By Mike Blum
After four straight losses, three of which were by decisive margins, the Georgia PGA
earned a bit of payback with a lopsided victory in the recent Peters Cup Matches, a
biennial competition between the Georgia PGA and GSGA.
The GSGA scored a narrow 12 ½ to 11 ½ victory in 2003 at Atlanta National to end
a three-match winning streak by the Georgia PGA, and since the competition moved
down the street to the Capital City Club Crabapple Course, it had been dominated by the
GSGA.
The state’s top amateurs had won all three matches at Capital City Crabapple by an
average score of 15-9, but the club professionals turned that around in the most recent
meeting, winning 15 ½ to 8 ½.
The Georgia PGA now leads 20-16 over the history of the matches, with one ending in a
tie. Next year will be the 50th anniversary of the competition, which was played annually
from 1962-87 before moving to a biennial basis.
To accommodate the GSGA’s schedule, the event will be played next year and will return
to its biennial schedule, with the next match in 2014.
The Georgia PGA jumped out to a 5 ½ – 2 ½ lead after the first day’s four-ball matches,
and expanded its margin the next day, winning the singles 10-6.
Six Georgia PGA members went 2-0 in the matches, while only one GSGA player won
both his matches. Going 2-0 for the Georgia PGA were Stephen Keppler, Michael
Parrott, David Potts, Matthew Evans, Tim Weinhart and Sonny Skinner. Don
Marsh was the lone GSGA competitor to win both his matches.
Jeff Hull, Clark Spratlin and Shawn Koch had a win and a half for the Georgia PGA,
with Billy Mitchell the only GSGA team member to go 1-0-1.
A brief look at each of the 24 matches in the two-day competition:
FOUR-BALL
Stephen Keppler-Greg Lee (PGA) def. Michael-Standard-Dave Womack 1-up:
Keppler and Lee birdied four of the first six holes to go 4-up, and birdied 9 and 10 to
again go 4-up. Standard and Womack birdied 11, 14 and 17 to get back in the match, but
the 18th was halved with pars.
Jeff Hull-Craig Spratlin (PGA) tied Billy Mitchell-Mark Sweeney: 14 holes were
halved, including 4, 5, 6 and 7 with birdies. Mitchell and Sweeney took a 1-up lead with
a birdie at 16, but the GSGA team bogeyed the 17th.
Michael Parrott-Winston Trively (PGA) def. Christian Raynor-Scott Weeks 3&2:
Nine of the first 10 holes were halved, with Parrott and Trively winning the 4th. They
were still 1-up after 12, with the GSGA losing 13 and 14 with bogeys.
Sonny Skinner-Craig Stevens (PGA) def, Jack Hall-Doug Hanzel 1-up: Hall and
Hanzel were 8-under for the match, but lost to the PGA’s new powerhouse senior duo,
which was 9-under.
Don Marsh-Bill Leonard (GSGA) def. Danny Elkins-Ted Meier 1-up: In a back-
and-forth match, both teams won four holes with birdies, with a PGA bogey at the 14th
helping decide it. The GSGA birdied the 17th to take the lead for good.
Shawn Koch-David Potts (PGA) def. Chris Chuck-Matt Russell 2&1: The match was
all square through nine before the PGA duo birdied 10 and 12 and never relinquished the
lead.
Chris Hall-Adam Thomas (GSGA) def. Bill Murchison-Phil Taylor 1-up: The GSGA
team jumped out to an early lead and was 3-up through 11. Murchison and Taylor birdied
three of the last six holes, but it wasn’t quite enough.
Matthew Evans-Tim Weinhart (PGA) def. David Noll-Mark Strickland 1-up: Evans
and Weinhart never trailed, winning five holes with birdies and the 18th with a par to take
the match. The GSGA also won five holes with birdies, but the final bogey proved costly.
SINGLES
Mitchell (GSGA) def. Lee 1-up: Mitchell was 3-up after 7 before Lee birdied 10, 12 and
13 to pull even. After a bogey at 14, Lee birdied 15 and 16 to go 1-up; but struggled on
17 and 18, losing the 18th when his tee shot apparently plugged under the lip of a fairway
bunker and was never found.
Keppler (PGA) def. Strickland 3&2: After Strickland bogeyed the 1st hole, the next
nine were halved with pars. Keppler, who was 3-under without a bogey, birdied 11, 13
and 16, holing a long putt on the 16th to close out the match when Strickland missed a
short eagle putt.
Parrott (PGA) def. Chuck 2&1: Parrott birdied 6, 7 and 9 to take a 4-up lead and held
on after Chuck closed within 1-down after 14.
Hull (PGA) def. Chris Hall 5&4: Hull chipped in for birdie at the 7th to go 3-up, and
after losing the 9th with a bogey, birdied 11 and holed out from the fairway on 12 for eagle.
Weeks (GSGA) def. Taylor 1-up: Taylor was 1-up after 10, but Weeks birdied 11 and
13 and won 14 with a par to go 2-up. Taylor took the next two holes to pull even, but
Weeks birdied 17.
Evans (PGA) def. Russell 4&3: The match was all square after 9, but Evans won four of
the next five holes, three with birdies.
Jack Hall (GSGA) def. Stevens 1-up: Hall managed just one birdie during the match,
but it came at a crucial time. The match was even after 15 holes before Hall birdied the
16th to take the lead.
Skinner (PGA) def. Hanzel 1-up: Skinner took the lead for good with a birdie at the
tough par-3 15th. Hanzel had the only bogey in the match.
Marsh (GSGA) def, Meier 6&5: Marsh won eight holes, five of them with birdies,
including the last three holes of the match.
Elkins (PGA) def. Leonard 1-up: Elkins won 11 and 13 with pars to go 2-up, and
matched Leonard’s birdie at 16 to retain his lead.
Potts (PGA) def. Raynor 2-up: Potts went 2-up with birdies at 4 and 5 and never trailed,
closing out the match with his fifth birdie of the day at the 18th. Potts did not make a
bogey, with his victory clinching the win for the Georgia PGA with five matches still on
the course.
Koch vs. Sweeney, all square: Koch was 3-down with three to play, but birdied 16, won
17 with a par and holed a birdie putt of around 25-feet on 18 to earn a half. Sweeney
birdied four of the first seven holes to go 3-up, but Koch got back in the match with
birdies at 9 and 10 before again falling 3-down.
Standard (GSGA) def. Trively, 1-up: Standard was 2-under through 8 and 3-up before
he bogeyed 10 and 11. Trively birdied 12 and 13 and parred 14 to go 1-up, but Standard
battled back with birdies at 16 and 18 to win.
Spratlin (PGA) def. Thomas 3&1: Birdies at 5, 6 and 7 put Spratlin 4-under on his
round and 3-up in the match. Thomas was 4-down with four to play, winning 15 and 16
to extend the match.
Murchison vs. Noll, all square: Noll had an eagle and four birdies, with Murchison
matching him with five birdies. The final 11 holes of the match were halved, with Noll
making an outstanding par at 18.
Weinhart (PGA) def. Womack 3&2: Weinhart took an early lead and stayed ahead,
closing out the match with a birdie at the 16th.