PREVIEW: The prestigious Georgia Cup returns on Sunday

05 Apr 2024
by Justin Golba of AmateurGolf.com
see also: Georgia Cup, The Golf Club Of Georgia - Lakeside Course, Christo Lamprecht Rankings
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Nick Dunlap and Christo Lamprecht (Georgia Cup Photo)

The 27th Annual Georgia Cup Match is set for Sunday, April 7th, on the Lakeside Course at The Golf Club of Georgia. Reigning U.S. Amateur Champion Nick Dunlap will go head-to-head with reigning British Amateur Champion Christo Lamprecht in an 18-hole match before the pair head to Augusta for their first appearance in the Masters.

Dunlap took the golf world by storm earlier this year, following up his win at the 123rd U.S. Amateur Championship last summer with a win at The American Express in January, making him the first amateur to win a PGA Tour event since Phil Mickelson in 1991. Soon after, Dunlap officially relinquished his amateur status and will be the first Georgia Cup competitor in the event’s 27-year history to compete in the event as a professional.

His opposition, South Africa’s Christo Lamprecht, won the 128th British Amateur Championship last summer and has seen nothing but success since. As a senior for the Georgia Tech Yellowjackets he has continued to be a mainstay at the top of the amateur and collegiate ranks and recently moved to No. 1 in both the World Amateur Golf Rankings and PGA Tour University rankings.

Lamprecht is ranked No. 4 in the Golfweek/AmateurGolf.com World Rankings.

Last time

The 26th Annual Georgia Cup Match was held on the Lakeside Course on Sunday, March 26th. Reigning U.S. Amateur Champion, Sam Bennett competed against reigning British Amateur Champion Aldrich Potgieter in a head-to-head match. After an early weather delay, Potgieter seized control of the match with four consecutive birdies on holes No. 8 through 11. Potgieter continued the pressure for three more holes, eventually closing out the match with a 5&4 win.

History

Established at The Golf Club of Georgia in 1998, The Georgia Cup annually brings together the reigning United States and British Amateur Champions in advance of the Masters. Georgia Tech player Matt Kuchar won the 1997 United States Amateur Championship, and in the Spring of 1998, a new tradition was born: The Georgia Cup hosted at The Golf Club of Georgia. The Georgia Cup an 18-hole charity match between the reigning United States Amateur Champion and British Amateur Champion. Matt Kuchar defeated Craig Watson in 1998 to win the first Georgia Cup match. This tradition continues today with a reception following play before the Amateurs head to Augusta to compete in the Masters Tournament.

The Georgia Cup presents a special opportunity for galleries attending at The Golf Club of Georgia. Entry is complimentary as spectators are invited to spend the day with the two finest amateur golfers in the world. In the spirit and intimacy of the Walker Cup matches, fans can walk with the players unhindered by gallery ropes and able to enjoy a unique perspective. 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.

Past matches

1998 Matt Kuchar (U.S.) def. Craig Watson (British)
1999 Sergio Garcia (British) def. Hank Kuehne (U.S.)
2000 David Gossett (U.S.) def. Graeme Storm (British)
2001 Mikko Ilonen (British) def. Jeff Quinney (U.S.)
2002 Michael Hoey (British) def. Bubba Dickerson (U.S.)
2003 Ricky Barnes (U.S.) def. Alejandro Larrazabal (British)
2004 Gary Wolstenholme (British) def. Nick Flanagan (U.S.)
2005 Ryan Moore (U.S.) def. Stuart Wilson (British)
2006 Brian McElhinney (British) def. Edoardo Molinari (U.S.)
2007 Richie Ramsay (U.S.) def. Julien Guerrier (British)
2008 Colt Knost (U.S.) def. Drew Weaver (British)
2009 Danny Lee (U.S.) def. Reinier Saxton (British)
2010 Matteo Manassero (British) def. Byeong-Hun An (U.S.)
2011 Peter Uihlein (U.S.) def. Jin Jeong (British)
2012 Bryden Macpherson (British) def. Kelly Kraft (U.S.)
2013 Alan Dunbar (British) def. Steven Fox (U.S.)
2014 Garrick Porteous (British) def. Matt Fitzpatrick (U.S.)
2015 Gunn Yang (U.S.) def. Bradley Neil (British)
2016 Romain Langasque (British) def. Bryson DeChambeau (U.S.)
2017 Scott Gregory (British) def. Curtis Luck (U.S.)
2018 Harry Ellis (British) def. Doc Redman (U.S.)
2019 Jovan Rebula (British) def. Viktor Hovland (U.S.)
2020 Andy Ogletree (U.S.) vs. James Sugrue (British) - match not held due to pandemic
2021 Tyler Strafaci (U.S.) def. Joe Long (British)
2022 James Piot (U.S.) def. Laird Shepherd (British)
2023 Aldrich Potgieter (British) def. Sam Bennett (U.S.)

Preview courtesy of the Georgia Cup

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.