C O MA P R I L 2 0 0 9

4 G O L F F O R E G E O R G I A . C O M

By Phil KelnhoferPGA Director of InstructionAtlanta Golf Center

My first goal in teaching juniors is forthem to learn a swing and a game that willenable them to play to their potential andenjoy the game the rest of their lives.Anyone who took the game up later in lifeknows it would have been much easier tolearn had they started as a youngster.Any youth can learn to play in the mid

80s, but as it is in any other sport, it takesspecial qualities to become a champion.Several years ago my brother George and Itaught at the Atlanta Golf Center. CharlesHowell III at age 11 would come over fromAugusta for lessons with George. Skinny asa rail, you could tell immediately a cham-pion was in the making.The four keys to making a champion,

assuming the talent is there, are:Instruction, Practice, Play andCompetitive Play.For instruction the least expensive way

to begin is in large groups. In most casesthis will not suffice and individual help isneeded. When asked why college playersare so much better today, Tiger Woodsreplied, “It’s the new technology, not thegolf equipment, but the computers we usewith video cameras. The instruction is somuch better and the kids have better tech-nique at an earlier age.”Atlanta has many teachers using com-

puterized video. If you have a teacher youtrust, stay with him or her and leave theteaching to them. It pains me to see aparent adding to the teacher’s lesson.Many times I have seen this happen.Most parents over-teach and the lessonis wasted.How much will lessons cost and how

many are needed? I would start with six

and let the teacher advise from there. Withtalent, lessons may lead to a college schol-arship so the money would be well spent.David Ledbetter has a school for juniors inBradenton, Fla. Cost is $80,000 annually.This does not include regular schooltuition. It is much less expensive here.For play, it’s best once your child is 11 or

12 that there is a way for them to play withother kids, walk and carry their bags. If ayouth cannot afford green fees it is pos-sible to find work at a club where free playis offered. Augusta Country Club andDalton Country Club have produced manycollege players. Both have excellent juniorprograms and encourage the kids to playand they walk.Competition is readily available today.

U.S. Kids Golf and Atlanta Junior Golf offerexcellent programs. At age 14 and with

proper credentials, they are eligible to playin American Junior Golf Associationevents. This is where the college coachesdomost of their recruiting. For boys to playat major colleges they must be able toaverage close to par or better. For smallerschool programs their average may be alittle higher. If a girl can break 80 she isguaranteed a scholarship. Many schools donot have enough girls to field a teamWhat about other sports? I would

encourage you to let themplay them all upuntil the age of 12. Jack Nicklauswas a verygood basketball player in high school. Tobe a champion once the youth reaches age14, it is best they stay away from sportsthat interfere with their summer golf time.Because basketball is off season, I seenothing wrong with playing it throughhigh school.With good instruction, practice, lots of

regular play and competition who knows,you may have a college player or futuretour player in your family. At worst if youplay too, you can count on many pleasur-able hours together on the golf course.Do your kids a favor. Introduce them

to golf.

Phil KelnhoferPGA Director of InstructionAtlanta Golf Center770-923-4653404-384-0369 (cell)

A P R I L 2 0 0 9

3021 Kalah Place, Marietta, GA 30067770-933-04GA (Office)770-953-6638 (Fax)golfforegeorgia.com

[email protected]

PUBLISHER

Golf Media, Inc.John Barrett

EDITORMike Blum

CONTRIBUTORS

Phil KelnhoferJackie Cannizzo,Women’s Golf Editor

Steve DinbergLake-Finlay Image Group

Georgia Golf Course Owners AssociationCindy Acree, Executive Director

MARKETING & ADVERTISING

J.R. Ross, Sales RepresentativeRick Holt, Corporate Sales

ART DIRECTOR

Lori [email protected]

GEORGIA SECTION, PGA OF AMERICA

PRESIDENT

Jim Arendt, ChicopeeWoods Golf Course

VICE-PRESIDENT

Patrick Richardson,Wilmington Island Club

SECRETARY

Brian Stubbs, Country Club of Columbus

HONORARY PRESIDENT

Danny Elkins, Georgia Golf Center

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Bud Robison,West Point, GaMarten Olsson, The Club at River ForestSteve Godley, Jekyll Island Golf Club

Bob Elmore, Bacon Park GCTed Fort, Marietta Golf CenterRichard Hatcher, Ansley GC

Jeff Dunovant, First Tee of East LakeScott Mahr, Barnsley Gardens Resort

Clark Spratlin, Blue Ridge Golf & River ClubDan Mullins, Classic Golf ManagementMichael Raymond, Reynolds Landing

John Crumbley, Mystery Valley Golf ClubDaryl Batey, Charlie Yates Golf CourseRoger Cherico, Dunwoody Country ClubJohn Godwin, Godwin Creek/US Kids Golf

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Mike PaullASSISTANT EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR/

JUNIOR GOLF DIRECTOR Scott GordonTOURNAMENT DIRECTOR Pat DayOPERATIONS MANAGER Jeff Ashby

SECTION ASSISTANT TraciWaters

FOREGeorgia is produced by Golf Media, Inc.Copyright ©2008 with all rights reserved.Reproduction or use, without permission,of editorial or graphic content is prohibited.Georgia PGA web site: www.georgiapga.comF

orec

ast

INSIDETHISISSUE Nationwide feature: Blake Adams . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

South Georgia Classic preview. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Legends of Golf preview. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Champions Tour feature: Larry Mize . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Governor's Towne Club. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Masters pick: Tiger or Phil? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Peterson completes GPGA Grand Slam . . . . . . . . . 20

PGA pro-file: Michael Parrott . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

GSGA tournament preview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Georgia's mini-tour pros. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Chip shots: Tournament round-ups . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

Golf ForeWomen: Reynolds, Shirley win . . . . . . . . 27

Golf Fore Juniors: Rain makes impact . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Fore Georgia tournament schedule. . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

Course reviews: Savannah Harbor, Manor. . . . . . . 30

How to raise a champion

Instruction Fore You

For more stategolf news go to

www.golfforegeorgia.com

wins on their resumes.Dalton’s Michael Clark won on the

Nationwide Tour in 1996 and ’98 and cap-tured a victory during his rookie year on thePGA Tour in 2000. But the former GeorgiaTech golfer has rarely been heard from since,and is attempting a comeback on theNationwide Tour, where he has played spar-ingly in recent years. Clark made the cut inthree of the first four Nationwide eventsthis season.

Tripp Isenhour, also a former GeorgiaTech golfer with PGA Tour experience, wasa top-10 finisher on the Nationwide Tour in2000, ’03 and ’06, winning a total of fourtournaments. He has five seasons on thePGA Tour, his last in 2007 when he nar-rowly missed finishing in the top 150 on themoney list.

Former Augusta State golfer RichardJohnson also has four career Nationwidewins, three coming in 2007, when hetopped the money list with $445,000. ButJohnson barely cracked the top 200 on thePGA Tour in his rookie season, and is backfor a ninth time on the Nationwide Tour.

Kirk, Parel, Tolles and Fricke all placed inthe top 100 on the Nationwide Tour moneylist last year. But because of the large numberof veteran ex-PGA Tour players who are eli-gible to play on the Nationwide Tour, theywill likely have to Monday qualify at eitherAchasta GC or Chicopee Woods, with sevenspots available from each site.

Kirk, a recent Bulldog standout fromWoodstock, lost last year’s Nationwide eventin Knoxville in a playoff. Kirk, a tour rookiein ’08, competed earlier this year at PebbleBeach and made the cut for the fourth timein four attempts in a PGA Tour event.

The best finish by a Georgian at JenningsMill last year was turned in by Georgia PGA

member Sonny Skinner, who has spent anumber of years on the PGA andNationwide Tours and still retainsNationwide Tour status.

Skinner, a teaching pro at River Pointe inAlbany, tied for 18th in Athens, firing a finalround 66 that matched the low score of theday. He played in nine more Nationwideevents in ’08 and made it to the finals of Q-school, missing exempt status on theNationwide Tour for ’09 by just threestrokes.

From 1990-2004, Skinner competed oneither the PGA or Nationwide Tour beforejoining the Georgia PGA Section as a clubprofessional. He was the Section’s Player ofthe Year in 2006, and was the national PGAPlayer of the Year in 2008, largely due to hisrunner-up finish in the PGA ProfessionalNationwide Championship at ReynoldsPlantation and his strong showing in theAthens Nationwide event.

University of Georgia Golf Course headprofessional Matt Peterson, a veteranformer Nationwide Tour player, will com-pete in Athens for the third straight timethanks to his finish atop the Divots GeorgiaPGA points list in 2008. Peterson, who iscoming off a win the Georgia PGA’s MatchPlay Championship, has made the cut inboth his previous appearances.

Country Club of the South instructorShawn Koch and Chicopee Woods assis-tant Greg Lee finished 1-2 in Georgia PGAqualifying to earn spots in the field. Kochshot a 68 at Jennings Mill, while Lee, aformer Jennings Mill assistant, birdied twoof his last three holes to shoot 70.

Michael Parrott and Tim Weinhartboth shot 72 to earn alternate status, withSkinner next at 73.

Also competing in the event on sponsorexemptions are ex-Georgia Bulldog KevinKisner from Aiken, S.C., and Athens nativeKeith Guest, who played his college golf atAugusta State, where he is now an assistantgolf coach.

Damron, the 2001 Byron Nelson Classicchampion, played on the PGA Tour fulltime from 1997-2006, and has split his timebetween the two tours the past two years. Hewill be one of a sizeable number of playerswith considerable PGA Tour experience inthe field.

Tournament week for the AthensRegional Foundation Classic begins with apro-am April 13 at Athens Country Club. Ajunior clinic will be held the next day at 4p.m. at Jennings Mill, with the pro-am pair-ings party set for 6:30 p.m. at SanfordStadium. The Jennings Mill pro-am isscheduled for April 15. After Friday’s play,the Dogwood Bash will be held at AthensCC beginning at 7 p.m.

Jennings Mill is located just west ofAthens off Georgia 316, and is easily acces-sible for metro Atlanta residents. The courseis considerably friendlier for spectators thanall the courses that have hosted tour eventsin the Atlanta area with the exception ofEast Lake.

For information on the tournament, visitwww.arfcgolf.org.


Scott Dunlap

Justin Bolli

Martin Laird birdied the 18th on Sunday in2007 to win by one stroke over a pair ofchallengers. Last year, Greg Owen birdiedthe 18th to force the first playoff in the tour-nament’s brief history, but Damron followedwith a birdie on the 18th – the first extrahole — for the victory.

The field that will compete for first placemoney of $99,000 from the purse of$550,000 will include a number of familiarnames. But a sizeable number of Georgiaplayers on the Nationwide Tour will have togo through Monday qualifying to earn aspot in the event.

The tournament is held the same week asthe Heritage Classic on Hilton Head Island(April 16-19), and few if any of the playerswho divide their schedules between the PGAand Nationwide Tours will get into theHeritage field. The Athens event is likely topick up some PGA Tour members whowon’t be able to play the Heritage, bumpingsome of the non-exempt Nationwideplayers, which includes several Georgians.

Chris Kirk, Scott Parel, Jonathan Frickeand David Robinson will likely need to suc-cessfully compete in Monday qualifiers toearn spots in the field, as will former GeorgiaBulldog Tommy Tolles. Blake Adamsreceived a sponsor’s exemption into the fieldand is one of approximately a dozen playersguaranteed spots in the field who either livein Georgia or attended college in the state.

In the first three years of the tournament,only one Georgia golfer has posted a top-10finish, and he returns to the field aftermissing the 2008 Athens RegionalFoundation Classic.

Roswell’s Justin Bolli, who made the U.of Georgia golf team in the late 1990s as awalk-on, tied for fifth at Jennings Mill in2006 and was second in ’07, finishing justone shot behind Laird. He played on thePGA Tour last year and continued his out-standing play in his home state, tying forfifth in the AT&T Classic at TPC Sugarloaf.

Bolli ended the year just outside the top150 on the money list and is back on theNationwideTour, where he placed in the top10 in both 2004 and ’07 to earn spots on the

PGA Tour the following year.The 33-year old Bolli has two Nationwide

wins in his three seasons on the tour, withtwo other Georgians who have played well atJennings Mill also capturing twoNationwide titles in their careers.

Paul Claxton, like Bolli a former Bulldog,and Scott Dunlap posted back-to-back top-20 finishes at Jennings Mill in 2006 and ’07.Claxton returned to the PGA Tour for afourth season last year after picking up hissecond Nationwide victory in ’07, whileDunlap struggled for most of ’08 after win-ning the season-opening event in Panama.

Claxton, a Vidalia native now living on St.Simons Island, is playing his 11th year onthe Nationwide Tour and is second on thecareer money list. He was No. 1 beforereturning to the PGA Tour at the end of the’07 season, when he enjoyed his best year onthe Nationwide Tour, placing 10th in earn-ings.

Dunlap, a Duluth resident, is playing hisseventh straight year on the NationwideTour and ninth overall after six years on thePGA Tour from 1996-2002. Much ofDunlap’s success has come outside the U.S.,with his win in Panama last year propellinghim to his highest finish ever on theNationwide Tour (37th).

Also in the field are Albany’s JoshBroadaway, a 5-year Nationwide Tourplayer who is coming off his best season in2008, and former Augusta State golferMajorManning, a NationwideTour rookie.Manning, who grew up in Clarkesville, wonon the Hooters Tour last year.

John Kimbell of LaFayette, who won theNationwide Tour event in Valdosta in 2007,is trying to rebound after a tough season in’08, and will be joined by several veteranNationwide Tour players who also have tour

Nationwide Tourreturns to Athens[ Continued from the cover ]

PHOTOSBY

ATHENSREGIONALFOUNDATIONCLASSIC

B y M i k e B l u m

uring his brief time on theNationwide Tour, BlakeAdams has proven that he hasthe game to be competitive at

the second highest level of professional golfin the U.S.

