New Leader in Golf Tournament

Bill Jones III of Albany shot a 68, on Friday, and with a 36-hole total of 3-under-par 137 owns a one-shot lead over three players after the second round of the Georgia Amateur Championship, taking place through Sunday atCherokee Town and Country Club in the Huntcliff community.

Past champion David Noll Jr. of Dalton, Doug Hanzel of Savannah and Georgia Tech golfer Anders Albertson of Woodstock all trail the leader at 138.

Reigning Georgia Mid-Amateur champion Mark Strickland of Woodstock carded 67 in the second round to sit in fifth position at even-par 140 along with LSU golfer Franco Castro of Alpharetta. William Mitchell of Roswell, Jay Degenhart of Savannah and Gus Wagoner of Duluth are tied for seventh at 141.

Jones had a quiet front nine, with eight straight pars before a birdie on No. 9. On the back he posted three bogeys and four birdies, including birdies on three of the last four holes (15, 16, 18). 

“On the front nine I hit a lot of greens, some quality shots, but just didn’t have any really close birdie putts,” Jones said. “On the back nine I struggled at times, had a couple three-putts. The last few holes I had three-four makeable birdie putts and was lucky enough to make a few of them.”

Jones was recently named the head golf coach and assistant housing director at Darton College in Albany, and said the pressure of owning the 36-hole lead won’t get to him. “I feel great about it," he said. "I haven’t played in too many tournaments this summer. I just got a new job so I’ve been quite busy the last month. Just the fact that I get to play is nice. I think that’s taken some of the pressure off and I’m just trying to have some fun.”

First-round leader and defending champion Lee Knox of Augusta struggled a bit, on Friday, shooting 75 with six bogeys and a double-bogey. He has dropped to a tie for 10th with four other players at 
2-over-142.

Harold Wyatt of Atlanta scored a hole-in-one on the 176-yard 14th hole, using an 8-iron. Wyatt started on the back nine, turning at 5-under 30 and ending the day as one of three players with a field-low, 3-under-par 67. Noll and Strickland carded the other two 67s, which matched Knox’s first-round score as a tournament low thus far.

The Georgia Amateur Championship is conducted by the Georgia State Golf Association and brings together 144 of the state's best male amateur golfers for the prestigious state title first won by Bobby Jones in 1916.

The Championship format is 72 holes of stroke play over four days. After Friday’s round, the field was cut to the low 70 players and ties and anyone within 10 strokes of the leader. The cutline fell at 10-over 150 with 73 players advancing.

An online leader board, featuring all competitors’ complete scorecards, is currently available at www.gsga.org. The weekend rounds will feature live, hole-by-hole scoring for several of the leading groups as well as nine-hole updates for all the other groups.

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 over 350 member clubs and 85,000 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. 

Georgia State Golf Association
90th Annual Georgia Amateur Championship
Cherokee Town and Country Club

