Last week we witnessed professional golf played with the heart of an amateur. We watched Tiger Woods and Rocco Mediate battle head to head for the US Open title – not just for the money.
Tiger limped his way around Torrey Pines, stalking a 14th major title while dealing with his badly damaged left knee. We saw Rocco take an early lead, then fall three shots behind the greatest player on the planet only to fight back and take another lead before falling just short on the 19th hole – the whole day, Rocco’s smile never faded.
They battled each other with the heart and determination usually expected from amateur players who only have the prestige of a title as their prize.
TOP AMATEURS
The legacy of the amateur is still alive and well here in Georgia – not just in the memories of the great Bobby Jones, or Atlanta golfing family traditions like the Yates family. This week is The Dogwood Invitational – one of the top 10 amateur titles in America. It will be played at the Druid Hills Country Club. The inaugural Dogwood Invitational was won by Tommy Barnes in 1941, followed by Dan Yates Sr. The tournament continued with champions like seven-time winner Gene Dahlbender Jr, and Tommy Barnes, who won the title a total of five times. The great Arnold Blum, who won the Georgia State Am five times and played in five Masters, won the Dogwood in 1950.
The Dogwood was shelved between 1973 and 1993, when Allen Doyle added The Dogwood to his long list of amateur titles. Several Dogwood Invitational titleholders have gone on to play professionally, like Doyle, Andrew Buckle, and BJ Staten.
The course at Druid Hills Country Club was designed by H.H. Barker and opened in 1912. It has been home to some of Atlanta’s great families like the Candlers, Woodruffs, Grants and Inmans. (Yes, the parks are all named after them). The layout rolls with the East Atlanta hills and can be a real test of accuracy, with tree-lined fairways and winding streams to gobble up wayward golf shots.
The Dogwood is free to attend, but sponsors of the tournament contribute funds to Atlanta Junior Golf (AtlantaJuniorGolf.org) and the Wayne Reynolds Scholarship Foundation (ReynoldsScholarship.org), which provides college scholarship funds for junior golfers.
Tournament rounds for The Dogwood Invitational start on Wednesday at 8 a.m. and continue through Saturday. Players will compete in the Amateur, Mid-Amateur, and Senior divisions. Several golfers from UGA and Georgia Tech are in the field, along with collegians from Clemson, Alabama, UNLV, Auburn and many other top university teams. Georgia Amateur titleholders from the last several years will also be playing. Druid Hills Country Club is located off of Ponce de Leon at Clifton Rd, very close to the Fernbank Science Museum. Further information is available online at www.TheDogwood.com.
Capps can be reached at onthegreen@scoreatl.com.
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