2000 Amateur Championship

Croyle Comes From Behind to Win 79th Georgia State Amateur

History was made and a new champion was crowned at the 79th Georgia State Amateur Championship held at West Lake Country Club July 13-16, but the real winner this weekend was the golf course. Georgia State junior Jack Croyle of Moultrie, an alternate at the start of the tournament, was the only golfer left standing with a score under par as he shot an even par 72 for a two-under par 286 total to win. In the end, it was the Ellis Maples designed layout that put up the largest fight as everyone, but Croyle gravitated back to par or worse.

At the start of play Wright Waddell of Columbus held a two shot lead over Croyle at four-under par, but quickly lost his lead with a triple bogey and a double bogey on the front side. He would struggle on the back side and finish eight shots back with an 82 for a 294 total. Georgia Tech golfer Wes Latimer of Canton locked up second place with a birdie at the 18th hole to finish with a one-over par 73 for an even par 288, the only other golfer not to be over par for the tournament.

Defending champion Rick Cloninger of Dacula made a strong charge tying for low round of the day with a three-under par 69 to put him at third place with a one-over par 289. On the day only ten of the 78 golfers in the field were able to shoot par or better. Croyle became the only golfer to enter the State Amateur as an alternate since sectional qualifying began in 1985 to win the championship. He replaced three-time champion Danny Yates of Atlanta, who was forced to withdraw due to a knee injury. Croyle had attempted to qualify at the Country Club of Columbus but missed by just one shot.

Once he was here he knew he had just as good a chance as the golfers who qualified the conventional way. "I came here wanting to win" Croyle said "I told my Mom I was going to win. I was sorry my Mom couldn't be here. This is only the second tournament in four years she's missed. She's not coming to next one either."

Now that he's won his first State Amateur title, he must begin to soak in the realization that his name will be on the same trophy holds Bobby Jones's name, who won the first State Amateur in 1916 as a 14-year old. "It's very humbling. I haven't really thought of it, wow, that's really neat."

Final Results

1 Jack Croyle Moultrie 72-70-72-72--286
2 Wes Latimer Canton 73-71-71-73--288
3 Rick Cloninger Dacula 76-71-73-69--289
4 Griff Moody Cumming 75-71-71-73--290
4 Dave Womack McDonough 70-69-74-77--290
6 Christian Newton Lyons 68-79-71-73--291
6 Jay Childs Kennesaw 70-70-75-76--291
6 Ned Michaels Atlanta 71-72-73-75--291
9 Randy Donahoo Woodstock 73-72-74-74--293
John Engler Augusta 71-74-72-76--293
11 Tevis Upton Douglasville 73-72-74-75--294
Wright Waddell Columbus 71-70-71-82--294
13 Chris Kuhlke Atlanta 75-72-77-71--295
Jeff Belk Marietta 78-73-70-74--295
Michael Webb Elberton 70-79-73-73--295
Mitch Marchman Waynesboro 78-70-75-72--295
Allen Thompson Stockbridge 70-77-72-76--295
Scott Davenport Marietta 72-70-75-78--295 19
Paul Sorel Alpharetta 77-73-77-69--296
Mark Strickland Woodstock 71-74-74-77--296
Blake Adams Eatonton 74-73-72-77--296 22
Jeff Knox Augusta 72-71-76-78--297 23
David Robinson Sandersville 72-75-77-74--298
Travis Mobley Hinesville 78-73-76-71--298
Chip Drury Atlanta 75-73-74-76--298 26
Carter Mize Columbus 76-75-70-78--299
Richard Maddox Augusta 71-74-74-80--299
28 Bill Ploeger Columbus 75-72-79-74--300
Greg Kennedy Duluth 76-67-81-76--300
Sandy Burgess Macon 69-78-76-77--300
Johan Kok PeachtreeCity 74-79-74-73--300
Bob Royak Alpharetta 76-74-79-71--300
Kevin Jordan Smyrna 72-71-79-78--300
Bradley Beverly Albany 76-77-78-69--300
35 Vance Embry Dalton 76-73-75-77--301
Carlton Forrester Gainesville 77-76-76-72--301
37 Jonathan Shiflet Hartwell 72-73-81-76--302
Dan Barkley Roswell 73-74-79-76--302
Michael Standard McDonough 75-77-74-76--302 S
Stephen Welsh Macon 72-75-79-76--302
Chad McDowell Wadley 71-77-77-77--302
Bill Roberts Pine Mountain 71-75-77-79--302
Scott Volpitto Augusta 76-74-79-73--302
Chuck Pinkard Cumming 74-72-75-81--302
Bill Leonard Marietta 72-72-76-82--302 46
Rick Westbrook Alto 74-71-84-74--303
Bill Brown Albany 73-78-80-72--303 48
Robbie Dew Marietta 77-75-72-80--304
Adam Grodhaus Duluth 73-76-80-75--304
50 Brendan Fisher Augusta 76-72-78-79--305
Jim Stuart Macon 77-75-75-78--305
Harold Wyatt Atlanta 78-75-76-76--305
Jason Coolik Atlanta 76-75-80-74--305
54 Jack Hall Savannah 71-75-79-81--306
Paul Simpson Carrollton 72-80-73-81--306
56 Michael Riley Marietta 77-76-76-78--307
57 Mark Gunthorpe Covington 78-75-78-77--308
Brent Sizemore Calhoun 76-76-80-76--308
59 Jimmy Durall Rome 76-77-75-81--309
Bill Faith Dalton 74-78-78-79--309
Cres Dodd Calhoun 75-73-75-86--309
Jim Foote Gainesville 75-78-77-79--309
John Belicka Atlanta 79-74-80-76--309
64 Lee Dowdy Kingsland 74-78-78-80--310
Bruce Kelly Eatonton 78-73-83-76--310
66 Brian Farrer Mt.Berry 75-78-77-81--311
Doug Stiles Athens 75-78-79-79--311
68 Rob Bissell Evans 74-78-79-81--312
69 Bill Stahlke Alpharetta 73-79-74-87--313
Don Henderson Marietta 76-76-78-83--313
71 Shaw Blackmon Warner Robins 77-75-83-80--315
Brian Ferris Marietta 76-77-81-81--315
Hal Cohen Augusta 72-80-81-82--315
74 Graham Hill Augusta 75-77-79-85--316
Sam Mays Augusta 81-72-82-81--316
Mike Pass PeachtreeCity 77-76-80-83--316
77 Brandon Stengel Calhoun 75-76-85-82--318
Fred Rescigno Duluth 78-75-84-81--318