Georgia Takes 2015 GA-SC Junior Team Matches
The junior squad from the state of Georgia gave up some ground during the final day of the 2015 GA-SC Junior Challenge Matches but held on to win the 40th edition of the event. Following a first day lead of 5-3 at Berkeley Hall Club’s South Course, Georgia added another three and a half points to win the matches outright 8 ½ - 7 ½ over South Carolina.
To show how close the matches were, three matches ended All Square. Drayton Stewart (Charleston), Wil Sheppard (Charleston) and Jack Parrott (Columbia) al had draws against their opponents, Grant Sutliff (Suwanee), Will Chandler (Atlanta) and Ryan Hines (Woodstock). Patrick Golden (Murrells Inlet) drop his match 4&3 to Luukas Alakuippi (Valdosta) and Nick Willis (Cowpens) dropped his to JonErik Alford (Roswell) 2Up. However, Team SC rallied winning three points back with victories by Logan Sowell (Kershaw) 5&3 over Brady Keran (Canton), Kent Lawrence (Mt. Pleasant) over Hunter Dunagan (Martinez) 2&1 and Christian Salzer (Sumter) finishing his match 6&5 over Patrick Edwards (Columbus).
This makes the 24th win for the team from Georgia and narrowly. The last match on the golf course was that of Jack Parrott and Ryan Hines. Both players had birdie putts with Georgia’s hines a mere 12 feet out. He missed his putt leaving Parrott with a chance to sink an eight footer to win his individual match and push the final results into a fourth tie in the last six contests. However, close but no cigar as they say as his putt ran past the cup allowing Georgia to hoist the famed Rountree Cox Mace in victory at the longest running interstate junior matches in the country.
Forty 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 39 year old competition will find his name on the trophy with his teammates. The Georgia teams have now produced 24 victories as compared to the 13 for the SC teams and three ties. Last year’s event held at Ansley Golf Club’s Settindown Creek Course in Roswell, GA, ended in a tie between the states and the third in a row when the Matches have been contested in Georgia.
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.
Final Results
OVERALL RESULTS – GA – 8.5, SC – 7.5
First Round - Friday, July 24th – GA – 5, SC 3
7:30 a.m. – Wil Sheppard (Charleston, SC) v. Grant Sutliff (Suwanee, GA) - AS
7:38 a.m. – Will Chandler (Atlanta, GA) 3&1 Drayton Stewart (Charleston, SC)
7:46 a.m. – Logan Sowell (Kershaw, SC) v. Luukas Alakuippi (Valdosta, GA) - AS
7:54 a.m. – Patrick Golden (Murrells Inlet, SC) 3&2 Brady Keran (Canton, GA)
8:02 a.m. – JonErik Alford (Roswell, GA) 3&2 Kent Lawrence (Mount Pleasant, SC)
8:10 a.m. – Hunter Dunagan (Martinez, GA) 1Up Nick Willis (Cowpens, SC)
8:18 a.m. – Ryan Hines (Woodstock, GA) 3&1 Christian Salzer (Sumter, SC)
8:26 a.m. – Jack Parrott (Columbia, SC) 5&4 Patrick Edwards (Columbus, GA)
Second Round - Saturday, July 25th – GA – 3.5, SC – 4.5
7:30 a.m. – Drayton Stewart (Charleston, SC) v. Grant Sutliff (Suwanee, GA) – AS
7:38 a.m. – Wil Sheppard (Charleston, SC) v. Will Chandler (Atlanta, GA) – AS
7:46 a.m. – Luukas Alakuippi (Valdosta, GA) 4&3 Patrick Golden (Murrells Inlet, SC)
7:54 a.m. – Logan Sowell (Kershaw, SC) 5&3 Brady Keran (Canton, GA)
8:02 a.m. – JonErik Alford (Roswell, GA) 2Up Nick Willis (Cowpens, SC)
8:10 a.m. – Kent Lawrence (Mount Pleasant, SC) 2&1 Hunter Dunagan (Martinez, GA)
8:18 a.m. – Jack Parrott (Columbia, SC) v. Ryan Hines (Woodstock, GA) – AS
8:26 a.m. – Christian Salzer (Sumter, SC) 6&5 Patrick Edwards (Columbus, GA)
