2014 Senior Match Play Championship

 

Chris Hall Defends Senior Match Play Championship

 

GSGA Player of the Year standings

 

ACWORTH, Ga. – Chris Hall of Kennesaw successfully defended his title at the Georgia Senior Match Play Championship with a win, once again, over Don Marsh of Johns Creek, 1 up. The third annual competition took place at Governors Towne Club, May 5-8.

 

This was a repeat of last year's final match, as Hall topped Marsh at White Columns Country Club in Alpharetta, 2 and 1.

 

Hall, the three-seed after posting an even-par 144 in the 36-hole qualifier, reached the final with three wins. He topped Randy Bowman of Summerville in the round of 16, 3 and 2, and then needed 19 holes to eliminate Jack Kearney of Peachtree City in the quarterfinals. The now two-time champion once again needed 19 holes to defeat Lee Dennis of Comer in the semifinals before reaching the final for the second-consecutive year.

 

Marsh posted a 2-under-par 142 in the 36-hole qualifier and earned the top seed in match play. In the round of 16, he defeated Tommy Beman of Alpharetta, 2 and 1, and then beat Jay Childs of Kennesaw, 1 up, in the quarterfinals. In the first semifinal match on Thursday morning, Marsh recorded a win over Gay McMichael of Macon, 3 and 2, to earn a return trip to the final.

 

Jim Kamis of Marietta won the Super Senior Division with a victory over Spencer Sappington of Milton, 1 up, in the final match. After earning the top-seed in the 65-and-up division, Kamis defeated Bruce Wood of Suwanee, 2 and 1, in the quarterfinals, and Ben Kenny of Jasper, 4 and 3, in the semifinals. To start the final match, Kamis quickly notched a three stroke advantage over Sappington, winning the first three holes. Sappington, a Georgia Golf Hall of Famer, claimed holes six and seven to cut his deficit by two. Kamis won nine and made the turn with a 2-up advantage. The back nine went back-and-forth, as Sappington won 11, Kamis 13, Sappington 14 and 16. Heading to 18 with the match all square, Kamis hit the shot of the week as he holed out from 96 yards for an eagle and the Super Senior match play title.

 

Entries were open to male amateur golfers. The Senior Division was open to those age 55 and older as of May 5, and the Super Senior Division was open to those age 65 and older as of May 5. The format was match play preceded by 36 holes of stroke play qualifying with the low 16 players advancing to match play in the Senior Division and the low 8 players advancing to match play in the Super Senior Division.

 

Governors Towne Club played to 6,254 yards for the Senior Division and 6,061 yards for the Super Senior Division.