Pinehurst, North Carolina-Len Mattiace of Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida emerged as the winner of the 79th Annual Southern Amateur Championship, but only after a "sudden-death" playoff with John Trivison of Hilton Head, South Carolina. Both players had completed the 72 holes of tournament play tied at 292. Mettiace won the third hole in the playoff and thus earned the crown as 1985 Southern Amateur Champion.

Mattiace returned scores of 69-74-75-74-292 on the demanding Dogwood course at the Country Club of North Carolina. Trivison's scores were 70-72-74-76-292. Third place was shared by two players, Mitchell Perry of Spring Lake, North Carolina and Darren Cole of University, Mississippi. Perry had rounds of 74-7171-77 and Cole's rounds were 70-73-77-73.

Fifth place was also shared by two players. Doug Farr of Monroe, Louisiana and Jay Sigel of Berwyn, Pennsylvania at 294. Farr recorded rounds of 70-72-76-76 and Sigel's rounds were 7172-73-78. Lee Janzen of Lakeland, Florida and Doug Lucci of Verona, New Jersey (a member of the Duke University golf team) tied for seventh place with scores of 295.

Larry White of Chattanooga, Tennessee finished in ninth place with a total score of 296. Tenth place was a tie between three players, each with scores of 297. These were Scott Dunlap of Sarasota, Florida; David Apperson of Memphis, Tennessee and Titus Harris of Houston, Texas.

Mattiace started the tournament with a fine opening round 69 that gave him a one shot advantage over the field. His second round 74 for a total of 143, one under par at the conclusion of 36 holes of play, kept him in the chase and only 1 shot out of the lead. However, a balky putter was the principal reason for his third round 75 that left him 2 strokes behind the three leading players at that point.

There was hardly a murmur of Len Mattiace's name most of the day during the last round as John Trivison, Mitchell Perry and Jay Sigel busily battled in the final group of players on the par 72, 7,032 yard Dogwood Course at the Country Club of North Carolina.

But the bogies fell and the putts didn't and Mattiace's finishing score of 292, 74 for the day, became the score to beat as the final group approached the 18th green. Mattiace had finished 30 minutes earlier, hoping the four-foot putt he made for birdie on 18 would put him in perhaps second or third place. It did better than that - it wound up leaving him tied for the 72 hole route with Trivison who had a 76 for the day.

The two went on to a "sudden-death" playoff which Mattiace won on the par 3 third hole when Trivison's 6-iron shot went into the water behind the green. Both players had two-putted for par on the first playoff hole, then Trivison got up and down from the bunker to split the second hole. But his 6-iron proved to be too much on number 3.

Sigel had ended his challenge early, starting his final round with three bogies, on a day when all scores ballooned. The best effort in the field was a par 72 by defending champion Scott Dunlap, but he began the day far off the pace.

Mattiace has the unique distinction of being the second youngest person ever to win the Southern Amateur Championship. The youngest winner was Robert T. (Bobby) Jones, Jr. who was 15 when he won his first Southern Amateur Championship in 1917.

Len Mattiace, a 17 year old Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida native will enter Wake Forest University in the fall of 1985, and it is predicted that he will have an outstanding golf career, and he will make his mark in the amateur golf circles over the next several years.

The Sam Perry Medalist trophy was won by John Trivison. Although he and Doug Farr were tied at the completion of the first 36 holes, which is used to determine the medalist, Trivison won in the third round playoff against Farr.

The Bob Jones Trophy, awarded annually to the low team of four players from the same state, based on the first 36 holes of tournament play, was won by Florida for the second year in a row. Their team score was 583 based on the performance of Len Mattiace, Ponte Vedra Beach (143); Lee Janzen, Lakeland (144); Scott Dunlap, Sarasota (148); and Billy Varn, Jacksonville (148).

The Dogwood Course, Country Club of North Carolina, is truly a magnificent test of golf. It has served as the site of several prestigious events including the U. S. Amateur Championship. There is no question why it is rated by golf experts and golf panels as one of the outstanding golf courses in the United States. The cooperation and assistance given by Buck Adams, Golf Professional; George Thompson, Golf Course Superintendent; and Jim Horne, Club Manager - and their respective staffs - was outstanding and contributed immeasurably to the tremendous success of the 79th Southern Golf Amateur Championship.