Second Round Results
Par 70

Place    Name    Rd. 1    Rd. 2    Score    To Par
1    Bill Jones III, Albany    69    68    137    -3
T2    Anders Albertson, Woodstock    69    69    138    -2
T2    Doug Hanzel, Savannah    70    68    138    -2
T2    David Noll  Jr., Dalton    71    67    138    -2
T5    Mark Strickland, Woodstock    73    67    140    Even
T5    Franco Castro, Alpharetta    71    69    140    Even
T7    William Mitchell, Roswell    72    69    141    1
T7    Jay Degenhart, Savannah    71    70    141    1
T7    Gus Wagoner, Duluth    69    72    141    1
T10    Carter Collins, Statesboro    71    71    142    2
T10    Lee Knox, Augusta    67    75    142    2
T10    Ridge Purcell, LaGrange    68    74    142    2
T10    Chad Wilson, Calhoun    71    71    142    2
T10    Harold Wyatt, Atlanta    75    67    142    2
T15    Jeff Knox, Augusta    75    68    143    3
T15    Cameron Simmons, Acworth    73    70    143    3
T15    Patrick Garrett, Powder Springs    71    72    143    3
T15    Matt Russell, Dunwoody    69    74    143    3
T19    Mark Sweeney, Monroe    71    73    144    4
T19    Bryn Powers, Carrollton    73    71    144    4
T19    Brent Cooper, Atlanta    70    74    144    4
T19    Jeff Amershadian, Suwanee    74    70    144    4
T19    Ryan Parnell, Atlanta    71    73    144    4
T19    Seth Reeves, Duluth    72    72    144    4
T19    Zachary Healy, Norcross    71    73    144    4
T19    Greyson Sigg, Augusta    73    71    144    4
T27    Michael Standard, McDonough    71    74    145    5
T27    Brendan Gillins, Savannah    74    71    145    5
T27    Nate Gahman, Leesburg    73    72    145    5
T27    Zach Estep, Lawrenceville    72    73    145    5
T27    Kris Mikkelsen, Atlanta    70    75    145    5
T27    Zach Lindsey, Kennesaw    73    72    145    5
T27    Blaine Woodruff, Acworth    71    74    145    5
T27    Justin Cho, Norcross    71    74    145    5
T35    Buster Bruton, Dallas    75    71    146    6
T35    Lee Dennis, Athens    75    71    146    6
T35    Taylor Welborn, LaGrange    73    73    146    6
T35    Chris Chuck, Roswell    72    74    146    6
T35    Alan Fowler, Gainesville    73    73    146    6
T35    Chris Waters, Athens    72    74    146    6
T35    Dylan Freeman, Athens    73    73    146    6
T35    Mitch Greer, Perry    73    73    146    6
T43    Jack Hall, Sea Island    75    72    147    7
T43    Coleman Tidwell Jr., Macon    73    74    147    7
T43    Don Marsh, Johns Creek    75    72    147    7
T43    John Quirk, Atlanta    79    68    147    7
T43    Grant Cagle, Gainesville    73    74    147    7
T48    Cason Hammock, Columbus    74    74    148    8
T48    John Stembridge, Norcross    70    78    148    8
T48    William Anderson, Atlanta    72    76    148    8
T48    Scott Weeks, Savannah    76    72    148    8
T48    David Yowell, Marietta    70    78    148    8
T48    Rich Grote, Kennesaw    72    76    148    8
T48    Jonathan Klotz, Columbus    74    74    148    8
T48    Mike Cromer, Peachtree Corners    75    73    148    8
T48    Brent Whitehead, Marietta    75    73    148    8
T57    Taylor Smith, Covington    72    77    149    9
T57    Grant Leroux, Atlanta    73    76    149    9
T57    Bob Royak, Alpharetta    76    73    149    9
T57    Richie Wiltfang, Brunswick    76    73    149    9
T57    Joey Maziar, Atlanta    73    76    149    9
T57    Jeff Belk, Marietta    77    72    149    9
T57    Ted Moon, Lilburn    75    74    149    9
T57    Michael Hinnant, Suwanee    73    76    149    9
T57    Ray Perez III, Norcross    73    76    149    9
T57    David  Sullivan, Woodstock    75    74    149    9
T57    Rob Mcrae, Augusta    75    74    149    9
T68    Dan Whigham Jr., Atlanta    74    76    150    10
T68    Patrick Grahek, Alpharetta    74    76    150    10
T68    Gavin Shane Harper, Twin City    77    73    150    10
T68    Zane Goldthorp, Tucker    78    72    150    10
