VILLA RICA, Ga (Sept. 14, 2008) – First-round leader Matt Corbitt of Macon fought off two competitors over five playoff holes to capture victory at the 20th annual Georgia Public Links Championship, which took place at The Frog Golf Club at The Georgian, September 13-14. Corbitt combined a final-round 72 with a Public Links-record 65 in the opening round en route to forcing a playoff with Ryan Wilson of Pooler and Mark Whisenant of Douglasville.

“I’m just glad it’s over,” Corbitt joked after securing the win. “I really had some opportunities out there that I just did not take advantage of and [Wilson] is just such great player and great guy. I really feel good about coming away with the win.”

Corbitt claimed victory on the fifth playoff hole. After Corbitt had driven his tee shot into the fairway, Wilson pulled his shot right and into the trees. Forced to punch out and chip onto the green, Wilson failed to connect on a ten-foot par putt and settled for bogey. Corbitt made par and took the title. Whisenant, who birdied the par-5 18th hole to put himself in the playoff with Corbitt and Wilson, posted bogey on the first playoff hole to finish third.

Cason Hammock of Columbus posted a final-round 69 to place fourth overall at 141. Canton’s Randy White, a 17-year old senior at Woodstock High School, carded rounds of 70 and 72 to finish alone in fifth position at even-par 142. Defending champion Brent Sizemore of Calhoun fired a final-round 69 to climb into a tie for sixth place with Mableton’s Mark Lyons. Three players – Anders Albertson of Woodstock, Brock Kaufman of Powder Springs and Roswell’s Billy Mitchell – all tied for eighth at 145.

Corbitt, a former professional who regained his amateur status earlier this year, entered the day with a one-stroke lead over Whisenant and held a three-stroke advantage on Wilson. He found trouble early in the day with bogeys at Nos. 2 and 4 but battled back with a birdie at the 191-yard eighth hole to make the turn at one-over 36. Wilson, meanwhile, carded two birdies along with seven pars on the front nine and was able to close the gap. Whisenant, like Corbitt, made the turn at one-over par.

While his fellow competitors made steady pars over the opening four holes of the inward nine, Corbitt pulled ahead with back-to-back birdies at 12 and 13. Corbitt could not hold onto that lead, however, as he followed with bogeys at 14 and 16.

“After I hit my shot in the hazard on 16,” Corbitt said. “I thought that I was going to let this thing slip away. I tried to stay focused though and got a couple of pars when I had to.”

Wilson, who had made birdie at 15 and pulled ahead by a stroke after Corbitt’s miscues on 16, flew the green on 17 and was forced to play out of the creek, where he settled for bogey. Wilson and Corbitt both made par on 18 for a 137 total. Whisenant, a member at The Frog Golf Club, posted eight straight pars before carding birdie on the final hole to make it a three-way playoff.

In the first flight, Walker Hill of Lawrenceville took top honors at 150. Atlanta’s Justin Sanders won the second flight with a two-day total of 153. Michael Richardson of Smyrna topped the third flight at 149. Tony Beard of Duluth won the fourth flight at 151; while Jacques Lamothe of Lilburn pulled away from the rest of the fifth flight to win with a 157. Byron’s Keli Smith took sixth flight honors with a 162.

The par-71 layout played to 6,719 yards for the championship through fifth flights and 6,307 yards for the sixth flight. Only the players competing in the championship through fifth flights were eligible for the overall title.

The field of 144 golfers was determined by the low 72 entries plus another 72 drawn by lottery. The low 72 comprise the championship flight, and the remainder of the field is divided among six flights. Entrants must not have held privileges since January 1, 2008, at any club that does not extend playing privileges to the general public.

--Courtesy GSGA