ACWORTH, Ga. – Chris Hall of Kennesaw successfully defended his title at the Georgia Senior Match Play Championship with a win, once again, over Don Marsh of Johns Creek, 1 up. The third annual competition took place at Governors Towne Club, May 5-8.
This was a repeat of last year’s final match, as Hall topped Marsh at White Columns Country Club in Alpharetta, 2 and 1.
Hall, the three-seed after posting an even-par 144 in the 36-hole qualifier, reached the final with three wins. He topped Randy Bowman of Summerville in the round of 16, 3 and 2, and then needed 19 holes to eliminate Jack Kearney of Peachtree City in the quarterfinals. The now two-time champion once again needed 19 holes to defeat Lee Dennis of Comer in the semifinals before reaching the final for the second-consecutive year.
Marsh posted a 2-under-par 142 in the 36-hole qualifier and earned the top seed in match play. In the round of 16, he defeated Tommy Beman of Alpharetta, 2 and 1, and then beat Jay Childs of Kennesaw, 1 up, in the quarterfinals. In the first semifinal match on Thursday morning, Marsh recorded a win over Gay McMichael of Macon, 3 and 2, to earn a return trip to the final.
Jim Kamis of Marietta won the Super Senior Division with a victory over Spencer Sappington of Milton, 1 up, in the final match. After earning the top-seed in the 65-and-up division, Kamis defeated Bruce Wood of Suwanee, 2 and 1, in the quarterfinals, and Ben Kenny of Jasper, 4 and 3, in the semifinals. To start the final match, Kamis quickly notched a three stroke advantage over Sappington, winning the first three holes. Sappington, a Georgia Golf Hall of Famer, claimed holes six and seven to cut his deficit by two. Kamis won nine and made the turn with a 2-up advantage. The back nine went back-and-forth, as Sappington won 11, Kamis 13, Sappington 14 and 16. Heading to 18 with the match all square, Kamis hit the shot of the week as he holed out from 96 yards for an eagle and the Super Senior match play title.
Entries were open to male amateur golfers. The Senior Division was open to those age 55 and older as of May 5, and the Super Senior Division was open to those age 65 and older as of May 5. The format was match play preceded by 36 holes of stroke play qualifying with the low 16 players advancing to match play in the Senior Division and the low 8 players advancing to match play in the Super Senior Division.
Governors Towne Club played to 6,254 yards for the Senior Division and 6,061 yards for the Super Senior Division.
Senior Division Bracket:
http://www.ghintpp.com/gsga/
Super Senior Division Bracket:
http://www.ghintpp.com/gsga/
Match Play Results
Senior Division –
Round of 16
- Don Marsh, Johns Creek, def. Tommy Beman, Alpharetta, 2 and 1
- Jay Childs, Kennesaw, def. Skip Talbert, Bonaire, 3 and 1
- Larry Vaughan, Greensboro, def. Mark Benefield, Peachtree Corners, 1 up
- Gay McMichael, Macon, def. David Nell, Sharpsburg, 3 and 2
- Lee Dennis, Comer, def. Dennis French, Alpharetta, 2 and 1
- Jim Stormont, Atlanta, def. Donny Phillips, Jr., Suwanee, 2 up
- Chris Hall, Kennesaw, def. Randy Bowman, Summerville, 3 and 2
- Jack Kearney, Peachtree City, def. John Davis, Atlanta, 4 and 3
Quarterfinals
- Marsh def. Childs, 1 up
- McMichael def. Vaughan, 2 and 1
- Dennis def. Stormont, 19 holes
- Hall def. Kearney, 19 holes
Semifinals
- Marsh def. McMichael, 3 and 2
- Hall def. Dennis, 3 and 2
Final
Hall def. Marsh, 1 up
Super Senior Division –
Quarterfinals
- Jim Kamis, Marietta, def. Bruce Wood, Suwanee, 2 and 1
- Ben Kenny, Jasper, def. Fred Atterberry, Dahlonega, 3 and 2
- Joe Ingram, Gainesville, def. Joe Whisenant, Douglasville, 3 and 2
- Spencer Sappington, Milton, def. Christopher DeMarco, Kennesaw, 19 holes
Semifinals
- Kamis def. Kenny, 4 and 3
- Sappington def. Ingram, 1 up
Final
Kamis def. Sappington, 1 up
About the Georgia State Golf Association
Founded in 1916, the Georgia State Golf Association (GSGA) received its official charter on June 24, 1924. Since that date, the GSGA has grown to one of the largest state amateur golf associations in the country, with nearly 340 member clubs and 75,000 individual members. With a mission to promote and preserve amateur golf in the state of Georgia, GSGA offers a computerized handicapping service, course rating and measuring, and annually conducts a full schedule of statewide competitions for men and women of all age groups. Other services include a summer-long junior sectional program, award-winning Golf Georgia magazine, membership recognition and rewards programs, management of the Georgia Golf Hall of Fame and a charitable foundation administering two college scholarship programs.