2019 Team Alabama

HOOVER, AL (October 2, 2019) - The 17^th edition of the Men’s Southeastern Challenge Match will take place at Kinderlou Forest Golf Club in Valdosta, GA on October 20-21.  Event features 12-man teams representing Alabama, Florida and Georgia. Each team consists of seven mid-amateurs (age 25+), one regular amateur (age 21+) and four senior amateurs (age 50+) selected by their state golf association.

Format

Southeastern Challenge Match format consists of four-ball, foursomes (alternate shot), and three-ball matches (A vs B, B vs C, C vs A). Each match is worth one point with a half point awarded for halved matches.

Event History

The Men’s Southeastern Challenge Match debuted in 1989 as an event intended to promote goodwill and competition between the best amateur players, playing as a team, from Alabama, Florida and Georgia. The event is played biannually with men competing in odd-numbered years and women in even numbered years.

• Past Winners: Florida has won eight matches, Georgia with seven victories and Alabama with one win. Alabama’s sole victory came in 1991 at The Country Club of Birmingham.
• Lake Nona Golf Club in Orlando, FL hosted the first Challenge Match in 1989 where Florida defeated Georgia and Alabama with total scores of 32, 21 and 18.5, respectively.
• 2017 match was played at The Bear’s Club in Jupiter, FL with Georgia earning 24 total points over Florida’s 21 and Alabama’s 18. 

Year     Winner

2017    Georgia

2015    Florida

2013    Florida

2012    No Matches

2010    Florida

2008    Georgia 

2006    Georgia

2004    Georgia

2002    Georgia

2000    Georgia

1998    Florida

1997    No Matches

1996    Florida

1995    Florida

1994    Florida

1993    No Matches

1992    No Matches

1991    Alabama

1990    Georgia

1989    Florida

 

2019 Alabama Men’s Southeastern Challenge Match Team Members

Regular Team

• Woodie Eubanks (44, Oneonta) is currently the 8th ranked men’s amateur in Alabama.  Finished second at the 2019 Alabama State Mid-Amateur Championship and was a member of the 2016 USGA Men’s State Team from Alabama. Eubanks is a two-time AGA State Champion.
• Jackson King (30, Hoover) is currently the 12th ranked men’s amateur in Alabama.  Finished T11 at the 2019 Alabama State Mid-Amateur Championship, T13 at the 2019 Alabama State Amateur Championship and was a Quarterfinalist at the 2019 State Match Play Championship. 
• Victor Kyatt III (43, Birmingham) is currently the 3rd ranked men’s amateur in Alabama. Won the 2019 Alabama State Mid-Amateur Championship and the 2019 Alabama State Mixed-Team Championship. Kyatt is a three-time AGA State Champion.
• James Medley (23, Hoover) is currently the 13th ranked men’s amateur in Alabama. Finished T5 at the 2019 Alabama State Amateur Championship and advanced to the Round of 16 at the 2019 Alabama State Match Play Championship.
• James Salter (31, Auburn) is currently tied as the 20th ranked men’s amateur in Alabama. Finished 4^th at the 2019 Alabama State Mid-Amateur Championship. Competed at the 2016 U.S. Amateur Four-Ball Championship at Winged Foot.
• Will Swift (41, Vestavia Hills) is currently the 17th ranked men’s amateur in Alabama. Won the 2002 and 2005 State Amateur Championship and won back-to-back State Four-Ball Championships with Clay Guerin. Swift is a seven-time AGA State Champion.
• Josh Upton (39, Maylene) is currently tied as the 20th ranked men’s amateur in Alabama. Finished T7 at the 2019 Alabama State Mid-Amateur Championship and finished second at the 2019 Southeast Mid-Amateur Four-Ball Championship.
• Stewart Whitt (35, Athens) is currently the 4th ranked men’s amateur in Alabama. Won the 2017 and 2018 Alabama State Mid-Amateur Championships. Semifinalist at the 2019 Alabama State Match Play Championship and finished T8 at the Alabama State Amateur Championship.

Senior Team

• Walker Grant (57, Montgomery) is currently the 3rd ranked men’s senior amateur in Alabama. Finished T7 at the 2019 Alabama State Senior Championship. Grant has won two AGA Championships.
• Joey Holley (59, Troy) is currently the 5th ranked men’s senior amateur in Alabama. Finished T7 at the 2019 Alabama State Senior Championship. Holley is a three-time AGA Champion.
• Richard Jeffers (64, Mobile) is currently the 2nd ranked men’s senior amateur in Alabama. Finished second at the 2019 Alabama State Senior Championship. Jeffers won the 1997 Alabama State Amateur Championship and is a six-time AGA State Champion.
• Robert Nelson (59, Fairhope) is currently the number one ranked men’s senior amateur in Alabama. Nelson won the 2017, and 2019 State Senior Championship and has won seven total AGA Championships. Nelson captured his first title at the 1978 Alabama State Junior Championship.

Schedule of Events

Sunday, October 20

Morning four-ball matches and afternoon foursomes (alternate shot) matches 

Monday, October 21

Three-ball matches where each player will compete in two separate singles matches against the other states concurrently.

Daily scoring updates will be posted on the AGA website at www.alabamagolf.org.

This event is co-conducted by the Alabama Golf Association, Florida State Golf Association and Georgia State Golf Association.

About the Alabama Golf Association (AGA) The Alabama Golf Association is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit educational organization founded in 1915 whose mission is to serve and promote amateur golf in Alabama. AGA membership consists of over 130 member clubs represented by over 19,000 individuals. The activities and services of the Alabama Golf Association are governed by a Board of Directors consisting of Alabama golfers who wish to serve the game and the association through service. AGA is the USGA's liaison for golf in Alabama conducting national championship qualifying, administering the USGA Handicap system including the GHIN Handicap service, course & slope rating and education. The AGA annually conducts 20 championships and team match competitions for men, women, juniors, and seniors. The AGA also conducts Alabama high school golf championships and assists with many collegiate events including the SEC Men's Golf Championship. In addition to competitions, the AGA administers the AGA Women's Scholarship Fund that is dedicated to assisting young female golfers in higher education and supports the Alabama Turfgrass Research Foundation. Since 1980, the AGA has managed the affairs of the Southern Golf Association which includes conducting the Southern Amateur Championship and Southern Junior Championship, in conjunction with the Board of Directors of the Southern Golf Association. For more information about the Alabama Golf Association, visit www.alabamagolf.org.