Lee Knox will be happy if he's paired with his father, Jeff, in the last round of the Georgia Amateur on Sunday at Ansley Golf Club-Settindown Creek in Roswell.
"There's nothing I look forward to more," Lee said.
Jeff's emotions will be a little more mixed and for good reasons.
Lee won the championship when they were paired together in the final round in 2010, outplaying his father who was trying to focus on his round while simultaneously enjoying his son's finish at the Landings Club in Savannah.
"It's a little nerve-wracking," Jeff said. "I feel like I'm playing two rounds out there."
Lee wasn't nearly as nervous as his dad. He said it felt like it was just the two of them playing a round at home in Augusta, where Jeff is a member of Augusta National.
"We were just enjoying each other's presence," said Lee, who will be a senior on Alabama's golf team this fall. "He definitely seemed nervous. I think it was because I was in contention."
But Jeff also wants to win. He has won the Georgia Mid-Amateur (for players 25 years or older) twice, but has been runner-up in the Georgia Amateur three times.
"Playing competitive amateur golf, it would mean a lot to me to be a state champion," said Jeff, who will turn 50 later this year. "I'm running out of time."
Theirs is a healthy competition. Jeff grew up in Thomson across the street from a golf course. He had a choice: ride horses or play golf. "And I didn't like to ride horses," he said.
He had a few lessons but essentially taught himself the game. He drives the ball solidly and has a short game that is good enough to allow him to set the course record (11-under 61) from Augusta National's members' tees in 2003.
Like his father, Lee taught himself the game, seeking out advice from his dad when needed. They say their swings are different. Jeff's is more compact. Lee's is slightly longer.
But they agree that Settindown, which can play as long as 7,332 yards, will be a challenge. Jeff tied for runner-up to winner Harris English when the Georgia Amateur was last played at the course in 2007.
They usually compete in a few events every year, but the Georgia Amateur will be the first tournament they've played together this year. Jeff thinks that if he can be at even par after the third round, he should be in contention.
"Hopefully we will be in contention and get to play together again," Lee said.
Georgia Amateur
When: Thursday-Sunday
Where: Ansley Golf Club-Settindown Creek, Roswell.
Defending champ: David Noll, Jr.
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