Fabulous Billy Joe Patton of Morganton, N.C., supplied the color and the juicy flavor and picturesque Holston Hills Country Club a demanding golf course for the 55th annual Southern Amateur golf tournament sponsored by the Southern Golf Association June 19-24, 1961, at Knoxville, Tenn.

Patton, 39-year-old lumber broker, took a stick of wood to J. B. (Sonny) Ellis of Atlanta, Ga., an SGA director, in winning his first Southern Amateur title, 10-9.

As usual, the Southern attracted strong representation throughout the South and Southeast luring some of the game's most outstanding players.

And a new champion was crowned. Charles B. Smith of Gastonia, N.C., who entered the SGA throne room by defeating Augusta's Cobby Ware at Myrtle Beach, S.C., in 1960, felt the string of defeat in the second round.

Patton, a late entry, survived a close call at the hands of Knoxville's young Don Varner in the first round and literally blazed the remainder of the trail to what he called "his biggest victory in golf."

The colorful Patton was two strokes under par-for the 27 holes he needed-to dispose of the likeable-and surprise finalist-Ellis and was 11 under par for the tournament.

Patton won medalist honors and the Sam Perry Medal -for the second straight year-with a 71-68-139 card in the 36-hole qualifying.

The title was Patton's first in five attempts in the Southern but he has won the medal three times, reached the quarter-finals once and the finals once.

Bill Redding of the host club-who a week before won the club championship-was crowned champion of the 36 hole medal play second division. He had a 73-72-145 total, one over par, to edge William Dixon III of Winston-Salem, N.C., by two strokes.

Patton played a terrific iron game, was amazing in his recovery from the tough HH rough, and was deadly with the putter when he had to be in winning the title. He holed puts of 20 and 12 feet to edge young Billy Womack of Florence, S.C., in the semifinals-on the 17th and 18th holes-1 up.

"Boy, I sure soaked those last two putts in syrup," beamed the North Carolina lumberman after qualifying for the finals ... a remark that will ring in the ears of the huge gallery (500) until the Southern Amateur, still the class of the amateur tournaments, returns to the Smoky Mountain area.
The 1961 field was closed at 210 players well before the tournament. It took a 156 total to qualify for the championship flight, three strokes lower than the previous tournament.

Host club chairman John Pendleton, general chairman Dave Perkins and SGA officials praised Holston Hills and its staff for conducting "one of the greatest Southern Amateur tournaments in history." And Pro Paul Owen and other Holston Hills officials were quick to invite SGA and its members back to its beautiful course as soon as possible.

Perkins scored a "first" in the first-day qualifying round, making a hole-in-one on the 142-yard No. 4 hole.

Alabama won the Bobby Jones Trophy for the four-ball team championship, based on the 36-hole qualifying scores. Gilbert Wesley, Red Bay, Ala., M. C. Fitts and Dick Pride, Tuscaloosa, and John Gross, Jr., of Birmingham, turned in a 577 total. North Carolina was second and South Carolina third, three and four strokes back, respectively.

The board of directors awarded the 1963 tournament to Coosa Country Club, Rome, Ga.

Match Play Results: