A collegian won the Southern Golf Association's amateur championship for the second straight year when Hugh Royer, Jr., of Columbus, Ga., trounced Bob Lowery, Jr., of Huntsville, Ala., 7 and 6, in their 36-hole final match over the Country Club of Birmingham's West course Saturday, August 16.

Royer was looking forward to one more quarter of work at
the University of Georgia to obtain his degree in physical education.

This slim (6-3 and 175 pounds) young man went to Georgia on a basketball scholarship, but after a couple of years of varsity ball on the hardwood, gave up the game to concentrate on golf. He did well enough to finish second in the 1958 Southeastern Conference championship to University of Florida's Tommy Aaron--over whom Royer obtained revenge in the second round of the Southern with a 2-1 decision.

Prior to the Southern, Royer's major accomplishment had been winning the 1958 Georgia Amateur title.

Royer impressed galleryite and competitor alike with 'his well balanced golf. Tommy Nicol, S.G.A. Director and veteran contestant from Tuscaloosa, Ala., who gave Royer a terrific battle losing one hole in the semi-final, said "he doesn't have a weak shot."

Analyzing his own game, Royer said his driving was weakest, his shots around the green his best.

His putting was far above average in the Southern. Royer used the putter that another Columbian, George Hamer, Jr., used in winning the 1946 Southern over the same course. It's a straight-faced, blade putter that's semi-center shafted-a model that was first manufactured many years ago.

The new champion was cast in the third quarter of the 64-man championship bracket and this 16 included more rated golfers than any other quarter.

Royer himself disposed of several of them. Besides Aaron, who had just won the fast Memphis Colonial Club Invitational (and the next month was to be a finalist in the National Amateur), they included Louisiana champion Roy Nash, who Royer trimmed 2-1, and Curtis Person of Memphis, holder of numerous titles, who was defeated 3-2.

Royer qualified comfortably at 150, eight over par, a 73 the first day, which was one over par for the 6700-yard course, having virtually guaranteed him a berth. But for 116 holes of match play golf he was only three over par. Even in the title round, where sometimes scores soar, he was a neat 73 in the morning round as he gained a four-hole advantage, and even par for the 12 holes required after lunch.

Royer, who was 22 a few days after his triumph, was playing in only his second Southern. His first was at the age of 14 on his home Columbus Country Club course. "I don't have the least idea what I shot except I know I didn't come close to qualifying," he recalled smilingly.

Bob Lowery, Jr., who is 28, was making his first bid for a major title and until he ran into Royer was doing a real good job of it. He was second low qualifier at 75-70-145, and for the qualifying rounds and 75 holes of match play prior to the final he was only seven over par.

The husky Huntsvillian had the distinction of being the first Alabama golfer to make the final since late Sam Perry did (and won) in 1941.

Lowery's semifinal foe was his brother-in-law, Elbert S. Jemison, Jr., of Birmingham, president of SGA and golf chairman of the host club. Lowery scored a 5-4 victory over Jemison, who two weeks earlier had captured his second consecutive Alabama title at 72-hole stroke golf.

Ed Brantly, little Memphis State University graduate from Chattanooga, was dethroned as SGA king in the third round by another little fellow, Anniston's Billy Shelton, who soon was to return to Florida State University after a service hitch.

Shelton bumped the champ, 1 up. Brantly was in difficulty from the beginning of the matches, beating first Gene Head, week- end golfer of the host club, I up, then holding a similar edge over George Stigger, University of Florida golfer from Henderson, Kentucky.

Two-time champion Arnold Blum of Macon,, Ga., who was most people's one best bet for the title, was eliminated in the second round by Louisiana's Nash. But in the qualifying round the Macon veteran lived up to notices by shooting 73-67--140 against par of 142 to annex the Sam Perry Medal by five blows
over Lowery.

The 140 was three shots above the record held jointly by Charlie Harper and Charlie Dudley but two-time champion
Tommy Barnes said: "I'd rate Arnold's 140 easily as good as
the 137 Harper shot at Louisville (Audubon) in 1947 or Dudley at Atlanta (Druid Hills) in 1956."

"That's a lot of golf course Arnold was playing out there today."

Blum's 67 was one shot above the course record of 66 set by Pro Johnny Morris nearly 20 years ago. The course has been lengthened since then and is probably one full stroke more
difficult.

Blum's fine effort paced Georgia to first place in the Bobby Jones Trophy competition--which counted the four lowest scores from any one State. Royer's 150 was too high for the Georgia team, which included Blum 140, Sonny Swift 148, Charlie Harrison 148 and Sonny Ellis 149 for a total of 585.

Alabama's team of Bob Lowery, Jr., 145, Billy Shelton, 150, Hank Johnson 150 and Nelson (Buddy) DeBardeleben, 151, was second at 596.

Scores of 161 made the championship 64--but there would have been a playoff of the 161's had not Beverly Nabers withdrawn after shooting 160.

Sixty-one-year-old Tom Walsh of Greenville, Miss., a SGA director, won the Seniors title (which is open to golfers 55 and up) for the third straight time.

Tom was under 80 each of the three rounds of stroke play
that composed the schedule, having 78-79-78-235 to win by 13
shots over the next man, Chattanooga's Bill Norvell.

West course fairways were lush and the greens were quite good considering the fact that throughout the South a late winter freeze had wrought heavy damage on Bermuda. The conduct of the tournament was pronounced superb by everybody, which was not unexpected by insiders familiar with the careful, months-ahead planning and following-through by BCC president Bill Sellers, Club manager Jerry Caldwell, BCC tournament chairman McGehee Porter, SGA tournament chairman Tommy Nicol, and, of course, Jemison himself in his dual capacity of SGA president and BCC golf chairman.

Match Play Results: