Brandon Hiott, Walterboro, S.C. defeated Matt Dura, Sumter, S.C., 9 and 7

Newton, N.C. - Brandon Hiott of Walterboro, S.C. captured the 88^th Carolinas Amateur Championship with a decisive 9 and 7 victory over Matt Dura of Sumter, S.C.

The 25-year-old Hiott, took the lead on the first hole of the day and never trailed for the duration of the scheduled 36-hole match.

Hiott gained an early lead in the morning round winning the first, third and fifth holes to take a three-up lead. Dura then won the seventh hole with a par, but Hiott fought back capping off his second-nine run with a 48-foot birdie putt on the par-3 17^th. Both players halved the 18^th hole giving Hiott a four-up lead at the lunch break.

In the afternoon round, Hiott continued his domination on the third nine with wins at the 20^th (#2), 24^th (#6), 25^th (#7), and 26^th (#8) holes. The match ended on the 29^th (#11) hole with a conceded birdie to Hiott. 

Hiott took up the game of golf just five years ago while attending Clemson University.

"This means everything to me," said Hiott, an assistant manager at Badcock Furniture. "I watched Jonathan Byrd (former Clemson golfer) win this championship three years ago and thought it would be great to do it myself."

Dura, a rising senior at Frances Marion College was disappointed in his own performance. Since May, Dura has played well finishing third in the NCAA Division II Championship and in the quarterfinals of the CGA's South Carolina Amateur Championship.

"I just couldn't connect today," said Dura. "My golf game was ugly and just could never make up any ground on Brandon."

Hiott felt his new mindset has made a difference.

"I used to worry about what my family and friends thought about my golf game, "said Hiott. "Now, since going out on my own and paying my own way to these tournaments, I do more of it for myself . I don't get too worried about my performance anymore."

The 9 and 7 margin of victory is not the greatest in Carolinas Amateur history. Six other Carolinas Amateur championships have been won by higher margins. The greatest margin of victory came in 1939 at the hands of Robert Dunkelberger who ousted Richard Tufts at Myers Park Country Club, 12 and 10.

This championship is conducted by the Carolinas Golf Association.

 ##30##

Newton, N.C. - Two South Carolinians survived the quarterfinal and semifinal matches and will meet for the title of the Carolinas Amateur Championship at Catawba Country Club.

Matt Dura of Sumter, S.C. and Brandon Hiott of Walterboro, S.C. will meet in the scheduled 36-hole final on the par-72 Donald Ross layout.

In the upper bracket, Dura ousted Mitch Adams of Cary, N.C. in the quarterfinal action followed by a win over reigning North Carolina Amateur champion Derek Brown of Walnut Cove, N.C.

In the lower bracket, Hiott defeated Raleigh's Rand Williams in the morning match before edging 1999 Carolinas Mid-Amateur champion Keith Harris of Concord, N.C. in the afternoon's semifinal match.

The 21 year-old Dura and the 25 year-old Hiott just met during the practice round this week.

"We hooked up in the practice round and got to know each other," said Hiott, an assistant manager at Badcock Furniture. "Then throughout the week we kept seeing each other win our matches. We kept saying what if…?"

Dura, a rising senior at Frances Marion, looks forward to the final.

"Brandon is a nice guy," said Dura. "We ought to have a good time tomorrow….we are playing golf afterall!"

In Saturday's action, Dura and Hiott both trailed most of the time in each of their semifinal matches.

Dura, two-down after the 10^th, won #11 and #13 with birdies and #15 with a par. He halved Brown's pars for the remainder of the match to secure the win.

Hiott, who has been playing golf for only five years, took advantage of Harris' late bogeys. Hiott parred holes 17, 18 and the first playoff holes to win.

"Earlier in the week, I had to birdie the last three holes to win a match," said Hiott. "I thought I was going to have to do that again against Keith."

Dura and Hiott will tee off in the 36-hole final beginning at 8 a.m. The public is welcome to attend free of charge. 

Matt Dura, Sumter, SC. def. Mitch Adams, Cary, N.C., 6 and 4

Derek Brown, Walnut Cove, N.C. def. Steve Harwell, Mooresville, N.C., 6 and 5

Brandon Hiott, Walterboro, S.C. def. Rand Williams, Raleigh, N.C., 5 and 4

Keith Harris, Concord, N.C. def. Emmett Turner, Greenwood, S.C, 2 and 1

Dura def. Brown, 1 up

Hiott def. Harris, 1 up-19 holes

Newton, N.C. - Matt Dura of Sumter, S.C. ousted qualifying medalist Skip Taylor of Flat Rock, N.C. to advance to the quarterfinal round in the Carolinas Amateur Championship at Catawba Country Club. The 21 year-old Dura, one down at the turn, won holes 10, 11 and 12 to take a one-up lead and ultimately grab the win by a 2 and 1 margin.

