Colquitt golfers help South win Challenge Match
Published 11:03 pm Saturday, February 25, 2006
MOULTRIE — The South won the North-South Challenge Match for the second year in a row on Saturday at Kinderlou Forest Golf and Country Club, but it was a much more narrow victory than was last year’s.
The South team, which included six Colquitt County players, defeated the North 9 1/2-8 1/2, a much closer margin than last year’s 14-4 victory.
The twosomes featuring Colquitt County players won five of their six matches against their opponents from the North, helping ensure the narrow victory.
Colquitt County teamed up with Savannah Country Day and went up against Gainesville and Habersham Central.
Colquitt County’s No. 1 Clarke Hendrick and Savannah Country Day’s Tyler Rowe won 2 and 1; Josh Dale and Matt Hammock won 3 and 2 at No. 2; Matt Smith and Blake Deganhart won 6 and 4 at No. 3; Aaron Elrod and Alex Coe won 4 and 3 at No. 4; and Ian Hester and Ryan Polsinelli won 4 and 3 at No. 6.
Only Dusty Campbell and Savannah Country Day’s Keith Reese lost 1-down at No. 5.
The 5-1 advantage the South enjoyed from the Colquitt County-Savannah Country Day win was negated when Glynn Academy and Hardaway lost to Etowah and Centennial 1-5.
The South’s team only point came when Glynn and Hardaway won at No. 6.
Statesboro and Vidalia also won, getting the point the South needed, winning 3 1/2-2 1/2 over South Forsyth and St. Pius.
The Colquitt County-Savannah Country Day pairing benefited from a pair of 69s shot by Rowe and Hammock of the Hornets.
Hendrick, Elrod and Smith each had a 74 for Colquitt County. Dale had a 77 and Campbell a 79.
The match play format appeals to the players, Packers coach Donald Dale said.
“It’s fun for the kids,” he said. “They enjoy it. It’s a relaxed way to play. We don’t have to keep score.”
The Packers were return to Kinderlou Forest for the Georgia-Alabama Challenge on March 18.
Also playing for Georgia that day will be Vidalia, Centennial, Northwest Whitfield, Northview, Glynn Academy, Savannah Country Day and Lovett.
“Alabama will be coming loaded,” Donald Dale said. “They will be bringing nine of the best teams they can get.”
The Packers will play in the Bearcat Invitational next Saturday at Bainbridge Country Club.
Columbus High, the tournament’s defending champion, will be in the field.
“Bainbridge Country Club is real nice,” Dale said. “It’s not real long. It’s always in good shape.
“The kids like to play there. And we’ll get to see what we’ve got.”
The Packers will take their top five players to the tournament. They finished fifth last year, shooting a 317.
The Packers will not play on March 11, but will serve as score keepers at the Pot o’ Gold Pro-Am at Sunset Country Club.
On March 25, Colquitt County will go to Warner Robins for the Demon Invitational. The following Monday, the Packers will meet Lee County at the Grand Island Club in Albany. The Knuck McCrary Packer Invitational is scheduled for April 1.