Elberton’s Shad Tuten, who recently completed his college golf career at Armstrong Atlantic, lost in a playoff in the Southeastern Amateur, which was played for the 85th time June 11-14 at the Country Club of Columbus.
Tuten tied Oklahoma signee Grant Hirschman of Tennessee at 10-under 274, with Hirschman winning with a birdie on the second playoff hole. Tuten shot 1-over 72 the final round, with Hirschman closing with a 70 after beginning the day two behind Tuten.
Three players tied for 3rd at 275, including David Cooke of Illinois, who matched the low score of the tournament with a final round 65. Defending champion Seth Reeves of Duluth, who recently completed his college career at Georgia Tech, was 6th at 277, closing with scores of 68-68-69.
UGA golfer Mookie DeMoss of Duluth and Woodstock’s Riley Davenport, who plays on the Charlotte golf team, tied for 8th at 279 with Mercer’s James Beale.
Tyler Joiner of Leesburg and UGA golfer Sepp Straka of Valdosta tied for 11th at 280, with Emmanuel Kountakis, Beale’s teammate at Mercer, tying for 15th at 281 with UGA golfer Parker Derby of Columbus, the low local finisher.
Georgia Southern golfer Charlie Martin of LaGrange and Zach Healy of Norcross shot 1-under 283 and tied for 18th.
Tuten led after an opening round 65, with Hirschman moving one ahead of Tuten at 135 after 36 holes following a second round 66. Tuten regained the lead after 54 holes at 202 with a third round 66, with Hirshman 4th at 204 beginning the final round.
Hirschman shot 70 the final day with six birdies, including three on the last six holes. He had a chance to win the tournament without a playoff, but bogeyed the 18th hole. Tuten carded four birdies in the fourth round, including one at the par-5 17th to earn a spot in the playoff.
In other recent amateur tournaments:
Kountakis wins Palmetto: Mercer golfer Emmanuel Kountakis won the annual Palmetto Amateur in Aiken, S.C., firing back-to-back 67s the final two rounds to finish three strokes ahead of Alpharetta’s Billy Kennerly, a member of the Clemson golf team.
Kountakis, who lives in the Augusta suburb of Martinez, was four shots back after 36 holes with scores of 68-69. He took the lead by one after a third round 67, and followed with another 67 to finish with a 9-under 271 total.
Kennerly shot 65 in the third round to close within one of the lead, but settled for an even par 70 the final day. Jimmy Beck of Columbus, the 2013 Georgia Amateur champion, was 5th at 279, with the Kennesaw State golfer one of just five players in the field to finish the tournament under par.
Ted Moon of Lilburn was second after 36 holes with scores of 69-66, but fell back in the third round with a 74 and tied for 10th at 282. UGA golfer Nicholas Reach tied for 12th at 283, with fellow Bulldog Michael Cromie T14 at 284. Augusta’s Clark Palmer was T17 at 285.
Cromie tied for 15th in the Sunnehanna Amateur in Johnstown, Pa., with a 1-over 281 total after sharing the opening round lead at 65. Clarkesville’s Le McCoy, Cromie’s UGA teammate, tied for 19th at 282, with Reach T23 at 285. Reach opened with scores of 66-69 to share the 36-hole lead.
Woodstock’s Anders Albertson tied for 21st in the Monroe Invitational in New York, with the Georgia Tech golfer finishing at 1-under 279 on the Donald Ross-designed Monroe Golf Club.