SOUTHERN JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIP
2000

Alpharetta, Ga. - Bell Hangs on to Capture Southern Junior

Jeff Bell of Plano, Texas held off a third round charge by Lance Goodson of Birmingham, Alabama to win the 28th Southern Junior Championship by a single stroke.

Over the period June 13-15, 2000, mother nature and Crooked Creek Golf Club in Alpharetta, Georgia provided both beauty and splendid conditions for the 130 plus competitors, and they did not disappoint.

Playing in the younger age division, but playing the same tees, young Brent Witcher of Duluth, Georgia posted the low round of the first day, a three under 69, to take the initial lead. The final number doesn’t tell the whole story, however, as Witcher took a quadruple bogey 8 on the final hole.

Lurking close behind was Luke List of Jasper, Georgia, who came in with a two under 70. Six players were at one under 71.

The second day of play saw the eventual champion, Bell, blitz the field with a six under 66 and lead by two at the end of the day. Close on his heels was Luke List, who put a three under 69 with his opening 70. Witcher fell off the pace a little, posting a 73 and putting him at 142 with four others: Rhett Lewis of Douglas, Georgia, Chris Elliott, Bell’s neighbor in Plano, Lance Goodson of Birmingham, and Adam Swope of Zephyrhills, Florida.

Goodson started the final day five shots off the lead, but by the time the players were coming to the 18th hole, the lead had shrunk to a single stroke. Goodson, playing in the group just ahead of Bell, two putted the par 5 for a birdie to put the heat on Bell. Bell, however, was up to the challenge as he also reached the green in two strokes and two putted for a matching birdie and the one shot victory. I

In the younger age division, Witcher, who started the day with a four shot lead in his division, matched the even par round of 72 by Robert Castro of Alpharetta, Georgia and finished where he started at two under 214., a score that would have tied him for third place in the older division.

A total of 128 players, representing 12 states, took part in the championship and all were totally impressed with the golf course and facilities of Crooked Creek and the hospitality shown by the staff. Participation breaks down as follows:

Alabama	22	Kentucky	3	South Carolina	1
Arkansas	5	Louisiana	1	Tennessee	21
Florida	13	Mississippi	2	Texas	6
Georgia	46	North Carolina	7	Virginia	1

