2003 Four-Ball Championship

Mize and Waddell Capture Georgia Four-Ball Championship in Dramatic Finish

COLUMBUS, Ga. - Carter Mize and Wright Waddell of Columbus edged Jayce Stepp of Cartersville and Scott Davenport of Marietta by one in a spectacular finish at the 32nd Georgia Annual Four Ball Championship at Green Island Country Club. Mize and Waddell regained the lead they had held for 34 holes with a hole-out eagle on 17 and made an improbable up and down on 18 from the edge of the ninth green to avoid a playoff and capture their third championship. The pair shot 62-64 for a 14-under 126 in the weather-shortened competition.

Stepp and Davenport, who shot 63 on the day, caught the opening round leaders with birdies on 15 and 17 and took the lead with a birdie on 18 to finish at 13 under. Their elation was short-lived, as the word came that Waddell, playing two groups behind them, had dunked his 153-yard approach shot on the par-5 17th. Waddell and Mize made it interesting on 18, where they both hit their mud-covered balls wide left and faced difficult up and downs. Waddell's approach hit the downslope on the left side of the green, caught the cart path and rolled back to some 70 yards away. Mize's approach ended up 50 yards left and on the ninth green. Waddell pitched his ball to about eight feet and Mize got to about 20. Mize then drained his slightly right-to-left putt to save par and the championship.

Five teams finished tied for third at 11 under. They were Jeff Knox of Augusta and Rick Cloninger of Dacula (63), Scott Pitts of Cornelia and Brian Davidson of Baldwin (63), Tony Schulbe of Woodstock and Brook Tully of Atlanta (64), Chris Hall of Marietta and Donnie Phillips of Duluth (64) and 2000 champions Brent Sizemore of Calhoun and Ronnie Cargle of Summerville.

Mize and Waddell, who have played together since junior high school, previously won this event in 1991 and 1995. Their victory was particularly special coming in their hometown and at Waddell's home course. Mize, a two-time Georgia Amateur champion (1993 and 1994), birdied one and twelve, with Waddell a two-time Mid-Amateur champion (1990, 1999), collecting birdies on four and eight before his eagle on 17. Mize, 42, had a hole-out eagle and five birdies in their opening-round 62. The pair went bogey-free for in the championship.

The par-70 Green Island course played to approximately 6,418 yards. Round one play was postponed until Saturday and the championship was shortened to 36 holes after heavy rains made the course unplayable Friday. Entries were open to male amateur golfers who are members of a GSGA Member Club and residents of Georgia. This event varies from the Four-Ball Tournament held in March, which requires a combined team handicap index of 6.0 or above.

