ALL-AMERICAN: Colquitt County’s Kevin Blanton was a two-time All-American at Troy State and a four-time winner on the NGA Tour.

Kevin Blanton has many people he can thank for his outstanding high school, collegiate and professional golf career and his induction this week into the Colquitt County Sports Hall of Fame.

But if not for his brother Jason, Blanton might never have devoted his considerable talents to golf.

Kevin played two years on the Colquitt County tennis team for Coach Mike Jenkins, but when younger brother Jason joined the team and beat out his older brother for the Packers No. 1 position, Kevin decided to concentrate on golf.

Good thing.

After playing at Colquitt County High and in USTA junior events, the received a scholarship to Troy State, where he became the team captain and a two-time All-American, three-time all-conference player and two-time conference champion.

He won five collegiate tournaments, won the Atlanta Open twice and went on to win in four tournaments as a professional on the NGA tour.

His accomplishments were certainly worthy of his selection — along with football players Willie Bell Robison, Darrell Funderburk, Dextra Polite and diver Jud Campbell — as part of the Sports Hall of Fame’s Class of 2010.

The five new inductees will be honored at Thursday’s 7 p.m. banquet at the Colquitt County High cafeteria, as will the 1994 Colquitt County High undefeated state champion football team.

All will also be honored before Friday’s 7:30 p.m. football game against Coffee High at Tom White Field at Mack Tharpe Stadium.

Once Blanton put his full attention on golf, it did not take long to make himself into a college prospect.

During the summer between his junior and senior seasons at Colquitt County High, he lowered his handicap from a 10 to a one.

 Playing junior tournaments helped, of course. So did working with Sunset Country Club golf professional Ben Celeya.

“He was very good with juniors,” Blanton said. “He taught me a lot about the game. I improved extremely fast.”

Blanton also worked with Sunset pro Richard Hatcher, who succeeded Celeya.

By the time he was a senior, he and Chad Eunice made the Colquitt County High golf team difficult to beat.

By that time, Blanton had decided he wanted to try to play at the college level and sent tapes to several schools, including Valdosta State and Troy State.

On Easter Sunday in 1990, Troy State coach Barney Burnett called and offered to pay Blanton’s out-of-state tuition.

Blanton jumped at the chance and neither the young golfer nor the Trojans golf program regretted the decision.

After being red-shirted for the 1991 season, Blanton became one of the nation’s finest collegiate golfers.

He was an All-American two years in a row before Troy moved up to Division I.

As a senior, he was won the conference championship, shooting a 206, but because the team did not advance to the national championships, he did not get a shot at adding another All-American entry to his resume.

Blanton grew as a golfer under Burnett.

“He was a great coach,” Blanton said. “He could be tough. He expected a lot out of you.

“He liked to win. He wanted to win and so did I.”

While still a collegian, Blanton won the first of his two Atlanta Open titles in 1994 at The Legends course at Chateau Elan in Braselton. He added a second in 2001 on the same course, beating James Mason on the second playoff hole.

Following his collegiate career, Blanton decided he wanted to turn professional and with the help of Colquitt County’s Lavon Stripling, he joined the NGA Hooters tour in 1995.

“I still thank Lavon every time I see him,” Blanton said. “I couldn’t have gotten started without him.”

A year later, he was 40th on the money list and in 1997, he finished 28th.

In 1998, Blanton won his first professional tournament and defended the title the following year at the Champions Club at Jurlington Creek, winning $15,225.

Among the players he defeated that day in 1999 were future PGA players Chad Campbell, Heath Slocum and Vaughn Taylor.

Blanton went to the PGA qualifying school twice and narrowly missed earning his card in 2000.

After winning the first stage in St. Marys in Georgia, Blanton went to the second stage in Houston and missed by a two shots.

“That kind of took the wind out of my sails,” he said.

It was during this time that Blanton worked closely with Abraham Baldwin College coach Wayne Cooper. Blanton credits Cooper with helping some through struggles in 1999 and 2000.

“He is very smart and has a lot of knowledge about the golf swing,” Blanton said of Cooper.

And in 2001, Blanton, now sponsored by Mark and Patrick Mobley, shad perhaps his best year.

He finished in the top 40 in 18 of 20 NGA Hooters Tour events, taking seven top-15 finishes and getting his third tour victory, while coming in ninth on the money list.

He also made the cut on PGA Tour’s BellSouth Classic that year, shooting an even-par 144 in Duluth.

But because the first day was moved back because of rain and because The Masters was the next weekend, the final day consisted of 36 holes and only the top 50 players plus ties – rather than the top 60 plus ties – made the new cut.

Blanton did not qualify for the final day’s play.

But in 2002, Blanton’s wife Rhonda was injured in a car crash and he soon changed focus.

“That kind of headed me in a different direction,” he said.

After playing professionally for eight years on the Buy.com and NGA-Hooters Tour, Blanton returned to amateur play.

“I wouldn’t trade those eight years for anything,” he said. “I have some trophies to show my kids and grandkids.

“But I wouldn’t want to go out and do it again now. I know how good those guys are out there.”

He still plays well, having won the Sunset club championship, the Ramsay Pidcock four times and has finished as the individual runner-up at the Pot o’ Gold Pro-am.

“I enjoy playing more now,” he said. “I don’t come off the course with a headache or a stomachache. Whether I won $50 or lost $50, I had fun doing it.”

And still enjoys playing with and against his old Packer teammate Chad Eunice in tournaments at Sunset Country Club.

For the last seven years, Blanton, now 39, has been working in sales with E-Z-Go Golf Carts and four years ago moved back to Moultrie.

Brothers Jason and Andy were both fine athletes and played collegiately at Valdosta State. Jason played tennis for the Blazers and Andy was an outstanding golfer.

Andy is currently an assistant club pro in Columbus.

“He’s one of my customer,” Kevin says.

Kevin and Rhonda have three children: Brenna, 10; Emma, 6; and Will, 4. They are members of First Presbyterian Church.