Derek Chang of Alpharetta, a member of the golf team at Minnesota, won the recent Southeastern Amateur at the Country Club of Columbus in record-breaking fashion, posting a 16-under 268 total to win by seven strokes.
Chang shot a 63 in the second round to tie the course record, then closed with back-to-back rounds of 68 on the par-71 layout to finish with the all-time low 72-hole total for the event.
Finishing second at 275 was Clayton State golfer Wade Binfield of Fayetteville, who was tied with Chang after 36 holes, matching Chang’s 63 in the second round. But Binfield shot 1-over 143 over the final 36 holes to fall off Chang’s torrid pace.
Both players shot 69 in the opening round to trail Augusta State’s Taylor Floyd, who led after a 66. Floyd, a Macon resident, had an up-and-down tournament, matching the course record of 63 in the third round, but shooting 75 and 73 the day before and after his record-tying round.
Harris English, a member of the Georgia golf team who will be one of the favorites in this month’s Georgia Amateur at CC of Columbus, tied for 12th at 281.
Both Chang and Binfield have enjoyed recent success in Georgia PGA tournaments. Chang was fourth overall and low amateur in last year’s Georgia Open at Barnsley Gardens, while Binfield was the low amateur in the recent Atlanta Golf Open.
In other recent national and regional amateur events:
Savannah’s Brian Harman, who recently completed his college career at Georgia, placed second in the Sunnehana Amateur in Johnstown, Pa. Harman posted an 8-under 272 total, five strokes behind Kevin Foley, who coasted to a win after shooting 61 in the opening round.
Augusta’s Jeff Knox, who won his second straight GSGA Mid-Amateur Championship recently, tied for third in the Palmetto Amateur in Aiken, S.C., just two strokes behind the winner.
Knox, whose second round 67 matched the low score of the tournament, finished with a 280 total, as did Georgia Southern golfer Logan Blondell. Bill Jones of Covington was ninth at 282, shooting 74 the final day after three consecutive scores of 69.
Greg Kennedy of Duluth and Jeff Belk of Marietta engaged in a two-man duel in the Birmingham Invitational, with Kennedy edging Belk by one stroke to take the title. Belk opened with a 65 and followed with a 64 in the second round, but Kennedy stayed within two strokes after 36 holes with a 62. When Belk slipped to a 72 the final round, Kennedy shot his second 69 to finish with a 200 total, one ahead of Belk. The third place finisher shot 205.
U.S. Public Links qualifying: Anders Albertson of Woodstock, one of the state’s top junior players, was medalist in a U.S. Public Links Championship qualifier played at Mystery Valley.
Albertson shot 6-under 136, posting back-to-back scores of 68. Kyle Scott of Tallapoosa was second at 138 and Georgia Southern golfer Jordan Johnstun of Evans got the final spot at 139, winning in a playoff over Georgia Tech golfer John Tyler Griffin.
Meier, Detmer win
GPGA Sr. events
Ted Meier of Newnan CC won the Georgia PGA Senior Division at Chicopee Woods, posting a 5-under 103 total over 27 holes to win by one stroke over a trio of players.
Tying for second at 104 were Wyatt Detmer of Orchard Hills and amateurs Rocky Costa and Donald Crump. Amateur Mark Benefield tied for fifth at 106 with Georgia PGA members Steve Barfoot of Arrowhead Pointe and Chuck Knebels of Hawks Ridge.
Tying for eighth at 107 were John Foster of Nob North, Carlen Webb of Brookfield CC, Mike Schlueter of West Pines and former Champions Tour player DeWitt Weaver.
Detmer was the winner in the Granite City Senior Division tournament at Arrowhead Pointe in Elberton, shooting 70-69—139 to win by five strokes over Steve Ridge of the College Park municipal course. Ridge was the first round leader with a 67, but fell back with a 77 the next day.
Costa and fellow amateur Walter Hope tied for third at 146, with Schlueter fifth at 147 and Knebels and Craig Hartle of the Georgia Tech Club sixth at 148.