2015 Atlanta Amateur Match Play Championship

 

GSGA Player of the Year standings

 

Chris Waters Wins Atlanta Amateur Match Play Championship

 

MILTON, Ga. --- Chris Waters of Atlanta defeated Dave Poteet of Suwanee, 5 and 4, to win the Atlanta Amateur Match Play Championship. The 97th playing of the annual competition took place at Atlanta National Golf Club, September 24-27.

To start the final match Sunday morning, the two players each made par on the first two holes. On the 531-yard par 5 third hole, Waters made his birdie putt while Poteet missed his, giving Waters a 1 up advantage. On the next hole, the 413-yard par 4, Waters again won the hole with a birdie to go 2 up through four holes. The next four holes - five, six, seven, eight - would be halved. On the 517-yard par 5 ninth, Waters reached the green in two. He missed his long putt for eagle, but managed to make birdie. Poteet's third shot found a green-side bunker, and two shots later he made par, giving Waters the hole and a 3 up lead through nine.

Waters would extend his lead to 4 up through 10, but would then drop his lead back to 3 up after a bogey on 12. On the 526-yard par 5 13th, Waters made another birdie, bringing his lead to 4 up with five to play. On the 14th hole, Waters knocked in yet another birdie which was enough to seal the deal and win the match, 5 and 4.

Waters made his way to the finals with wins over Greg Kennedy of Duluth in the round of 32 (19 holes) and Brian Brandstetter of Dacula in the round of 16 (4 and 3). In the quarterfinals, Waters beat Chris Hall of Kennesaw, 4 and 3. He then defeated Damon Stephenson of Atlanta, 1 up, in the semifinals to clinch his spot in the finals.

Poteet earned wins over Kyle Stiles of Athens in the round of 32 (4 and 2) and Luke Schniederjans of Powder Springs in the round of 16 (4 and 3). He then topped Brad Davis of Lawrenceville, 1 up, in the quarterfinals. In the semifinals with a spot in the finals on the line, Poteet beat his four-ball partner, Mike Cromer of Peachtree Corners, 20 holes.

On Thursday, an 18-hole round of stroke play took place to determine seeds for match play. Taylor Welborn of LaGrange earned medalist honors with a 6-under-par 66.

There were three former winners in the field. Lee Knox of St. Simons Island, the defending champion, was eliminated in the round of 32 when he fell to Bob Royak of Alpharetta, 1 up. David Noll, Jr., of Dalton, winner of four Atlanta Amateur Match Play Championships (2005, 2008, 2009, 2012), also fell in the round of 32 to Schniederjans, 20 holes. Erik Martin of Alpharetta, who won in 2001, made it to the round of 16 before losing to Stephenson, 4 and 3.

Entries were open to male amateur golfers who are GSGA members. The field consisted of the 120 entrants with the lowest USGA Handicap Indexes.