2003 Mid-Amateur Championship

Wendell Akins' Second-Round 63 Wins Weather-Shortened Mid-Amateur Championship

ALPHARETTA, Ga. - Wendell Akins of Statesboro fired a second-round, nine-under 63 to get to 10 under and overtake clubhouse leader Jeff Knox of Augusta and win the weather-shortened Georgia Mid-Amateur Championship. Akins, who opened with a 71, was nine under on the day through 14 holes when play was suspended Saturday and finished his second round Sunday morning with four-straight pars to hold onto his lead. Knox, who was three ahead of his nearest competitor after Saturday's morning wave, shot 67-68-135.

Finishing third at 138 was Doug Green of Cumming (67-71). Georgia Amateur champion Jonathan Shiflet of Hartwell (68-71) and Jack Hall of Macon (69-70) tied for fourth position at 139. Bob Royak of Alpharetta finished his second round Sunday at 70 for a total of 140 and sixth place.

Akins' course record-tying round started Saturday with eight-straight threes on Crooked CreekGolf Club's back nine, where he went birdie, par, birdie, eagle, birdie, birdie, par, birdie. Akins' only bogey of the round came on the next hole, the par-5 18th, where he decided to lay up and then missed the green and his par putt. Akins, as he put it, "had a pretty good bounce back ratio" though, making birdie on the next two holes and again on number 4, his fourteenth and final hole of the day.

While the tournament had not been officially shortened when round two resumed, Akins, 31, was aware of the likelihood and his position in the field and was playing for par. His first two holes were routine, but he had to scramble on the par-5 eighth, the 17th hole in his round. He missed just his second fairway of the tournament when his ball kicked into the heavy, wet rough. He "hacked at it" twice with a five wood to get out of the rough and advanced the ball to 110 yards out. He then put his fourth shot, a sand wedge, to eight feet and made the putt to save par. Akins had an opportunity to break the course record on number nine, where he stuck his four iron to less than eight feet, but just missed when his putt didn't break.

Knox, although understandably disappointed he didn't get a chance to go head-to-head with Akins, admitted "you have to give credit to the young man, shooting a round like that." Knox, 40, had ten birdies and only one bogey in his two rounds. His bogey came on the seventh hole of his second round, the 220-yard, par-3 16th, where he missed the green. Knox was looking to pick up his first GSGA title after three runner-up finishes in five years, including the 2001 Mid-Amateur, 2001 Match Play and 1998 Amateur Championships.

Akins hit the ball well both days and stated that better putting and familiarity with the greens made the difference in the second round. His opening-round 71 consisted of four birdies, one bogey and a double bogey. He also credited his playing partners, Craig Taylor of Albany and Steve Eubanks of Peachtree City, for making it a relaxing round despite his record-chasing performance.

Akins, who is co-owner of his family's business, A&A Plumbing and Electrical, picked up the game of golf at age 20 and spends six to eight hours practicing every Sunday at Hackers Golf Park in Statesboro, where he takes lessons from PGA professional Todd Sarratt. This was only his fourth GSGA event, with his best individual finish a tie for 34th at the 2002 Georgia Amateur. Akins has won two tournaments in Southeast Georgia, the Dan L. Lanier Tournament in Metter last week and the Southeastern Invitational in Statesboro in 2000. He qualified for the Mid-Amateur as the medalist at even-par 71 at the Savannah qualifier at Wilmington Island Club.

This was the 22nd playing of the GSGA's Georgia Mid-Amateur Championship, which featured the state's top amateurs age 25 and older. This was the first year qualifying was held to determine the Mid-Amateur field, which was previously determined by handicap index.

