Branton runner-up at GSGA Senior Match Play Championship

April 16, 2026 Charles Wilson / BartowSportsZone.com

Cartersville Country Club member Chad Branton made it to the finals of the 2026 Georgia State Golf Association Senior Match Play Championship, but fell to champion Billy Mitchell 1-up.

The 15th Senior Match Play Championship for players 55 and older was conducted at Echelon Golf Club in Alpharetta. The field of 60 players competed on the 6454-yard, par-72 layout.

Branton qualified for the 16-man championship bracket by carding even-par rounds of 72-72 in the stroke play portion on Monday and Tuesday. He was seeded seventh in the match play portion.

In Wednesday’s Round of 16, he closed out Michael Standard on the sixteenth hole to win 3&2. In the quarterfinals, he took a 3-up lead over Jack Larkin, Sr., through ten holes and then held on for another 3&2 victory. 

In Thursday morning’s semifinals, Branton defeated Jack Hall by taking a 4-up lead through 12 holes, and his opponent resigned. 

In the championship match, Mitchell built a 3-up lead through the first five holes, but Branton won three of the next five holes to tie the match on the eleventh hole. The back-and-forth match continued over the next six holes with Mitchell winning holes 12, 15, and 16. Branton stayed all square with wins on holes 13, 14, and 17. 

Mitchell made par on the final hole to secure the title after Branton blocked his tee shot on No. 18 to the right and failed to make par.