The winning team at the Billy Peters Cup (GSGA photo)
GREENSBORO, Ga. (Oct. 22, 2018) – The GSGA held on to earn a narrow victory at the Billy Peters Cup matches and defeated the Georgia PGA, 17-15. The 42nd playing of this competition took place at Harbor Club.
Entering Monday's singles matches, the GSGA team held a one-point advantage. Through strong, gritty play, the amateurs totaled the same number of points they did in day one, 8.5, which was enough to win the Billy Peters Cup.
The GSGA won seven matches and earned half-points in three others. Erik Martin, Bob Royak, Chris Hall, Doug Hanzel, David Noll, Jr., Stephen Behr and Keith Guest each beat their counterparts from the Georgia PGA. Nick Cassini, Rusty Mosley and Matthew Hayes each earned a half-point. In the end, it was Noll, a veteran of the Billy Peters Cup Matches, who clinched the final point for the overall victory.
It’s a seasoned bunch of competitors on the GSGA team. Behr is a former Clemson All-American who is fresh off medalist honors in his U.S. Mid-Amateur debut – and Erik Martin, a former N.C. State player, beat Behr to win the club championship at the Golf Club of Georgia. Hanzel won the 2013 U.S. Senior Amateur, and has been the AmateurGolf.com Senior Player of the Year for the past two years. Guest, a former professional who also played college golf for Augusta State.
Team GSGA started off strong on Day 1, taking a 5-3 lead after the morning four-ball matches. The GSGA's Guest and Rusty Mosley defeated J.P. Griffin and Ted Fort from the Georgia PGA, 1 up. Amateurs Hanzel, a 2019 inductee into the Georgia Golf Hall of Fame, earned a point with his partner Bob Royak over the pros and fellow Georgia Golf Hall of Famer James Mason and Craig Stevens, 3 and 1. Rick Cloninger and Chris Hall earned a GSGA point with a 6-and-5 win over Mark Anderson and Danny Elkins from the Georgia PGA. Behr and Martin from the GSGA defeated pros Justin Martin and Chris Cartwright, 4 and 3.
Two matches finished all square earning a half point for each team. The GSGA's Matthew Hayes and Nate Rau halved with the Georgia PGA's Brian Dixon and Tim Weinhart. Amateurs Billy Mitchell and Chris Waters halved with pros Bill Hassell and Gary Miller.
The afternoon format of foursomes saw Team GSGA earn 3.5 points to the Georgia PGA’s 4.5 The amateurs earned points from Guest and Mosley (4 and 3), Hanzel and Royak (2 and 1), Behr and Martin (4 and 3). The GSGA secured a crucial half point from Matthew Hayes and Nate Rau.
The field consisted of 32 total players with two teams of 16 chosen by selection committees from the GSGA and the Georgia PGA Section.
View results for Billy Peters Cup
ABOUT THE
Billy Peters Cup
Biennial competition between an amateur team
representing the Georgia State Golf Association
(GSGA) and a professional team representing
the Georgia PGA Section (GPGA).
Entries: Teams from the GSGA and Georgia
Section, PGA; players determined by recent
performance in association events
Field: 16-man teams, including four seniors.
GPGA team includes one touring professional.
Format: One round of four-ball matches and
one round of singles matches
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