The field for the U.S. Amateur at the Atlanta Athletic Club is almost complete and Georgia will be well-represented in the 312-player field.
Chris Waters, an accountant with KPMG in Atlanta, was medalist at the qualifier at the Piedmont Driving Club and will be making his second appearance in the championship. The other four qualifiers at that site were Joe Lewis of Savannah, a senior at Ole Miss; Zachary Healy of Norcross, an incoming freshman at Georgia; Zack Jaworski of Alpharetta, a junior at Vanderbilt; and David Kleckner of Cumming, a junior at Oglethorpe.
“The U.S. Amateur is like the Holy Grail,” Lewis said.
Jimmy Beck a senior at Kennesaw State and the 2013 Georgia Amateur champion, was co-medalist with Clemson’s Blake Kennedy at the qualifier at Reynolds Plantation – Great Waters. Other qualifiers at that site were recent Georgia Tech graduate Bo Andrews, Kennesaw State senior Austin Vick and Georgia senior Mookie Demoss.
Georgia’s Lee McCoy was medalist at the qualifier in Tarpon Springs, Fla. Others qualifiers with Georgia ties include: Jacob Joiner, an incoming freshman at Georgia Tech; Keith Mitchell, who just finished at Georgia; Travis Williamson of Armstrong Atlantic; Scott Wolfes of Georgia Southern; Butler Melnyk of St. Simons; and Stewart Whitt, a former Alabama player who now lives in Athens.
Already exempt from qualifying for the championship, Aug. 11-17, are Georgia Tech’s Ollie Schniederjans, the No. 1-ranked amateur in the world, and Seth Reeves, who recently graduated, as well as Savannah’s Doug Hanzel, the 2013 U.S. Senior Amateur champion.
Pate to speak at dinner
Jerry Pate is widely known for his iconic shot on the 72nd hole at won the 1976 U.S. Open at the Atlanta Athletic Club. On Aug. 9 Pate will return to the keynote address at the player’s reception before the U.S. Amateur.
“Returning to the Athletic Club is a very exciting time for me, not only reminiscing about my U.S. Open win in 1976, but having the opportunity to visit with the world’s great amateur players that will be in attendance,” Pate said.
Pate won the 1974 U.S. Amateur and played on the 1975 Walker Cup team. He won the U.S. Open and Canadian Open in 1976 and won six more PGA Tour titles between 1977-82 before his playing career was cut short by injuries. He has gone on to achieve notoriety as a course designer.
Paolozzi wins Women’s Open
Karen Paolozzi, the PGA assistant at Druid Hills Golf Club, came from behind to win the Georgia Women’s Open at Brookfield Country Club in Roswell. Paolozzi had rounds of 69 and 71 and beat amateur Jessica Haigwood, a sophomore at Georgia Regents University, by one shot.
Mitchell wins at Berkeley Hills
Amateur Tyler Mitchell won the Georgia PGA’s Players Championship at Berkeley Hills with a 6-under 138. The Chatsworth resident finished one shot ahead of amateur Matt Luckett, a member at Berkeley Hills.
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