28th March 2023

Aldrich POTGIETER, the Amateur champion, beat Sam BENNETT, the U.S. Amateur champion, by 5&4 to win the 25th Georgia Cup match.

Aldrich Potgieter and Sam Bennett (Photo: The C.C. of Georgia)

Potgieter is the second South African to play in the match following in the footsteps of Jovan Rebula, who beat Viktor Hovland in 2019.

The Amateur champions now lead the U.S. Amateur champions 14-11 in the series which was first played in 1998.

_______________________________________

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

This year’s match was contested by Sam BENNETT (USA) and Aldrich POTGIETER (RSA).

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 2023 Georgia Cup was played on Sunday 26th March. 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

Sam BENNETT (23, d.o.b. 21st December 1999) comes from Madisonville, Texas and is a fifth year senior at Texas A&M University. He won the 122nd U.S. Amateur Championship by defeating Ben Carr by 1 Hole at Ridgemont Country Club in New Jersey.
Current world rankings: SPWAR #7 / WAGR #6.

Sam Bennett – 2022 US Amateur champion (Photo: Grant Halverson / USGA)

Aldrich POTGIETER (18, d.o.b. 13th September 2004) was born in South Africa but lived with his family in Australia between 2013-21. He became the second youngest winner of the Amateur Championship when he beat Sam Bairstow by 3&2 at Royal Lytham & St. Annes G.C. He arrived in Georgia in form having already won the African Amateur Championship and the Sage Valley Junior Invitational in 2023.
Current world rankings: SPWAR #32 / WAGR #33.

Aldrich Potgieter – 2022 Amateur champion (Photo: The R&A / Getty Images)

Previous Matches and Results

The Amateur champions now lead the U.S. Amateur champions 14-11 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

*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.

Copyright © 2014-2023, Mark Eley. All rights reserved.