The main problem now is just getting theopportunity.

Adams, a resident of the Lake Oconee areaand a Georgia Southern graduate, is playingon the Nationwide Tour for the third year.He made it to the tour for the first time in2007 after reaching the finals of Q-schoolin ’06.

Tee to green, Adams’ game held up well inhis rookie season, but struggles with theputter resulted in his making just five of 16cuts, with only one top-25 finish, a tie for13th in Omaha.

When Adams was unable to again reachthe finals of Q-school, he began 2008 withno status on the tour, requiring him to playin Monday qualifiers for a chance to gainentry into tournament fields.

Adams received a sponsor’s exemptioninto last year’s South Georgia Classic atValdosta’s Kinderlou Forest GC, where hewon a Hooters Tour event in 2005. Adamstook advantage of his opportunity, tying forsixth to earn a paycheck of almost $21,000and secure a spot in the field the next weekin Arkansas.

But after shooting a 68 in the openinground, Adams fell back the next day andmissed the cut. He did not play again on theNationwide Tour for two months.

Such is the life of golfers in Adams’ situa-tion, trying to climb the ladder of successwhile having to produce every week to earnanother chance.

Adams’ next chance last year came in theinaugural Nationwide Tour Players Cup,where he earned a spot in the field thanks tohis standing on the money list. He playedwell, tying for 27th, but missed by onestroke of a top-25 finish required to playagain the next week.

The following week, however, Adams wasback in the field of another of the topNationwide Tour events in Columbus, O.

This time he managed a top-25 finish, tyingfor 17th. The next two weeks he was 18th inOmaha and 12th in Wichita, and got intofive more tournaments the rest of the season,twice playing himself into contention earlyin the tournament before slipping down theleader board on the weekend.

The 33-year-old Adams finished the year94th in earnings with just over $45,000,enabling him to regain the status he lost afterthe 2007 season. Unfortunately, his statuswon’t do much for him early in ’09, and he’sback to the grind of Monday qualifying. Atleast when the Nationwide Tour plays out-side Georgia.

Thanks to a pair of sponsor exemptions,Adams will be in the field in both Athensand Valdosta, and could use a showing com-parable to that of last year at KinderlouForest to ensure his playing status for theremainder of 2009.

Because he has status on the tour this year,Adams does not need a top-25 finish eachweek to get into the next tournament. Astrong showing or two early in the year willimprove the status he already has, as the tourperiodically “re-shuffles” its players withnon-exempt status, rewarding those who areplaying well.

“Golf is hard enough without the addedpressure,” Adams said last month in anappearance at Jennings Mill to publicize theupcoming tournament. “But if you playwell, it will take care of itself.”

Status or no status, Adams knows what hehas to do to succeed on the NationwideTour. And it starts with just getting theopportunity to play, something he will haveat least twice this month.

Adams took advantage of his opportunitylast year in Valdosta.

“That was huge,” he said of his tie forsixth. “I was able to parlay that into moreevents. Then in the summer I got on a goodrun and played about five in a row. It’s atough process if you don’t get off to a goodstart. It can be a real tough grind.”

Adams has already gotten off to a goodstart in 2009, which was a relief after his ’08season ended with an injury. Adams wassidelined with a hip injury for the late stagesof 2008, but returned to action last monthwith a tie for second in the season-openingevent on the Tar Heel Tour.

After rounds of 66 and 70, Adams had thelead heading to the final round in Okatie,S.C., but one of his challengers surged pasthim with a 64. Adams still came away witha check for $13,250, a nice start to a seasonin which he says he is “on my own,” afterpreviously having some help from sponsors.

“I had a chance after 36 holes, but I hitsome good shots the last day that did not turnout well,” Adams said. “But it was nice to be

in contention and get some of the rust off.”Adams turned pro after graduating from

Georgia Southern in 2001, and has enjoyedsome success on the mini-tour circuit, win-ning on the Hooters, Gateway and Tar HeelTours. He closed out last season with a TarHeel title in Columbia, S.C., and has madethat his primary tour thanks to itsWednesday-Friday tournament schedule,which enables players like Adams to get toand from Monday qualifiers on theNationwide or PGA Tour.

Thanks to his win last year in Columbia,Adams finished the season eighth on themoney list, adding three other finishes ofsixth or better to his victory.

Adams put up some impressive stats in hisrelatively brief tournament stay on theNationwide Tour in ’08, including a fifthplace finish in the all-around category. The 6-3, 205-pound Adams is one of the longesthitters on the tour, placing second last year indriving distance with an average of 309 yards.

Unlike many of his fellow big hitters,Adams is not wild off the tee, finishing arespectable 42nd in fairways hit to alsoplace second in the total driving category,which factors in both distance and accu-racy. He was also a solid 38th in greens inregulation and improved his putting statsconsiderably, moving from well outside thetop 100 to 50th and 55th in two main put-ting stats.

Thanks mainly to his length, Adams is aterror on par 5s, scoring birdie or eagle 57percent of the time last year to lead thetour.

Adams began his college golf career atGeorgia, transferring to Georgia Southernfor his final seasons. During his stay inAthens, he got plenty of opportunities toplay Jennings Mill, and still shares thecourse record of 63.

Adams missed the cut in his only start inthe Athens Regional Foundation Classic in2007, but he also missed the cut that yearin Valdosta, and came back the next year totie for sixth.


D

Adams just wants a shot on Nationwide Tour

Blake Adams

ATHENSREGIONALFOUNDATIONCLASSICHopes to parlay limited status into success

Valdosta event has been kind to Georgia pros

Kids Menu & Catering Available

Kids Menu & Catering Available

Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner • Served All-Day

NOW OPEN FOR

DINNER

NOW OPEN FOR

DINNER4055 Old Milton Pkwy • Suite 14 • Alpharetta GA, 30005

Next to Old Milton Beverage

NEW HOURSMonday - Thursday 7 - 9pm • Friday & Saturday 7 - 10pm

Sunday 7 - 3pm

770-754-6202770-754-6202

N

EXIT 11

EXIT 10

NORTH

SOUTH

NORTH

SOUTH

Windward Pkwy

Webb Bridge Rd.

Old Milton Pkway

North

Point

Pkw

y

HW

Y40

0

HW

Y40

0

Jone

sB

ridge

Rd.

Park

Brid

geP

kwy

Alexander Dr.

Brooksid e Pkwy

n its first two years, Valdosta’sKinderlou Forest Golf Club hasbeen a hospitable host for a sizeablenumber of Georgians competing in

one of the state’s two Nationwide Tourevents.

The South Georgia Classic debuted in2007, with LaFayette’s John Kimbellscoring the victory in his rookieNationwide Tour season.

Canadian Bryan DeCorso won the tour-nament last year, but the top 10 includedfive golfers who attended college in thestate, three of whom are current Georgiaresidents.

With the 2009 Nationwide Tourincluding a sizeable Georgia contingent,several of whom have played well atKinderlou Forest, it’s likely that theweekend scoreboards will include a healthynumber of Georgians competing for thewinner’s check of $112,500.

The third South Georgia Classic will beplayed April 23-26, the week after theNationwide Tour stops in Athens. Thetournament features a purse of $625,000with $112,500 to the winner and will againbe televised on the Golf Channel, but willbe broadcast on tape delay after competingfor viewers against the Champions Tour

Legends of Golf last year.Kimbell and DeCorso will both be in the

field, with neither player able to earnenough money to qualify for the PGA Toureven with their victories in Valdosta.

Two of the Georgians who were amongthe contenders at Kinderlou Forest in 2007both went on to win on the NationwideTour later that year and played on the PGATour in ’08, but both are back this year.

Vidalia native Paul Claxton tied forsixth in ’07 and was the Nationwide Tour’sleading career money winner at the end ofthat season. After his fourth unsuccessfulstint on the PGA Tour in ’08, he is playingin his 11th season on the Nationwide Tour.

Roswell’s Justin Bolli, like Claxton aformer Georgia Bulldog, was just twostrokes off the lead after 54 holes inValdosta in ’07, but struggled the final dayand ended up tied for 20th. His disappoint-ment did not last long, as he tied for secondthe next week in Athens and picked up hissecond career Nationwide Tour victory laterin the season to earn a second trip to thePGA Tour.

Kimbell scored an impressive win thatyear, firing a final round 69 in difficult con-ditions for the low score of the day. Kimbellwon by one stroke over current PGA Tour

member Matthew Jones of Australia.DeCorso’s win was considerably easier, as

he led after the second and third roundsand went on to a comfortable 4-stroke vic-tory over England’s Greg Owen and formerGeorgia Tech standout Bryce Molder, bothof whom are on the PGA Tour this year.

Joining Molder in the top 10 wereAugusta’s Scott Parel (5th), Eatonton’sBlake Adams (T6) and ex-GeorgiaBulldogs Brendon Todd and David Miller(T9). Parel, who graduated from Georgiabut did not play on the golf team, andAdams, who played his college golf atGeorgia Southern after transferringfrom Georgia, both finished among thetop 100 on the money list year and havenon-exempt status on the NationwideTour in ’09.

Miller earned his spot in the field in aMonday qualifier, while Todd, who has set-tled in Atlanta after graduating fromGeorgia in 2007, was making just his thirdNationwide Tour start and went on to earna spot on the ’09 PGA Tour.

Tournament officials have awarded oneof their sponsor exemptions to ValdostaState senior golfer Brent Witcher ofDuluth, a Division II All-American lastyear, with Adams receiving a sponsor’sexemption for the second straight year.

The South Georgia Classic field will tee

it up on the longest course to host a tourevent, with Kinderlou Forest measuring7,781 yards from the tips. KinderlouForest, which was designed by Davis Love’sdesign group, ranked as the third mostdifficult course on the Nationwide Tour inscoring average in 2008, with the averagescore a fraction under 73.

DeCorso’s winning score of 14-under274 was four strokes lower than Kimbell’stotal in 2007, with more favorable weatherconditions a factor in the improved scoring.In its two years as tournament host,Kinderlou Forest has not played its fulllength, typically playing in the 7,400 to7,500-yard vicinity.

For information, visitwww.southgeorgiaclassic.com.


I

Paul Claxton

John Kimbell

ATHEN

SRE

GIONALFO

UNDAT

IONCL

ASS

IC

It’s Golf.It’s Indoors.It’s Amazing.

20,000 sq. ft. facility • Golf Simulators Putting Greens • Chipping Areas • Water Features

PGA Instruction

GOLFEquipment • Training • Confidence

It’s Golf.It’s Indoors.It’s Amazing.

www.ETCGolf.com770.420.0043

2636 George Busbee Pkwy., Kennesaw, GA 30144adjacent Town Center Mall

20,000 sq. ft. facility • Golf Simulators Putting Greens • Chipping Areas • Water Features

PGA Instruction

A limited number of Charter

Memberships still available.

BIG SAVINGS!

E

T C

A limited number of Charter

Memberships still available.

BIG SAVINGS!


Legends of Golf retains team formatB y M i k e B l u m

he tournament that essentiallygave birth to the Senior PGATour returned to its roots last year,although it has strayed a bit from

its Texas origins to find a home near theGeorgia coast.

The Liberty Mutual Legends of Golfreturns to the Westin SavannahHarbor Resort this month forthe seventh time, and willagain play under the teamformat that made the eventone of the most popular onwhat is now known as theChampions Tour.

The first Legends of Golf was played in1978 at Onion Creek in Austin, Tex. At thetime, the only event for senior professionalswas the Senior PGA Championship, whichwas played for the first time in 1937 atAugusta National.

After a successful inaugural tournament,which was won by the team of Sam Sneadand Gardner Dickinson, the Legends ofGolf enjoyed an even more noteworthy

return engagement in 1979. Julius Borosand Roberto De Vicenzo won in a lengthyplayoff overTommyBolt and ArtWall, witha national broadcast capturing the exciting,highlight reel finish that went on well pastthe allotted time frame for the final round.

Thanks to the response from that tourna-ment, and the impending 50th birthday ofArnold Palmer later in 1979, a handful of

events banded together to form asenior tour in 1980 and theirnumbers grew every year,reaching 38 within a decade.

Although it was neverconsidered an official eventbecause of its team format,

the Legends of Golf remained oneof the tour’s cornerstones, with LibertyMutual signing on as the tour’s first titlesponsor in 1980.

During the 1990s, the tournament left itshome course for another in Austin and spentseveral years in the southern Californiadesert before moving across the country toFlorida’s northeast coast.

In 2002, the tournament abandoned itsteam format for stroke play, making it anofficial tournament for the first time,although it did maintain team divisions forthe tour’s older and less competitive players.

Competing for attention against thePlayers Championship was a losing battle,and the tournament again moved in 2003,this time a short hike up the Atlantic coast.The highly regarded Bob Cupp design atSavannah Harbor made its debut as hostcourse that year, and the city of Savannahhas proven to be a nice fit for the tourna-ment, even with a PGA Tour event playedonly one week and a one hour drive away.

As one of approximately 30 stroke playevents on the Champions Tour, the Legendsof Golf had lost its unique distinction, andthe decision was made to return to its orig-inal format last year.

Other than Hale Irwin, every ChampionsTour player of note competed in one of thethree divisions, although a few of the tour’srank and file members did not meet thequalification standards. A total of 32 teamscompeted in the Legends Division, with 11more in the unofficial Raphael Division and16 more in the Demaret Division for golfersage 70 and older.

