LITTLE ROCK — Almost a 3-man playoff
Saturday’s playoff between Peter Williamson and Bobby Wyatt to decide the Southern Amateur Championship almost had a third participant.
Daniel Berger, 19, who played in the final group with Wyatt and eventual winner Williamson, trailed the co-leaders by one shot heading into the last hole of regulation on the Bear Den course at Chenal Country Club. All three players missed the green on the 472-yard, par-4 18th hole, with Berger in a bunker on the left side.
Williamson and Wyatt chipped to within a few feet to set up pars, and Berger said he knew he had to hole out, from about 15 feet, to make the playoff.
“I knew I had to make birdie there,” Berger said.
“I just gave myself the best opportunity.”
Berger’s shot hit the pin and rolled just inches away.
The 18th green was the only one Berger, who shot a 5-under 67 Saturday, failed to reach in regulation.
“I could see that it hit the flag, but I think it had a little too much speed,” said Berger, a 19-year-old from Jupiter, Fla. “I knew it wasn’t going to go in. But it gave the crowd a little bit of a cheer, so it was fun.”
Feeling wanted
No foreign player has ever won the Southern Amateur, but foreign entrants were prevalent in this year’s tournament.
Malaysia’s Gavin Green, one of 14 foreign players in the 171-man field, had the highest finish among foreign players, tying for ninth at 2 under par.
Green got off to a good start Saturday but faded down to stretch en route to a 1-over 73.
“It started pretty good, but I just collapsed the last few holes,” said Green, 18. “I hit it pretty good all day. It just didn’t go my way.”
Green made three birdies on the front nine, including one at the par-5 seventh that put him at 6 under for the tournament. But four bogeys over the final six holes derailed his chances of a top-five finish.
But Green was smiling after his round when two children asked for his autograph after he submitted his scorecard.
“I’m from like a country far away, so I didn’t expect any of that,” Green said, laughing a little. “I just found out that they’re from my country, their mom is from my country. So that was kind of cool, I guess.”Weighing options
One of the perks of winning the Southern Amateur is an exemption into the PGA Tour’s Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill, Fla., in March as an amateur.
That opportunity, however, might be one that winner Peter Williamson considers turning down.
“I have to think about it,” said Williamson, who explained that he had planned on turning professional before PGA Tour qualifying this fall.
“That’s a great tournament, and obviously prestigious to be the only amateur in the field. I’ve got a little bit of thinking to do.”
One way to play
Patrick Newcomb shot a 1-over-par 73 Saturday, but it wasn’t because he took a conservative approach.
“I was going to come out and play aggressive because I was coming out to win the golf tournament,” said Newcomb, a 22-year-old from Benton, Ky., who came into the day five shots off the lead at 2 under. “I wasn’t coming out to shoot 68 and lose by a few and just have a good showing.
“If you don’t try to win the golf tournament, you shouldn’t be out there.”
Newcomb bogeyed the first hole, then turned it around with birdies on Nos.
8, 10 and 11. But bogeys on Nos. 13, 14, and 16 dropped him back to 14th at 1 under.
Newcomb earned a spot in next year’s Southern Amateur with his top-15 finish.
“It was up and down, all week it was up and down,” Newcomb said. “I hit it really well the first two days, made no putts. Today I didn’t hit it that well and didn’t make a lot of putts.
“I just couldn’t hold it together coming home.”By the numbers 14 Players who finished under par in the 72-hole tournament 15 Combined strokes under par for Peter Williamson, Bobby Wyatt and Daniel Berger in the final round 37 Eagles recorded during the tournament, with 13 coming on the par-5 15th hole 67 Lowest 18-hole scores, recorded Saturday by Williamson, Wyatt and Berger 77 Final-round score for Little Rock’s Alex Carpenter, the 2010 Southern Amateur champion who finished at 10 over for the tournament 102 Average high temperature during four days of play 145 Bogeys recorded on the par-4 11th, which finished as the third-toughest hole with a 4.34 scoring average.
Sports, Pages 31 on 07/22/2012