Georgia Cup: Porteous tops Fitzpatrick
Garrick Porteous
ALPHARETTA, Ga. (April 2, 2014) – British Amateur Champion Garrick Porteous defeated United States Amateur Champion Matt Fitzpatrick 3 & 2 Wednesday in the 17th Annual Georgia Cup Match at The Golf Club of Georgia.
The victory by Porteous, 24, the former University of Tennessee player, gave the British Amateur Champions a 9-8 lead in the all-time series of The Georgia Cup, which was played in perfect spring weather on The Golf Club of Georgia’s Lakeside Course.
It was the first All-England match in the history of The Georgia Cup, which started in 1998 with U.S. Amateur Champion Matt Kuchar emerging as the inaugural champion.
After Fitzpatrick, of Sheffield, England, took a 2-up lead through three holes, Porteous won four straight holes on the front nine – three with birdies -- for a 2-up advantage and never trailed again in the match. Porteous was 4-up with four holes to play when Fitzpatrick managed a brief extension by holing out for eagle from 116 yards at the 401-yard, par-4 15th to cut it to 3-down, but the match ended on the 16th with halved bogeys.
Both players will compete next week in The Masters. Porteous, from Morpeth, England, is turning pro immediately after competing at Augusta National, but Fitzpatrick, 19, will remain an amateur and also play in the U.S. Open and British Open.
“The Georgia Cup was just a great experience,” Porteous said. “When you look up on the wall (in the clubhouse) and see all the people who have played in this event, it was just a fantastic opportunity. . . The course was set up fantastically. The greens were flawless. It was great preparation for next week.”
ABOUT THE
Georgia Cup
Established at The Golf Club of Georgia in 1998, The
Georgia Cup annually brings together the reigning
United States Amateur and British Amateur
Champion for an 18-hole match in advance of the
Masters.
Over the years, The Georgia Cup has grown from an
intimate Club event to a unique amateur
championship known on both sides of the Atlantic.
The event benefits the Yates Scholarships and the
Moncrief Turfgrass Scholarships of the GSGA
Foundation, as well as the Folds of Honor
Foundation.
The Georgia Cup presents a special opportunity for
galleries attending at The Golf Club of Georgia. In
the spirit and intimacy of the Walker Cup matches,
fans can walk with the players, unhindered by gallery
ropes, enjoying a unique perspective.
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