20 year-old Augusta State junior Emmett Turner of Greenwood, SC wins the 89^th Carolinas Amateur Championship by a 2 and 1 score over 27 year-old real estate agent Matt O'Quinn of Port Royal, SC.

In the morning round, Turner, the stroke play qualifying medlaist, sank a 20 foot birdie on the first hole to take a 1 up lead. O'Quinn answered right back with a 12 foot birdie of is own on the second hole to square the match. Holes three and four were halved with pars. On the fifth hole, Turner won the hole with a par after O'Quinn three-putted. O'Quinn once again answered back by winning the sixth hole with a par.

The match remained all square until the 10^th hole where O'Quinn would take his only lead of the match by two-putting the 500 yard par-five hole for a conceded birdie and take a 1 up advantage. Holes 11-13 were halved with pars.

Then on the 14^th hole Turner began to make his move. O'Quinn three-putted the hole and conceded a three-foot birdie putt to Turner. On the 15^th hole, Turner once again made another birdie by draining a 20 foot effort. O'Quinn missed his 15 foot birdie putt for a Turner 1 up lead. The 16^th hole was halved with pars.

On the 300 yard par-four 17^th hole, Turner hit his flip wedge approach shot to 1 foot. Meanwhile, O'Quinn drove his ball onto the fringe. From that position O'Quinn failed to make his 5 foot birdie putt to tie and gave Turner a 2 up lead.

The 18^th hole saw both players hit the 442 yard par-four green in two strokes. But the putter failed O'Quinn again as he three-putted from 35 feet while Turner made a par four and took a 3 up lead after 18 holes. Turner was three-under par while O'Quinn was one-over par through the first round.

In the afternoon round, the players halved the 19^th and 20^th holes. On the 21^st hole, Turner pulled out to a 4 up lead with a birdie.

On the 23^rd hole, O'Quinn sank a 12 foot birdie to cut Turner's lead to 3 up. The next three holes were halved. The 27^th hole saw an errant approach shot by O'Quinn that led to a bogey five and he conceded an eight foot birdie to Turner.

The 28^th and 29^th holes were halved with pars. Turner had a 4 up lead with only seven holes remaining. Then things started to get interesting. Birdies by O'Quinn on the 30^th and 33^rd holes cut the Turner lead in half to 2 up. On the 34^th hole, a 240 yard par three, Turner three putted from 100 feet to give the hole to O'Quinn who had already holed out in three to cut the lead to 1 up.

The 35^th hole saw both players have less than 60 yards into the 300 yard par-four. O'Quinn's approach came to rest against the cut of rough and made his 16 foot downhill birdie attempt even more difficult. Turner had hit his second shot to 14 feet. O'Quinn's birdie attempt slid by the hole and his par was conceded. Turner then took dead aim and sank the 14 foot birdie putt to win the Amateur championship 2 and 1.

"It's a feeling of relief," said Turner on winning the championship. "It's nice to have my name on the same trophy with all the other guys that were coming up through the ranks." Former Carolinas Amateur champions include: Billy Joe Patton (1947, 1958, 1961), P.J. Boatwright Jr. (1951), Harvie Ward Jr. (1949, 1950), Chip Beck (1976, 1977), Charles Warren (1995), Jonathan Byrd (1999).

"I think I am an above average match play player," Turner, an accounting major, commented. "I make a lot of pars. In match play you really have worry about your opponent versus stroke play."

Both Turner and O'Quinn are former champions of the CGA South Carolina Junior Championship. O'Quinn won the 1992 championship at Litchfield Country Club's River Course in Myrtle Beach, SC and Turner won the 2000 event at Lake Marion Golf Club in Santee, SC. O'Quinn won the event while it was being played at stroke play and Turner won the event while being played at match play. The event changed to match play in 1998.

"Oh I was so close (to winning) and I am very disappointed to let it go. That's just the way golf is sometimes," said O'Quinn. "Emmett is a very good player. I expected that he was going to give me a good match. I knew I was going to have to beat him because he (Turner) wasn't going to beat himself."

This championship is conducted by the Carolinas Golf Association.

Final Championship Match Results

Emmett Turner, Greenwood, SC df. Matt O'Quinn, Port Royal, SC, 2 and 1