In other matches, reigning North Carolina Amateur Champion Derek Brown of Walnut Cove survived a close match over Robert Dean of Charlotte to advance. Brown also used a back-nine win streak to secure the match.

"We were even going into #14," said Brown, a rising junior at UNC-Wilmington. "Then I went birdie, birdie, birdie to win the match."

Prestonwood Country Club members Mitch Adams and Preston Edmondson, both of Cary, N.C., were pitted against each other in the afternoon round. Adams halved the last hole to win the match.

"It is really difficult to play your partner," said Adams referring to his informal golf matches at Prestonwood Country Club. "Preston and I play together a lot which made this match very tough.

Adams, the 2000 North Carolina Mid-Amateur champion continued. "We both obviously wanted to win, but it was not a cut-throat competition. The match could have gone either way as neither of us ever had more than a one-hole lead."

The double-round matches continue with the quarterfinal and semifinal matches scheduled for Saturday followed by the 36-hole final match on Sunday.

This championship is conducted by the Carolinas Golf Association.

(Qualifying score in parenthesis)

(138) Skip Taylor, Flat Rock, NC def. (146) Herb Lohr, Lexington, NC, 6 and 5

(143) Matt Dura, Sumter, SC def. (143) Alex Yates, Winston-Salem, NC, 1 up-19 holes

(141) Preston Edmondson, Morrisville, NC def. (145) Steve Sharpe, Greensboro, NC, 1 up-21 holes

(141) Mitch Adams, Cary, NC def. (145) Jon Stephenson, Columbia, SC, 1 up

(140) Robert Dean, Charlotte, NC def. (145) Scott Smith, Charlotte, NC, 5 and 4

(142) Derek Brown, Walnut Cove, NC def. (144) Mark Wagner, Statesville, NC, 1 up-20 holes

(145) Tripp James, Spartanburg, SC def. (140) Danny Gurley, Chapel Hill, NC, 3 and 2

(144) Steve Harwell, Mooresville, NC def. (142) Brian Westveer, Concord, NC, 3 and 2

(145) Scott Usher, Bennettsville, SC def. (138) Jason Martin, Lenoir, NC, 3 and 2 

(142) Brandon Hiott, Walterboro, SC def. (143) John Fitch, Charlotte, NC, 1 up

(145) Wynn Solle, Pinehurst, NC def. (140) Jonathan Jackson, Chapel Hill, NC, 5 and 4

(145) Rand Williams, Raleigh, NC def. (141) Max Weinstein, Fayetteville, NC, 1 up-19 holes

(140) Emmett Turner, Greenwood, SC def. (145) Michael Durham, Hickory, NC, 4 and 3

(142) Will Cannon, Valdese, NC def. (144) Walker Taylor, Wilmington, NC, 2 up

(140) Keith Harris, Concord, NC def. (145) Garland Yates, Asheboro, NC, 5 and 3

(141) Brian Corn, Hendersonville, NC def. (144) Scott McClellan, Cary, NC, 2 up

Dura def. Taylor, 2 and 1

Adams def. Edmondson 1 up

Brown def. Dean, 3 and 2

Harwell def. James, 5 and 3

Hiott def. Usher, 2 and 1

Williams def. Solle, 2 up

Turner def. Cannon 4 and 3

Harris def. Corn, 2 and 1

Newton, N.C. - Skip Taylor of Flat Rock, N.C. parred the first playoff hole to capture medalist honors in the 36-hole qualifying portion of the Carolinas Amateur Championship at Catawba Country Club. Taylor bettered Jason Martin of Lenoir, N.C. with a two-putt par on the par-4 tenth.

Both players finished the 36-hole qualifier at 6-under par 138.

Taylor's round revealed few mistakes.

"I had four birdies and no bogeys today," said the 41 year-old Taylor. "Normally I have birdie-free rounds!"

Taylor, a schoolteacher at North Henderson High School in Hendersonville, N.C., dabbled in golf during college, but spent most of his time on the basketball court during his four years at Greensboro College.

"I went to Greensboro College to play basketball and I became good friends with the golf coach," joked Taylor. "He let me play golf my senior year where I was the 12^th man on a 12-man team."

Taylor and Martin head a group of 32 golfers who begin match play on Friday. Double rounds of match play will be contested each day, including the scheduled 36-hole final match on Sunday.

Martin, the second championship's second seed, is the 1998 North Carolina Amateur Champion.

"I will graduate from UNC-Greensboro this fall and then turn professional in April," said the 23 year-old Martin.

Martin grew up just north of the championship venue and feels comfortable heading into match play.

