2002 U.S. Amateur Qualifying

Qualifiers
Danny Yates, Atlanta, GA	70	71	141
Doug Green, Cumming, GA	72	70	142
Greg Kennedy, Cumming, GA	74	70	144
Mickey Jones, Duluth, GA	71	74	145
Steve Johnson, Signal Mountain, TN	71	74	145
Alternates
1st Jeff Belk, Marietta, GA	71	75	146
2nd Harold Wyatt, Atlanta, GA	73	73	146
3rd Keith Harris, Concord, N.C.	71	75	146
4th Mark Nickerson, Roswell, GA	76	70	146

 

Notes:
Danny Yates of Atlanta earned medalist honors and his 17th trip to the U.S. Amateur Championship with a three-under 141 at the sectional qualifier held at Country Club of the South July 29-30. Yates, a three-time Georgia Amateur champion and past U.S. Mid Amateur champion, finished one ahead of Doug Green of Cumming and three ahead of Greg Kennedy, a five-time qualifier also from Cumming. Others advancing to the championship are Mickey Jones of Duluth and Steve Johnson of Signal Mountain, Tenn., who both shot 71-74-145.

All four alternates shot 146 in regulation. A sudden-death playoff was used to determine their order. Jeff Belk of Marietta (71-75-146) is first alternate; Harold Wyatt of Atlanta (73-73-146) is second; Keith Harris of Concord, N.C. (71-75-146) is third and Mark Nickerson of Roswell is (76-70-146) fourth.

The field started with 144 hopefuls and was reduced to the low 46 after the first day. The cut fell at five-over par 77. This was the first of two U.S. Amateur qualifying events being held in Georgia. The second will take place August 5-6, at Eagle's Landing Country Club in Stockbridge.

The 102nd U.S. Amateur Championship will be held at Oakland Hills Country Club in Bloomfield Hills, Mich., August 19-25. Entries for the championship were open to male amateur golfers who have a current USGA Handicap Index of 2.4 or below. The U.S. Amateur is one of 13 national championships conducted annually by the United States Golf Association.

Yates, 52, won the Georgia Amateur in 1977, 1989 and 1996 and finished as the runner-up in 1976, 1990 and 1995. He won the U.S. Mid-Amateur in 1992 after three consecutive trips to the event's semi-finals and finished as the runner-up at the 1988 U.S. Amateur. He played on the 1989 and 1993 U.S. Walker Cup teams and captained the 1999 and 2001 teams. His 17 trips to the U.S. Amateur are well short of the record of 49 held by Charles Evans, Jr.

The Georgia State Golf Association conducts 17 USGA qualifying events each year in addition to 18 statewide competitions for men and women of all age groups, three interstate matches and one Atlanta-area competition. Other services include computerized handicapping, course rating and measuring, a summer-long junior sectional competitions program, Golf Georgia magazine and two college scholarship programs.