Camden, SC - Two-time champions Sammy Truett of Surfside Beach, SC and Bert Atkinson of Charleston, SC overcame a last-minute scare to edge Danny Gurley of Chapel Hill, NC and David Eaker of Forest City, NC and win the 54th Carolinas Four-Ball championship at Camden Country Club.

Leading the entire match, Truett-Atkinson saw their lead disappear on #18 after Atkinson missed a 3-foot birdie to counter a 10-foot Gurley birdie. Truett capped a 10-foot birdie on the first playoff hole to win their third title.

Gurley and Eaker, who ousted Truett-Atkinson in last year's semis, found it difficult to get any momentum.

"We did not play the front side well all week", said Gurley. "But even so, we did not panic being down because we had been in that position a lot this week." Gurley continued, "I was hoping the holed wedge on #9 would give us some momentum, but nothing came of it. We could not get over the hump."

Truett-Atkinson established a quick lead with a Truett birdie on #1 from 5 feet. Holes #2-#6 were halved before
Truett claimed the 7^th with a two-putt par. A bright spot of the round came on the par-4 ninth when Gurley, the newly-crowned North Carolina Mid-Amateur champion, arched a 105-yard wedge into the hole for an eagle two.

On the back nine, Truett and Gurley matched birdies on #11 and Atkinson canned a 15-footer on #13 to go two-up. Eaker responded with a two-putt birdie on the par-5 14^th. The Truett-Atkinson lead was 1 up heading into 18.

Truett and Atkinson's third title is one shy of the record held by Frank Ford, III of Charleston, SC and Jim Burgess of Kingstree, SC. Gurley and Eaker finish runners-up for the second consecutive year.

"After #18 we just had to suck it up and give ourselves a shot at winning the playoff", said Truett, an insurance agent. "We came too far to let the missed putt on #18 bother us."

The Carolinas Four-Ball Championship is conducted by the Carolinas Golf Association.

Sammy Truett, Surfside Beach, SC - Bert Atkinson, Charleston, SC def.

Danny Gurley, Chapel Hill, NC and David Eaker, Forest City, NC, 1 up - 19 holes.

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