Jake Peacock recovers from slow start to win Georgia Amateur Championship
Jake Peacock (Georgia State G.A. photo)
Jake Peacock of Milton, Ga., was the leader heading into the final round of the 102nd Georgia Amateur Championship.
However, after starting 1 under through his first four holes in the round, he went bogey-bogey-double bogey on holes No. 5, 6 and 7 and saw his two-shot lead quickly turn into a two-shot deficit.
“And he made a 20-footer to save double-bogey,” said caddie Shaun “Tubbs” Cook to Stan Awtrey of the Atlanta Journal Constitution. “At that point you’re looking for something positive to take away.”
Peacock found the positive, not letting that stretch of golf end his tournament and shotting a 32 on the back nine with birdies on holes No. 11, 12, 14 and 15 to win the tournament by one shot. Peacock finshied 6 under par while John Daniel Culbreth of Thomasville, Ga., finshed in solo second place at 5 under par. Connor Macmillan of Canton, Ga., finished at 3 under par and in solo third place.
“Obviously, I didn’t have my best stuff at the time,” Peacock told Awtrey. “But I knew there was a long way to go and I was only two shots behind. I didn’t really do anything different, I just tried to reset and start with a blank slate from here on until the 18th and now here I am.”
The South Florida rising junior rode a hot putter on the back nine, making four birdies and two-putting in difficult conditions on No. 17 and 18 from 35 feet to secure the win after Culbreth put his second shot on No. 18 into the greenside bunker and could not hole out to tie.
Peacock, who tied for 11th at the 2022 Georgia Amateur, brought plenty of confidence into the week after finishing second at the Magnolia Amateur in Hattiesburg, Miss.
“I knew my game was really, really close and I just continued to put trust in the work I’ve done," Peacock told Awtrey.
ABOUT THE Georgia Amateur
A field of 144 of the state's best will compete
over 72 holes of stroke play with the field cut to
the low 70 and ties after 36 holes.
Open to male amateur golfers; non-exempt
players enter
through one of 11 statewide qualifiers
View Complete Tournament Information