“It was very well-received,” TournamentDirector Tim Iley said of the change to anall-team play format. “We had recordcrowds even though we lost Saturday after-noon to weather. We had over 46,000 forthe week. And the players enjoyed it. It wasa big success.”

The Demaret Division again will be playedon Monday andTuesday of tournament week(April 20-26), with the Raphael Division heldFriday and Saturday after two days of pro-amplay, making the tournament the only one onany tour with an entire week of tournamentaction. The first two rounds of the LegendsDivision will be played concurrently with theRaphael competitors on Friday and Saturday.Both Saturday and Sunday’s play will bebroadcast on CBS, making it one of a just ahandful of ChampionsTour events on a non-cable network.

Al Geiberger and Jimmy Powell won lastyear’s Demaret competition with a record-breaking total of 18-under 126. It was thesixth title for Powell, three each in theRaphael and Demaret Divisions, who wonhis first five with the late Orville Moody.Three teams were five strokes back in tie forsecond, including Gainesville’s TommyAaron and Don Bies.

NBC broadcasters Gary Koch and RogerMaltbie won the Raphael Division for thesecond time, shooting a tournament record60 in the second round for a 16-under 128total, one stroke ahead of Bob Charles andStewart Ginn.

Even with a new format, the tournament

had a familiar winning duo last year. TomWatson and AndyNorth won the team por-tion of the event each of the previous threeyears against lesser competition, as almost allthe tour’s top players elected to compete forofficial money in the stroke play half ofthe tournament.

Even with all the tour’s big guns aimed atthem, Watson and North again prevailed,this time by just one stroke over the team ofJeff Sluman and Craig Stadler. Watsonplayed only five more events in 2009 beforebeing sidelined by injury, while Northdid not enter another tournament the restof the year.

North, who won two U.S. Opens amonghis three career PGA Tour victories, hasamassed six titles in the event, two with JimColbert in 2000 and ’01 prior to his fourstraight victories with Watson.

Among the teams Watson and North beatout to take home first place money of$225,000 each last year were: Sandy Lyle-Ian Woosnam; John Cook-Joey Sindelar;Jerry Pate-Andy Bean; David Edwards-Bernhard Langer; Larry Nelson-JimThorpe; Mark O’Meara-Nick Price; TomKite-Gil Morgan; Loren Roberts-ScottSimpson; Allen Doyle-Dana Quigley;Fred Funk-Scott Hoch; Mark James-Eduardo Romero; and Jay Haas-CurtisStrange.

Langer, who is currently the top player onthe Champions Tour, will have a newpartner this year, as he will team with TomLehman, who will be making his debut onthe tour. Georgian Larry Mize, like Langera former Masters champion, will also makehis first appearance in the tournament,playing with fellow Champions Tour rookieBlaine McCallister.

Langer has been the tour’s top playerthrough the early stages of the ’09 season,winning the season opener in Hawaii andplacing in the top 10 in each of his nextfour starts, finishing within four strokes ofthe winner in all four events.

For information, contact the tournamentoffice at 912-236-1333.


TSavannah again hosts top Champions event

Tom Watson

LAKE-FINLA

YIM

AGEGRO

UP

the three rounds and placed arespectable 27th. He got into thefinal Champions Tour major for hissecond start and again was rightaround par every day, tyingfor 27th.

Mize was not that far off the leadheading to the final round in his lasttwo starts of ’08, but did not playespecially well either day and settledfor a pair of top 20 finishes to closeout his year.

The feeling of being in con-tention going to the last round wassomething Mize had not experi-enced in some time, and is one ofthe adjustments players like himhave to make transitioning from thePGA Tour to the Champions Tour.

Mize had actually made his wayonto leader boards twice last year onthe PGA Tour, but in both cases itwas earlier in the tournament. Hewas one shot off the lead after theopening round in the MayakobaClassic in Mexico, but fell back aftera disappointing score the next day.

Shortly before turning 50, Mize was tiedfor second after 36 holes in the Reno-TahoeOpen, but a poor third round dropped himout of contention.

Mize’s latter years on the PGA Tour con-sisted primarily of playing in lesser eventswith weaker fields. But as a fully exemptplayer on the Champions Tour, he will beable to compete in all the top events.

From his brief stay on the ChampionsTour last year, Mize says the differencesbetween it and the PGA Tour are “subtle.The courses are a little shorter. They’re stillover 7,000 yards, but not the backbreakerslike some of the 7,400 or 7,500-yard courseson the PGA Tour.”

In recent years, the PGATour has set up itscourses differently than in the past, growingthe rough a little deeper and cutting pinpositions closer to the edges of the greens.

“The Champions Tour does what thePGA Tour used to do in the way they set thecourses up. That’s one of the main differ-ences from what I saw.”

Other than the Masters, where Mize is onthe invitation list as long as he choosesthanks to his memorable victory in 1987, hehas likely played his last tournament on thePGA Tour. The Champions Tour has severaloff weeks during the season, but Mize saidhe is unlikely to return to the regular tour fora token appearance or two.

“I’ll play the Masters and that will be it.The Champions Tour has everything I needout there.”

Although Augusta National has gotten alittle too long for Mize, never among the

B y M i k e B l u m

lthough he might not have nec-essarily circled Sept. 23, 2008on his calendar at home, thatdate was one Larry Mize had

been anticipating for some time.That was the day Mize turned 50 and

became eligible to compete on theChampions Tour. Three days after his 50thbirthday, Mize teed it up in the SASChampionship and did what he had donemany times in his career on the PGA Tour.

Mize, a native of Augusta and a long timeColumbus resident, played three steadyrounds of golf, cashed a decent checkand moved on to the next tour stop. Hedid that three more times before the 2008season ended and headed back out inFebruary to begin his first full year on theChampions Tour.

“I really enjoyed it,” Mize said of his ini-tial experience last year. “I like theatmosphere out there. It’s competitive, butyou can really enjoy yourself.”

While a relatively small number of PGATour players remained very competitiveright up to their 50th birthdays, Mize waspart of the much larger group that began tolose some steam in their 40s.

Mize was an exempt player on the PGATour for two decades, but suffered a backinjury in 2002 and spent his last six seasonsas an occasional participant who wouldmanage one or two strong showingsa season.

As his 50th birthday approached, Mizebegan to prepare for what has become acareer mulligan for veteran PGATour players.

“I talked to some guys and knew what toexpect. The guys are good out there, whichwas pretty much what I had expected. I haddone my homework”

Mize used his late 2008 arrival on theChampions Tour as a chance to get his feetwet before jumping into the water on a fulltime basis this year.

In his first Champions Tour appearance,he was one or two shots under par in each of

game’s bigger hitters, he managed to compilean excellent record in the Masters, beginningwith his first appearance, when he tied for11th in 1984.

Two years later, he finished a quiet T16despite shooting a final round 65, matchingthe low score of the day. Someone else shot65 that day and attracted a little more atten-tion. Mize received his due the next year,winning a playoff over Seve Ballesteros andGreg Norman with the help of one of themost replayed shots in golf history.

Mize continued to contend in theMasters for the next dozen or so years, tyingfor sixth in 1992 and challenging for asecond green jacket in ’94, placing thirdbehind Jose Maria Olazabal. He added threemore top-25 finishes, the last in 2000, buthas made the cut just once since, thatcoming in ’06.

After his Masters victory, Mize won twicemore on the PGA Tour, both times in 1993.He has realistic hopes of picking up his firstwin in more than 15 years, and made a runat victory in his first start of 2009, tying forseventh in Boca Raton, Fla., after begin-ning the final round just two off the lead.

Mize will make a second start in hishome state this month, competing in theLiberty Mutual Legends of Golf atSavannah Harbor. Mize will team up withBlaine McCallister in the best-ball eventand said he is “looking forward to theLegends.

“I’m excited about that, but I’m lookingforward to every one of them.”


A

Larry Mize a ‘rookie’ on Champions Tour

Larry Mize

Former Masters champion enjoying early experience

LAKE-FINLA

YIM

AGEGRO

UP

The Lion Golf ClubGo to www.theliongolfclub.com and view our Club Specials.

770-537-1400400 Murphy Industrial Blvd, Bremen, Georgia

18 Hole, Par 72 Championship Course

7,080 Yards at Tips

Pro Shop

Leo’s Snack Bar

Practice Facilities/Learning Center

Driving Range

Open to the Public

Tournaments Welcome


B y M i k e B l u m

he golf course construction boomin metro Atlanta went silentalmost a decade ago. But in theyears since, the quality of the

newer arrivals on the local golf scene havemade up for the decline in quantity.

Among the best of an excellent group ofrelatively recent additions to the private clubroster of the Atlanta area is GovernorsTowne Club, which opened for play in theSpring of 2004 in northwest Cobb Countyon the Paulding border outside Acworth.

At the time, the course was the first toopen in the metro area in 18 months, andthere have been only a handful of similarlyupscale private clubs to debut in the suc-ceeding five years.

Governors Towne Club received strongpositive reviews when it opened for play fiveyears ago, and the course has not lost any ofits luster since, with its conditioningremaining first rate and the layout maturingnicely.

Atlanta based golf course architect MikeRiley provided the design for GovernorsTowne Club with a consulting assist fromtwo-time U.S. Open champion CurtisStrange. Over the past decade, Riley hasbeen one of the busiest course architects inAtlanta in an otherwise depressingly slowtime in his business.

Among Riley’s creations in the metro areaare Crooked Creek (now Alpharetta AthleticClub East) and Reunion GC, with his mostrecent work consisting of renovations ofsome of the area’s top private clubs. Riley hasdone re-design work on Atlanta CountryClub, Brookfield, the Standard Club andRivermont, and his work at each club hasbeen very well received by the membership.

At Governors Towne Club, Riley andStrange have created a layout that featuressignificantly rolling terrain with a healthynumber of hazards in play, along with somelarge and demanding greens complexes thatwill give your short game all the challenge itcan handle.

The five tee boxes are separated by sub-stantial amounts of real estate, and tocompensate for the considerable differencesin yardages, two composite courses havebeen created.

Governors Towne Club measures around7,250 yards from the Black tees despite twoshort-ish par 5s and a 290-yard par 4. TheGold tees are around 6,750, with the Blues avery comfortable 6,125.There are two sets ofwomen’s tees (5,004 and 4,339) and even apar-3 set of tees on each hole that can doubleas a kids’ course.

Thanks to the combination of length,

hazards and the demanding greens com-plexes, the Course Rating/Slope numbers areGovernors Towne Club are on the high side– 75.0/142 from the Blacks, 72.6/136 fromthe Golds. Even with its modest yardage, theBlues have a Slope of 131, with a CourseRating of 70.0.

There are also two composite courses(Gold/Black and Gold/Blue) that take a littlebit of the teeth out of some of the longestholes for low handicappers, while offeringmore of a test for low double digit handicap-pers than the Blues.

The disparity in distances between someof the tees, especially the Golds and Blues, isa product of the rolling terrain, as well as thepresence of creeks, ravines and wetlandsthroughout the course. The Gold and Bluetees at the par-4 eighth hole are separated bymore than 100 yards, with several other gapsof 50 and 60 yards.

As a result, the course can play signifi-cantly different depending on which tees youplay, and Governors Towne Club head pro-fessional Todd Gilgrist says that is one of thecharacteristics of the course that most appealsto its membership.

“The members like to mix it up,” Gilgristsays. “That makes things enjoyable for thembecause they can play a totally different golfcourse. And with the greens as large andexpansive as they are, we have multiple holelocations. Our owner (Ken Horton) wantedit to be tour quality.”

Governors Towne Club will host one ofthe state’s top amateur events this month, asthe GSGA will play its 4-Ball Championshipthere April 24-26. They will encounter acourse Gilgrist describes as one with “phe-nomenal conditions, beauty and topographythat changes from hole to hole. It has a realflair to it.”

Previously, Governors Towne Club hashosted the Georgia PGA’s Match PlayChampionship, and Gilgrist says the clubwould be interested in serving as a futurehost of a USGA event or perhaps aChampions Tour tournament, althoughTPC Sugarloaf may have first dibs on that.

With the combination of considerablelength, plenty of hazards and testy greenscomplexes, Riley and Strange were generousin providing ample fairways which allow thedriver to be pulled from the bag on justabout every hole. The course, however, is notof the grip-it-and-rip-it variety, with somestrategic thinking required, especially on therisk/reward group of par 5s.

Riley is of the opinion that three-shot par5s “are kind of boring,” and the par 5s atGovernors Towne Club are anything but.Two are on the short side, and should beeasily reachable for most of the players in the4-Ball Championship field, but not withoutrisk. All four have hazards in play, with somethought and precision required to handleeach of the quartet.

When Riley designed the course, he said

one of his primary aims was to “mix thingsup constantly and have no two holes alike.”He achieved that goal, and the layout’s diver-sity is among its strengths, with some helpfrom the topography.

Among the more memorable holes are theall-carry-over-water, par-3 9th, which playsin the 200-yard ballpark from the blues(almost 230 from the tips), and is as scenic asit is perilous. There is some bailout roomshort and right, but back left pin positionscan make for some interesting short gameshots across the green.

Riley follows up that treacherous hole withone of the most benign par 4s you’llencounter. The 10th maxes out at 290 yards(230 from the blues), and even though itplays sharply uphill, it will provide golferswho may have never driven a par 4 theopportunity to do so.

However, a truly devilish green with allmanners of slopes, tiers and fall-offs make thehole a little sportier than its minimal yardage,with some exceedingly difficult to get to pinpositions making it an entertaining butpotentially perplexing hole.

The state’s top amateurs who will tee it upin the 4-Ball Championship will encounterseveral extremely stout par 4s. But withRiley’s spacing of tees, Governors TowneClub is eminently playable for those whopick the right set, with the superb greens thatare very quick with ample undulationmaking it a worthy challenge regardless of thelength.

