7/4/09 - Final Round Update
University of Georgia amateur golfer Brian Harman fires a final round 6-under-66 to capture The Dogwood Invitational at Druid Hills Golf Club in Atlanta. Harman finished at 18-under-par to beat former Georgia Bulldogs teammate Russell Henley by four strokes. Georgia Bulldogs golfer Adam Mitchell finished third two strokes back of Henley.
7/3/09 - Third Round Update
Georgia Bulldogs barking at The Dogwood
Four Georgia players are in the top positions going into the final round of the 43rd Dogwood Invitational at Druid Hills Golf Club. Brian Harman leads after 54 holes at twelve under par after a third round 64. One back at eleven under is Adam Mitchell who fired a 65. Russell Henley, the second round leader is in third, three back of Harman at nine under. Will Kropp is tied for fourth with Glenn Northcut, a recent graduate of Auburn. Drew Weaver from West Virginia, 2007 British Amateur Champion and 2009 US Open participant, had a 67 to get to eight under. 16 year old Oliver Schniederjans from Atlanta, Georgia an incoming Junior at Harrison High School is in the same bunch at eight under.
7/2/09 - Dogwood Round Two Recap
By Stan Awtrey
Russell Henley could take a big step toward putting himself into consideration for the U.S. Walker Cup team if he can close the deal at the Dogwood Invitational. The University of Georgia junior shot a second-round 68 Friday at Druid Hills Golf Club and holds a one-shot lead at the halfway point.
Henley, 20, is ranked No. 32 in Scratch Players World Golf Rankings. Henley opened with a 69 and stands at 7-under 137, one shot better than Alex Martin and two shots in front of Connor Arendell and Oliver Schniederjans. First-round leader Sihwan Kim shot a 72 to remain at 4-under, where he’s tied for fifth with J.T. Griffin, Brian Harman, Adam Mitchell and Jin Jeong.
Henley has had some success in the Dogwood. He tied for 10th in 2007 and tied for 15th in 2008. Henley is the reigning Georgia Amateur champion and a first-team college All-American.
Martin, a senior at Indiana, is playing in his first Dogwood. He shot a 65, the best round posted this week, that included eight birdies. He nearly scored a hole-in-one at No. 13.
“The greens are pure and the course is set up very well,” said Martin, 20, a native of Cincinnati.
Arendell, a sophomore at the University of Louisville who is playing in his second Dogwood, shot a 69. Schniederjans, a junior at Harrison High in Cobb County who is the reigning Georgia PGA Junior Champion, shot a 70. Both are tied at 5-under.
“The course is in great shape,” Arendell said. “I really like the tournament.”
The group tied for fifth is led by recent Georgia graduates Mitchell and Harman, who are also in contention to be named to the Walker Cup team. Mitchell, who was a semifinalist for the U.S. Amateur in 2008, shot a 71. Harman, the youngest player on the 2005 Walker Cup team, shot at 67 to put himself into consideration.
7/1/09 - Dogwood Invitational First Round Update
Kim Leads after first round of 2009 Dogwood
By Stan Awtrey
Sihwan Kim came a long way to play in the Dogwood Invitational for the first time. Seemed like a shame to waste the opportunity to introduce his game to the folks at the Druid Hills Golf Club.
So Kim, a junior at Stanford University, opened with a 4-under 68 under hot, windy conditions to take the first round lead at the Dogwood. Seven players finished one shot back, including reigning Georgia Amateur champion Russell Henley.
“I didn’t really do anything special,” Kim said. “I just kept the ball in play and didn’t miss many fairways. I tried for birdies on the par 5s and just played it safe on the rest.”
Kim said his best shot came on his final hole, No. 9. He belted a good drive to the right side of the fairway and stuck a 6 iron to within 15 feet. Kim confidently made the putt and posted the lead, which stood up all day.
“If conditions are the same (on Thursday) I’ll say with the same plan, but if the conditions are more normal I’ll try to be more aggressive.”
Kim, 20, who lives in Buena Park, Calif., brings impressive credentials to the Dogwood. He’s ranked No. 15 in the Scratch Player World Amateur Rankings and is fresh off a fifth-place finish at the Northeast Amateur in Rhode Island.
“I knew (the Dogwood) was a good tournament and I wanted to play,” Kim said. “Since I was out here for the Northeast it was much easier to fly down here and play.”
The seven players bunched together at 3-under include Henley, Adam Mitchell, J.T. Griffin, Brian Carter, Lee Palms, Oliver Schniederjans and Matt Stauch.
Henley reached match play at the British Amateur held last month in at the Formby Golf Club. Henley tied for 10th at the Dogwood last year and tied for 15th in 2007.
Mitchell recently completed his eligibility at Georgia and needs to play well to remain in contention for a coveted spot on the Walker Cup. Mitchell, who played on the 2008 and 2009 Palmer Cup teams, reached the semifinals for the 2008 U.S. Amateur. He tied for sixth at the Dogwood in 2006.
Carter, an Augusta native, will be a freshman this fall at Georgia.
Griffin is a junior from Georgia Tech, who helped the Yellow Jackets reach the NCAA playoffs this spring.
Palms, 40, is the reigning South Carolina Golf Association Player of the Year. He attended nearby Emory University and is in the insurance business.
Schniederjans, 16, is on the other end of the age spectrum from Palms. The junior from Harrison High is the reigning Georgia PGA Junior Champion and has qualified for the U.S. Junior Am.
Stauch, a native of Dublin, Ohio, is a senior at Florida Southern who was named to the Div. II All-American team.
Two playing positions added to the 2009 Qualifier
The Dogwood Tournament Committee added two positions to the qualifier entries increasing from 8 to 10. There will continue to be 4 alternates.
Georgia State Golf Association writes about The Dogwood
In the "Golf Georgia" May/June issue Stan Awtrey recognizes The Dogwood Invitational as a top invitational tournament in Georgia, pages 28-29...
moreWalker Cup year sets high expectations for 2009 Dogwood field
With the top players positioning to be named to the US Walker Cup team, the 2009 Dogwood Invitational looks forward to having a stellar field of players participating. Being selected as a team member is a primary goal of many elite players coming to play in this years Dogwood. Walker Cup team captain Buddy Marucci is expected to be in Atlanta for the tournament to watch his prospective players compete.
36 hole cut in place for 2009
There will be a 36 hole cut to the low 40 players and ties for 2009. In prior years there had been a 54 hole cut, but with the July 4th holiday falling during tournament week, Tournament organizers have opted to cut the field at 36. The first two rounds will be off split tees in threesomes, and the final two rounds will play off the first tee in twosomes.
Senior Division postponed for 2009
Dogwood Tournament Committee officials announced the postponement of the Senior Division, which has been held the past four years in conjunction with the Dogwood amateur and mid amateur divisions. The Dogwood Tournament Committee elected to have fewer players in the total field and focus on the amateur and mid amateur divisions for 2009.
