Noll Jr. putts to title

DALTON, Ga. — David Noll Jr. knows Dalton Golf and Country Club better than most people know their own backyard.

He’s been playing the course since he was a kid. He knows the location of almost every tree and can read the greens easier than a children’s story book.

“Trying to beat him on his home course is like trying to beat John Smoltz in Turner Field,” said long-time friend Chris Hall.

But Noll approached the tee box on No. 18 Sunday during the final round of the North Georgia Invitational not knowing where he stood. What did he need — eagle, birdie, par, a bogey?

Playing in the final group with Hudson Keener and Jordan Black, Noll knew he had those two guys beat. But knew nothing about the rest of the field.

He walked to the green on the par-4 hole after sticking his approach 20 feet from the hole. A friend told him, “You need to make this.”

Noll studied the green under the high evening sun.

“I thought he meant that I needed to make it to keep playing in a playoff,” Noll said.

No, he needed to make it to win.

He made it. He won.

Noll captured his sixth career North Georgia Invitational by one stroke over Ryan Chitwood. Noll shot a 4-under 140 over two rounds including a 69 on Sunday.

“Thankfully I made that putt,” Noll said. “I didn’t play all that good, but I just hung around and there was that opportunity on the last hole.”

Noll nailed it. Chitwood, who finished about an hour before the final group, never saw the winning putt. He was in the pro shop spending his gift-certificate for winning the Championship-A flight, played from the same tees as the championship flight.

“I didn’t think my 3-under would hold up,” said Chitwood, who is entering his senior year at the University of West Georgia. “I’m surprised he only clipped me by one.”

Hall finished third at 1-under after shooting a 72 on Sunday. University of Tennessee at Chattanooga volunteer coach David McKenna and Keener, a rising junior at UTC, tied for fourth at 144.

Danny Ives shot 68 Sunday and won the senior division at 2 under par. He beat Ronnie Law by a stroke.

Noll began his round with a birdie and turned at even-par before he began an eventful back nine. He birdied No. 10 and made an incredible save from the trees to save par on No. 12. A beautiful bunker shot on No. 13 resulted in a birdie.

“Those two shots were the biggest of the whole deal,” Noll said. “Well, other than that putt on 18. I wouldn’t have hit it that hard if I knew it was for the win.

“I thought I needed it to tie.”