T68    Michael Garretson, Acworth    78    72    150    10
T68    Patrick  Kenney, Acworth    71    79    150    10
T74    Tevis Upton, Acworth    75    76    151    11
T74    David Maddox, McDonough    74    77    151    11
T74    Daniel Mobley, Waynesboro    77    74    151    11
T74    Ed Cunliffe, Atlanta    81    70    151    11
T74    Ben Greene, Duluth    71    80    151    11
T74    Kevin Jordan, Smyrna    76    75    151    11
T74    Jim  Foote, Gainesville    77    74    151    11
T74    Mookie DeMoss, Duluth    74    77    151    11
T74    Jack Walsh, Lawrenceville    76    75    151    11
T83    Dean Hester, Dublin    77    75    152    12
T83    Mike Schilling, Roswell    74    78    152    12
T83    Nathan Mallonee, Lexington    78    74    152    12
T86    Jordan Janico, Duluth    70    83    153    13
T86    Dave Womack, McDonough    79    74    153    13
T86    Danny Yates, Atlanta    74    79    153    13
T86    Chad Griffith, LaGrange    77    76    153    13
T86    Wright Waddell, Columbus    78    75    153    13
T86    Mark Nickerson, Roswell    75    78    153    13
T86    Hector Cora, Atlanta    77    76    153    13
T86    Matthew Hayes, Marietta    77    76    153    13
T94    Stephen Amerson, Gray    76    78    154    14
T94    Jason Cohan, Savannah    76    78    154    14
T94    John Skeadas III, Savannah    76    78    154    14
T94    Tyler Young, Kennesaw    77    77    154    14
T94    William Sigg, Augusta    76    78    154    14
T94    Tyler Gruca, Alpharetta    79    75    154    14
T94    Matt Mierzejewski, Suwanee    79    75    154    14
T94    Marty Childers, Jasper    78    76    154    14
T94    Derek Watson, Gainesville    75    79    154    14
T94    Zack Sexton, Atlanta    78    76    154    14
T94    Greg Kennedy, Duluth    77    77    154    14
T94    John Belicka, Woodstock    74    80    154    14
T106    Bill Bergin, Atlanta    78    77    155    15
T106    Dan Barkley, Roswell    82    73    155    15
T106    Mark Buchholz, Alpharetta    79    76    155    15
T106    Adam Schlappi, Cumming    79    76    155    15
T106    Shawn Yim, Buford    78    77    155    15
T106    Zachary Bryant, Buckhead    77    78    155    15
T112    JP Griffin, Glennville    78    78    156    16
T112    Chase Hankla, Valdosta    81    75    156    16
T112    Michael Motz, Milton    74    82    156    16
T112    Sanders Park, Alpharetta    76    80    156    16
T112    Joel Sawyer, Elberton    82    74    156    16
T117    Austin Vick, Evans    77    80    157    17
T117    Will Morrow, Dalton    78    79    157    17
T117    Christian Raynor, Kennesaw    73    84    157    17
T117    Fulton Lewis, Cumming    80    77    157    17
T117    Whit Roper, Athens    78    79    157    17
T117    William Arwood, Thomasville    74    83    157    17
T123    Spenser Ferrell, Albany    80    78    158    18
T123    Jay Childs, Kennesaw    80    78    158    18
T123    Matthew Bickley, Athens    81    77    158    18
T123    Doug Stiles, Athens    77    81    158    18
T127    Shiloh Snow, Blackshear    82    77    159    19
T127    Cory Hurley, Atlanta    82    77    159    19
T127    Tae Kim, Duluth    82    77    159    19
T127    Greg O'Connor II, Alpharetta    74    85    159    19
T127    Tom Price Jr., Marietta    77    82    159    19
T132    Brent Paul, Midland    85    75    160    20
T132    Ryan Steelman, Milledgeville    78    82    160    20
134    David Hobby, Valdosta    83    78    161    21
T135    Henry Persons, Macon    81    82    163    23
T135    Pierce McNamara, Roswell    82    81    163    23
T135    Kevin Lee, Dacula    86    77    163    23
138    Thomas Donegan, Kennsaw    85    81    166    26
T139    Andrew Malott, Marietta    86    81    167    27
T139    John Gabianelli, Atlanta    82    85    167    27
141    Jeff Cowart, Savannah    86    82    168    28
142    Doug Saylor, Newnan    77    92    169    29
T143    Paul Kocsis, Fayetteville    79    WD