Georgia Amateur Championship Underway

Defending champion Lee Knox of Augusta carded a 3-under-par 67 to take the first-round lead at the 90th annual Georgia Amateur Championship, going on through Sunday at Cherokee Town and Country Club in the Huntcliff community. He holds a one-stroke lead over Ridge Purcell of LaGrange, a recent Armstrong Atlantic State University golfer and graduate.

Four players were tied for third at 1-under 69 before play began today, including Armstrong Atlantic State golfer Gus Wagoner of Duluth, Matt Russell of Dunwoody, Georgia Tech golfer Anders Albertson of Woodstock and Bill Jones III of Albany. A group of six players are tied for seventh at even-par 70.

Knox, who is a rising junior on the golf team at the University of Alabama, made the turn at even par with two birdies and two bogeys on the front nine.  He then posted three birdies over his last five holes go under 3-under for the day.

“I was hitting it solid,” Knox said. “I started making some good putts on the back nine. I had a good one on 18 for birdie and now I’m just looking forward to tomorrow.”

With just a few groups remaining on the course, play was suspended at 6:37 p.m., Thursday, due to a thunderstorm. After 45 minutes of torrential downpour, play resumed at 7:37 p.m., a delay of one hour.

Knox, son of two-time Georgia Mid-Amateur champion Jeff Knox (who shot a 75 in Thursday's round), is looking to become the second-straight golfer to win back-to-back Georgia Amateur titles.

Former University of Georgia golfer Russell Henley of Macon won consecutive championships in 2008-2009. Only eight golfers in the 90-year history of the Championship have won back-to-back titles.

The Georgia Amateur Championship is conducted by the Georgia State Golf Association and brings together 144 of the state's best male amateur golfers for the prestigious state title first won by Bobby Jones in 1916.

The Championship format is 72 holes of stroke play over four days. After 36 holes of play, the field will be cut to the low 70 players and ties and anyone within 10 strokes of the leader.

An online leader board, featuring all competitors’ complete scorecards, is currently available at www.gsga.org. During Friday’s second round, scores will be updated after nine holes and as each golfer finishes his round.  The weekend rounds will feature live, hole-by-hole scoring for several of the leading groups as well as nine-hole updates for all the other groups.

Founded in 1916, the Georgia State Golf Association (GSGA) received its official charter on June 24, 1924. Since that date, the GSGA has grown to one of the largest state amateur golf associations in the country, with over 350 member clubs and 85,000 individual members. 

With a mission to promote and preserve amateur golf in the state of Georgia, GSGA offers a computerized handicapping service, course rating and measuring, and annually conducts a full schedule of statewide competitions for men and women of all age groups. 

Other services include a summer-long junior sectional program, award-winning Golf Georgia magazine, membership recognition and rewards programs, management of the Georgia Golf Hall of Fame and a charitable foundation administering two college scholarship programs.

Georgia State Golf Association
90th Annual Georgia Amateur Championship
Cherokee Town and Country Club

First Round Results
Par 70

Place    Name    Score    To Par
1    Lee Knox, Augusta    67    -3
2    Ridge Purcell, LaGrange    68    -2
T3    Anders Albertson, Woodstock    69    -1
T3    Bill Jones III, Albany    69    -1
T3    Gus Wagoner, Duluth    69    -1
T3    Matt Russell, Dunwoody    69    -1
T7    Doug Hanzel, Savannah    70    Even
T7    Jordan Janico, Duluth    70    Even
T7    John Stembridge, Norcross    70    Even
T7    Kris Mikkelsen, Atlanta    70    Even
T7    David Yowell, Marietta    70    Even
T7    Brent Cooper, Atlanta    70    Even
T13    Carter Collins, Statesboro    71    1
T13    David Noll  Jr., Dalton    71    1
T13    Mark Sweeney, Monroe    71    1
T13    Michael Standard, McDonough    71    1
T13    Jay Degenhart, Savannah    71    1
T13    Franco Castro, Alpharetta    71    1
T13    Patrick Garrett, Powder Springs    71    1
T13    Ben Greene, Duluth    71    1
T13    Chad Wilson, Calhoun    71    1
T13    Blaine Woodruff, Acworth    71    1
T13    Justin Cho, Norcross    71    1
T13    Patrick  Kenney, Acworth    71    1
T13    Ryan Parnell, Atlanta    71    1
T13    Zachary Healy, Norcross    71    1
T27    William Mitchell, Roswell    72    2
T27    Taylor Smith, Covington    72    2
T27    William Anderson, Atlanta    72    2

