Golf's unique ability to bring generations together will be on full display when the Georgia Amateur Match Play Championship resumes Wednesday morning with its semifinal matches. Among the four players still standing is 65-year-old Bob Royak of Alpharetta, whose inspiring run has become one of the tournament's defining stories.
Royak advanced through Tuesday's Round of 16 and quarterfinals to earn a place in the semifinals, where he will face Reinhardt University sophomore Griffin Latimer of Canton, who is no older than 20. Nearly 45 years separate the two competitors, yet each is just two victories away from claiming the championship.
While Royak's longevity is remarkable, his place in the final four should come as no surprise to anyone who follows the amateur game. Earlier this year, he won The Huddleston at the challenging Maridoe GC in Texas. And he also won the 2025 Reynolds Senior and Crump Cup, the latter at Pine Valley. If you can win at Pine Valley, you can win anywhere.
Royak has a USGA championship under his belt - the 2019 U.S. Senior Amateur. That's not a bad conversation starter in match play on the first tee!
The other semifinal features Mitch Kim of Cumming against Gates Glanton of Fortson. Kim reached the semifinals with victories over Matthew Calhoun and Vladimir Parker, while Glanton survived a 19-hole Round of 16 match against Thomas Kowal before defeating Jon Orchin in the quarterfinals.
Latimer's path included victories over Ryan Wilkins and Pierce Adamson, while Royak defeated Pride Dyer before advancing past Patrick Delaney to set up one of the most compelling semifinal pairings in recent memory. Regardless of Wednesday's outcome, Royak's run serves as another reminder of what makes amateur golf special: on any given day, experience can still stand toe-to-toe with youth, and sometimes come out on top.
