THOMSON --- Former North Augustan Bryan Covar had been following the recent Regions Cup Matches from afar and didn't like the results he was hearing.
The Florence, S.C., resident knew the South Carolina team had lost the previous five season-ending matches to Georgia.
So Covar started making the two-hour drive this season to play in the tournaments. With a strong finish in the final regular-season event, he made the eight-player South Carolina regular division team that qualified for the 2008 Regions Cup Matches.
"I thought I could help," Covar said after sinking the putt that clinched the Cup for South Carolina on Sunday at Belle Meade Country Club.
The putt, on No. 18, earned Covar a 1-up victory over Jamie Felder and gave South Carolina enough points to clinch the title.
South Carolina went on to win 26-22 and extend its overall series lead to 11-9-1.
Covar ended up with 21/2 points in his five matches. Each match was worth one point.
Covar built a 3-up lead on Felder through 15 holes, but lost No. 16 and 17 with 3-putts bogeys.
It looked bad for Covar when he flew the green with his approach shot on the par-4 18th hole while Felder hit the green. After Covar chipped to within 10 feet of the hole and Felder just missed his birdie try, Covar buried his par putt for the win.
"In my state of mind, if that putt hadn't gone in, I might not have played golf again until 2010," Covar said.
"It was heat for sure at the end."
Covar was one of five strong rookies on the 16-player South Carolina team, who combined to earn 131/2 of the team's 26 points.
The first-year players were led by senior Joe Fairey, who had 4 points out of a possible 5, as did Bryson Jones in the regular division.
South Carolina veteran Rusty Flanders also had 4 points in the regular division.
The victory was especially meaningful for South Carolina's Lance Jones.
Jones, a senior, has played in the past 16 matches, which is a record.
In the early years of the series, South Carolina was king, building a 10-4-1 series lead.
"I remember when it was the other way around and we were winning all the time," Jones said, who lost to Jerry Beard Sunday but had 2 points for the weekend. "Then it reversed course and blew the other way."
In the team matches this year, South Carolina led 81/2 to 71/2 after the first day, and Georgia tied it at 16-16 going into the final round, which consisted of 16 singles matches.
Georgia went ahead 20-19-1 after Sunday morning's eight seniors matches. In the regular division, South Carolina was 6-1-1, with Gil Price being the lone Georgia winner.
"I'm really happy for our regulars," Jones said. "They came through big time."
One of the best rounds of the day was turned in by South Carolina's Harold Bishop, who beat Mike Phelps 5 and 4 by going 4-under through 14 holes.
Bishop has been on the winning team three years in a row now.
Bishop played on the Georgia team the previous two years but moved to Jackson, S.C., in January.
Scurlock and fellow senior Robert Samuels led Georgia in the matches with 4 points each. Samuels, who won three matches and halved two, was the only player in the tournament without a loss.
Price and regular division player of the year Doug Weiss had 31/2 each in the regular division.
"We just got beat," said Weiss, who lost his match to Benji Thompson 1-up when Thompson birdied the final hole.
"Congratulations to South Carolina," said Georgia's Kenny Larry, the senior division player of the year, who had 3 points and beat Jim Brisson on Sunday. "We tried our best today, but South Carolina played a helluva round."
Reach David Westin at (706) 724-0851 or david.westin@augustachronicle.com.
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