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Event: 45^th Annual Georgia-South Carolina Junior Team Matches
Playing dates: July 31-August 1, 2020
Tournament site: The Farm Golf Club - Rocky Face, GA

Georgia Takes 45th Edition of the GA-SC Team Challenge Matches  

Rocky Face, GA – An earlier start and perfect conditions greeted the 16 young men for the final round of the 45th annual Georgia-South Carolina Junior Challenge Matches at The Farm Golf Club in Rocky Creek, Georgia. The more experienced Peach State squad managed to grind out a win for the first time since 2016 winning a tightly fought contest 9-7 over the Sandlappers from South Carolina.  

It was one of the most closely contested contests in recent memory as many of the matches were closed out on final hole. Georgia took an early lead with Marcus Reynolds (Watkinsville) defeating Jonathan Brennan (Taylors, SC), the lone senior on the SC delegation, 2&1. The next two matches came down to the final two holes with Eric Nord (Blythewood, SC) winning the 17th hole to go one up but not getting up and down for par to allow Steve Kibare (Canton, GA) an opportunity to halve the match. The same was said the following match with Brantley Baker (Leesburg, GA) who lead most of the day and taking a one-up lead into the final hole, only to see William Jennings (Greenville, SC) tie it up with a two putt par on the final hole.

With the matches tight, Griffin Tarver (Tega Cay, SC) earned a point for team SC with a 3&1 victory over Bo Blanchard (Columbus, GA) to again tie up the overall total six-six. Luke Dasher (Macon, GA) overcame a three-down deficit on the back nine to defeat Luke Walmet (Mt. Pleasant, SC) to win one-up and Jackson Buchanan (Dacula, GA) defeated Jerry Bruns (Beaufort, SC) three and one to give team Georgia eight total points. Both Waymon Thomas (Mt. Pleasant, SC) and Trey Crenshaw (Lancaster, SC) held leads going into the final hole to try and half the Matches for the fifth time in six trips to the Peach State. However, an errant tee shot by Thomas landed out of bounds, leaving the door open for Parker Highsmith (Valdosta, GA) and they halved the match which sealed the victory for Team Georgia. Crenshaw had a chance to add his name as a five point victor in his GA-SC Matches career but three putted the final hole to halve his match with GSGA Junior Champion Hogan Ingram (Rome, GA) and allow the Georgians to win the 45th edition of the Matches 9-7. This gives Georgia their 25th win in the history of the Matches to South Carolina’s 16, and tying the Match Play edition to even in the 26 year history of the format to 11-11-4. Next year’s Matches will be held at Greenville Country Club’s Riverside Course as Team S.C. looks to get back on track! 

Forty-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 golfer that has participated in the 45-year-old competition will find his name on the trophy with his teammates. The Georgia teams have now produced 25 victories as compared to the 16 for the SC teams and four ties. Last year’s event held at the Country Club of Spartanburg in Spartanburg, SC saw the South Carolina squad earn their third straight victory.

Teams from both states were selected by accepting the top eight finishers at each state's Junior Championship. Friday's matches started at 11:00 a.m. and began at 8:00 a.m. on Saturday morning. It should also be noted that the Carolina’s Golf Course Superintendents Association, the Georgia Chapter of the Golf Course Superintendents Association, Titleist and Elliot Bag Company are proud supporters of the Georgia- South Carolina Junior Challenge Matches.

Pairings:

First Round - Friday, July 31 

Team SC – 4, Team GA – 4

11:00 a.m. – Jonathan Brennan (Taylors, SC) 1Up Steve Kibare (Canton, GA)

11:09 a.m. – Eric Nord (Blythewood, SC) 2&1 Marcus Reynolds (Watkinsville, GA)

11:18 a.m. – William Jennings (Greenville, SC) 3&2 Bo Blanchard (Columbus, GA)

11:27 a.m. – Brantley Baker (Leesville, GA) 4&2 Griffin Tarver (Tega Cay, SC)

11:36 a.m. – Jackson Buchanan (Dacula, GA) 4&3 Luke Walmet (Mt. Pleasant, SC)                             

11:45 a.m. – Luke Dasher (Macon, GA) 4&3 Jerry Bruns (Beaufort, SC)

11:54 a.m. – Hogan Ingram (Rome, GA) 4&3 Waymon Thomas (Mt. Pleasant, SC)

12:03 a.m. – Trey Crenshaw (Lancaster, SC) 5&4 Parker Highsmith (Valdosta, GA)

Second Round - Saturday, July 20

8:00 a.m. – Marcus Reynolds (Watkinsville, GA) 2&1 Jonathan Brennan (Taylors, SC)

8:09 a.m. – Eric Nord (Blythewood, SC) TIED Steve Kibare (Canton, GA) 

8:18 a.m. – William Jennings (Greenville, SC) TIED Brantley Baker (Leesville, GA)

8:27 a.m. – Griffin Tarver (Tega Cay, SC) 3&1 Bo Blanchard (Columbus, GA)

8:36 a.m. – Luke Dasher (Macon, GA) 1Up Luke Walmet (Mt. Pleasant, SC)           

8:45 a.m. – Jackson Buchanan (Dacula, GA) 3&1 Jerry Bruns (Beaufort, SC)

8:54 a.m. – Waymon Thomas (Mt. Pleasant, SC) TIED Parker Highsmith (Valdosta, GA)

9:03 a.m. – Trey Crenshaw (Lancaster, SC) TIED Hogan Ingram (Rome, GA)

The SCGA, founded in 1929, is the governing body for amateur golf in South Carolina. As a non-profit organization, the SCGA’s purpose is to promote, preserve and serve the game of golf. Made up of more than 270 member clubs and more than 50,000 individual members, the SCGA annually conducts 21 SCGA statewide championships, 59 one-day contests, eight USGA qualifiers, seven 40-plus tournaments and six special events. Other Member services offered include GHIN – the USGA Handicap Computation System, Golf Genius Tournament Management Software System and support, Rules of Golf and Handicap education, USGA Course/Slope Ratings and Course measuring, Amateur Status information, the Palmetto Golfer Magazine and the SC Golf Hall of Fame. The SCGA also houses the offices of the SC Junior Golf Foundation and SC Junior Golf Association in a combined effort to support junior golf and grow the game’s initiatives.