T27    Chris Chuck, Roswell    72    2
T27    Zach Estep, Lawrenceville    72    2
T27    Rich Grote, Kennesaw    72    2
T27    Seth Reeves, Duluth    72    2
T27    Chris Waters, Athens    72    2
T35    Cameron Simmons, Acworth    73    3
T35    Mark Strickland, Woodstock    73    3
T35    Grant Leroux, Atlanta    73    3
T35    Coleman Tidwell Jr., Macon    73    3
T35    Bryn Powers, Carrollton    73    3
T35    Nate Gahman, Leesburg    73    3
T35    Taylor Welborn, LaGrange    73    3
T35    Joey Maziar, Atlanta    73    3
T35    Zach Lindsey, Kennesaw    73    3
T35    Christian Raynor, Kennesaw    73    3
T35    Alan Fowler, Gainesville    73    3
T35    Michael Hinnant, Suwanee    73    3
T35    Ray Perez III, Norcross    73    3
T35    Grant Cagle, Gainesville    73    3
T35    Dylan Freeman, Athens    73    3
T35    Mitch Greer, Perry    73    3
T35    Greyson Sigg, Augusta    73    3
T52    Cason Hammock, Columbus    74    4
T52    Dan Whigham Jr., Atlanta    74    4
T52    Danny Yates, Atlanta    74    4
T52    Patrick Grahek, Alpharetta    74    4
T52    David Maddox, McDonough    74    4
T52    Brendan Gillins, Savannah    74    4
T52    Michael Motz, Milton    74    4
T52    Jonathan Klotz, Columbus    74    4
T52    Greg O'Connor II, Alpharetta    74    4
T52    Mike Schilling, Roswell    74    4
T52    Jeff Amershadian, Suwanee    74    4
T52    Mookie DeMoss, Duluth    74    4
T52    William Arwood, Thomasville    74    4
T52    John Belicka, Woodstock    74    4
T66    Jack Hall, Sea Island    75    5
T66    Jeff Knox, Augusta    75    5
T66    Tevis Upton, Acworth    75    5
T66    Buster Bruton, Dallas    75    5
T66    Lee Dennis, Athens    75    5
T66    Mark Nickerson, Roswell    75    5
T66    Don Marsh, Johns Creek    75    5
T66    Harold Wyatt, Atlanta    75    5
T66    Mike Granato, White    75    5
T66    Ted Moon, Lilburn    75    5
T66    Derek Watson, Gainesville    75    5
T66    Mike Cromer, Peachtree Corners    75    5
T66    David  Sullivan, Woodstock    75    5
T66    Brent Whitehead, Marietta    75    5
T66    Rob Mcrae, Augusta    75    5
T81    Stephen Amerson, Gray    76    6
T81    Bob Royak, Alpharetta    76    6
T81    Jason Cohan, Savannah    76    6
T81    John Skeadas III, Savannah    76    6
T81    Scott Weeks, Savannah    76    6
T81    Richie Wiltfang, Brunswick    76    6
T81    William Sigg, Augusta    76    6
T81    Sanders Park, Alpharetta    76    6
T81    Kevin Jordan, Smyrna    76    6
T81    Jack Walsh, Lawrenceville    76    6
T91    Gavin Shane Harper, Twin City    77    7
T91    Chad Griffith, LaGrange    77    7
T91    Tyler Young, Kennesaw    77    7
T91    Daniel Mobley, Waynesboro    77    7
T91    Austin Vick, Evans    77    7
T91    Dean Hester, Dublin    77    7
T91    Jeff Belk, Marietta    77    7
T91    Tom Price Jr., Marietta    77    7
T91    Jim  Foote, Gainesville    77    7
T91    Hector Cora, Atlanta    77    7
T91    Matthew Hayes, Marietta    77    7
T91    Zachary Bryant, Buckhead    77    7
T91    Greg Kennedy, Duluth    77    7
T91    Doug Saylor, Newnan    77    7
T91    Doug Stiles, Athens    77    7
T106    Bill Bergin, Atlanta    78    8
T106    Wright Waddell, Columbus    78    8
T106    JP Griffin, Glennville    78    8
T106    Zane Goldthorp, Tucker    78    8
T106    Michael Garretson, Acworth    78    8
T106    Will Morrow, Dalton    78    8
T106    Marty Childers, Jasper    78    8
T106    Zack Sexton, Atlanta    78    8
T106    Shawn Yim, Buford    78    8
T106    Nathan Mallonee, Lexington    78    8
T106    Whit Roper, Athens    78    8
T106    Ryan Steelman, Milledgeville    78    8
T118    Dave Womack, McDonough    79    9
T118    Paul Kocsis, Fayetteville    79    9
T118    Mark Buchholz, Alpharetta    79    9
T118    Tyler Gruca, Alpharetta    79    9
T118    Matt Mierzejewski, Suwanee    79    9
T118    John Quirk, Atlanta    79    9
T118    Adam Schlappi, Cumming    79    9
T125    Spenser Ferrell, Albany    80    10
T125    Jay Childs, Kennesaw    80    10
T125    Fulton Lewis, Cumming    80    10
T128    Henry Persons, Macon    81    11
T128    Chase Hankla, Valdosta    81    11
T128    Ed Cunliffe, Atlanta    81    11
T128    Matthew Bickley, Athens    81    11

T132    Shiloh Snow, Blackshear    82    12
T132    Dan Barkley, Roswell    82    12
T132    Cory Hurley, Atlanta    82    12
T132    Tae Kim, Duluth    82    12
T132    Pierce McNamara, Roswell    82    12
T132    Joel Sawyer, Elberton    82    12
T132    John Gabianelli, Atlanta    82    12
T139    David Hobby, Valdosta    83    13
T140    Brent Paul, Midland    85    15
T140    Thomas Donegan, Kennsaw    85    15
T142    Jeff Cowart, Savannah    86    16
T142    Andrew Malott, Marietta    86    16
T142    Kevin Lee, Dacula    86    16

This article first appeared on Sandy Springs Patch.