WOODSTOCK,
Ga. --
Augusta State’s Josh Gregory helped the Georgia State Golf Association (GSGA) contingent
win its fourth straight title Monday in the Billy Peters Cup matches at the Capital City Club’s Crabapple Course.
The Georgia Section PGA team won nine of 16 singles matches in the final round to close in on their five-point
deficit, but the GSGA squad pocketed five singles matches and halved two more to edge the professionals, 13.5 to
10.5.The GSGA team of amateurs entered the day needing just 5.5 points to retain the Cup after jumping out to a 6.5- 1.5 lead in the opening round four-ball matches. But the Georgia PGA wasn’t going away quietly, winning four of the first five singles matches and pulling to within two points, 7 ½ to 5 ½.
In the first match of the day, GSGA’s Adam Cooper of Columbus got the team off to a good start and increased the amateurs’ lead to six points with a 4-and-3 victory over Clark Spratlin. But the Georgia PGA stormed back over the next four matches, and all by decisive margins. Shawn Koch topped Chris Dietzel of Monroe, 4 and 3; Sonny Skinner defeated Dalton’s David Noll Jr., 4 and 2; Matt Peterson won 4 and 3 over Josh Gregory of Augusta; and Jeff Hull outlasted Billy Mitchell of Roswell, 5 and 3.
The GSGA’s senior contingent swung the momentum back in the amateurs’ favor, winning three of their four matches to get the lead back to four points. Chris Hall of Kennesaw posted a 4-and-3 win over Steve Ridge, then Doug Hanzel of Savannah came in with a 4-and-2 victory over Wyatt Detmer. The Georgia PGA’s Mike Schlueter picked up their lone senior victory with a 5-and-4 win over Jimmy Thomas of Johns Creek. But in a battle of two Georgia Golf Hall of Famers, GSGA’s Spencer Sappington of Milton won 5 and 3 over Dewitt Weaver to give GSGA a 10 ½ to 6 ½ lead with seven matches still out on the course.
In a key save, the GSGA’s Kris Mikkelsen of Atlanta finished All Square in his match with Greg Lee. After being 1- down through 15 holes, Mikkelsen birdied the 16th to even things up and held on to finish All Square and contribute a half-point. Macon’s John Walker clinched at least a tie for the amateurs and allowed GSGA to retain the Cup with the most lopsided win of the day, a 7-and-5 decision over David Potts.
Craig Stevens added to the Georgia PGA’s total with a 6-and-5 win over Jeff Belk of Marietta, but Dave Womack of McDonough clinched the GSGA’s fourth-consecutive victory in this event, sinking a birdie putt on 16 to win 3-and-2 over Winston Trively, moving the score to 13-8.
The Georgia PGA’s Tim Weinhart survived a back-and-forth battle with Mark Strickland, winning 1 up. GSGA’s Bob Royak of Alpharetta, after being 2 down late in the match, came back to finish All Square with Stephen Keppler. Brian Dixon won 2 and 1 in the final match of the day over GSGA’s Greg Kennedy of Duluth for the final 13 ½ to 10 ½ overall score.
Starting times were delayed one hour, from 9:00 to 10:00, due to frost.
The Billy Peters Cup Matches, formerly known as the GSGA-GPGA Challenge Cup, changed its name in 2007 to honor Peters’ contributions to the game. Peters, of Blakely, is a former president of the Georgia State Golf Association and honorary vice president of the Georgia Section PGA. He was inducted into the Georgia Golf Hall of Fame in 1993. This competition began in 1962 and was held annually until 1987 when it became a biennial event. The GSGA has now captured four straight matches but still trails in the all-time series 19 ½ to 16 ½.
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 360 member clubs and 85,000 individual members. With a mission to promote and preserve amateur golf in the state of Georgia, GSGA offers a computerized handicapping service, course rating and measuring, and annually conducts a full schedule of statewide competitions for men and women of all age groups. Other services include a summer-long junior sectional program, award-winning Golf Georgia magazine, membership recognition and rewards programs and a charitable foundation administering two college scholarship programs.
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Gregory Helps GSGA Build Big Lead (10/18/09)