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 Wright Waddell, Columbus 62 64 126
Carter Mize, Columbus
2 Jayce Stepp, Cartersville 64 63 127
Scott Davenport, Marietta
3 Jeff Knox, Augusta 66 63 129
Rick Cloninger, Dacula
3 Scott Pitts, Cornelia 66 63 129
Brian Davidson, Baldwin
3 Tony Schuble, Woodstock 65 64 129
Brook Tully, Atlanta
3 Chris Hall, Marietta 65 64 129
Donnie Phillips, Duluth
3 Brent Sizemore, Calhoun 65 64 129
Ronnie Cargle, Summerville
8 David Nix, Atlanta 64 66 130
Robert Sheats, Atlanta
8 Lee Dennis, Comer 64 66 130
Greg Kennedy, Cumming
10 Jorge Cora, Atlanta 67 64 131
Hector Cora, Atlanta
10 San Hogan, Valdosta 67 64 131
Nic Daugherty, Valdosta
10 Blair Scurlock, Atlanta 65 66 131
Pete Abernathy, Atlanta
10 Roberto Castro, Alpharetta 64 67 131
Luke List, Ringgold
10 Cres Dodd, Adairsville 63 68 131
Joe Fagundes, Adairsville
15 Michael Riley, Marietta 68 64 132
Erik Martin, Alpharetta
16 Jack Hall, Macon 68 65 133
Griff Moody, Cumming
16 Seth Knight, Columbus 65 68 133
Madden Hatcher, Columbus
16 Steve Travis, Columbus 67 66 133
Bobby Brent, Columbus
19 Neill Hatcher, Columbus 66 68 134
Rocky Costa, Alpharetta
19 Trip Reynolds, Columbus 67 67 134
Chris Jones, Columbus
19 Alan Hampton, Brunswick 68 66 134
Guy Whidby, Valdosta
22 Greg Brewer, Atlanta 69 66 135
Bill Henderson, Bishop
22 Michael Brown, Atlanta 68 67 135
Bryan Sodel, Marietta
22 Al Bello, Hahira 66 69 135
Hugh Darsey, Warner Robins
22 Randy Donahoo, Woodstock 66 69 135
Kevin Jordan, Smyrna
22 John Belicka, Atlanta 67 68 135
Nick Brown, Acworth
22 Dan Rhoads, Albany 66 69 135
Tom Rief, Albany
22 David Noll, Dalton 67 68 135
Chuck Miller, Woodstock
22 Keith Wood, Atlanta 68 67 135
Brooks Yancy, Columbus
22 Chuck Pinkard, Cumming 68 67 135
Stacy Cochran, Decatur
31 Rusty Rustin, Columbus 71 65 136
Timo Treilobs, Atlanta
31 Allen Peake, Macon 70 66 136
Coleman Tidwell, Macon
31 Brooks Woodruff, Mableton 69 67 136
Joe Peters, Watkinsville
34 Dave Hill, Albany 70 67 137
Brent Northrop, Albany
34 Chad Griffith, Columbus 69 68 137
Johnny Hammond, Columbus
34 Mike Pass, Peachtree City 69 68 137
Jack Kearney, Peachtree City
34 Tim Oliver, Carrollton 67 70 137
Buddy Williams, Carrollton
38 Jonathan Shiftlet, Hartwell 69 69 138
Landy Boles, Hartwell
38 Bob Vandergriff, Cumming 69 69 138
David Cheek, Buford
38 Brandon Farley, Atlanta 66 72 138
Robbie Dew, Marietta
38 Ben Smith, Cumming 68 70 138
Mitch Whitley, Suwanee
42 Bill Lenhardt, Peachtree City 70 69 139
Tim Slough, Fayetteville
42 Spencer Davis, Albany 72 67 139
Randy Pollock, Albany
42 Jeff Belk, Marietta 69 70 139
Bob Young, Dunwoody
42 Greg Howe, Duluth 68 71 139
Randy Holmes, Suwanee
42 Greg Garde, Peachtree City 67 72 139
John Garde, Peachtree City
47 Dan Barkley, Roswell 70 70 140
Joe Mukherjee, Marietta
47 Keith Holmes, Macon 70 70 140
Michael Standard, McDonough
47 Ronnie Reddish, Newnan 72 68 140
Doug Dechert, Newnan
47 Paul Kocsis, Fayetteville 68 72 140
Jody Travis, Sharpsburg
47 Dave Sexton, Suwanee 67 73 140
Norm Marsh, Suwanee
47 David Lassetter, Carrollton 66 74 140
Steve Davis, Rome
47 John Davis, Alpharetta 68 72 140
Mike Chambers, Alpharetta
54 Michael Morrow, Columbus 72 69 141
Terry Lisle, Columbus
55 Brent Woodworth, Columbus 71 71 142
Rodrigo Campos, Columbus
55 Bill Ploeger, Columbus 71 71 142
Mike Crowley, Savannah
55 Richie Stephens, Rome 71 71 142
Joe Holbrook, Aragon
55 Randall Conn, Alpharetta 70 72 142
Eric Silver, Greensboro
55 Sandy Burgess, Macon 73 69 142
Jeff Cutright, Macon
55 Dusty Cantrell, Kennesaw 73 69 142
Max Flynn, Mableton
55 Blake Voltz, Columbus 74 68 142
Stan Copelan, Columbus
55 Jay Gipson, Atlanta 68 74 142
Brendan Williams, Atlanta
63 Cort Martin, Duluth 73 70 143
Rob Alcorn, Eatonton
64 Jim Stuart, Macon 71 73 144
Gay McMichael, Macon
64 Michael DiLonardo, Atlanta 72 72 144
Steve Nash, Conyers
64 Mark Baxter, Atlanta 69 75 144
Michael O'Donnell, Atlanta
67 Randy Bowman, Summerville 71 74 145
Randy Henderson, Trion
67 Martin Ball, Rome 74 71 145
Ladell Norton, Rome
69 William Cool, Peachtree City 72 74 146
John Landis, Peachtree City
70 Ian Grimwade, Atlanta 73 74 147
Jason Rodriguez, Alpharetta
71 Lynn Barnett, Cumming 74 75 149
Danny Ives, Cumming
72 Art Bemis, Sharpsburg 77 75 152
Paul Derby, Acworth
73 Billy Helmuth, Lawrenceville 78 77 155
Michael Crall, Gainesville
74 Jimmy Holman, Columbus DQ
Kevin LeRoy, Columbus

* The championship was shortened to 36 holes when heavy rains made the course unplayable on day one (April 25).