As with other area upscale private clubs,the current economic situation has been amajor concern for club owner Horton, buthe says he is “not discouraged” with theslower-than-anticipated progress the club hasmade in attracting members.

“It’s a tough thing to do, but one thing Ichose not to do is to lower the standards ofthe product. It would be an easy thing to cutback on maintenance, but we haven’t.”

The construction of the clubhouse hasbeen slowed a bit, and Horton expects it beto ready by the Spring of next year. He saysthe impressive looking structure “willbe fabulous.”

Even in these difficult economic times,Governors Towne Club has steadily addednew members, with the quality of its golfcourse and its prime location in northwestCobb County the primary draws.

“It’s as fine a layout as you’ll find inGeorgia,” Horton asserts. “And I think we’repositioned to be the elite private club innorthwest Atlanta.”

For information on Governors TowneClub, call 770-966-5353, or visit its website (www.governorstowneclub.com).


T

Governors Towne Club layout rates high for quality, scenic appeal

Governors Towne Club a shining gemCourse layout, conditions both first class

Masters favorite an either/or proposition

two, either he went deep into red figures orhe did not win. But several of his mostrecent major titles came on courses thatwere not going to yield low winning scores,so that aspect of his track record may nolonger apply.

It’s been four years since Woods last wonthe Masters and a lot of folks think he’s dueto claim a fifth green jacket. But is he readyto win again considering his lack of compe-tition? We’ll find out soon enough.

Woods appeared in prime form in hiscome-from-behind win at Bay Hill thatincluded another memorable Tigermoment on the 72nd hole, but Bay Hill isone of several courses where he can basicallyshow up and win no matter the state ofhis game.

Augusta National is not one of thosecourses.

As for Mickelson, he comes into theMasters off victories at Riviera and Doral, agood sign for a streaky player who tends toplay his best golf in extended stretches.Mickelson was playing the best golf of hiscareer coming into the 2004 Masters andwon. The week before the 2006 Masters, hecompletely obliterated the field to win by13 strokes at TPC Sugarloaf and made ittwo in a row in Augusta.

Mickelson has compiled an impressiveMasters record apart from his two wins.He’s finished third four times and has fiveother top 10s in Augusta. But he hasn’t con-tended in a major since Winged Foot in ’06,although he managed two unnoticed top10s last year.

Judging by his play of late, Mickelsonappears very capable of ending his post-Winged Foot major championship funk.But he remains an inconsistent performerin two crucial elements of the game (drivingand putting) and if he is off in either area inAugusta, he will not be taking home a thirdgreen jacket.

Other than Tiger or Phil, who else islikely to contend for a Masters title? GivenJohnson’s win in ’07, a previous record ofsuccess in the tournament is not required.And given Immelman’s nondescript playcoming into last year’s Masters, recent formis thrown out the window.

Vijay Singh and Ernie Els are the twomost popular usual suspects, but their timemay be past as potential Masters cham-pions. Singh has produced a commendablyconsistent Masters record, but has con-tended just once since his win in 2000, andfell apart on the back nine on Sunday thatyear (2002). He has struggled all season ona bad knee and is now fighting a bad back.

Els has won just once in the U.S. since

2004 and has missed the cut the last twoyears in Augusta. Since Mickelson flew pasthim on the back nine in 2004, Els’ record inthe Masters is pretty dismal, and at age 39,his best days seem to be behind him.

Unlike Els, there are a lot of possible chal-lengers whose best days should be ahead ofthem. Geoff Ogilvy has won a U.S. Open,two Match Play titles and another WGCevent. But in three starts in the Masters, hehas more rounds in the 80s (one) than the60s (none). Augusta National should be arelatively good fit for him, but then there’sthat Aussie thing. Lots of his talented coun-trymen have tried to take home a greenjacket, but none have succeeded.

Then there’s the whole twenty-somethinggroup. Sergio Garcia. Adam Scott. CamiloVillegas. Anthony Kim. Paul Casey.

Garcia hasn’t been heard from in Augustasince his fast-finishing fourth place finish in2004. Plus he has putting issues, whichnever translates into success in Augusta.Scott is not 100 percent physically andhasn’t contended in a major since ’06.Villegas has already established himself as abig event performer, but has not figured outAugusta National in his first two attempts.

Kim is making his first start in Augusta,but did well in his initial efforts in theBritish Open and Tour Championship.Like Scott, he’s had some aches and painsthis year and his game has suffered of late.

Casey could be a guy to watch. He’sfinished 11th or better in three of his fiveMasters and has played well this year.His problem has not been getting intocontention in Augusta, but staying there onthe weekend.

For someone who has won the last twomajors, Padraig Harrington hasn’t receivedthat much notice, mostly due to his indif-ferent play of late. Harrington has compileda quite respectable record in the Masters(three top 10s, including the last two years),but he has apparently lost something inthe wake of his back-to-back major titleslast summer.

Johnson and Immelman demonstratedthat you can beat Augusta National withoutoverpowering it, which means that JimFuryk must be considered. His record inAugusta is comparable to that ofHarrington. The same applies to Weir, whohas played pretty well at Augusta since hiswin six years ago, and got off to a solid startto the ’09 season.

All of the above are more plausibleMasters champions than either Johnson orImmelman were. It is possible that a sur-prise winner could emerge for a thirdstraight year, and players like LukeDonald,


Despite last 2 years, it’s Tiger or Phil

STEV

EDINBE

RG

Phil Mickelson

LAKE-FINLAYIMAGEGROUP

a course conducive to his style of play.Immelman had given some indication he

could compete for a green jacket, tying forfifth in Augusta in 2005. But in his otherthree starts as a professional in the Masters,he missed the cut twice and almost finisheddead last the other year. He had tied forsixth in the previous major – the ’07 PGA –but came into the Masters having doneabsolutely nothing previously in ’08. Hehasn’t done much more since.

Yet, the two unlikely players managed tocapture the most coveted title in the game,with Johnson winning on the strength of adetermined final round effort andImmelman playing three near-flawlessrounds before limping a bit to thefinish line.

Their victories – and that of Weir in2003 – should give pause to those whose listof serious Masters contenders starts withTiger and ends with Phil. But as the twobest and most compelling players in thegame, that won’t deter any of the Woods vs.Mickelson talk that will reach a crescendoWednesday of Masters week.

Both players come into the Masters withenough question marks to provide plenty ofhope to others in the field hoping to be the2009 version of Johnson or Immelman.

Woods will be making just his fourthstart since knee surgery last year, and cameback with a healthy game (and knee) but arusty putter. His Masters resume includesfour wins and four top-5 finishes in 12starts as a professional, including a thirdand two seconds the last three years.

But Woods has not been able to produceany Sunday magic in Augusta the last threeyears, and the increased difficulty ofAugusta National has made it less likely thathe will add a fifth green jacket to his closet,at least based on his track record inthe Masters.

Woods wins the Masters when he goeslow. The four years he’s won, his 72-holescores were 270, 272, 276 and 276, a com-bined 58-under (59-under counting hisplayoff birdie in ’05). The eight years he hasnot won the Masters a professional, hislowest score is 283 and his average is 1-under 287. He has finished over par for thetournament as often as he’s broken par for72 holes in his eight non-winning efforts.

For most of his career, that statalso applied to Woods in the other

majors. With an exception or

B y M i k e B l u m

n recent years, almost all pre-Mastersspeculation has focused on exactlytwo players – Tiger Woods and PhilMickelson.

That’s the case again this year, but shouldit be?

Woods has won just one of the last sixMasters, and was very fortunate to score hislone victory in that span.

Mickelson has won two of the last five,but since his 72nd hole meltdown atWinged Foot in 2006 (which denied him ashot at a Mickel-Slam), he has not been aserious factor in a major championship.

Instead of Woods or Mickelson, the lasttwo Masters were won by the unlikely pairof Zach Johnson and Trevor Immelman.The significant lengthening of AugustaNational, done primarily prior to the 2002and 2006 Masters, was supposed to enhancethe chances of the game’s longer hitters. Butsince ’03, the trio of Immelman, Johnsonand Mike Weir are tied 3-3 with Woodsand Mickelson.

Neither Johnson nor Immelman was onanyone’s radar screen as a potential Masterschampion.

Johnson was making just his thirdMasters start, and made the cut for the firsttime the previous year, tying for 32nd. Hehad made just four of 11 cuts in majors andnever placed higher than 17th. He had thegrand total of one PGA Tour victory – the2004 BellSouth Classic his rookie season,and had done nothing earlier in ’07 to indi-cate that he was going to contend in theMasters. Shorter than average off the tee,Augusta National was not considered to be

I


Tim Clark and Ian Poulter fit into theirgeneral category.

After his tie for third last year, Duluth’sStewart Cink also deserves a mention, butother than the Match Play Championship,where he finished third, he has not been intop form in the early stages of the ’09 season.

Ultimately, however, it comes down to thetwo most likely players who will smilebroadly as Immelman places a greenjacket on their shoulders. Most folks sidewith Woods.

Here’s a vote for the other guy.

After battling his way back into the top 50 in the WorldRankings, Sea Island’sDavis Lovewas knocked out of the fieldfor the Masters at the last minute by the narrowest of margins.Love was 47th in the rankings going into the Arnold Palmer

Invitational, with the top 50 after the tournament earningspots in the Masters.When the rankings were re-calculated after the Bay Hill

tournament, Love had fallen to 51st. Love missed the cut andwas knocked out of the Masters when No. 52 Soren Kjeldsenwon on the European Tour that weekend, No. 50 PrayadMarksaeng finished second on the Asian Tour and No. 58 PatPerez jumped to 48th by tying for fourth at Bay Hill. Perezsaved bogey on the 18th hole in the final round after hittinghis second shot into the rocks short of the green. Had hemadedouble bogey, Love would have remained in the top 50.Unless Love won in Houston in the final PGA Tour event

before theMasters, hewill miss the tournament for the secondstraight year. Love played in Augusta every year from 1991-2007, qualifying in 1995 when he won in New Orleans theweek before the Masters.Also narrowly missing out on a late invitation was Augusta

nativeCharlesHowell, who tied for second the previousweekin Tampa, finishing one stroke behind Retief Goosen.Marksaeng was one of four players to earn invitations to the

Masters by ranking in the top 50 as of late March. EuropeanTour player Alvaro Quiros wrapped up a spot in the top 50with his win earlier this year in the Dubai Desert Classic.

Australia’s Matthew Goggin and South Africa’s LouisOosthuizen were ranked 49th and 48th going into Bay Hill,and both made the cut to end up 49 and 50 at the cutoff datefor Masters invitations.The Masters field will consist of 96 players, 97 if someone

not eligible won in Houston.Padraig Harrington

Davis Love

Love bumped from Masters field

PHOTO

SBY

STEV

EDINBE

RG

B y M i k e B l u m

att Peterson spent 15 years asa tour professional, most of iton the Nationwide Tour,where every shot counts and

one bad hole can mean the differencebetween earning a check for the week ormissing the cut.

Match play is not something Peterson hasmuch background in, and he admits tobeing somewhat out of place when notcompeting in a medal play format.

But in his first three years competing inthe Georgia PGA’s Match PlayChampionship, Peterson has found himselfright at home in unfamiliar territory.

Peterson captured the recent YamahaGeorgia PGA Match Play Championship atCallaway Gardens, winning six matches inthree days, one of them against thedefending champion in the semifinals.

The championship match pitted a pair offormer members of the Georgia golf team,with a weary Peterson prevailing 2-up oversurprise finalist Michael Parrott.

Thanks to finishing first in the 2008Georgia PGA Divots points standings,Peterson was seeded first in the tournament.Parrott was the 54th seed in the 64-player

field, drawing the low seed because of hisstatus as a PGA apprentice.

Parrott, an assistant at Brookfield CC,took out a series of top-seeded players toreach the finals, beginning with No. 11Jordan Arnold of Achasta GC in the firstround. He defeated No. 22 Josh Williamsof Savannah GC later the first day, and fol-lowed with a win over fellow assistant DanoKorytoski of Orchard Hills beforeknocking off No. 3 seed Jeff Hull of theUniversity course in Athens.

That put Parrott in the semifinals withthree more of the Section’s top players –Peterson, defending champion ShawnKoch and three-time Match Play championClark Spratlin.

Parrott, who won three of his first fourmatches by 2&1 margins, went to the 18thhole for the first time in the semifinalsagainst Spratlin, winning 2-up. That puthim in the finals against Peterson, the headprofessional at the University course,who defeated Koch 2&1 in the other semi-final match.

Peterson had gone to the 18th hole atCallaway’s Mountain View course just oncein his five matches, winning 1-up in hisopener over Ben Schwaderer of MirrorLake. The Peterson-Parrott final also went

Peterson completes Georgia PGA ‘Grand Slam’Opens ’09 season with Match Play title

the distance, and Peterson admitted thatneither player was in top form, playing theirsix matches in just over 50 hours.

“We were both so beat by that match thatwhoever made the least mistakes wasgoing to win. Neither one of us played allthat well.”

Peterson’s only excuse was fatigue. Parrottwas playing with a torn ACL in his leftknee, which will likely require surgery.

The match was close all the way, withPeterson never trailing after winning thefirst hole. A birdie at the fourth putPeterson 2-up, but that proved to be thewidest margin of the match, as Parrottpulled even after eight holes.

Peterson twice took 1-up leads beforeParrott pulled even for the last time afterwinning the 16th hole. Peterson appearedto be in trouble after driving into the leftrough on the par-4 17th, with a pine treeobstructing his path to the hole.

