Dalton’s David Noll won the GSGA Mid-Amateur Championship for the third time, taking the recent tournament played at Cuscowilla on Lake Oconee.
Noll, a two-time Georgia Amateur champion, won in a playoff over James Kiely of Milton with a par on No. 7, the first playoff hole. Both players finished at 4-over 214 on the demanding par-70 layout, with Noll making up a 5-stroke deficit in the final round.
Kiely shot a tournament-low 65 in the third round with eight birdies to lead by five after 36 holes, but bogeyed three of his last five holes the next day for a 75. Noll had four birdies in a final round 70, including one at the 17th.
Defending champion Cameron Hooper of Atlanta placed 3rd at 215 after a final round 71. Bob Royak of Alpharetta and Travis Steed of Macon tied for 4th at 217, with Zane Goldthorp of Tucker 6th at 218. Rusty Strawn of McDonough and Jeff Knox of Augusta tied for 7th at 219.
Four-Ball Championship: The team of Greg Johnson of Cartersville and Chad Wilson of Calhoun won the GSGA Four-Ball Championship at Cartersville Country Club, finishing three shots ahead of the runner-up team with a 20-under 196 total.
Johnson and Wilson, both members at the Cartersville club, shot 65-67-64 and did not make a bogey over 54 holes. Tim Arnault of Decatur and Michael Morris of Marietta placed 2nd at 199.
Four teams tied for 3rd at 200, including the Chatsworth team of Chase Jones and Tyler Mitchell, who led by two shots after 36 holes but closed with a 71. Chad Branton of Cartersville and Justin Johnson of Canton led after an opening 62, but fell back with a 71 in the second round.
Also tying for 3rd were Alex Jones of Woodstock and Chad Wilson of Calhoun and the Lake Oconee team of Bill Faith and Poli Medrano. Both teams were tied for 2nd after 36 holes, two shots behind the leaders.
Mao edges Huarte
in Match Play final
Janet Mao, a high school golfer from Johns Creek, defeated Suwanee’s Meredith Huarte 1-up in the finals of the GSGA Women’s Match Play Championship.
Mao, who was seeded 2nd in the 16-player field, got past UGA golfer Amira Alexander of Alpharetta in 19 holes in the semifinals. Alexander knocked off 8-time tournament champion Laura Coble of Augusta in the first round.
Huarte reached the finals with a 1-up victory over top-seeded Danielle Davis of St. Simons Island in the semifinals. Davis and Mao both shot 73 in stroke play qualifying, with Huarte and Coble among a group of players shooting 74.
Senior Women’s Match Play: Marietta’s Brenda Pictor captured the GSGA Senior Women’s Match Play Championship for the third time, defeating Sea Island’s Cheryl Grigg 2&1 in the finals at Sunset Hills in Carrollton.
Pictor shot 73 to win stroke play qualifying by seven strokes and won her first two matches 4&3. Grigg, the No. 2 seed, won her semifinal match 6&4.
Chris Hall claims
Senior Match Play
Marietta’s Chris Hall won the GSGA Senior Match Play Championship, defeating No. 1 seed Don Marsh of Johns Creek 1-up in the title match at Governor’s Towne Club. Hall defeated Marsh 2&1 in last year’s finals at White Columns.
Hall, who was seeded 3rd, defeated Lee Dennis of Comer 2&1 in the semifinals after needing 19 holes to get past Jack Kearney of Peachtree City in the quarterfinals. Marsh, who shot 142 in qualifying to earn the top seed, defeated Macon’s Gay McMichael in his semifinal match.
Jim Kamis of Marietta defeated Milton’s Spencer Sappington 1-up in the Super Senior finals.
In the GSGA Super Senior Championship, played at Barnsley Gardens, Bill Leonard of Dallas shot 72-70—142 to finish four strokes ahead of runner-up Marsh, who led Leonard by three after opening with a 3-under 69. Former Atlanta Braves shortstop Marty Perez of Lithonia was 3rd at 151.