Savannah Quarters champ Kalbac hopes to put tourney on the map
The island 15th at Savannah Quarters
At a time when major amateur events are leaving the 2020 calendar, the
Savannah Quarters Invitational is hoping to fill the void and establish itself as the next big tournament for national-level competitive amateurs.
Joey Kalbac won the inaugural event last July. As the defending club champion at Savannah Quarters, Kalbac had plenty of pressure to defend the club from the non-members in the field.
“Everyone looked at me -- ‘are you going to represent the club and go out there and win it?’” Kalbac told AmateurGolf.com. “I almost didn’t but I did. It came down to the last couple of holes and I had to make a late charge but I was able to do it.”
Kalbac has high regard for the course as he would put the club’s four par threes against any other set of par threes in the region. Three of the four play near or over 200 yards from the championship tees with an iconic island green on No. 15 that plays 137 yards.
“It can make things very interesting down the stretch,” Kalbac said regarding No. 15.
As is typical for Greg Norman-designed courses, there are two driveable par-fours (No. 8 and No. 11) which play a touch over 310 yards from the tips. Both green complexes are heavily protected with bunkers to make for true risk-reward shots on the tee.
Kalbac, a Miami, Florida native, and accomplished junior golfer, turned down a golf scholarship at North Carolina’s Lamar College and went to the University of Alabama to pursue a degree in engineering. He now works as a mechanical engineer and while hitting the links on the weekends as he is recently married and has a child on the way.
He will be back to defend his title in July against a top field, hoping to go 2-for-2 and keep the trophy at home for another year.
ABOUT THE
NOTE: Tournament will not be held in 2022 but should
that change AG will post the new dates.
Started in 2019, the Savannah Quarters
Invitational is a 54-hole stroke play
championship drawing a national field. The host
venue was
designed by Greg Norman and managed by
Troon Golf. It was recently voted the “Best
Place to Play Golf
in Savannah” by Savannah Magazine. The
starting field of 120 will be
cut to the top 60 and ties for the Final Round of
play. WAGR and
Golfweek/AmateurGolf.com Rankings Points will
be awarded.
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