But Peterson lofted a wedge within twofeet of the hole for a conceded birdie andthe hole, and wrapped up the match whenParrott 3-putted the 18th for bogey.

The victory puts Peterson in some selectcompany as one of just three players to winthe four “Grand Slam” Georgia PGA events– the Georgia Open, Atlanta Open, SectionChampionship and Match PlayChampionship.

DeWittWeaver and GreggWolff are theonly other Georgia PGA members to sweepthe four championships, and had held thatdistinction to themselves since 1991.

“I had been thinking about it quite a bit,”Peterson said of his rare feat. “The two menI joined are two of my all-time heroesin golf.

“I’ve known Gregg for 20 years and he’salways been somebody I looked up to. Thesame for Mr. Weaver. They’re both extraspecial gentlemen.”

Peterson has a connection to both men.His father-in-law is a member at WillowLake in Metter, where Wolff is the club’slong time head professional. He played col-lege golf at Georgia with Weaver’s son,DeWitt III.

Since becoming a full time player in theGeorgia PGA Section in 2007, Peterson haswon the Section Championship andAtlanta Open, as well as the Section’s quali-fying event for the PGA ProfessionalNational Championship. He won theGeorgia Open in 1993 while in the earlystages of his tour career that included 11years on the Nationwide Tour and oneseason as a PGA Tour member.

“This is a bit of a surprise,” Peterson said.

“I did not think I was going to do well. Itwas my first event of the year and myamount of play has been limited. Andmatch play is a tough thing for me. I’vealways been a medal play player.”

Peterson has long been known as a steadyplayer who keeps mistakes to a minimum, astyle of play that isn’t always conducive tomatch play, where birdies are the order ofthe day. But Peterson has played well in thetournament, reaching the finals in his firstappearance in ’07.

The Mountain View course, which wasthe site of a PGA Tour event for more thana decade, proved to be a good fit forPeterson, as its small, well-guarded greensplayed firm and fast, limiting the number ofbirdies other than its par 5s.

“I played solid until I got tired at theend,” Peterson said. “But in match play,who knows.” After struggling to get throughhis opener against Schwaderer (the matchwas all square before Peterson won with apar on the 18th), Peterson got sharper as thetournament went on.

Peterson won 3&2 in the second roundagainst Country Club of the South assistantDavid Potts, breaking the match open earlyon the second nine. After losing the firsttwo holes to Jarred Reneau of InternationalCity GC in Warner Robins, he came backwith his best play of the week to win 4&3,taking the next three holes after falling2-down.

In the quarterfinals, Peterson got past BillMurchison of Towne Lake Hills 2&1before winning by the same score in thesemifinals against Koch, an instructor atCountry Club of the South. Koch, thefourth seed, took an early lead and the twowere all square after 14 holes before back-to-back bogeys by Koch at 15 and 16turned the match in Peterson’s favor.

Koch claimed third place by defeating theseventh-seeded Spratlin 1-up in the conso-lation match. He did not go to the 18thhole in the tournament until the quarterfi-nals when he defeated No. 5 seed TimWeinhart, the 2005 champion, 2-up in oneof the best matches of the tournament.

Spratlin, the head professional at theyet-to-open Blue Ridge River and GC, hadto go 19 holes to win his opening matchover Andy Blanton of CC of Columbus.He closed out his next three matches onthe 17th hole, ousting Wolff, who won thetournament in 1984 and 2003, in thesecond round.

The sizeable number of young


[ See Peterson, page 22 ]

M

Matt Peterson, Champion fromUGA Golf Course

Winner Receives:Golf Trip for 2 to the 2009 British Open

Airfare, Accomodations, and Transfer

Tickets for 2 rounds each of the British Open

2 rounds each of Golf for 2 days

Presented by �e Georgia Golf Course Owners Association in partnership with VisitScotland the Official Tourism Bureau of Scotland

2009 British Open

Drawing Date Prior to Masters

A portion of proceeds may be tax-deductible.

RAFFLE


Parrott hopes bad knee doesn’t ground him

B y M i k e B l u m

n his first tournament as a full-fledgedmember of the Georgia PGA, MichaelParrott made an impressive debut,reaching the finals of the Yamaha

Match Play Championship before losing toMatt Peterson on the 18th hole.

Unfortunately for Parrott, there’s a chancethe tournament appearance might be his lastthis year.

Parrott, an assistant professional atBrookfield Country Club in Roswell, torethe anterior cruciate ligament in his left kneerecently while playing basketball. He saysthe injury “is not as bad as it sounds,” butadmitted that by the end of the tournament,which consisted of two matches a day forthree days, he could definitely feel its effects.

“It held up for the first two days,” Parrottsaid. “But it bothered me the last day.”

Parrott planned to attempt to qualify forthe state’s two Nationwide Tour events thismonth through the Georgia PGA, with bothqualifiers requiring the participants to walk,unlike Section tournaments which allow theuse of carts.

“I haven’t tried to walk 18 holes since Iinjured it,” Parrott said. “We’ll see if I can.The rehab has been going great and for thefirst two days of the tournament, it wasreally strong. But if the doctor says Ineed the surgery, I’ll have it. I’m just notsure when.”

Parrott is no stranger to knee surgery. Hewas playing on the Hooters Tour in 2006and had gotten off to a good start when hehad to have surgery on his right knee. Thatsidelined him for several months, and hesaid he did not play as well after the injuryas he did prior to it.

After playing a handful of Hooters eventsin 2007, Parrott returned to Brookfield,where he has worked off and on as aninstructor and assistant professional since2003. With a family that includes twoyoung children and two knees that are lessthan 100 percent, Parrott’s days as a mini-tour player are likely behind him. But hehasn’t completely ruled out taking a shot atPGA Tour qualifying if his game (and hisinjured knee) is in good shape.

Parrott has some idea about life on thePGA Tour. He caddied for good friendJustin Bolli in his rookie season in 2005 andsaw how difficult it is to make it in golf ’s

major leagues.“It was great,” Parrott said the experience.

“It was fun to be on the road with such agood friend. I always wanted to see what ittakes to play at that level. Being out therewas really an eye opener.

“I jumped at the opportunity, but Justindidn’t play his best. It was tough to seehim struggle.”

Bolli and Parrott both came to the Atlantaarea with their parents from Portland, withParrott briefly attending Marist High Schoolas a senior before completing the school yearin Portland.

Like Bolli, who moved to Roswell at anearlier age and played his high school golffor the Hornets, Parrott went on to play onthe golf team at Georgia along with hisbrother Jeremy. All three were members ofGeorgia’s 1999 NCAA Championshipsquad, but it was a relatively empty experi-ence for both Michael Parrott and Bolli,who both spent the entire spring season onthe sidelines.

The same five golfers played in every com-petition for the Bulldogs, with Jeremy one ofthe five. Michael saw some action during hiscareer, but with players like Ryuji Imada,Bubba Watson, Erik Compton and BryantOdom on the roster throughout his fouryears in Athens, he had to fight to earn to hisplaying privileges.

“It was tough to get into the lineup,” saidParrott, who would have liked to playmore but still thoroughly enjoyed his collegeexperience.

From an early age, Parrott seemed headedfor a life in sports, but that sport wasn’t golf.Both his parents are tennis teaching profes-sionals, and both Parrott and brothersJeremy and Travis started out in that sport.

Jeremy attempted both sports, playinggolf in college, while Travis stuck with tennisand is currently a doubles specialist on theATP Tour, ranking among the top 30 inthe world.

Michael made the switch to golf full timeat the age of 13, and is making a career of it,although not in a strictly playing capacity.

Like his parents, Parrott is more drawn tothe instructional side of his profession.

“I love teaching and I get to do a lot of ithere,” he says. After his stints as a caddie andplayer, Parrott returned to Brookfield withthe intent on becoming the club’s Director ofInstruction, but his current situation is moreof a traditional assistant professional, com-bining teaching with time spent in the shop.

Parrott hopes to build a large enough baseof students to concentrate on teaching fulltime, but says, “I feel very comfortable doinga little bit of both. This is where I should be.”

If his knee permits, Parrott will alsoinclude playing in Georgia PGA events onhis schedule, and judging by his showing in

the Match Play Championship, will be a verycompetitive addition to the Section.

Parrott provided a preview of things tocome when he tied for second last year in theGriffin Classic, shortly before he achievedhis Class A assistants’ status with the PGA.

Along with a number of other assistantsnew to the Section, Parrott got into theMatch Play Championship as one of thelower seeds in the 64-player field, andproceeded to knock off one higher seedafter another.

Parrott defeated No. 11 Jordan Arnold,No. 22 Josh Williams and No. 38 DanoKorytoski in the first three rounds beforefacing No. 3 Jeff Hull, the 2007 GeorgiaPGA Player of the Year, in the quarterfinals.

The match was all square after 15 holes,but Parrott rolled in a 30-footer for birdie onthe long and demanding par-3 16th atCallaway Gardens’ Mountain View course,then hit his second close at the 17th to wrapup the match 2&1.

In the semifinals, Parrott faced three-timeMatch Play champion Clark Spratlin. Parrottwas 2-up after 14, but Spratlin won the nexttwo holes to square the match. Parrott againhit it close at 17 to win the hole with a con-ceded birdie, then rolled in a 20-footer forbirdie at the 18th to win 2-up.

By this time, Parrott’s injured knee becameas factor, as did fatigue from playing his sixthmatch in three days.

“It was rough on both of us,” Parrott saidof the match against Peterson. “We wereboth running on fumes. I would have likedthe opportunity to play him under differentcircumstances, but he outlasted me atthe end.”

Despite his loss in the title match, Parrottsaid, “There’s no doubt that this was big forme. I’m new to the Section events and Ididn’t have any expectations. I was pleasedthe way it turned out and I’m lookingforward to competing against these guys inthe future.

“I hope I get the chance this year.”


I

Michael Parrott

GEORGIA

PGAPro-file

Brookfield assistant falls in Match Play final

earned Georgia PGA Player of the Yearhonors. Fober lost to Spratlin 3&1 in thequarterfinals.

Prior to losing Peterson in the quarterfi-nals, Murchison defeated No. 8 CraigStevens, a two-time tournament cham-pion, 1-up in the first round and No. 9Brian Dixon 4&3 in the third round.

Greg Lee of Chicopee Woods, the sixthseed and 2007 champion, lost in the firstround to Flat Creek’s Brandon Lovelady.Todd Ormsby of Planterra Ridge defeatedNo. 10 Winston Trively of CrookedOak in Colquitt 2&1, also in thefirst round.

apprentices in the field made their presencefelt, scoring a number of upsets over someof the Section’s top players.

Jason Fober of Maple Ridge inColumbus, eliminated No. 2 SonnySkinner of Albany’s River Pointe GC 1-upin the first round, then defeated No. 15Russ Davis, Director of Instruction atCherokee CC, 3&2 in the third round.Skinner, the 2008 PGA Player of the Year,won the tournament in 2006, when he

Peterson[ Continued from page 20 ]

GSGA’s top event set for CC of Columbus


he Georgia State GolfAssociation will help theCountry Club of Columbus cel-ebrate its 100th anniversary,

holding its Amateur Championship at theclub in July.

This will be the fourth time the GSGAhas held its championship event at the club,with CC of Columbus hosting the eighthGeorgia Amateur in1925. The last time CCof Columbus was thetournament site was1960, the first year theevent was played in a stroke play format.

Gainesville’s Tommy Aaron, who wenton to win the Masters 13 years later, wasthe 1960 GSGA Amateur Championshipwinner, with Billy Key of Columbustaking second. Key went on to win theGeorgia Amateur seven years later at GreenIsland in Columbus, which has hosted theevent twice since.

Although it’s been almost 50 years sinceCC of Columbus has been the host coursefor the Georgia Amateur, the club is veryfamiliar to most of the state’s top players.The club hosted the Mid-Amateur

Championship in 1998 and 2007 and theSenior Championship in 2004. It also is thesite of the annual Southeastern Amateur,which attracts some of Georgia’s best youngtalent.

Country Club of Columbus is an orig-inal Donald Ross design, and is atraditional layout in the mold of Idle Hour,Coosa CC, Savannah GC and Athens

CC, courses that havehosted four of the lastfive GSGA AmateurChampionships. Thecourse plays to a par of

71 and measures in the 6,500-yard range.Members of the current U. of Georgia

golf team have won the event three of thelast four years, with former Bulldog golferBill Brown the 2006 champion. Macon’sRussell Henley is the defending champion,edging out 2007 winner and Georgia team-mate Harris English at Idle Hour, Henley’shome course.

This year’s tournament date is July 9-12,with 10 qualifiers held around the statefrom June 1 to June 22.

The GSGA will also hold is SeniorChampionship in Columbus this year,

with that event scheduled Sept. 26-28 atGreen Island.

Two of the GSGA’s top early seasonevents will be played at two of the bestmodern courses in the Atlanta area, withthe 4-Ball Championship at Governor’sTowne Club April 24-26 and theMid-Amateur Championship at WhiteColumns May 15-17.

The Atlanta Amateur Match PlayChampionship returns to Rivermont CCOct. 23-25, with the Public LinksChampionship visiting Overlook Links inLaGrange for the first time Sept. 12-13.The course, formerly known as the Fields,hosted the Junior Sectional ChallengeMatch last year.

The GSGA women’s season begins April15-17 at Sunset Hills in Carrollton, thelong-time host of the Match Play event.Teen-ager Mariah Stackhouse of Riverdalehas won the tournament the last two years.

The Atlanta Women’s Amateur will beplayed at Newnan CC May 18-20,with the Top 60 Classic at ReynoldsLanding July 29-30. The GeorgiaWomen’s Golf AssociationChampionship will be played June 23-25

at Idle Hour, with Stackhouse thedefending champion of that event.

