Gorgeous conditions greeted the players on the second and final day of the 35th Georgia-South Carolina Junior Team Matches at Atlanta Country Club in Marietta, GA. The SC squad took an early lead on day one with an overall one point margin of 4 ½ – 3 ½ over the juniors from Georgia. However, eight more matches were to be held on Saturday to determine the outcome of the longest running interstate junior matches in the country. The Georgians equaled the point total of the South Carolinians from day one, ending the Matches in the first ever draw, 8-8!
Matches started at 8:00 a.m. Saturday morning with Leesville’s Cody Proveaux leading the way with a 2&1 vicotry over Austin Vick of Evans, GA. Proveaux needed the earliest tee time available as he is on his way to Michigan to compete in the U.S. Junior Amateur beginning on Monday. That was the lone bright spot early for the SC team as the team from GA won 4 ½ of the next five (5) available points. Hayden Garrett lost 3&1 to GA Junior Champion Scott Wolfes, Will Murphy lost a lead and ended 2&1 down to Matthew Beringer, Joe Lewis of Savannah edged out Wick Andrews 1Up and Jimmy Beck took down Orangeburg’s Ford Blanchard 2&1. CJ Liner of North Augusta did end up All Square with his match against Caleb Morris of Metter, GA. This series of events led the juniors from Georgia to a two point overall lead heading into the final two matches of the competition.
Austin Langdale didn’t back down from the challenge to keep the team SC within chance of at least a tie and defeated Jack Gibbs 8-6 for the competitions widest margin of victory and one of the more lopsided wins in GA-SC Match history. Grant Waggoner (N. Charleston) was one up heading into the final hole – a par 5 – with Davin White (Locust Grove, GA). White’s errant tee shot ended up in the water but Waggoner hit his approach in the water as well. After both players took their penalties and clawed their way through the final hole, both ended with bogie which allowed Waggoner to hold onto his lead 1Up. This left the team from GA with 4 ½ points on the day to South Carolina’s 3 ½ and a tie for the overall competition 8-8 – the first time in history!
This year, Atlanta Country Club stepped up to host the longest running interstate junior matches in the country, held for the 35th consecutive year. Teams from both states are selected by accepting the top eight finishers at each state’s Junior Championship. The South Carolina team was solidified in June after the Championship was held at Fort Jackson Golf Club.
Thirty-five years ago, Pete Cox of the Georgia State Golf Association and Charles Rountree, Jr. of the South Carolina Golf Association formalized the idea of the GA – SC team matches. The
winning team has their victory inscribed on the beautiful Rountree – Cox trophy that was donated by the Rountree family. Every junior that has participated in the now 35 year old competition will find his name on the trophy with his teammates. The Georgia teams have produced 21 victories as compared to the 13 for the SC teams and now one tie!
The Junior Championship is one of 19 SCGA statewide championships, 80 one-day contests, nine USGA qualifiers, eight 40-plus tournaments and five special events conducted by the SCGA. Results, schedules and applications may be accessed via the Internet at www.scgolf.org.
