Defending champion Robert Mize is among the 144-man field that will begin competition Thursday in the Georgia Amateur Championship at Sea Island’s iconic Seaside Course.
Mize, a senior at Columbus State and son of 1987 Masters champion Larry Mize, won the title last year at the Idle Hour Club in Macon. He will be paired in the first round with two-time Georgia Amateur champion David Noll Jr. of Dalton and reigning Georgia Mid-Am champion Jack Hall of Savannah.
Another marquee pairing features former U.S. Mid-Am champion Dave Womack of McDonough, former U.S. Senior Amateur champion Doug Hanzel of Savannah and reigning Georgia Junior champion S.M. Lee of Buford.
Other top players include recent Georgia Southern graduate Scott Wolfes, former Mid-Am champion Cameron Hooper of Atlanta, University of Georgia players Zachary Healy and Greyson Sigg and Chris Waters of Athens, who reached match play last year at the U.S. Amateur.
Also competing is Sea Island’s Dru Love, son of Ryder Cup captain Davis Love III, who has probably logged more rounds on Seaside than any other competitor in the field, and Sam Barrett, who at 13 is believed to be the youngest to ever qualify for the event.
White wins at Berkeley Hills: Recent Georgia State graduate Davin White shot a 7-under 65 on the final day to win the Championship at Berkeley Hills, conducted by the Georgia PGA. It is the second straight year an amateur has won the event.
White finished at 12-under 132 and beat his former GSU teammate Nathan Mallonee by one shot. The low professional was Tim Weinhart of the Standard Club, who finished at 10-under.
Harman defends at John Deere: Savannah's Brian Harman will defend his title at the John Deere Championship this weekend, but more discussion this week has centered on the decision by Jordan Spieth to play rather than skip the event on the eve of the British Open.
Many expected Spieth to bypass the John Deere and arrive early at St. Andrews, where he’s played only one casual round. But Spieth’s loyalty to the Deere event remains paramount. The tournament gave him a sponsor’s exemption in 2012, when Spieth was an amateur. He came back and won the event in 2013. In making the decision, Spieth has chosen to reward loyalty.
“It wasn’t hard. It was harder for other people to realize,” Spieth said. “I had committed a long time ago. It’s a tournament that’s very close to my heart.”
In keeping with the tradition of offering spots to young amateurs, the tournament offered a sponsor’s exemption to Lee McCoy, a senior at Georgia. McCoy qualified for the U.S. Open, but missed the cut despite respectable rounds of 74-74. He played in the Travelers Championship on a sponsor’s exemption and missed the cut, despite a second-round 66.
About the Author
