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Players exempt into the 2009 Southeastern Amateur represent the following
countries:
- U.S.A.
(AL, CA, DE, FL, GA, IA, IN, MO, NC, OH, OK, PA, SC, TN, TX, VA)
- New Zealand
- South Africa
- Ireland
- Australia
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The Southeastern Amateur was created in 1922 by the man who was recommended by, and later encouraged to entertain the offer by, Mr. Robert Tyre Jones (Bobby Jones) himself. That man of course is Mr. Fred Haskins.
Since that time, the Southeastern has been held in both Match-Play and Stroke-play formats, and many records have been set along the way.
Back in that era, Mr. Haskins created the tournament then known as the Columbus Country Club Invitational. W.H. Dismuke Sr., a familiar player on the local links, won that inaugural event. The tournament was later renamed in 1938, controversial as it was at the time, to the Southeastern Amateur. Mr. Tommy Barnes was the first to have his name inscribed on the newly named trophy.
Among the winners since that event are Doug Sanders, Tommy Aaron, Danny Edwards, Curtis Strange, Columbus native Kenny Knox, and 5 time champion Allen Doyle. Included on the runner-up list are Mason Randolph, Gardner Dickinson, Bert Greene, Steve Melnyk, Gary Koch, Ben Crenshaw, Fuzzy Zoeller, Andy Bean, Willy Wood, and Paul Azinger. Aaron, Crenshaw, and Zoeller wear the green jacket of a Masters Champion, and Mr. Doyle launched into his senior tour career shortly after winning his fifth Southeastern, where he has won the Senior U.S. Open twice.
Oddly enough, that first tournament in 1922 was held before the course was actually complete. At that time, the course was a 13 hole course as the members called it, but in all actuallity, one of the holes was a double hole so there were actually 12 physical holes during that time.
Once the Donald Ross design was put into place between 1923 and 1925 making the course a full 18 holes, the tournament flourished. By the 50's, it had become the premier tournament for amateurs in the southeastern united states. As travel became more convenient, the tournament has transformed into what it is today, a top level amateur tournament that attracts the top players from around the world.
The course itself had been through many changes through the history of the tournament. In 2003, the course was put through an extensive renovation after Cecil Calhoun obtained the original Donald Ross designs, and the course was made as close to those designs as possible during that rennovation. Including the famous postage stamp green on #4, and of course the ever present "shaved" collection areas that are the signature of all Donald Ross designs. There has been one 63 (Jason Flowers, 2007), and two 64's shot since that renovation and the previous course record was 62.
The History of the Southeastern Amateur Trophy
The Southeastern Amaterur Trophy
is made possible by the Jordan and the Martin Families,
In memory of Maj. Mulford Jordan and Lt. John Martin.
Both of the brave men were killed defending their country
during World War II.
Maj. Jordan, U.S. Air Corps, was killed on Christmas Eve,
in 1944, while flying a reconnaisance mission in Europe,
in support of the Battle of the Bulge.
Lt. Martin, a Citadel-commissioned Officer, was killed in the
South Pacific, in 1943, while serving with Army ground forces.
Both of these men grew up in Columbus, were fine, fun-loving
boys, and often enjoyed a friendly, competitive game of golf
on the Country Club of Columbus' fine golf course.
Their courage and sacrifice some fifty years ago sets an
example for all of us, and this trophy is a reminder of them
and their efforts that will last forever. This trophy is officially
named in their honor as the Jordan-Martin Trophy.
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1
| Seth Reeves
Duluth, GA-6 |
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2
| Sepp Straka
Valdosta, GA | -3 |
3
| Keith Mitchell
Chattanooga, TN | -2 |
T4
| Brad Smith
Peru, IN | -1 |
| Jordan Walor
Wake Forest, NC | -1 |
T6
| Derek Chang
Alpharetta, GA | E |
| Scott Strohmeyer
Auburn, AL | E |
T8
| Gabriel Costa
Tequesta, FL | +1 |
| Ian Phillips
Raleigh, NC | +1 |
| Joe Doramus
Little Rock, AR | +1 |
| Kyle Scott
Johannesburg, S. Africa | +1 |
| Riley Pumphrey
Norman, OK | +1 |
| Smylie Kaufman
Birmingham, AL | +1 |
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