Brookstone Country Club MONDAY

The Atlanta Amateur Players Tour returned to Brookstone Golf & Country Club on Monday, November 2nd in Acworth, Georgia, for one of the premier Atlanta amateur golf tournaments on the fall calendar. A field of 39 players competed across five divisions, with the Mid-Am Net and Senior Net games running alongside. Players are flighted into divisions based on their APT Tournament Index.

Brookstone, a par 72, did its best work on and around the putting surfaces. The greens were lightning hard and fast, putting a premium on controlling the ball into them, and with fall in full bloom the leaves on the ground spent the afternoon hiding golf balls that looked perfectly well struck from the tee.

In Division 1, Jeremy Hudson of Acworth, Georgia posted a 2-over 74 for the low round of the day and a four-shot win. He was never headed, going out in 1-over 37 and coming home in 1-over 37 with three birdies and ten pars on the card. One of those birdies came at the par-4 14th, the hardest hole on the course on the day — it played better than a shot and a half over par and surrendered exactly one birdie all afternoon, and Hudson had it. Erik Benson of Atlanta was only a stroke back after six and still in it at the turn before Hudson pulled away, and Benson took runner-up honors with a 6-over 78, turning in 4-over 40 and coming back in 2-over 38 with birdies at the par-4 6th and the par-5 7th. Adam Yarbrough of Kingston, Georgia was third at 9-over 81.

Division 2 went to a visitor. Charles Long, in from the Augusta chapter and playing out of Monticello, Georgia, matched 3-over 39s on both nines for a 6-over 78 and a six-stroke victory. He made three birdies — at the par-5 3rd, the par-5 7th and the par-4 11th, the most generous hole on the property, which gave up five birdies on the day. Paul Howard Jr of Austell, Georgia finished in 2nd to round out the money positions, having been three adrift at the end of the first six. Dean Crouch of Kennesaw and Luke Maggart of Cumming shared third at 14-over 86.

Division 3 was the tightest race on the property for fifteen holes. Jeff Morris, visiting from the East Tennessee chapter and based in Hixson, Tennessee, was level with Sidney Divine after six and actually trailed Alan Campbell by one at that stage. Through fifteen, Divine and Campbell were each still within a single shot. Morris answered where it mattered most, birdieing the par-4 17th on the way to a 10-over 82 and a four-shot win, with 5-over 41s on each nine. Divine, of Atlanta, was second at 14-over 86, while Campbell of Dallas, Georgia and Steven Smith of Fayetteville tied for third at 15-over 87.

Gary Barth of Cumming, Georgia had the busiest day of anyone in the field, and it started in Division 4. Paul Kattookaran of Marietta led him by a shot after six holes, but Barth was three clear by the twelfth and four up with three to play, and his 15-over 87 — built on nine pars — held for a three-stroke win. Kattookaran was second at 18-over 90 after turning in 6-over 42. Tyler Hahn, in from the Nashville chapter and playing out of Smyrna, Tennessee, finished in 3rd.

Division 5 came down to a single stroke, with three players finishing within two of one another. Tyler Reily of Dallas, Georgia led after six, lost the advantage in the middle of the round — Jake Reily was three to the good through fifteen — and found it again over the closing holes for a 26-over 98 and the win. Richard Kemp, also of Dallas, Georgia, was two back with three to play and took second at 27-over 99, with Jake Reily third at 28-over 100.

The Mid-Am Net produced another lead change. Divine was three better than Howard after six holes and the two were dead level after twelve, but Howard was in front by one at the fifteenth and closed it out at net 3-over 75, two clear of Divine’s net 5-over 77. Maggart was third at net 6-over 78. Howard completed the double-dip with his runner-up finish in Division 2.

The Senior Net went the other way entirely. Long was six strokes to the good of Barth through fifteen holes, but Barth finished strongest of anyone in the game, signing for net 1-under 71 to win by one. Long settled for net even-par 72 — his second result of the day on top of the Division 2 title — and Smith was third at net 1-over 73. The win gave Barth the outright double, taking both Division 4 and the Senior Net.

Next up in the Atlanta chapter — a trip to Flat Creek Club’s Homestead/Old Mill on Sunday, November 8th. Space is limited and registration closes November 5th. Whitewater Creek Country Club follows on Sunday, November 15th, with registration closing November 9th.