2004 Junior Championship

Michael Green Pulls Away To Win Georgia Junior Championship

AUGUSTA, Ga. - Michael Green of Augusta carded five birdies in the final round, and that proved to be the difference as he captured the 39th Annual Georgia Junior Championship at Augusta Country Club with an eight-under par 208, five strokes ahead of runner-up Troy Bartkowicz of Sharpsburg. Green, the second-round leader, turned in a final-round 68 to win the title on his home course, where he is also the two-time club champion.

Bartkowicz, the only other player to finish under par, totaled 213 with a final-round 70. Seven golfers tied for third at even-par 216, including Rob Bennett of Augusta, Ryan Blue of Bogart, Russell Henley of Macon, Chris Johnson of Brunswick, Seth McCain of Comer, Rob Richardson of Lilburn and Mark Silvers of Savannah.

The top eight finishers at the Junior Championship form the team to represent the state at the Georgia-South Carolina Junior Challenge Match at Sea Island next month. A playoff was held to determine the eighth spot and first alternate positions, which Blue finishing as the first alternate after five playoff holes. Benjamin Kishigian of Warner Robins, who placed 10th in the Championship, will serve as the second alternate.

Green got off to a good start by sinking a 60-foot birdie putt on his second hole, but still had to withstand an early charge from Bartkowicz, who birdied three of his first eight holes. Green's lead was cut to one stroke briefly, as Bartkowicz birdied No. 8 and Green, one group back, bogeyed the seventh, his only bogey of the day. But Green birdied No. 8 as well and never let his lead dip below two strokes for the rest of the round. He carded two birdies and seven pars after the turn, including a short birdie putt on 526-yard 15th after putting his approach shot one foot from the hole.

 

"It's obviously really special to win this event," Green said, "and it's especially sweet to win it here at home. I was feeling the pressure all day, but it helped to have so many friends out there. They really kept me going."

 

Green finished seventh at the Junior Championship a year ago, while Bartkowicz posted his second-straight top-five finish after tying for fourth in 2003. Other repeat top-10 finishers include McCain and Kishigian, who placed sixth and ninth, respectively, last year.

Due to weather delays during the first two days of competition, 42 golfers in the field of 144 returned to the course at 7:30 this morning to complete their second round. After the 36 holes, the field was reduced to the low 70 players, with the cut falling at nine-over 153. The par-72 course played to 6,892 yards.

Entries were open to male amateur golfers between the ages of 14-17 as of June 21, 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 Michael Green, Augusta 70 70 68 208
2 Troy Bartkowicz, Sharpsburg 74 69 70 213
3 Russell Henley, Macon 71 74 71 216
3 Rob Bennett, Augusta 71 74 71 216
3 Seth McCain, Comer 71 73 72 216
3 Ryan Blue, Bogart 72 74 70 216
3 Rob Richardson, Lilburn 70 72 74 216
3 Mark Silvers, Savannah 71 71 74 216
3 Chris Johnson, Brunswick 69 72 75 216
10 Benjamin Kishigian, Warner Robins 70 72 75 217
11 Ryan Blackburn, Augusta 75 71 72 218
12 John Hopper, Roswell 75 74 70 219
12 Chris Tompkins, Acworth 68 79 72 219
12 Harris English, Moultrie 69 75 75 219
12 Wes Nobles, Roswell 74 71 74 219
16 Seth Brandon, Dalton 75 77 68 220
16 Blake Stark, Canton 71 73 76 220
18 Payne Kassinger, Evans 74 74 73 221
19 Austin Weathington, Alpharetta 74 75 73 222
19 Billy Shida, Duluth 76 73 73 222
19 Chris Stallmann, Augusta 71 77 74 222
19 Robbie Morrice, Roswell 76 71 75 222
19 Lee Blitch, Augusta 74 73 75 222
19 Jefferson Knox, Augusta 72 73 77 222
19 Kyle Stiles, Athens 72 72 78 222
19 James White Jr, Acworth 72 71 79 222
27 Andy King, Dalton 75 76 72 223
27 David Poss, Newnan 75 74 74 223
27 Hayes Brown, Atlanta 72 76 75 223
27 Taylor Thomas, Columbus 70 76 77 223
31 H.B. Chavous, Evans 75 73 76 224
31 Chris Wolfe, Warner Robins 73 73 78 224
33 Clint Johns, Madison 77 75 73 225
33 Alex Boyd, Augusta 77 75 73 225
33 Carter Newman, Evans 72 79 74 225
33 Jonathan Visconti, Alpharetta 76 74 75 225
33 Matt Nagy, Buena Vista 72 74 79 225
38 Clayton Boardman, Augusta 78 75 73 226
38 Chad Andrews, Cairo 73 79 74 226
38 Ryan Zebeau, Cedartown 79 71 76 226
38 Rob Varner, Columbus 73 77 76 226
38 Alan Fowler, Gainesville 73 76 77 226
38 Ian Cutting, Fayetteville 74 74 78 226
38 Ryan Zabroske, Alpharetta 74 74 78 226
45 Scott Lord, Harlem 73 75 79 227
45 Kyle Albright, Columbus 74 74 79 227
47 Matthew Hammock, Hinesville 79 73 76 228
48 Andrew Hanzel, Savannah 75 74 80 229
49 Michael Clarke, Savannah 77 76 77 230
49 Bryan Jackson, Atlanta 80 73 77 230
49 Matthew Hayes, Marietta 75 78 77 230
49 Rob McRae, Augusta 78 74 78 230
49 John Workman, Hartwell 75 77 78 230
49 Kevin Johnson, Jesup 74 77 79 230
49 Richard Conway, Marietta 74 76 80 230
49 Mike Hicks, Newnan 75 73 82 230
49 Joe Gibson, Atlanta 76 72 82 230
58 Zachary Alred, Roswell 78 75 78 231
58 Sam Ransom, Atlanta 78 73 80 231
58 Whit Roper, Athens 76 74 81 231
58 Peter Yoo, Norcross 75 75 81 231
62 Mark Whisenant, Douglasville 78 74 80 232
62 Jeff Dunn, Alpharetta 75 76 81 232
64 Matt Carmichael, Conyers 76 77 80 233
64 Grey Haddon, Alpharetta 78 74 81 233
66 Jake Stewart, Tifton 75 78 82 235
66 Seth Parmer, Bowdon 76 75 84 235
68 David Cline, Atlanta 73 79 84 236
69 Jack Hall, Macon 75 78 84 237
69 Trey Maddox, McDonough 75 76 86 237