Leading scorers in the two age groups:
13-14 Age Division Scores
Brent Witcher, Duluth, Ga.	69-73-72--214
Roberto Castro, Alpharetta, Ga.	72-74-72--218
Joshua Chong, Tucker, Ga.	81-75-72--228
Brett Lange, Atlanta, Ga.	76-75-77--228
Glenn Northcutt, Dothan, Ala.	78-73-78--229
Trent Leon, Dallas, Texas	76-80-77--233
Evan Willingham, Raleigh, N.C.	79-72-82--233
Patton Kizzire, Tuscaloosa, Ala.	83-78-74--235
Tyler Brown, Ponte Vedra Bch, Fla.	80-76-81--237
Collin O'Berry, Alpharetta, Ga.	77-82-80--239
Kaylor Timmons, Fort Payne, Ala.	79-80-82--241
Trey Denton, Canton, Miss.	81-83-79--243
Bo Farlow, Birmingham, Ala.	84-77-82--243
James Brannen, Clarksville, Tenn.	80-82-82--244
Philip Lee, Maryville, Tenn.	80-85-80--245
Brent Struthers, Baton Rouge, La.	85-82-83--250
James Clement, Mobile, Ala.	81-84-86--251
Wallace Palmer, Augusta, Ga.	83-82-90--255
Will Mitchell, Atlanta, Ga.	85-84-87--256
Matt McKnight, Augusta, Ga.	83-86-87--256
Grant Rafield, Birmingham, Ala.	89-84-87--260
15-17 Age Division Scores
Jeff Bell, Plano, Texas	71-66-71--208
Lance Goodson, Birmingham, Ala.	71-71-67--209
Derek Abel, Plano, Texas	73-71-70--214
Chris Elliott, Plano, Texas	73-69-73--215
Rhett Lewis, Douglas, Ga.	74-68-74--216
Luke List, Jasper, Ga.	70-69-77--216
Butler Melnyk, Jacksonville, Fla.	71-74-72--217
Adam Swope, Zephyrhills, Fla.	70-72-76--218
Andrew Medley, Athens, Ala.	74-75-70--219
Reid Waller, Athens, Ga.	74-75-70--219
Patrick Phillips, Athens, Ga.	73-74-74--221
West Streib, Atlanta, Ga.	73-73-75--221
Heath West, Dothan, Ala.	72-74-76--222
Ross Freeman, Garland, Texas	78-70-74--222
Ryan Greer, Knoxville, Tenn.	75-74-74--223
Tyler Leon, Dallas, Texas	76-75-73--224
John Brannen, Clarksville, Tenn.	75-78-71--224
Thomas Eller, Raleigh, N.C.	74-69-81--224
James Hodges, St. Simons Isl, Ga.	81-75-69--225
Pat Patterson, Sea Island, Ga.	77-78-70--225
Clint Cromwell, Savannah, Tenn.	76-75-74--225
Barry Londeree, Staunton, Va.	74-74-77--225
Ryan Blaum, Miami, Fla.	80-69-76--225
Bruner Binion, Mobile, Ala.	71-80-74--225
Christopher Gran, St. Simons Isl, Ga.	72-76-77--225
Nathan Turner, Birmingham, Ala.	73-71-81--225
Miles Honeycutt, Greenville, N.C.	77-74-75--226
Mac Lee, Brandon, Miss.	75-75-76--226
David Jeans, Florence, Ala.	71-74-81--226
Ashley Loyd, Acworth, Ga.	72-74-80--226
Bill Dukes, Orlando, Fla.	74-77-76--227
Walker Jamison, Atlanta, Ga.	71-79-77--227
Michael Daniels, Decatur, Ala.	83-70-75--228
Dustin Howard, Douglas, Ga.	76-76-76--228
Mark Donnell, Mobile, Ala.	72-79-77--228
Nathan Brown, Alpharetta, Ga.	76-77-76--229
Patrick Sullivan, Maumelle, Ark.	80-75-75--230
Matt Dugger, Madisonville, Ky.	76-74-80--230
Joe Morton, Waycross, Ga.	75-74-81--230
Drew Laning, Little Rock, Ark.	78-77-75--230
Will Cox, Paducah, Ky.	72-81-78--231
Justin Carter, Signal Mountain, Tenn.	78-74-80--232
Michael Himebaugh, Palm City, Fla.	81-73-79--233
Matt Genchi, Jupiter, Fla.	79-78-76--233
Marc E Schwarzberg, Boca Raton, Fla.	80-79-74--233
Tommy Suri, Miami, Fla.	75-79-79--233
Lake Lasseter, Tuscaloosa, Ala.	76-79-78--233
Scott Murray, Jacksonville, Fla.	78-77-78--233
Matthew Mincer, Lenoir City, Tenn.	76-79-79--234
Aaron Yarmuth, Harrods Creek, Ky.	78-77-79--234
Chase Deck, Ringgold, Ga.	79-79-76--234
Beau Bray, Dalton, Ga.	86-76-73--235
Graham McDaniel, Signal Mountain, Tenn.	77-83-76--236
Zack Phillips, Johnson City, Tenn.	80-81-75--236
Josh Nelms, Hixson, Tenn.	76-81-79--236
Jake Dreher, Birmingham, Ala.	77-85-75--237
Sung Back, Rossville, Ga.	84-80-73--237
Sam Audia, Huntsville, Ala.	87-76-74--237
Sasha Catron, Greeneville, Tenn.	81-80-76--237
Joe Peters, Watkinsville, Ga.	82-76-79--237
Sutton Barbrey, Raleigh, N.C.	77-88-73--238
Ben McClung, Ponte Vedra Bch, Fla.	73-81-84--238
Silas Sutton, Cartersville, Ga.	78-84-77--239
Whit Howard, Raleigh, N.C.	82-81-76--239
Josh Coley, Ooltewah, Tenn.	80-81-78--239
Josh Hackler, Myrtle Beach, S.C.	84-77-78--239
Charles Kozel, Alpharetta, Ga.	75-78-88--241
Blake Perry, Raleigh, N.C.	77-78-86--241
Nathan Hellwege, Bonaire, Ga.	78-84-79--241

An integral part of the Southern Junior, as well as the Southern Amateur, is recognition of the state that has four players post 36 hole combined scores that are lower than the best four players' combined score from any other state, and this constitutes the State Team Championship. The 2000 state team winner was Georgia with a team total of 569, represented by the following players:

Luke List, Jasper	139		Rhett Lewis, Douglas	142
Brent Witcher, Duluth	142		Robert Castro, Alpharetta	146