2006 Junior Championship

Russell Henley Claims Victory at Georgia Junior Championship

SAVANNAH, Ga. - Despite a bogey on number 18, Russell Henley of Macon fired a two-under 69 in the final round to capture the 41st annual Georgia Junior Championship, which took place at The Landings Club's Palmetto Course, June 19-21. Beuna Vista's Matt Nagy, the leader beginning the final round, landed his tee shot on 18 two inches out of bounds and holed out from 88-yards to score bogey and finish second. Thomasville's Harris English carded a final-round 70 to finish in sole possession of third place.

"I really scrambled around this week," Henley explained. "I hit the ball all over this course the past three days and I guess I just had a little luck at the end."

James White Jr. of Acworth shot three-over par to fall to fourth position. Augusta's Alex Boyd finished alone in fifth place at seven-over par for the championship. Brendan Gillins of Savannah and Sam Braver of Roswell placed in a tie for sixth. Four golfers - Alex Castro of Alpharetta, Atlanta's Alex Frankel, Augusta's Clark Palmer and Will Jones of Rome - all carded +14 for the championship (227) to tie for eighth.

Henley, who started the final round four strokes behind the leader, birdied his first two holes and carded par on each of the next seven holes to shoot 34 on the outward nine. After a par at number ten, he tallied two more birdies on numbers 11 and 12. Playing at a four-under clip through 13 holes, Henley scored a bogey-6 on the par-5, 14th hole.

Meanwhile, Nagy gave two strokes to the field after he bogeyed his first two holes of the day. He would collect birdies on number four and on the par-5 seventh hole to get back to even on the front nine. Pars on the next four holes allowed Henley to close the gap and the duo took to the 14th hole in a tie for the overall lead.

Henley put a bogey on his card at number 14 but Nagy carded bogeys at 15 and 17 to give Henley a one stroke advantage at the 18th tee. Henley pulled his tee shot off to the left and the ball came to rest two inches from the out of bounds line. Officials ruled the ball to be in play and Henley punched out and took a bogey on the hole to fall back into a tie for the lead.

"Last week I had a ball roll just barely out of bounds and it cost me the tournament," Henley remembered. "I guess this week I had a little extra luck on my side and it worked in my favor."

Nagy came to the tee at 18 knowing that he needed a par to force a playoff with Henley. However, like his fellow competitor, he pulled his tee shot left and it came to rest two inches past the out of bounds line. Nagy would end up having to hit a second tee shot, which he pushed right, then punched out to 88-yards. Pulling a wedge from his bag, Nagy landed his shot two feet past the hole and spun it in for a bogey and a second place finish.

"After I had to re-tee," Nagy said, "I knew that I had lost my shot at the title. I was just trying to not do anything crazy that would take me out of the top eight and a chance at the Georgia-South Carolina Junior Challenge Match Team."

The top eight finishers in the Georgia Junior Championship represent the state in the 31st annual Georgia-South Carolina Junior Challenge Match, which takes place at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta, July 29-30. A playoff was held among the four players at 227 to determine the eighth team qualifier as well as first and second alternates. Jones won the eighth spot with a par on the third playoff hole. Castro was named the first alternate and Frankel became the second.

The par-71 layout of The Landings Club's Palmetto Course played to 6,831 yards. The field of 144 was cut to the low 70 and ties after 36 holes, with the cut line falling at 18-over 160 and 74 players advancing to Wednesday's final round.

Entries were open to male amateur golfers between the ages of 14-17 as of June 19, who are Georgia residents and GSGA members or dependants of GSGA members.

GSGA conducts 18 statewide competitions for men and women of all age groups, three interstate matches and 17 USGA qualifying events each year. Other services include computerized handicapping, course rating and measuring, a summer-long junior sectional competitions program, Golf Georgia magazine and two college scholarship programs.