The boys and girls JuniorChampionships will be separated byone week on the calendar after beingplayed concurrently at different sites inrecent years. The girls will play June 15-17at Polo G&CC in Cumming, with theboys heading to the coast June 22-24to play the Retreat Course at Sea IslandGC. The Junior Sectional ChallengeMatches are July 20-21 at Augusta’sWest Lake CC.

The first event on the GSGA schedulewas the 4-Ball Tournament, which wasplayed March 27-29 at Kinderlou Forestand Valdosta CC. The Super Seniors willplay their championship at one of thestate’s top courses – Ansley Golf Club’sSettindown Creek – April 15-16.

Jack Benson of Dunwoody and PeteMalcolm of Duluth won the event in aplayoff over Danny Daniels of Kingslandand Phil Alday of Valdosta. Both teamsshot 7-under 137, with the tournamentrain-shortened from 54 to 36 holes.Benson and Malcolm came out of thesecond flight to win the overall title.

T

Georgia mini-tour pros have 2 main options

B y M i k e B l u m

or most of Georgia’s tour playerswith aspirations of playing at thegame’s highest level, the road tothat destination typically includes

some time spent on one of two mini-toursbased in the Southeast.

The two tours of choice for most ofGeorgia’s pros looking to move up golf ’sladder are the Hooters Tour, which has itsheadquarters in Myrtle Beach, and theNorth Carolina-based Tar Heel Tour.

For most of the last two decades, theHooters Tour was the primary home for thestate’s mini-tour players. Some played ontours based in Florida, the Midwest orSouthwest, but most toiled on the HootersTour, which spun off from another tour inthe early 1990s and called Fayetteville’sWhitewater Creek its home for a numberof years.

In recent years, however, more and moreGeorgians have joined the Tar Heel Tour,which does not venture far outside theCarolinas, as opposed to the Hooters Tour,which includes annual swings through theSouthwest and Midwest along with itsSoutheastern base.

The Tar Heel Tour is more convenientgeographically and not as expensive as theHooters Tour, but the latter is changing.The Tar Heel Tour has increased its mem-bership and cost per tournament fees tosupport purses that are significantly largerin 2009.

In addition, the Tar Heel Tour has

expanded its geographic reach a bit,including two tournaments this year inSavannah. The Hooters Tour scheduleincludes three tournaments in Georgia, plusseveral others just across the state border inFlorida, South Carolina and Alabama.

The Tar Heel Tour is divided into three-day tournaments played over two courses,with purses listed at $220,000, and severalfour-day events over one course with pursesof $300,000. Last year’s tournament purseswere typically in the $100,000-$125,000range, with two events offering $200,000 ormore. Currently, 19 tournaments are listedon the 2009 Tar Heel Tour, beginning lastmonth and concluding in October.

Both its tournaments in Savannah arescheduled for four days with purses of$300,000 each. Savannah Quarters hostedan event April 1-4, with Savannah Harbor,the site of the Champions Tour Legends ofGolf, on the schedule for Aug. 26-29.

Last year’s leading money winner wasDavid Robinson of Sandersville, whobecame the first Tar Heel Tour player to sur-pass $100,000 in earnings. Robinson, whoplaced seventh in earnings the previous year,won three times in ’08, and posted top 10finishes in 12 of his first 14 starts. Hefinished with $106,645 and reached

the finals of PGA Tour qualifying, earningnon-exempt status for 2009 on theNationwide Tour.

Former Georgia Bulldog golfer KevinKisner of Aiken, S.C., was third in earn-ings, picking up his second Tar Heel Tourwin. Lake Oconee resident Blake Adams,who enjoyed some success last year in lim-ited starts on the Nationwide Tour, alsoscored a Tar Heel Tour win and finishedninth on the money list.

Jay McLuen of Athens, D.J. Fiese ofWoodstock and Roberto Castro ofAlpharetta all were Tar Heel Tour winnersin ’08, and placed 11th, 15th and 20threspectively in earnings.

McLuen has placed 10th, 10th and 11thin his three seasons on the tour, and has onewin every year. McLuen has contended inthe Georgia Open several times, losing in aplayoff in 2006 and placing fourth andthird the last two years.

Fiese has wins in each of the last two sea-sons on the Tar Heel Tour, as does Castro,who picked up his first professional victoryshortly after turning pro in ’07. Nine golferswho either live in Georgia or attended col-lege in the state won on the ’07 Tar HeelTour, including current PGA Tour rookieBrendon Todd, Nationwide Tour playerJonathan Fricke and long-timePGA/Nationwide Tour player TommyTolles.

Other Georgians who enjoyed success on

last year’s Tar Heel Tour include Ringgold’sLuke List, Gainesville’s Stuart Moore,Cartersville’s Bryant Odom, the 2008Georgia Open champion, and Jonesboro’sHank Kim.

In the 2009 opener, played over twoSouth Carolina courses in Okatie andHardeeville, Adams finished tied for secondafter leading after 36 holes. Augusta nativeCortland Lowe, who Monday qualified forthe PGA Tour event in San Diego earlierthis year, tied for 10th with Robinson 16th.

The following week at the Pine NeedlesResort in North Carolina, Nationwide Tourplayer Chris Kirk of Woodstock andAugusta’s Emmett Turner lost in a 4-wayplayoff.

Turner, who led after 36 holes with scoresof 65 and 66, missed a short putt on the18th hole the final day that would have wonhim the tournament outright. He closedwith a 73 for a 7-under 204 total, and madeit to the third playoff hole before losing toa birdie.

Kirk, who posted scores of 68-65 to enterthe final round in second place, bogeyedtwo of his last five holes and was eliminatedon the first extra hole when Turner andtournament winner Tom Gillis both madebirdie. Kirk and Turner both collected$14,667 for their second place tie.

Last year’s leading money winner on theHooters Tour was former U. of Tennesseegolfer David Skinns, a native of Englandwho is living in Marietta. Skinns won threetimes and earned $134,800. Like Robinson,he has non-exempt status on theNationwide Tour this year.

Major Manning, a former Clarkesvilleresident who played his college golf atAugusta State, scored a win and a thirdplace finish in limited action on theHooters Tour in ’08, and is a fully exemptrookie on the Nationwide Tour this year.

Kisner added a Hooters Tour win atSavannah Lakes in McCormick, S.C., to hisTar Heel Tour victory, with former Georgiateammate David Miller placing fifth inearnings thanks to five top-6 finishes.

Turner, a teammate of Manning atAugusta State, was 17th on the money listhighlighted by a runner-up finish, withKim and Robinson also posting second-place showings on the tour.

Castro played most of his golf on theHooters Tour last year and had a solidseason. But the only way to make decentmoney on the tour is to finish at or near thetop and his best tournament was a tie forseventh. Will Claxton of Swainsboro,younger brother of Tour veteran PaulClaxton, also played consistently last yearand ended up 33rd in earnings.

Other Georgians who played regularly on

the Hooters Tour last year and finishedamong the top 60 on the money were JoeDeraney, Newnan’s Steve Gilley andDuluth’s Ian Hessels.

The 2009 Hooters Tour began in March,and will make its first Georgia stop at RoyalLakes in Flowery Branch April 16-19, thesame week the Nationwide Tour is playingin Athens.

The tour returns to Savannah Lakes out-side Augusta April 30-May 3, with Augusta’sannual Hooters Tour stop scheduled forGordon Lakes Sept. 24-27. The tour isback at Southern Hills in Hawkinsville,with the dates Aug. 27-30.

Currently, 18 tournaments are listed onthe 2009 Hooters Tour schedule, withpurses expected to be at least $200,000 foreach event. All the tournaments are playedover 72 holes, with the tour including stopsin Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Oklahoma,Texas and Arkansas, in addition to its tradi-tional Southeast base.

Miller placed third in the ’09 seasonopener in Amelia Island, Fla., with formerGeorgia Bulldog and State Amateur cham-pion David Denham of Tifton tying forfourth. List shot a final round 64, thesecond lowest score of the tournament, totie for seventh, with Will Claxton 12th andRinggold’s Thomas Hagler 14th.

Turner tied for fourth the following weekin a rain-shortened event in Conover, N.C.Kim, Denham and Castro all tied for sixthwith Miller 13th.

The Sunbelt Senior Tour, a Southeastmini-tour for players age 47 and older, willalso make two stops in the Atlanta area thismonth. The tour plays April 22-24 atChateau Elan and April 29-May 1 atChestatee, which also hosted an event onthe tour last year along with four otherGeorgia courses.

Both the fields and the purses for the tourare on the small side, but there are some rec-ognizable names on its list of players,among them former PGA Tour winners andcurrent Champions Tour players KennyKnox and Gary Hallberg.

A number of players with some status onthe Champions Tour have been regulars onthe Sunbelt Senior Tour, includingGeorgians Tim Conley, Javier Sanchezand James Mason.

Conley and Sanchez finished 1-2 on theSunbelt money list last year, with bothplayers winning twice and posting a com-bined 20 top-5 finishes. One of Conley’swins came at Jones Creek in Augusta, withSanchez scoring both his wins in his homestate, one at Flat Creek and the other atChestatee, where he shot an opening round63 and went on to win by three strokes.

Mason, who is fully exempt on theChampions Tour this year, made a limitednumber of starts on the Sunbelt Senior Tourlast year, but had four top-3 finishes andended the year seventh in earnings.


F

Tar Heel, Hooters Tours provide places to play

Chris Kirk

UNIVER

SITY

OFGEO

RGIA

Kingwood Golf Club and Resort

Spectacular Mountain View Lots From Only

$69,900*

*Price reflects discounts - Home site tour required

Full European Health Spa • Boating • Fishing • Indoor Swimming Pool • Gourmet Dining • Massage • White Water Rafting

Golf Club and Resort Private Showing! Spring Special on New Phase

The Overlook at Kingwood

Golf Initiation Fee Included With Lot Purchase

A $15,000 Value

FREE for the first 25 qualified callers 3 Day 2 Night Mini-Vacation Golf and Inspection Tour

Including 1 Free Round of Golf and 2 Nights at the Luxurious Kingwood Inn

$$2200,,000000 SSaavviinnggss OOnn YYoouurr LLoott GGUUAARRAANNTTEEEEDD!!For More Information Call Now!

1-888-443-9799

Broker Participation Welcome - We are Actively Seeking Broker Relationships

IRA Approved Use your IRA or 401K

To buy land!

Financing Available!


Arendt, Miller winmarathon playoffIt took eight playoff holes to decide theClub Car Pro-Pro Scramble at Berkeley HillsCC, with the team of Jim Arendt and GaryMiller finally prevailing over Steve Ridgeand Ted Fort.The two teams both posted scores of 10-

under 62, with six other teams missing theplayoff by just one stroke. Arendt birdiedthe eighth playoff hole, the first hole atBerkeley Hills, to finally end the marathon.Arendt, the head professional at

ChicopeeWoods, and Miller, a club profes-sional at Reynolds Landing, split first placemoney of $1,800. Ridge, the golf profes-sional at the College Park MunicipalCourse, and Fort, an instructor based atMarietta Golf Center, divided $1,200 fortheir runner-up finish.Tying for third at 63 were: defending

champions Jeff Hull (University of GeorgiaGC) and Chris Asbell (Georgia GolfCenter); Nationwide Tour player JonathanFricke and Sean Cain (Legends at ChateauElan); Craig Stevens (Swing Time DrivingRange) and Bill Murchison (Towne LakeHills); 2004 tournament champions JonHough (The Manor) and Wyatt Detmer(Orchard Hills); Chan Reeves (AtlantaAthletic Club) and Ben Schwaderer(Mirror Lake); and Jarred Reneau(International City GC) and WinstonTrively (Crooked Oak).The tournament was presented by

Oxford Golf.

Ridge claims pairof senior victoriesSteve Ridge scored back-to-back wins inGeorgia PGA Senior Division events inMarch, taking first in the stroke play por-tion of the Jamboree at Meadow Links andalso winning the one-day event at TheCreek at Hard Labor.Ridge, the golf professional at the

municipal course in College Park, shot a 67at Meadow Links in Fort Gaines to edgeCraig Hartle of the Georgia Tech Club byone stroke.Wyatt Detmer of Orchard Hillswas third at 69, followed by amateurMarkBenefield and Georgia PGA member DanMullins at 71.Detmer teamed with amateurs Terry

Traynor, Tom Toombs and PorterThomas to win the scramble event with ascore of 18-under 54, four strokes ahead ofthree teams that tied for second.Tying for second were: host professional

Aaron Feyes and amateurs Paul Cobb,John Holle and Nick Kirkland; Ridge andamateurs Terry Moon, Karl Simon andJohn Minkley; and pros DeWitt Weaver

and Charlie King (Griffin GC) with ama-teurs Charlie Busbee and SydneyWelch.Ridge shot a 3-under 69 to take first at

The Creek at Hard Labor, with MikeSchlueter ofWest Pines second at 70. RussDavis (Cherokee CC) and Bill Johnstone(Atlanta CC) were third at 71, followed byLonnie Reece (Spring Lakes) at 72, Detmerat 73 and Weaver and John Nigh (IndianHills) at 74.Amateur Don Marsh of Alpharetta won

a Senior Division event at Albany’sDoublegate CC with a 142 total for 36holes, including an opening round 68.Scott Curiel (Standard Club) was second at143, withWeaver third at 144 and amateurRocky Costa fourth at 144. Carlen Webb(Brookfield CC) and JohnGodwin (GodwinCreek) tied for fifth at 145.