"I played a lot of high school matches here at Catawba, and I know a lot of the members here," said Martin. "I also qualified for the U.S. Amateur on this course a few years ago."

The 32^nd spot for match play went to Herb Lohr of Lexington, N.C. who beat out 6 other golfers in the two-hole playoff.

In the historical Capers Cup Competition, Prestonwood Country Club claimed the title with a 15-shot win over Mimosa Hills Country Club. The Capers Cup is a team competition, in which member clubs are represented by their respective golfers during the qualifying rounds. The low three scores each day determine the team champion.

The championship is conducted by the Carolinas Golf Association.

Newton, NC--Second round results of the 88^th Amateur Championship of the Carolinas Golf Association hosted by Catawba Country Club in Newton,

NC on Thursday, July 11.

Skip Taylor, Flat Rock, NC 70-68--138*

Jason Martin, Lenoir, NC 67-71--138

Jonathan Jackson, Chapel Hill, NC 71-69--140

Robert Dean, Charlotte, NC 66-74--140

Emmett Turner, Greenwood, SC 66-74--140

Keith Harris, Concord, NC 68-72--140

Danny Gurley, Chapel Hill, NC 69-71--140

Brian Corn, Hendersonville, NC 68-73--141

Max Weinstein, Fayetteville, NC 67-74--141

Preston Edmondson, Morrisville, NC 73-68--141

Mitch Adams, Cary, NC 74-67--141

Brandon Hiott, Walterboro, SC 68-74--142

Will Cannon, Valdese, NC 71-71--142

Brian Westveer, Concord, NC 73-69--142

Derek Brown, Walnut Cove, NC 74-68--142

John Fitch, Jr., Charlotte, NC 70-73--143

Alex Yates, Winston-Salem, NC 71-72--143

Matt Dura, Sumter, SC 71-72--143

Scott McClellan, Cary, NC 70-74--144

Steve Harwell, Mooresville, NC 72-72--144

Mark Wagner, Statesville, NC 72-72--144

Walker Taylor IV, Wilmington, NC 73-71--144

Scott Usher, Bennettsville, SC 70-75--145

Michael Durham, Hickory, NC 73-72--145

Steve Sharpe, Greensboro, NC 69-76--145

Scott Smith, Charlotte, NC 72-73--145

Garland Yates, Asheboro, NC 72-73--145

Jon Stephenson, Columbia, SC 74-71--145

Tripp James, Spartanburg, SC 75-70--145

Wynn Solle, Pinehurst, NC 75-70--145

Rand Williams, Raleigh, NC 75-70--145

Herb Lohr, Lexington, NC 71-75--146#

Daniel Sloan, Greenville, SC 71-75--146

Logan Jackson, Winston-Salem, NC 72-74--146

Dean Channell, Cary, NC 73-73--146

Terry Ezell, Rock Hill, SC 73-73--146

Tucker Sampson, Charlotte, NC 74-72--146

Steve Slayden, Charlotte, NC 69-77--146

Cliff Earle, Clemmons, NC 74-73--147

Christopher Fuhrmann, Winston-Salem, NC 74-73--147

Kenny Flynn, Winston-Salem, NC 73-74--147

Ernie Newton, High Point, NC 71-76--147

E John Poindexter, Raleigh, NC 72-75--147

Joey Cagle, Clayton, NC 73-74--147

Joey Sadowski, Hickory, NC 74-73--147

Clay Kilgore, Nebo, NC 74-73--147

David Strawn, Charlotte, NC 75-72--147

Lee Cline, Hickory, NC 77-70--147

Matt Robinson, Rock Hill, SC 73-75--148

Jason Liner, Raleigh, NC 74-74--148

John Treece, Monroe, NC 75-73--148

Chris Whiteside, Raleigh, NC 74-74--148

Barry Roof, Conway, SC 69-79--148

Mark Hedberg, Asheville, NC 72-76--148

Brian Parker, Matthews, NC 76-72--148

Ryan Castle, Summerville, SC 73-76--149

Mickey Plyler, Greer, SC 75-74--149

Charlie Parks, Asheboro, NC 76-73--149

Michael Shamp, Charlotte, NC 71-78--149

Matt Drye, Concord, NC 72-77--149

Mike Carlisle, Aiken, SC 73-76--149

Jonathan Hill, Kernersville, NC 73-76--149

Lawrence Hicks, Greensboro, NC 73-76--149

John Beck, Concord, NC 74-76--150