Final Results

1 Russell Henley, Macon 73 73 69 215 2
2 Matt Nagy, Beuna Vista 70 72 74 216 3
3 Harris English, Thomasville 71 76 70 217 4
4 James White Jr., Acworth 78 67 74 219 6
5 Alex Boyd, Augusta 74 74 72 220 7
T6 Brendan Gillins, Savannah 69 75 77 221 8
T6 Sam Braver, Roswell 78 68 75 221 8
T8 Alex Castro, Alpharetta 78 73 76 227 14
T8 Alex Frankel, Atlanta 76 75 76 227 14
T8 Clark Palmer, Augusta 76 72 79 227 14
T8 Will Jones, Rome 76 74 77 227 14
T12 Derek Chang, Alpharetta 69 79 80 228 15
T12 Jonathan Guess, Kingsland 75 76 77 228 15
T12 Lee Knox, Augusta 72 78 78 228 15
T12 Matthew Yonz, Waycross 75 74 79 228 15
T12 T.J. Mitchell, Albany 72 76 80 228 15
T17 Tanner Smith, Alpharetta 77 75 77 229 16
T17 Taylor Fulbright, Carrollton 77 75 77 229 16
T19 Evan Fountain, Glennville 73 76 81 230 17
T19 Hudson Keener, Dalton 74 77 79 230 17
T19 Lance Reardon, Conyers 72 83 75 230 17
T22 Eric Sharp, Dalton 76 83 72 231 18
T22 Joe Young, Cochran 82 74 75 231 18
T24 Brent Whitehead, Marietta 80 76 76 232 19
T24 Dean Hester, Dublin 78 78 76 232 19
T24 Pierce McNamara, Roswell 76 76 80 232 19
T27 Blake Degenhart, Savannah 79 78 76 233 20
T27 Connor Macbean, Peachtree City 77 79 77 233 20
T27 Jacob Keen, Lilburn 72 81 80 233 20
T27 Jeff Rives, Roswell 79 75 79 233 20
T27 Joseph Gaines, Athens 80 75 78 233 20
T27 Taylor Floyd, Macon 73 79 81 233 20
T33 Reese Moseley, Bainbridge 83 76 75 234 21
T33 Ronnie Reddish III, Newnan 77 83 74 234 21
T35 Bayley Craig, Eatonton 74 83 78 235 22
T35 Hunter Keener, Dalton 75 82 78 235 22
T35 Jason Johnston, Roswell 75 77 83 235 22
T35 Will Snipes, Rocky Face 77 79 79 235 22
T39 Chaz Fairbrother, Newnan 75 83 78 236 23
T39 Franco Castro, Alpharetta 80 78 78 236 23
T41 Ben Greene, Duluth 75 83 79 237 24
T41 John Gregory Joseph, Valdosta 78 82 77 237 24
T41 Matt Hatchet, Bremen 76 78 83 237 24
T41 Michael Wilcher, Milledgeville 75 75 87 237 24
T41 Tom Hardy Jr., Martinez 77 79 81 237 24
T46 Blaine Bunch, Rincon 79 78 81 238 25
T46 David Holmes, Macon 76 83 79 238 25
T46 John McGoogan IV, Atlanta 75 80 83 238 25 
T46 Joshuah Ransby, Atlanta 78 76 84 238 25
T46 Kent Crymes, Athens 72 83 83 238 25
T46 Lake Thomas, Atlanta 80 77 81 238 25
T46 Michael Motz, Alpharetta 82 77 79 238 25
T53 Brian Carter, Augusta 80 78 81 239 26
T53 Mark Rocker, Millen 76 82 81 239 26
T53 Tim Lansdowne, Augusta 76 80 83 239 26
T56 Brent Paul, Midland 83 73 84 240 27
T56 Brett Tallman, Alpharetta 82 77 81 240 27
T56 Rob McRae, Augusta 84 75 81 240 27
T59 Blake Soni, Bogart 80 79 82 241 28
T59 Chas Standridge, Statesboro 74 86 81 241 28
T59 Ridge Purcell, LaGrange 77 83 81 241 28
T59 William Meason III, Alpharetta 77 80 84 241 28
T63 Chadd Reynolds, Alpharetta 79 80 83 242 29
T63 Charlie Cason, Martinez 77 83 82 242 29
T63 Jack Walsh, Lawrenceville 77 83 82 242 29
T63 Myles Feltman, Jesup 81 77 84 242 29
T67 Graham White, Evans 75 75 93 243 30
T67 John Fordham, Moultrie 78 82 83 243 30
T69 Chase Parker, Augusta 81 78 85 244 31
T69 Gavin Harper, Twin City 84 75 85 244 31
71 Ryan Eggers, Acworth 80 80 85 245 32
72 Charles Pennington Jr., Savannah 77 83 92 252 39
T73 Kyle Goff, Sylvester 77 79 WD WD WD
T73 Scott Lord, Martinez 76 82 DQ DQ DQ