2003 Junior Championship

Brian Harman Cruises to a Repeat Victory at Georgia Junior Championship

MACON, Ga. - Defending Champion Brian Harman of Savannah held off the competition with a final-round, two-under 68 for a four-under 206 and a five-stroke victory at the Georgia Junior Championship. Chase MacFarland of Savannah, who was within two of Harman at one point, finished second at 211 after a final-round 69. Wallace Palmer of Augusta shot 71 and claimed third at 211.

Troy Bartkowicz of Sharpsburg fell back to fourth position at 214 with a 73, tied with Seth Brandon of Dalton, who finished with a 70. Seth McCain of Comer moved up from 16th position to sixth with a 68. Finishing tied for seventh and picking up the final two of eight spots in the 28th Annual Georgia-South Carolina team matches were Augusta's Michael Green and Bryan Miller of Rocky Face, who finished at 218.

Harman, now ranked number one in the nation after two major American Junior Golf Association victories in the past three weeks, played solidly as his challengers faltered. Bartkowicz, who started three back, pulled to within one with birdies at three and five, where he chipped in. After they both had three-putt bogeys on eight, Harman responded with a birdie on thepar-4 ninth, where he punched out of the rough to less than six feet. Bartkowicz three-putted to go back to three down and then lost another stroke at 10, when he failed to get up and down.

Harman, 16, learned on number 12 that his Savannah Christian teammate, MacFarland, playing in the group in front of him, had moved to within two.

MacFarland, who began four back, shot one-over on the front but birdied 10, 11 and 12, where he chipped in, to get to even for the tournament. Harman missed birdie opportunities on 12 and 13, but drained a 15-footer on 14 to stretch his lead back to three. MacFarland was unable to respond as he narrowly missed a 20-foot birdie putt on the par-5 15th and bogeyed 16. Harman, who plays left-handed, added to his lead with a birdie on the 198-yard, par-3 18th, where he sank another 15-foot putt.

Palmer, who fell out of contention on the front nine with bogeys at one, two and five, caught MacFarland with back-to-back birdies at 15 and 16, but dropped into third with a bogey at 18.

Harman, who won the Georgia Junior in 2002 by seven strokes, had many opportunities to shooteven lower, having hit 13 of 14 fairways and 17 of Idle Hour's small greens on the day and missing three putts on the front nine of less than five feet. Harman, who plays left-handed, is only the fourth player to repeat at the Georgia Junior in its 38-year historyand the first since 1996. In July Harman will try for his third-straight AJGA major win at the Rolex Tournament of Champions, attempt to set the record for most wins in the Georgia-South Carolina matches (he's 4-0 in two appearances), and participate as an exempt player at the 2003 U.S. Junior Amateur Championship, where he was a quarterfinalist in 2002.

The championship was open to male amateur golfers between the ages of 14-17 as of June 16, who are Georgia residents and GSGA members or dependants of GSGA members. The starting field of 144 was reduced to the low 70 players and ties, with the cut falling at 159. The par-70 course played to 6,448 yards. Hole-by-hole statistics for the final round are available through a link on GSGA's website, www.gsga.org.

GSGA conducts 17 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 Brian Harman, Savannah 69 69 68 206
2 Chase MacFarland, Savannah 74 68 69 211
3 Wallace Palmer, Augusta 73 68 71 212
4 Troy Bartkowicz, Sharpsburg 70 71 73 214
4 Seth Brandon, Dalton 73 71 70 214
6 Seth McCain, Comer 73 75 68 216
7 Michael Green, Augusta 75 73 70 218
7 Bryan Miller, Rocky Face 77 69 72 218
9 Benjamin Kishigian, Warner Robins 74 74 71 219
9 Benjamin Judd, Macon 73 75 71 219
9 Kyle Collins, Milledgeville 75 72 72 219
9 Taylor Hall, LaGrange 76 70 73 219
9 Joshua Chong, Alpharetta 72 73 74 219
14 Chris Nicol, Kennesaw 72 73 75 220
14 Hugh Morrison, Macon 71 73 76 220
14 Michael Gordy, Clarkesville 72 73 75 220
17 Patrick McShane, Rome 73 76 72 221
17 Jerel Lake, Lawrenceville 73 76 72 221
19 Tyler Rowe, Savannah 76 72 74 222
19 Timothy Freund, Greensboro 76 73 73 222
19 Ryan Blue, Bogart 73 71 78 222
22 Michael Saari, Lilburn 75 74 74 223
22 Rob Bennett, Augusta 72 80 71 223
22 Jordan Johnstun, LaGrange 73 73 77 223
22 Mark Silvers, Savannah 75 73 75 223
26 Jarod Trammell, Jasper 72 78 74 224
26 Chris Smith, Alpharetta 70 74 80 224
28 Madison Barnett, Macon 75 75 75 225
28 Matt Dale, Gillsville 78 73 74 225
28 Kyle Albright, Columbus 77 76 72 225
28 Bo Burdette, LaGrange 79 71 75 225
32 Johnny Pagura, Warner Robins 81 74 71 226
32 Taylor Virgil, Marietta 80 71 75 226
34 David Cline, Atlanta 82 74 72 228
34 Kyle Stiles, Athens 78 70 80 228
34 MacGregor Thompson, Waynesboro 76 76 76 228
34 Graham Shurley, Dunwoody 75 77 76 228
34 Blake Decesare, Adel 79 74 75 228
39 Blake Stark, Canton 79 73 77 229
40 Chris Wolfe, Warner Robins 80 75 75 230
40 Brad Skinner, Black Creek 73 79 78 230
40 Jamie Bowen, Dawsonville 79 74 77 230
40 J.T. Hoffman, Alpharetta 83 76 71 230
44 Brandon Anthony, Albany 77 76 78 231
44 Tyson Patrick, Acworth 75 77 79 231
44 Steve Hocker, Suwanee 80 74 77 231
47 Ryland Rumph, Macon 79 77 76 232
47 Robbie Morrice, Roswell 77 78 77 232
49 Clint Johns, Madison 78 76 79 233
50 Michael Salmon, Snellville 76 81 77 234
50 Charlie Wall, Augusta 79 79 76 234
50 Alexander Abate, Martinez 80 79 75 234
53 Kyle Rogers, Watkinsville 80 77 78 235
53 Ryan Dent, St. Simon's Island 81 77 77 235
53 Justin Smith, Savannah 80 74 81 235
53 Ryan Peters, Watkinsville 80 78 77 235
57 Matthew Hammock, Hinesville 76 82 78 236
57 Kyle Lindgren, Marietta 77 82 77 236
57 Kyle Howell, Fitzgerald 80 78 78 236
57 Ryan Moore, Roswell 79 80 77 236
61 Scott McVicker, Lilburn 78 78 81 237
62 Ryan Blackburn, Augusta 79 80 79 238
63 David Baker, Alpharetta 80 77 82 239
63 Justin Palmer, Mabelton 76 79 84 239
65 Lee Benton, Thomasville 74 80 86 240
65 Shea Jenkins, Canton 76 80 84 240
67 Trey Conway, Marietta 76 77 88 241
67 Kevin Johnson, Jesup 77 80 84 241
67 Joseph Dechert, Newnan 77 82 82 241
67 Sanders Wallis, Rome 77 81 83 241
71 David Lineback, Mableton 81 78 83 242
72 Rob Varner, Waverly Hall 80 78 85 243
73 Hayes Brown, Atlanta 84 75 88 247