7th April 2024

Christo LAMPRECHT (RSA), the reigning Amateur champion, has beaten Nick DUNLAP (USA), the U.S. Amateur champion, by 1 Hole to win the 27th Georgia Cup match.

The giant South African eagled the par 5 18th hole on the Golf Club of Georgia’s Lakeside Course with a 14 foot putt to take the title.

Christo Lamprecht and Nick Dunlap (Photo: The GC of Georgia)

Lamprecht was the third South African to play in the match following in the footsteps of Jovan Rebula (2019) and Aldrich Potgieter (2023), who both won their matches too.

The Amateur champions now lead the U.S. Amateur champions 15-11 in the series which was first played in 1998. The 2020 match was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic and a postponement in the playing of The Masters until November.

Background

The Georgia Cup is an 18-hole match play event played annually between the reigning United States and (British) Amateur champions.

The two Amateur champions play the match as a precursor to competing in The Masters which both of their respective wins earned them an invitation to.

The Georgia Cup (Photo: The Golf Club of Georgia)

Venue

The match was established by The Golf Club of Georgia (GCOG).

Located in Alpharetta the GCOG has two Arthur Hills-designed courses, the Lakeside (L) and the Creekside (C). Both have hosted the Georgia Cup match in the past but since 2006 the Lakeside has taken precedence.

The 2024 Georgia Cup was played on Sunday 7th April. The match is used as a charitable fundraiser with The Folds of Honor Foundation, which provides support to the families of fallen and disabled military personnel, the main benficiary.

Players

Nick DUNLAP (USA) is a 20-year old from Huntsville, Alabama with a stellar amateur record. He won the 2021 U.S. Junior Amateur Championship, followed it up by securing the 123rd U.S. Amateur Championship and  also represented USA in last year’s Walker Cup match. Dunlap received a sponsor’s exemption to compete in the American Express tournament in January 2024 and proceeded to win at PGA West, becoming the first amateur to win on the PGA Tour since Phil Mickelson in 1991. With his playing rights secured he left the University of Alabama and moved over to the paid ranks. He will be the second player after Colt Knost (2008) to play in The Georgia Cup match having turned professional.

Christo LAMPRECHT (RSA), a 6ft. 8″ 23 year old from the Western Cape, is a two time Junior President’s Cup team member and winner of the 2017 South African Amateur Championship. He won the 128th Amateur Championship at Hillside before earning the low amateur Silver Medal at the subsequent Open Championship at Royal Liverpool G.C. As a senior on the Georgia Tech Men’s Golf Team he calls The Golf Club of Georgia his home club so will have a degree of home course advantage. He is the current World Amateur #1 according to the WAGR.

Previous Matches and Results

The Amateur champions now lead the U.S. Amateur champions 15-11 in the series. The Amateur champion has overcome the U.S. Amateur champion in seven of the last ten matches played.

All of the previous results are shown below (with the Amateur titles won shown in brackets): –
1998 (L) – Matt Kuchar (US) def. Craig Watson (British) – 3 & 1
1999 (L) – Sergio Garcia (British) def. Hank Kuehne (US) – 5 & 4
2000 (L) – David Gossett (US) def. Graeme Storm (British) – 3 & 2
2001 (C) – Mikko Ilonen (British) def. Jeff Quinney (US) – 6 & 4
2002 (C) – Michael Hoey (British) def. Bubba Dickerson (US) – 4 & 2
2003 (L) – Ricky Barnes (US) def. Alejandro Larrazabal (British) – 4 & 2
2004 (C) – Gary Wolstenholme (British) def. Nick Flanagan (US) – 4 & 2
2005 (C) – Ryan Moore (US) def. Stuart Wilson (British) – 2 & 1
2006 (L) – Brian McElhinney (British) def. Edoardo Molinari (US) – 3 & 2
2007 (L) – Richie Ramsay (US) def. Julien Guerrier (British) – 2 & 1
2008 (L) – Colt Knost (US) def. Drew Weaver (British) – 2 & 1
2009 (L) – Danny Lee (US) def. Reinier Saxton (British) – 2&1
2010 (L) – Matteo Manassero (British) def. Byeong-hun An (US) – 5&4
2011 (L) – Peter Uihlein (US) def. Jin Jeong (British) – 4&2
2012 (L) – Brydon Macpherson (British) def. Kelly Kraft (US) – 2&1
2013 (L) – Alan Dunbar (British) def. Steven Fox (US) – 1 Hole
2014 (L) – Garrick Porteus (British) def. Matthew Fitzpatrick (US) – 3&2
2015 (L) – Gunn Yang (US) def. Bradley Neil (British) – 3&2
2016 (L) – Romain Langsaque (British) def. Bryson DeChambeau (US) – 4&3
2017 (L) – Scott Gregory (British) def. Curtis Luck (US) – 19th hole
2018 (L) – Harry Ellis (British) def. Doc Redman (US) – 6&5
2019 (L) – Jovan Rebula (British) def. Viktor Hovland (US) – 1 Hole
2020 (L) – Cancelled*
2021 (L) – Tyler Strafaci (US) def. Joe Long (British) – 2 Holes
2022 (L) – James Piot (US) def. Laird Shepherd (British) – 1 Hole
2023 (L) – Aldrich Potgieter (British) def. Sam Bennett (US) – 5&4
2024 (L) – Christo Lamprecht (British) def. Nick Dunlap (US) – 1 Hole

*The 2020 match between Andy Ogletree (USA) and James Sugrue (IRL) was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic and a postponement in the playing of The Masters until November.

ME.

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