Albany’s Colin Bowles has burst onto the amateur golf scene after winning the Georgia Amateur

ALBANY — Colin Bowles never expected to be mentioned in the same sentence as Bobby Jones.

But after winning the Georgia Amateur Championship over the summer, that is exactly what has happened.

By beating Spencer Ralston in the match play final at Atlanta’s Brookhaven Course of the Capital City Club, Bowles, who was 16 at the time, became the youngest to win the tournament since Jones did it in 1916.

“It’s very cool,” Colin Bowles said. “There are a bunch of good names on that trophy. It’s crazy to think my name is on there. It gives me a lot more confidence. I wasn’t having the greatest year heading into that tournament, but I feel like I’m a better player now.”

What made the victory even more impressive was the comeback Bowles made. After Ralston took hole 10, Bowles found himself down three holes with eight to play.

“My dad told me that I needed to hit one good shot and it would change,” Colin Bowles said. “I hit that one good shot and it did change. I was worried, but I still had eight holes to go. I knew I had a chance still.”

Bowles went on to win four of the next five holes and his birdie on the 17th hole put him one up and ended up being the match winner as the pair parred the final hole.

The tournament, which is usually a 72-hole stroke-play format but returned to match play this year to celebrate it’s 100th anniversary, has been a breeding ground for success.

Since 2005, the tournament has been won by Brian Harman, Russell Henley (twice) and Harris English, all players who currently play on the PGA Tour.

“It was awesome to watch him do that,” Toney Bowles said. “Going into the tournament, we thought if he could make it into the match play, it would be a big accomplishment.”

It was Bowles’ first time playing in the tournament after moving to Albany during the summer of 2015.

The Bowles family made the move from West Virginia in part to give Colin the opportunity to play golf nearly year-round but also because the family bought River Pointe Golf Club.

Colin’s father, Toney, was the head pro and superintendent at a golf course in West Virginia for 25 years before buying River Pointe.

“He has always wanted to own his own golf course,” Colin Bowles said. “This was a good chance. It also helped that I could play golf more frequently in South Georgia. It was kind of best for both of us.”

Despite being heavily involved with golf even before Colin was born, Toney let his son do his own thing.

“We kind of let him pick it up on his own,” Toney Bowles said. “Once he got interested and needed help, I would help him. He would come ask me, but a lot of stuff he has figured out on his own.”

Colin was home-schooled during his first year in Albany but is enrolled at Terrell Academy for his junior year.

At the end of this month, the 17-year old will represent Georgia in the USGA Men’s State Team Championship, which will be held in Alabama at the Country Club of Birmingham from Sept. 28-30. The tournament features teams from all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.

Colin currently has an offer from West Virginia and has plans to visit Wake Forest and Virginia. He has already visited Georgia Southern and liked what he saw.

If Colin Bowles keeps it up, it’s a possibility he could be next to join the big names that have won the Georgia Amateur Championship on the PGA Tour.