Windom’s team sharesfirst in Pot O’ GoldA teamheaded by Sunset CC head profes-sional Bob Windom tied for first in the54th annual Pot O’ Gold Pro-Am, played atSunset CC in Moultrie. The Sunset teamtied for first with a team from InternationalCity GC in Warner Robins, headed up byclub pro Jarred Reneau.Both teams finished with 185 totals in

the 54-hole event, four strokes ahead ofthree teams that tied for third. Amongthem was a team from Chattahoochee GCin Gainesville, with Don Williams Jr., theteam pro.Tying for sixth at 190 were teams from

Cartersville CC (Scott Hamilton), MariettaCC (Stephen Keppler), Eagle’s Landing(Allen Thompson) and a second teamfrom Sunset CC.Out-of-state PGAmembers Fred Holton

and Jeff Peck shared low pro honors at213, with Georgians Brian Dixon (Griffin

CC), Hiland Sanders (Valdosta CC) andJason Fober (Maple Ridge) tying for thirdat 215. Phil Taylor (Ansley GC) and AndyBlanton (Columbus CC) were tied forsecond after 36 holes and finished tied forsixth at 217.Former GSGA Mid-Amateur champion

Dave Womack, playing on the Eagle’sLanding team with former Georgia StateteammateThompson, shot a final round 66to take low amateur honors at 204.Moultrie native Kevin Blanton (SunsetCC), who shot a second round 66, tied forsecond at 208 with Rob Butler(Chattahoochee GC).

Bulldogs bounce backwith win at ReynoldsThe Georgia Bulldogs rebounded from adisappointing showing in Las Vegas to winthe Linger Longer Invitational at ReynoldsLanding, edging out Oklahoma State bytwo strokes.The Bulldogs posted a 3-over 867 total

on the demanding Bob Cupp layout,breaking a tie after 36 holes with an evenpar 288 score the final day.Sophomore Harris English of

Thomasville was low for the Bulldogs,placing fourth at 6-under 210. AdamMitchell tied for fifth at 216, with Macon’sRussell Henley seventh at 217. Augusta’sMichael Green, competing as an indi-vidual for the Bulldogs, also tied forseventh. The tournament medalist was anOklahoma State player, who like Greenplayed as an individual.Mercer placed fourth at 885, with the

Bears’Bill Jones III tying for second at 209.In Georgia’s previous tournament, the

Bulldogs finished third in the SouthernHighlands Collegiate in Las Vegas, comingback after a poor first round knocked the

Bulldogs out of contention.Georgia shot 303 the first day, and

despite posting under par scores the nexttwo rounds, wound up 18 strokes behindUNLV. Savannah’s Brian Harman led theBulldogs, finishing eighth at 1-under 215after a final round 69.Georgia Tech was sixth in Las Vegas at

884, but the Yellow Jackets’ CameronTringale claimed medalist honors with an11-under 205 total, five strokes ahead ofhis closest competitor. Tringale locked uphis win with a final round 68.Schenkel E-Z-GO Invitational:

Roswell’s Sam Braver helped lead SouthCarolina to victory in the Schenkel E-Z-GOInvitational, played at Forest Heights inStatesboro.Braver tied for 11th with a 216 total, with

the Gamecocks finishing at 1-over 865 toedge Tennessee and North Carolina Stateby two strokes and Florida by five. HostGeorgia Southern was sixth at 876.Augusta State’s Taylor Floyd, playing as

an individual, tied for fourth at 214. DrewLathem was low for Georgia Southern,tying for 11th at 216.

Auburn women takeLiz Murphey titleAuburn won the rain-shortened LizMurphey Invitational at the University ofGeorgia Golf Course, posting a 299 total inwhat was scheduled to be a 54-hole tour-nament. The first two days of play wererained out.Alabama and Kent State tied for second

at 302, with Alabama’s Kathleen Ekey lowindividual with a 69.Georgia tied for sixth at 305. Mallory

Hetzel shot 75 to tie for 13th, with MartaSilva and Carolina Andrade tying for 19that 76.Hetzel and Silva shared medalist honors

in a tournament in Las Vegas with scores of2-under 214, but Georgia finished third, 10strokes behind host UNLV with an 894 total.

AGA Tour winnersFlight winners from themost recent AmateurGolfers Association tour eventswere:At The Frog: Flight 1 – Rob Bohannon,

Villa Rica, 72; 2 – Bubba Kizer, Alpharetta,74; 3 – Donald Long, Cumming, 81; 4 –Michael Mahler, Acworth, 82; 5 – MarkEllis, Athens, 82; net – Jimmy Peel, StoneMountain, 72.At The Georgia Club: Flight 1 – John

LoSchiavo, Roswell, 67; 2 – Tom Spencer,Sharpsburg, 78; 3 – Jason Lord, Maysville,76; 4 – Sue Loeffler, Monroe, 83; 5 –MarkEllis, Athens, 87; net – Klaren Alexander,Woodstock, 71.


Pro-Pro Scramble winners Jim Arendt (left) and Gary Miller

Chip Shots

played in 13 U.S. Women’s Opens, and is atwo-time winner of the USGA Women’s

Amateur and an NCAA indi-vidual champion. Jerman,from Columbus, has played in5 U.S. Opens, including beinglow amateur in 2002.

Then there is the talent of JeanReynolds of Newnan, who returns for hersecond year on the Futures Tour. Reynoldsstarted off the season with a win in a three-hole playoff in the Florida Natural CharityChampionship in Winter Haven overKorea’s Song Yi Choi.Both players finished regulation with a

54-hole total of 4 under par 212. Enteringthe final round, Reynolds trailed Choi by 5shots, but the temperatures dropped andthe wind picked up, and Reynolds believesthat played into her hand.“I am used to this type of weather

growing up and playing in Georgia. It was atypical winter golf day,” she said.Choi still held the lead by one shot going

into the 18th hole, but saw her approachtaken by the wind and end up wet. Shebogeyed and Reynolds parred. Aftermatching par on the first two sudden deathholes, Reynolds had a tap in birdie for herfirst win on the tour. “I knew this day wascoming, but it feels so awesome,“ saidReynolds, “It was really a bizarre week,because I felt so calm”.

By Jackie CannizzoWomen’s EditorPGA ProfessionalCountry Club of Roswell

The future of women’sprofessional golf in the stateof Georgia has looked a bitgrim the past few years. TheLPGA is still looking to return tothe state with a tour stop assponsors have fallen by thewayside. In 2009, there is no fully exemptplayer on the LPGA tour from the state.But there is hope. The Duramed Futures

Tour began its season in Florida in Marchwith five players hailing from the state ofGeorgia participating and as well as twoother UGA grads also in the field. TheFutures Tour is part of the LPGA Tour withits mission being to prepare players for asuccessful career with the LPGA.The Futures is known as the “road to the

LPGA” with over 500 players earning theirLPGA cards through the tour. At this timethe Futures alums account for 345 LPGAtour victories and 37 majors. The Futures isa proven winner.In 2009, the FuturesTour will feature nine

of Georgia’s best at this time; six playersthat have already competed and played onthe Futures and three in their first year onthe tour. Themost notable players areVickiGoetze-Ackerman and Angela Jerman.Both of these players actually have non-exempt status on the LPGA, but will spenda decent amount of time on the Futures.Goetze-Ackerman, and Cartersville resi-

dent, has 22 top-10 finishes on the LPGA,

Other Georgians on the tour are:Jennifer Kovach of Flowery Branch, whois entering her sixth season on theFutures with her best finish being 15th;Carmen Bandea of Atlanta is embarkingon her second season, with her best finish31st; and Christy Cheek of Eastman isalso in her second year and was runner upGeorgia Women’s Open in 2008.Nicole Wildes of Baxley, Garrett

Phillips of St. Simons Island and ZakiyaRandall of Atlanta are first year playersafter going to qualifying school this pastfall. Phillips, who played on the UGA golfteam last year, narrowly missed earningLPGA status with her finish in qualifying.One of the most interesting stories is

that of Randall, a 17 year old junior in highschool who attended Futures qualifyingschool last fall and earned status. She willplay the circuit as an amateur. The deci-sion was one that her mom Tanya Randallsaid was in part because of Zakiya’s loveof the game.“She loves it so much; we wanted to

shift her into bigger and better competi-tion.” Zakiya is home schooled and wascompeting on the American Junior GolfTour up until last summer.A product of the “First Tee” program at

John A. White Park, Zakiya seemed toexcel at a fairly young age. “She is one ofthe best we have had at the First Tee,” saysWilliam Lewis, the Director of Instructionthere.According to Mrs. Randall, Zakiya is

working towards starting to her career onthe Futures in mid April or early May. “Sheis working hard on her game in hopes ofcompeting well on the Futures and in thefall we will decide if she should turnprofessional.”Zakiya has many accomplishments in

Atlanta Junior Golf, US KIDS Golf, thePlantation Golf Tour and most recently onthe “Georgia Golf Channel Tour” whereshe won as not only the youngest player,but most importantly as the only femaleto win it. Zakiya has her eye firmly on theLPGA and has the drive and determina-tion to succeed.

Shirley capturesfirst tour victoryMargaret Shirley of Roswell scored herfirst professional win on the SunCoastWomen’s golf tour. The event was held atDeer Island GC in Tavares, Florida. Shirley,an Auburn grad and a two-time Georgia

Women’s Open champion, is working herway toward the Futures and eventuallythe LPGA Tour.After shooting a 78 in the first round,

Shirley was six strokes off the lead. But shecame back with scores of 72 and 70 for a4-over 220, one stroke ahead of threeplayers who tied for second. Her 70 wasthe low score of the tournament andenabled her to win after being fourbehind after 36 holes. She is currently 4thon the SunCoast tour’s money list.

The EWGA ChallengeThe Atlanta Chapter of the ExecutiveWomen’s Golf Association is challenging allof its members to recruit two new mem-bers to the association byMay 1.The EWGAis one of the largest women’s golf associa-tions in the world and would like to groweven more in 2009. The cost to join theEWGA is $125 a year and includes six 18-hole tournaments, a ChapterChampionship, opportunities for discountson golf, networking with other golfers,clinics, special events and much more. Themember that recruits the most memberswill receive a free night’s stay at ReynoldsPlantation that includes a round of golf fora foursome. Also on a national level, themember that recruits three or more mem-bers will receive their dues for thefollowing year. So if you are interested injoining and you have a friend that isalready a member, make sure you usethem as a reference. Go towww.ewgatlanta.com for more info.


Golf FORE Women

April 15-17GSGA Match PlaySunset Hills

May 18- 20GSGA Greater AtlantaWomen’s Amateur

Newnan CC

April 28-29GWGA Four BallJekyll Island GC

May 13Women on Course Golf Experience

Country Club of Roswell

UPCOMINGWomen’s Events

[ See Golf FOREWomen, page 28 ]

Reynolds wins Futures Tour season opener

Jean Reynolds

Margaret Shirley

GSGA

Whatley, rain winnerson Georgia PGA TourThe bigwinner on the Georgia PGA JuniorTour in March was the weather, as one oftwo scheduled events was rained out andthe other was reduced from 36 to 18 holes.The Cateecchee Junior Classic at

Cateechee GC in Hartwell was postponed,and has been re-scheduled for June 29-30.The Brickyard Junior Classic in Macon

was reduced from 36 holes to 18, withthe second round of the tournamentwashed out.The overall boys winner was Ross

Whatley of Decatur, who shot a 1-under 71to win the overall title by five strokes andthe 14-15 division by six. Max Sheldon ofRoswell and Brian Beringer of Maconwere second in the 14-15 division withscores of 77, with Thomas Rimel ofRoswell fourth at 78.Paul Bruckner of Alpharetta and Joel

Sawyer of Elberton tied for first in boys 16-18 with scores of 76. DominiqueWorthenof Macon and Drew Czuchry of Auburntied for third at 79.ParkerDerby of Columbuswas the boys

11-13 winner with an 84. Jacob Reeves ofTrion was second at 85, followed byJonathan Mason of Rome at 87.Kendall Wright of Suwanee shot 77 to

win the girls division by seven strokes overBrooke Spinks of Tifton. Elizabeth Kim ofMartinez was the girls 11-14 winner by onestroke over Diane Lim of Norcross.The next Georgia PGA Junior Tour event

will be played April 25-26 at the GeorgiaVets course in Cordele.

Rain also impactsSoutheastern TourThe Southeastern Junior Golf was similarlyeffected by rain in March, with one sched-uled event in Georgia postponed andanother reduced to 18 holes.The scheduled tournament at Callaway

Gardens was postponed, and will beplayed Nov. 7-8. The tournament at DublinCCmanaged to get one day of play in, withplayoffs required to decide two of the threeboys divisions.Max Von Dresser of Alpharetta shot

even par 72 to win the boys 16-19 andoverall titles in a playoff over Justin Cho of

Norcross and Cole McIsaac of Marietta.Four players shot 79 to tie for first in the

boys 12-13 age group. Buster Bruton ofDallas won the playoff over HarrisonBrown of Marietta, Parker Derby ofColumbus and Tyler Young of Kennesaw.Joe Philaphet of Riverdale and RussellSabol of Martinez missed the playoff byone shot with scores of 80.Brian Beringer of Macon was the 14-15

winner with a 74, with Carson Willis ofGriffin second at 76.Sloan Shanahan of Suwanee shot 77 to

win the girls 12-14 division by four strokes.Carrie Metz of Carnesville was the 15-19winner with a 79, and Kelly Pearce ofAlbany was next at 82.In an SJGT event in Dickson, Tenn.,

Jordan Janico of Duluth was second inboys 16-19 with a 148 total, one strokebehind the winner. Will Evans ofMcDonough, the leader after an openinground 71, took third at 149.The next SJGT event in Georgia will be

played at The Lakes at Laura Walker inWaycross on April 18-19.

