43rd Annual Georgia - South Carolina Team Matches
July 20-21, 2018
The Landings Club | Savannah, GA

South Carolina Wins Consecutive GA-SC Team Matches 

Savannah, GA –  The final round of the 43^rd annual Georgia-South Carolina Junior Team Matches witnessed a gutsy Georgia team trying to claw back within striking distance.  However, the first day lead from team S.C. was too much to overcome at Deer Creek course of The Landings Club thus allowing for the Sandlappers to prevail.  Another inch and a half of rain fell overnight making nearly 10 inches this week.  The course played long but was in great shape due to the amazing staff and course design and drainage system.  Seven of the eight matches went the distance finishing on the majestic par five 18^th hole of the magnificent Fazio design and was an amazing venue for the 2018 version of the longest running interstate junior matches in the country.

The matches started with Carlos Garre and Will Stakel battling back and forth all morning.  As the match wore on, no one could separate themselves.  Coming into 18 green all square, Stakel made a 12-foot birdie putt to earn a point for the Georgia team.  Takafumi Shimoji came out of the gates with a hot putter and found himself four up at the turn.  However, Drayton Stewart kept his head in the match and narrowed the gap as the back nine wore on. All square off the tee, Shimoji went for the green in two as Stewart laid up.  A great chip and short put along with a wedge shot inside four feet left the duo tied after an exciting match.  Erik Forberg had a two-up lead on Keegan Vaugh nearly all day.  However, Vaugh pulled within one after 16.  A halve on the par three 17^th left Forberg one up which he held onto after halving the 18^th as well.  One of the stories of the matches was the performance of Eli Scott.  Scott seemingly had food poisoning heading into day one and earned the only full point for the Georgia team after firing six birdies and an eagle to post a miraculous eight under 64.  He found himself three down early in the match to Brandon Masters and battled back to pull AS after 17.  However, a poor tee shot for Scott and a gimmie birdie for Masters allowed a point for team SC.

Dillon Hite and Myles Jones also had a great match going back and forth all day.  Hite secured the win on the 18^th green with a short birdie putt.  Sam Lape held off a late charge from Trey Crenshaw after being three up with four to play.  Crenshaw won holes 15 thru 17 to pull all square but fell short to Lape’s birdie on the final hole.  Brandon Cho also made a push in the final holes and halved his match with Connor Fahey.  Daniel Azallion continued his brilliant play this summer by closing his match out against Georgia Junior Champion Luke Dasher 4&3.  The day ended with both teams earning four points and South Carolina claiming the Rountree Cox Mace 10 ½ to 5 ½.

Forty-three 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 43-year-old competition will find his name on the trophy with his teammates.  The Georgia teams have produced 24 victories as compared to the 15 now for the SC team and four ties.  Last year’s event held at Bulls Bay Golf Club in Awendaw, SC saw the South Carolina squad earn their first victory since 2009 in their home state.  There have been four consecutive ties when the matches have been contested in Georgia dating back to 2010.  This year breaks the tie streak and also marks the first time South Carolina has won in Georgia since the event was played at Peachtree Golf Club in 2002.

Teams from both states were selected by accepting the top eight finishers at each state's Junior Championship. It should also be noted that the Carolina’s Golf Course Superintendents Association, the Georgia Chapter of the Golf Course Superintendents Association, and Titleist are proud supporters of the Georgia- South Carolina Junior Challenge Matches.

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Format: USGA rules apply at individual match play that produces one point per match. Ties provide a half point for each team. There are 16 possible points for the event.  

Eligibility: The top eight junior golfers from the South Carolina Golf Association’s Junior Championship and Georgia State Golf Association’s Junior Championship.

First Round Results

Round Two Matches