Georgia Open History

The Georgia Open Championship is the crowning jewel in tournament golf in the State of Georgia. The championship annually attracts hundreds of golfers entering to compete in the Championship. The Georgia PGA runs statewide qualifiers for the Georgia Open, bringing together a final field of 144 of the state’s top professional and amateur golfers. The Georgia Open is the only 72-hole, four-day championship of all Georgia PGA events, and is also the only Georgia PGA event in which there is a cut after the first 36 holes of competition.

In addition to the qualifiers and the four-day championship proper, the Georgia PGA also conducts a Partner Pro-Am the day before the tournament’s first round. Past champions of the Georgia Open form a virtual “Who’s Who” among Georgia golfers, including three-time major champion Larry Nelson, DeWitt Weaver Jr., Franklin Langham, Tim Simpson, Bob Tway, Gene Sauers, Stephen Keppler, Gregg Wolff, Roberto Castro and 1973 Masters champion Tommy Aaron.

Since it’s inception in 1952, there have been: six champions to win back to back (Ted Hayes, Jr., PGA 1969-1970; DeWitt Weaver, Jr., PGA 1972-1973; Gene Sauers 1985-1986; Stephen Keppler, PGA 1994-1995; Dicky Thompson 1998-1999; Jonathan Fricke 2012-2013), two father-son duos (DeWitt Weaver, Jr., PGA & DeWitt Weaver, III; Stephen Keppler, PGA & Jonathan Keppler), 21 Georgia PGA Member champions, 10 amateur champions, and 14 Georgia Golf Hall of Famers.

Georgia Open Records

MOST WINS (4)
Tommy Aaron, PGA (1955*, 1957*, 1960*, 1975)
DeWitt Weaver, Jr., PGA (1972, 1973, 1977, 1979)
* denotes as an amateur

LOWEST 72-HOLE FINAL (265, (-23))
Tim Simpson, PGA (1987)
Dicky Thompson, PGA (1999)
Dave Schreyer (2001)

LOWEST 54-HOLE FINAL (198, (-18))
*Tournament Used To Be 54-Holes*
Jim Stamps, PGA (1962)

LARGEST MARGIN OF VICTORY (12 Strokes)
Hugh Royer Jr., PGA (1968)
Gene Sauers, PGA (1986)

YOUNGEST CHAMPION
(17 years, 4 months, 11 days)
Lyn Lott (a) (1967)

OLDEST CHAMPION
(49 years, 5 months, 28 days)
Paul Claxton, PGA (2017)

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