Alan Burnett, Charlotte, NC 78-72--150

Gary Mason, Apex, NC 74-76--150

Luke Wilcox, Florence, SC 78-73--151

Lennie Younce, Lenoir, NC 81-70--151

Craig Morrow, Blythewood, SC 78-73--151

William Neisler, Kings Mountain, NC 74-77--151

Robby Kirby, Charlotte, NC 71-80--151

Kyle Bradley, North Augusta, SC 72-79--151

Jake Lowder, Albemarle, NC 74-77--151

Dow Taylor, Raleigh, NC 73-78--151

Lance Waggener, Statesville, NC 77-74--151

Laef Lowther, Charleston, SC 77-74--151

Kevin McPherson, Conway, SC 79-73--152

J.P. Chamberlin, Rock Hill, SC 76-76--152

Wil Hutchens, Columbia, SC 76-76--152

Jim Johnson, Marion, NC 77-75--152

Brent Smith, Hickory, NC 76-76--152

Matthew McIntyre, Garland, NC 75-77--152

Jordan Smith, Cary, NC 73-79--152

Chris Killgoar, Fort Mill, SC 78-74--152

David Eaker, Forest City, NC 76-76--152

Bryan Overby, Smithfield, NC 76-77--153

Jared DeCamps, Johnsonville, SC 77-76--153

Marshall Swails, Columbia, SC 72-81--153

Matt Gibbons, Raleigh, NC 74-79--153

Dave Stevens, Sherrills Ford, NC 77-76--153

Mike Wilson, Hickory, NC 75-78--153

Chris Lee, New Bern, NC 73-81--154

Don Teague, Shelby, NC 78-76--154

Paul Smith, Mooresville, NC 75-79--154

Wes Keever, High Point, NC 76-78--154

Craig Sparks, Spruce Pine, NC 77-77--154

Andy Bare, West End, NC 78-76--154

Brad Kroll, Charlotte, NC 78-76--154

Dennis Long, Mooresville, NC 78-76--154

Keith McGirt, Fairmont, NC 79-75--154

Chris Sauer, Midland, NC 77-78--155

Brandon Sheets, Wilkesboro, NC 80-75--155

John Nieters, Clemmons, NC 75-80--155

Chris Colomb, Columbia, SC 75-80--155

Andy McMurry, Hickory, NC 76-79--155

Barry Mullinax, Travelers Rest, SC 76-79--155

Daniel Hendrickson, Charlotte, NC 78-77--155

John Eades, Charlotte, NC 71-84--155

Stephen Poole, Jr., Spartanburg, SC 78-77--155

Colby Moore, Cornelius, NC 76-80--156

Ted Cox, Waxhaw, NC 79-77--156

John Zoppi, Pinebluff, NC 76-80--156

Thomas Self, Greenwood, SC 78-78--156

Kenny Treece, Monroe, NC 80-76--156

Jimmy Keever, Jr., High Point, NC 79-77--156

Preston Yates, Winston-Salem, NC 76-81--157

Chad Frye, Charlotte, NC 73-84--157

Scott Feaster, Columbia, SC 75-82--157

Lanny Correll, Jr., Columbia, SC 79-78--157

Chuck Carter, Hickory, n 76-82--158

David Williams, Cary, NC 77-81--158

Charles Chapman, Mt. Croghan, SC 76-82--158

Brad Buxton, Greensboro, NC 78-80--158

Keith Sellers, Charlotte, NC 82-76--158

Donald Littlejohn, Charlotte, NC 77-81--158

Jack Lorbacher, Durham, NC 79-79--158

Weston Way, Liberty, NC 80-78--158

Steve Cantrell, Charlotte, NC 79-80--159

Roy Greene, Boone, NC 79-80--159

Brandon Turner, Asheboro, NC 79-80--159

Phillip Greene, Charlotte, NC 83-76--159

Sam Holtsclaw, Spruce Pine, NC 81-78--159

Joe Joseph, Sherrills Ford, NC 78-81--159

Rocky Manning, Summerfield, NC 74-85--159

Raymond Beckman, Winston-Salem, NC 80-80--160

Tim Whitener, Hickory, NC 80-80--160

Tanner Warlick, Shelby, NC 80-81--161

Lee Neisler, Cramerton, NC 79-82--161

David Kite, Asheboro, NC 87-74--161

Matt Sevigny, Columbia, SC 79-82--161

Jeff Etheridge, Pinehurst, NC 76-86--162

Bob McCormick, Charlotte, NC 80-82--162

Steve Mays, Myrtle Beach, SC 79-84--163

Tim Payne, Dallas, NC 82-82--164

Daniel Barden, Columbia, SC 81-83--164

Whit Massey, Hickory, NC 84-80--164

Todd Fields, Langley, SC 82-DNS

Cliff Seastrunk, Raleigh, NC 80-WD

John Rudolph, Charlotte, NC 76-WD

*Won medalist honors in playoff

#Won 32^nd spot in playoff