The 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 Wendell Akins, Statesboro 71 63 134
2 Jeff Knox, Augusta 67 68 135
3 Doug Green, Cumming 67 71 138
4 Jonathan Shiflet, Hartwell 68 71 139
4 Jack Hall, Macon 69 70 139
6 Bob Royak, Alpharetta 70 70 140
7 David Nell, Sharpsburg 72 69 141
8 Wright Waddell, Columbus 70 72 142
8 Chris Hall, Marietta 67 75 142
8 Steven Denton, Duluth 68 74 142
11 Paul Sorel, Alpharetta 72 71 143
11 Jeff Belk, Marietta 71 72 143
11 Stan Rawl, Suwanee 68 75 143
14 Rick Cloninger, Dacula 72 72 144
14 Stephen Davis, Rome 70 74 144
16 Iain McGarva, Robins AFB 72 73 145
16 Scott Davenport, Marietta 70 75 145
16 Michael Riley, Marietta 73 72 145
16 Bob Yarnall, Dunwoody 73 72 145
16 Greg Maxey, Atlanta 73 72 145
16 Jeff Dixon, Cumming 68 77 145
22 Randall Conn, Alpharetta 75 71 146
22 Bill Hodges, Atlanta 72 74 146
22 Phil Hand, Columbus 74 72 146
22 John Michael, Duluth 72 74 146
22 Lee Rogers, Gainesville 72 74 146
27 Blair Scurlock, Atlanta 76 71 147
27 Mark Phillips, Peachtree City 76 71 147
27 Ed Wolfe, Warner Robins 75 72 147
30 Rocky Costa, Alpharetta 75 73 148
30 Randy Donahoo, Woodstock 73 75 148
30 Garrick Stiles, Watkinsville 77 71 148
30 Brian Davidson, Baldwin 78 70 148
30 Doug Stiles, Athens 72 76 148
30 Thomas Cornelia, Kennesaw 73 75 148
30 Bob McDonnell, Suwanee 76 72 148
30 David Noll Jr., Dalton 74 74 148
30 Martin Ball, Rome 71 77 148
30 Tevis Upton, Douglasville 73 75 148
30 Scott Pitts, Cornelia 74 74 148
41 Ladell Norton, Rome 74 75 149
41 Tom Duke, Norcross 77 72 149
41 Wes Latimer, Canton 76 73 149
41 Jorge Cora, Atlanta 70 79 149
41 Buddy Stacy, Lilburn 79 70 149
41 Todd Yeargin, Elberton 73 76 149
41 Rob Bohannon, Ringgold 71 78 149
48 Michael DiLonardo, Atlanta 73 77 150
48 Jack Larkin, Atlanta 77 73 150
48 Chuck Miller, Woodstock 71 79 150
48 Donny Phillips, Duluth 76 74 150
48 Michael Crews, Atlanta 75 75 150
53 Tony Schuble, Woodstock 72 79 151
53 Stephen Welsh, Macon 75 76 151
53 Bruce Kelly, Eatonton 73 78 151
53 Ben Nixon, Kennesaw 70 81 151
53 Dan Barkley, Roswell 78 73 151
53 Joe Ingram, Gainesville 72 79 151
53 Keith Wood, Atlanta 74 77 151
53 B. Hannan, Nashville 76 75 151
53 Steve Simmons, Warner Robins 74 77 151
62 Mickey Jones, Duluth 74 78 152
62 Bill Leonard, Kennesaw 80 72 152
62 David Fisher, Thomasville 76 76 152
62 Terry Prillaman, Cumming 76 76 152
62 Mitch Whitley, Suwanee 77 75 152
67 Mark Sargent, Rome 74 79 153
67 Allen Peake, Macon 74 79 153
67 Chad Branton, Cartersville 75 78 153
67 Michael Dempsey, Canton 73 80 153
67 Craig Current, Woodstock 75 78 153
72 Alex Mackey, Kennesaw 78 76 154
72 Keith Holmes, Macon 77 77 154
72 Fletcher Vanyo, Atlanta 80 74 154
72 Craig Taylor, Albany 78 76 154
72 Sandy Burgess, Macon 75 79 154
72 Dennis French, Alpharetta 80 74 154
78 Paul Kocsis, Fayettville 80 75 155
78 Cameron Whaley, Woodstock 80 75 155
78 Mark Blanton, Greensboro 78 77 155
78 Craig Apple, Roswell 81 74 155
78 Rodney Fernandes, Roswell 75 80 155
78 Kelly Vaughan, Gainesville 76 79 155
78 Michael Verbeek, Duluth 75 80 155