AJGA to play twicein Georgia in AprilThe American Junior Golf Association willhold tournaments in the Atlanta area onconsecutive weekends this month.Chateau Elan, which hosts the organiza-

tion’s headquarters, will be the site of a

tournament April 10-12, with the eventlimited to juniors ages 12-15. A total of 90boys and 42 girls will compete, withthe field including 18 boys and 8 girlsfrom Georgia.Among the boys in the field are: Jimmy

Beck, Columbus; Brian Beringer, Macon;Jack Gibbs, Evans; Michael Hines,Acworth; Sanders Park, Alpharetta; andbrothers Sam and Sepp Straka ofValdosta. Girls competing include EmilyKurey, Alpharetta; and sisters Ashlan andTaylor Ramsey of Augusta.The 54-hole event will be played on the

Chateau Course.Country Club of the South will host the

Aldila Junior April 18-19. The 76-playerfield includes some of the state’s top jun-iors, with Riverdale’s Mariah Stackhouseamong three Georgians competing in thegirls division.Also entered are Amelia Hill of St.

Simons Island and Caitlin Pisciotta ofAlpharetta.The boys contingent from Georgian

includes Seth Reeves of Duluth, who fin-ished fourth last year in an Apriltournament at Horseshoe Bend, just onestroke out of a playoff.Also in the field are: Franco Castro,

Alpharetta; Drew Czuchry, Auburn; BenGreene, Duluth; Kevin Lee, Dacula; OllieSchniederjans, Powder Springs; JackWalsh, Lawrenceville; and Shawn Yim,Buford.


Golf FORE Juniors

Golf FORE Women(Continued from page 27)

CC of Roswell to hostWomen on CourseeventThe Country Club of Roswell’s profes-sional staff will host a special golf event inconjunction with the “Women on Course”networking group. The event will be heldWednesday, May 13 from 2-7 p.m. Thereare opportunities for all three different

levels of women golfer: those that are newto golf, intermediate or some experienceand those that have more experience.The event will have clinics, on course

instruction, a scramble for those that play,a Callaway golf demo and club fitting,prizes, a guest speaker, food and wine.It is open to all women golfers whetheryou are a member of the group or not.So come out to the Country Club ofRoswell and learn more about the gameof golf, meet some new people, and ofcourse have some fun. To learnmore aboutthe event and women on course go towww.womenoncourse.com.

Kendall Wright Ross Whatley

Tour EventsApril 9-12:Masters, Augusta NationalApril 16-19: (Nationwide) Jennings MillApril 23-26: (Nationwide) KinderlouForestApril 24-26: (Champions) Legends ofGolf, Savannah Harbor

Sept. 24-27: Tour Championship,East Lake

(MINI-TOURS)April 1-4: Tar Heel Tour, SavannahQuarters

April 16-19: Hooters Tour, Royal LakesApril 22-24: Sunbelt Sr. Tour, Chateau ElanApril 29-May 1: Sunbelt Sr. Tour,Chestatee

Apr 30-May 3: Hooters Tour,McCormick, S.C.

Aug. 26-29: Tar Heel Tour,Savannah Harbor

Aug. 27-30:Hooters Tour, Southern HillsSept. 24-27:Hooters Tour, Gordon Lakes

Georgia PGAApril 7:Valdosta Nationwide qualifier,Orchard Hills

May 18-19: Georgia Senior Open,Callaway Gardens

May 26: Pro-Assistant, ChampionsRetreat

June 8-9: Atlanta Open, Heron BayJune 23-24: Players Championship,ChicopeeWoods

July 8-9: GeorgiaWomen’s Open,SummerGrove

July 13-14: Griffin Classic. Griffin CCAug. 5-8: Georgia Open, BarnsleyGardens

Aug. 17: Assistants Championship, TBAAug. 31-Sept. 2: Section Championship,Sea Island (Retreat)

Sept. 21-22: Georgia PGA ProfessionalChampionship, Achasta GC

Oct. 5-6: GPGA Senior Championship,Cartersville CC

Oct. 18-19: Billy Peters Cup, CapitalCity-Crabapple

Nov. 16-17: Senior-Junior Championship,Wallace Adams GC

Dec. 7-8: Pro-Pro Championship,Jekyll Island GC

(Qualifiers)Atlanta OpenMay 20: The FrogMay 28: Glen ArvenJune 1: Champions RetreatJune 2: Barnsley Gardens

Georgia OpenJuly 15: Griffin CCJuly 20: Berkeley Hills, Champions RetreatJuly 22: The Frog,Wilmington Island GCJuly 23: Glen ArvenJuly 27: Cartersville CC

(SENIORDIVISION)April 6-7:Willow Lake (Dan Parrish)May 5:Orchard HillsJune 1: ChicopeeWoodsJune 29-30: Granite City ClassicJuly 20-21: Newnan CCAug. 10-11: Jekyll Island GC(Championship)

Sept. 14-15: Canongate GC (Lee-Weir)Nov. 2-3: Summit ChaseNov. 30-Dec. 1: Challenge Cup,Barnsley Gardens

GSGA/GWGAApril 15-16: Super Senior, SettindownCreek

April 15-17:Women’s Match Play,Sunset CC

April 24-26: 4-Ball Championship,Governor’s Towne Club

April 28-29: GWGA 4-Ball, Jekyll IslandMay 15-17:Mid-Am Championship,White Columns

May 18-20: AtlantaWomen’s Am,Newnan CC

June 15-17: Girls Championship,Polo G&CC

June 22-24: Junior Championship,Sea Island GC

June 23-25: GWGA Championship,Idle Hour

July 9-12: GSGA Championship,CC of Columbus

July 20-21: Jr. Sectional Challenge,West Lake

July 29-30: Top 60Women, ReynoldsLanding

Aug. 26-28: Senior Championship,Green Island

Sept. 1-2: Sr.Women’s Championship,Arrowhead Pointe

Sept. 12-13: Public Links Championship,Overlook Links

Oct. 1-2:Women’s Team Championship,Sea Palms

Oct. 22-25: Atlanta Amateur Match Play,Rivermont

Oct. 31-Nov. 1: Team Championship,Georgia Club

Nov. 11-13: Senior 4-Ball, Lakes @LauraWalker/Okefenokee CC

USGA QualifiersMay 11: U.S. Open (local), Marietta CCMay 19: U.S. Open (local) River ClubMay 27:Women’s PubLinks, OaksJune 2:Women’s Open (local),Georgia National

June 8: U.S. Open, Hawk’s RidgeJune 15-16: U.S. PubLinks, Mystery ValleyJune 29: U.S. Junior, U. of Georgia GCJune 29: Girls Junior, CC of RoswellJuly 6: Senior Open, TPC SugarloafJuly 20:Women’s Amateur, HorseshoeBend

July 21-22: U.S. Amateur, CapitalCity-Crabapple

Aug. 3-4: U.S. Amateur: Standard Club

Aug. 15:Women’s Mid Am, LandingsAug. 18: Senior Amateur, Cherokee CCAug. 25:Women’s Mid Am, RivermontSept. 1: U.S. Mid-Am, Brickyard @Riverside

College/AmateurApril 4-5: Augusta State Inv., Forest HillsApril 5-7: U.S. Collegiate Championship,GC of Georgia

April 17-19: SEC Championship,Sea Island GC

June 18-21: Southeastern Am,CC of Columbus

July 1-4: Dogwood, Druid HillsJuly 23-26:Oglethorpe Inv.,Wilmington Island

Georgia PGAJunior TourApril 25-26: Georgia VetsMay 16-17: BartramTrailMay 27-28: The FrogJune 1-2: Junior Championship,Cartersville CC*

June 17-18: Barnsley Gardens

June 29-30: Cateechee GCJuly 6: Pro-Junior, Callaway Gardens*July 8-9: Glen ArvenJuly 14-15: Stone MountainAug. 15-16: Callaway GardensSept. 19-20:Wilmington IslandOct. 10-11: Georgia Club* Not a GPGA Jr. Tour event

Other Junior Tours(SOUTHEASTERN)April 4-5: Jekyll IslandApril 18-19: Lakes @ Laura S.WalkerMay 16-17:Meadow LinksMay 27-28:Orchard HillsJune 8-9:Marietta CCJune 29-30:West LakeJuly 9-10: Idle HourJuly 27-28: Hawks RidgeAug. 22-23: Doublegate CCSept. 12-13: CC of ColumbusSept. 26-27: Forest HillsOct. 3-4: Glen ArvenOct. 17-18: U. of Georgia GCNov. 7-8: Callaway GardensNov. 21-22:Valdosta CCDec. 5-6: Kinderlou Forest (Tour.of Champions)


2009 GEORGIA

Tournament Schedule

1 Titleist Pro V

www.ETCGolf.com770.420.0043

2636 George Busbee Pkwy., Kennesaw, GA 30144adjacent Town Center Mall

GOLFEquipment • Training • Confidence

$1 Titleist Pro V$

Just Like New ~ No PackagingLimit 1 doz. per customer per week

Home of theHome of the

Just Like New ~ No PackagingLimit 1 doz. per customer per week

The Club at Savannah Harbor (Semi-Private)2 Resort Drive, Savannah912-201-2007; www.theclubatsavannahharbor.net

STAFF: Dan Schmid is the General Manager; JamieWest is the Director of Golf.PAR/YARDAGE: Savannah Harbor plays to a par 72 with four sets of tees: Black (7,288yards); Gold (6,627); Silver (6,048) and Jade (5,261).COURSE RATING/SLOPE: 75.1/137 (Black); 72.5/131 (Gold); 69.6/126 (Silver); 70.8/124(Jade).

ABOUT THE COURSE: Among the state’s best layouts, the superb Bob Cupp design hasreceived national attention as the host of the Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf since 2003.The Champions Tour players have developed a strong respect for the course, and in its sixyears of hosting the Legends as an individual event, only one player went deep into red fig-ures for the tournament. The course is a strong but playable test for its members and resortguests, with ample length from the back tees, and a stout 6,600 yards from the next set. Acomposite member set of tees splits the difference between the Gold and Silver, with ahandful of holes maybe a little more than some can handle from the Golds. The course sitsbelow theTalmadgeMemorial Bridge onHutchinson Island just across the river fromdown-town Savannah, and the splendid view from above gives you an idea of the treat you’re infor once you tee it up. Cuppmakes excellent use of the native areas throughout the course,withmost of themarshland areas in play along the borders of the holes. On the holeswheremarshes or water are uncomfortably close to the putting surfaces, Cupp typically providessome bailout room to the other side. Savannah Harbor is reasonably generous off the tee,with Cupp providing open angles to most of the greens, with bunkers situated along theedges, with an exception or two. The greens and greens complexes are on the gentle side,with the absence of elevation allowing for some options with short game shots, dependingon your proximity to the greenside bunkers, which are plentiful on a number of holes. Thediverse mixture of holes is among the layout’s strengths, as are the course conditions andthe beauty of the course in its natural setting.

The Manor Golf & CC (Private)15951 Manor Club Drive, Alpharetta678-366-3975; www.themanorgolfandcountryclub.com

STAFF: Doug Meredith is the General Manager/Director of Golf; Jon Hough is the GolfProfessional.PAR/YARDAGE: The Manor plays to a par of 72 with five sets of tees: Watson (7,177 yards);Blue (6,738); White (6,338); Yellow (5,807); Red (5,206).COURSE RATING/SLOPE: 74.9/142 (Watson); 72.5/138 (Blue); 70.4/134 (White); 68.4/128(Yellow); 70.4/127 (Red).

ABOUT THE COURSE: As golf legend TomWatson’s career winds down, he has branchedout into the design field. While he has limited the number of clients he has accepted, hislack of a deep resume does not cast any shadow over his abilities in his new occasionaloccupation. Watson’s work on The Manor, which opened in 2006, is first class, working wellfor both players who will tackle the course from the tips, named for its designer, or thoseplaying from a shorter set. Watson has done an excellent job in spacing the tees, providingmultiple playable options for themembers. Thanks to the relatively generous landing areasoff the tees and the minimal number of hazards in play, you can move back a set and notfeel overwhelmed, with the rolling terrain an ally on some holes but a potential concern onothers. While there are no huge elevation changes, the rolling terrain will impact tee shotsthatmiss the fairway, leaving youwith some hilly lies you definitely want to avoid. The sameholds true around many of the greens, which provide much of the challenge of Watson’swell-balanced, superbly conditioned layout. The outstanding putting surfaces at TheManor are large and feature a significant amount of undulation, with many of the greensdivided into distinct sections that will produce some perplexing putts and short gameshots. Watson also has guarded several of the greens with bunkers cut into mounds thatborder the putting surfaces, making for some very uncomfortable sand shots. Watson’sbunkering is also distinctive from a visual standpoint, and that aspect of his work is asimpressive as the course itself. There are some striking views of landing areas from teeboxes and of greens complexes from landing areas, as Watson makes use of the terrain tocreate a layout that is memorable both for its scenic appeal and playable nature.


CourseReviews


LOCAL GOLF NEWSSunday Mornings

8 a.m. – 9 a.m.Listen online at www.golfforegeorgia.com.

Presented in part by In Association with

Calendar of golf events

Tournaments

People

Golf Courses

Junior Golf

Women’s Golf

Destinations

Weekly Prizes

Interviews

And plenty more Georgia news!

Your source for all the weekly golf news. All Local. Almost All News. All Fun.

Austin Arnold“The Princess”

JR Ross, “The Pro”Georgia PGA Teaching Professional

golfforegeorgia® radio

1160Broadcast on

Register Every Week for a Free Lesson with a PGA Professional (winner will be chosen weekly, must register each week on the Radio Page at www.golfforegeorgia.com)

fore georgia 0409

Documents