A warm and fun filled weekend allowed for an extraordinary version for the 16 young men competing in the 46th annual Georgia-South Carolina Junior Challenge Matches at Greenville Country Club’s Riverside course in Greenville, SC. The Palmetto State squad managed to earn back the Rountree-Cox Mace after losing to the Peach Staters last year, claiming a comfortable win 10.5-5.5 over the Georgia team. 

 

It was the same tally from 2018 when SC won back at the Landings Club – Deer Creek Course. After the first day, South Carolina held a 5-3 margin after winning four matches outright and splitting another two. However, Georgia was motivated to cut into the margin and was leading six of the matches early in the final round. Playing the re-routed Riverside Course at Greenville C.C., team SC held their ground and began to dig back into their respective Matches. The beginning Match came down to the final hole where Jerry Bruns (Beaufort, SC) halved the hole and earn a 1up victory. Brantley Baker (Leesburg, GA) then closed out Pageland’s David Oliver, IV 3&2 to earn a point back for Georgia. Adam Hunt (Columbia) and Drew Harrill (Spartanburg) both won their matches to put team SC just ½ point away from earning back the Rountree-Cox Trophy.

 

Zach Phillips of Inman won his match to seal the deal 4&3 over Payne Elkins (Valdosta) to give the South Carolina Team the overall victory. However the final matches were still up for grabs. Jack Schoenberger (Milton, GA) and Major Lenning (Simpsonville, SC) split their match while Luke Koenig (Statham, GA) defeated Luke Sullivan of Columbia and the SCGA Junior Champion Rowan Sullivan (Charleston, SC) closed his match out 2&1 to defeat two-time GA-SC Matches participant Parker Highsmith (Valdosta, GA). These totals allowed for the South Carolinians to win the 46^th edition of the Matches 10.5-5.5. This gives South Carolina their 17^th win in the history of the Matches to Georgia’s 25, and giving the SC Team an edge up in the Match Play era in the 27-year history of the format to 12-11-4. Next year’s Matches will be held in Georgia as Team S.C. looks to extend their lead!

 

Forty-six years ago, Pete Cox of the Georgia State Golf Association and Charles Rountree, Jr. of the South Carolina Golf Association formalized the idea of the GA - SC team matches. The winning team has their victory inscribed on the beautiful Rountree - Cox trophy that was donated by the Rountree family.  Every junior golfer that has participated in the 46-year-old competition will find his name on the trophy with his teammates.  The Georgia teams have now produced 25 victories as compared to the 16 for the SC teams and four ties.  Last year’s event held at The Farm Golf Club in Rocky Face, GA where the Georgia squad earn their first victory in four years. 

 

Teams from both states were selected by accepting the top eight finishers at each state's Junior Championship. Saturday's matches started at 8:00 a.m. and began at 8:00 a.m. on Sunday morning. It should also be noted that the Carolina’s Golf Course Superintendents Association, the Georgia Chapter of the Golf Course Superintendents Association, Titleist and Eliott Bag Company are proud supporters of the Georgia- South Carolina Junior Challenge Matches.

Format: USGA rules apply at individual match play that produces one point per match. Ties provide a half point for each team. There are 16 possible points for the event. 

 

Eligibility: The top eight junior golfers from the South Carolina Golf Association’s Junior Championship and Georgia State Golf Association’s Junior Championship.

 

8:00 a.m. – Andrew Hughes (Dawsonville, GA) 6&4 David Oliver, IV (Pageland, SC)

8:09 a.m. – Brantley Baker (Leesburg, GA) EVEN Jerry Bruns (Beaufort, SC)

8:18 a.m. – Drew Harrill (Spartanburg, SC) 1Up Craig Long (Alpharetta, GA)

8:27 a.m. – Adam Hunt (Columbia, SC) 6&5 Rahul Rajendran (Alpharetta, GA)

8:36 a.m. – Major Lenning (Simpsonville, SC) 3&2 Payne Elkins (Valdosta, GA)           

8:45 a.m. – Zach Phillips (Inman, SC) 6&5 Jack Schoenberger (Milton, GA)

8:54 a.m. – Luke Koenig (Statham, GA) EVEN Rowan Sullivan (Charleston, SC)

9:03 a.m. – Parker Highsmith (Valdosta, GA) 4&3 Luke Sullivan (Columbia, SC)

 

8:00 a.m. – Jerry Bruns (Beaufort, SC) 1Up Andrew Hughes (Dawsonville, GA)

8:09 a.m. – Brantley Baker (Leesburg, GA) 3&2 David Oliver, IV (Pageland, SC)

8:18 a.m. – Adam Hunt (Columbia, SC) 1Up Craig Long (Alpharetta, GA)

8:27 a.m. – Drew Harrill (Spartanburg, SC) 3&2 Rahul Rajendran (Alpharetta, GA)

8:36 a.m. – Zach Phillips (Inman, SC) 4&3 Payne Elkins (Valdosta, GA)

8:45 a.m. – Jack Schoenberger (Milton, GA) EVEN Major Lenning (Simpsonville, SC)

8:54 a.m. – Luke Koenig (Statham, GA) 1Up Luke Sullivan (Columbia, SC)

9:03 a.m. – Rowan Sullivan (Charleston, SC) 2&1 Parker Highsmith (Valdosta, GA)