ROME, Ga. — Deven Broadaway of Adairsville sunk a 20-foot putt for birdie on the first playoff hole (18) to win the Georgia Public Links Championship. The 27th playing of the annual competition took place at Stonebridge Golf Club, September 12-13.
Broadaway earned the victory while Scotty Scott of Hoschton earned runner-up honors. Broadaway, a 23-year-old recent college graduate, fired a 7-under-par 65 in the final round. His round included an eagle on the 349-yard par 4 16th hole, and birdies on three, six, seven, nine, 14 and 17. The only flaw on the day came on the 366-yard par 4 10th hole, where he made bogey.
After the 36 holes of regulation, Broadaway and Scott shared the lead at 3-under-par 141. To get to the top spot with Broadaway, Scott posted seven birdies and three bogeys for a 4-under-par 68 on Sunday.
Broadaway, who earned the Appalachian Athletic Conference Player of the Year award this past season, just finished up his collegiate career at Truett McConnell College in Cleveland, Ga. This win came at the first GSGA-sanctioned competition he has played in.
Stan Gann, Jr., of Bonaire finished third at 2-under-par 142 (69-73). Brent Cooper of Alpharetta, the leader after round one, came in fourth at 1-over-par 145 (67-78). Two players tied for fifth at 2-over-par 146, including 2014 champion Chris Waters of Atlanta (76-70) and Ryan Morley-Stockton of Woodstock (74-72). Larry Clark of Kingston finished seventh at 4-over-par 148 (73-75). A pair of players tied for eighth at 6-over-par 150, including Clint Johns of Byron (75-75) and Bill Leonard of Dallas (71-79). Rounding out the top 10 of the Championship flight is two-time Georgia Public Links champion, Billy Mitchell of Roswell, at 7-over-par 151 (78-73).
Coming into this weekend’s competition, three players in the field had won before. The defending champion, Waters, finished in a tie for fifth at 2-over-par 146 (76-70). Mitchell won back-to-back titles in 2010 and 2011, and this year finished 10th at 7-over-par 151 (78-73). Brent Sizemore of Adairsville, the only player to have won three titles (1998, 1999, 2007), finished in a three-player tie for 29th at 17-over-par 161 (76-85).
Ladell Norton of Rome claimed flight honors in flight one at even-par 144 (70-74). Norton has played in every Georgia Public Links Championship that has been contested. In the second flight, David Martin of Rome finished at 14-over-par 158 (81-77).