2013 Amateur Championship

 

Jimmy Beck Wins 2013 Georgia Amateur Championship
Local product wins in front of home crowd

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KENNESAW, Ga. – Jimmy Beck of Columbus wins the Georgia Amateur Championship in front of his family and Kennesaw State University coaches and teammates. Beck's 1-over-par 285 overall score was two strokes better than Travis Williamson of Brunswick, who finished in the runner-up spot at 3-over-par 287. The 92nd annual Georgia Amateur Championship took place at Pinetree Country Club, July 11-14.

Beck, who plays golf at local Kennesaw State University, began the final round two strokes back of the leader and recorded five birdies and three bogeys for a 2-under-par 69 on Sunday. Williamson posted a 1-over-par 72 in the final round to finish in the runner-up position. Two-time Georgia Amateur champion, David Noll, Jr., of Dalton, began the final round with a one stroke lead, but due to a two-birdie, seven-bogey performance on Sunday, fell out of the top spot of the leaderboard. Noll finished tied for sixth at 6-over-par 290 (67-71-76-76).

Beck's 72-hole score of 285 included 13 birdies, 46 pars, 12 bogeys and one double-bogey over the four-day event. He finished 4-over on the par 3 holes, even-par on the par 4 holes and 3-under on the par 5 holes. His 1-over total was the highest winning score in 20 years of the Georgia Amateur Championship. In 1993, Carter Mize of Columbus posted a 1-over to win the state championship.

Williamson turned in seven birdies, 56 pars, eight bogeys and one double-bogey over the 72-hole competition, giving him the 3-over-par 287 (71-72-72-72) total. He currently plays his collegiate golf at Armstrong Atlantic State University located in Savannah, Ga.

University of Georgia golfer Sepp Straka of Valdosta (72-74-72-71) tied for third at even-par 289 along with David Watts of Chatsworth (69-72-77-71) and Jeff Knox of Augusta (70-73-73-73). Knox is a two-time Georgia Mid-Amateur champion (2008, 2009). In a three-way tie for sixth, future Darton State College golfer Jake O'Bryan of Athens (75-69-74-72), Ridge Purcell of LaGrange (72-74-69-75) and Noll finished at 6-over-par 290. The reigning Georgia Mid-Amateur champion, Cameron Hooper of Atlanta (74-72-75-70), and Damon Stephenson of Atlanta (75-75-71-70) tied for ninth at 7-over-par 291.

Straka's Georgia Bulldog teammate, Mookie DeMoss of Athens, tied for 13th at 9-over-par 293 (71-71-76-75).

Four players competed this week who currently play golf at Kennesaw State University, which uses Pinetree Country Club as its home course - Beck, Jonathan Klotz of Columbus, Kelby Burton of Evans and Austin Vick of Evans. Klotz tied for 11th at 8-over-par 292 (73-74-72-73), Vick tied for 21st at 11-over-par 295 (73-74-72-76), and Burton tied for 33rd at 14-over-par 298 (71-70-78-79).

Cody Shafer of Evans earned low-round of the tournament honors after firing a 5-under-par 66 in round three. Shafer, a member of the Augusta State University golf team, finished the Championship tied for 16th at 10-over-par 294 (72-80-66-76).

The Georgia Amateur Championship is conducted by the Georgia State Golf Association and brings together 144 of the state's best male amateur golfers for the prestigious state title first won by Bobby Jones in 1916. Pinetree Country Club has hosted this event for the fourth time, and first since 2003. This week Pinetree played to 7,108 yards and a par 71.

The Championship format was 72 holes of stroke play over four days. After 36 holes of play, 78 players made the cut at 11-over-par 153 and better. Through 72 holes of the Georgia Amateur Championship, no players finished in red numbers and no players finished even-par or better.