The 93rd Georgia Amateur Championship returns to a familiar site this week when the Idle Hour Club in Macon hosts the event for a record ninth time.
The field will look a little different. Defending champion Jimmy Beck of Columbus, who won last year’s title at Pinetree Country Club, will not be back to defend his championship. Lee Knox of Augusta, a two-time champion, became a professional after finishing his career at Alabama. Jeff Knox, Lee’s father and a perennial contender, also is taking the year off.
That leaves two-time winner David Noll Jr. of Dalton as one of the tournament favorites. Noll tied for sixth last year and was third when the Georgia Am was played at Idle Hour in 2008, an event made famous by a Sunday shootout between Russell Henley and Harris English, two UGA golfers who have since won on the PGA Tour.
Other likely contenders include Trey Rule of Mercer, who recently won the Dogwood Invitational, and Cameron Hooper of Atlanta, the 2013 Georgia Mid-Am champion.
Idle Hour plays only 6,727 yards, but is defending by small, tricky greens. It is not a course that can be overpowered by the big bombers, who will need to be selective when it comes to hitting their drivers.
Georgia Public Broadcasting is producing a one-hour special on the Amateur Championship that will be shown at 6 p.m. July 19.
Piedmont hosts U.S. Am qualifier: Georgia will host the first of two U.S. Amateur qualifiers Tuesday and Wednesday at the Piedmont Driving Club. Top names include Georgia Tech senior Anders Albertson, two-time Georgia Am champion David Noll Jr., and high school champions Jonathan Keppler and Jack Larkin Jr. At stake are spots in the U.S. Amateur, Aug. 9-17, at the Atlanta Athletic Club. The second qualifier will be July 21-22 at Reynolds Plantation-Great Waters.
New Clubhouse at The Frog: Construction has started on a new $2 million clubhouse at The Frog Golf Club, a Tom Fazio design in Villa Rica. The previous facility was destroyed by fire in 2012. The 4,000 square-foot clubhouse complex will be two separate buildings, one with a golf shop, locker room and restaurant, the other exclusive to residents of the 150 new active-adult homes scheduled to be built.
Roswell native wins Judson: Jessica Haigwood of Roswell took advantage of home-course knowledge to win at the Judson Collegiate and Legends Pro-Am Challenge. Haigwood, a rising sophomore at Georgia Regents, shot 7 under through 54 holes and won by nine shots at the Country Club of Roswell.
The Legends tournament was won by Barb Moxness in a two-hole playoff over two-time defending champion Alicia Dibos. Both shot a 68, and Moxness made a birdie on the second extra hole to take home the $15,000 first prize.
Etc.: Mercedes Huarte of Suwanee shot 69 and was co-medalist the U.S. Women's Amateur qualifier at Pinetree Country Club. Huarte, a native of Argentina, played at Jacksonville State. Avery George of Macon and Janet Mao of Johns Creek were also among the 10 who qualified. … Butler Melnyk of St. Simons qualified for the U.S. Amateur at the site in Moravia, Iowa.
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