Published: July 13, 2008 11:22 pm            

Dalton's Noll has top-six finish at Georgia Amateur

David Noll Jr. came up short of the title in Sunday’s final round of the Georgia Amateur Championship, but the Dalton golfer finished among the top six at the tournament for the fourth straight year.

Noll’s fourth-round, 3-under par 69 at Macon’s Idle Hour Club put him at 8-under 272 for the Georgia State Golf Association event, which was won by Russell Henley, who finished at 10-under 270 on his home course.

Thomasville’s Harris English — the tourney’s defending champion and Henley’s roommate at the University of Georgia, where both are members of the school’s golf team — was second with a 271 after a final round of 70.

Henley shot a 69 on Sunday as part of a record-setting performance. The previous best four-round effort was 272.

“My score in this event actually tied the all-time state record,” Noll said. “So I played some great golf, I just came up a little short ... it was a great tournament and it was close all day. I lipped out putts the last four greens of the day, so if I drop a couple of those in, the trophy’s back in Dalton. That’s just the way it goes, but I’m certainly proud of my effort.”

Noll improved on last year’s tie for fifth place at Ansley Golf Club’s Settindown Creek course in Roswell. After winning the Georgia Amateur Championship in 2003, Noll tied for 18th in 2004, was runner-up to another current University of Georgia golfer, Brian Harman, in 2005 and shared sixth place in 2006.

“This is the premier event in the state of Georgia,” Noll said. “If you can’t get excited about that, you can’t get excited about golf. It fires me up to play in this event and I’m certainly not ashamed of the way I played. I’m very, very proud of it.

“Unfortunately, I wanted my name on that trophy again. But I played some good golf and just came up a little short.”

Noll’s finish was the best among three local players who made the cut after two rounds.

Former Dalton High golfer Bryan Miller, now at the University of South Carolina, turned in a 72 on Sunday for his best round since shooting an opening 70 in the tourney. He finished at 11-over 291 and tied with Atlanta’s Ryan Parnell for 27th.

Hudson Keener, another former area prep standout, shot a 77 in the final round to finish at 19-over 299 and tied with six others for 54th place.

Keener, who played at Northwest Whitfield, will be a redshirt freshman this year at the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga.

        

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