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Trent Phillips, a three-time All-Southeastern Conference selection at the University of Georgia, shot 9-under 271 to capture the 68th Sunnehanna Amateur by one stroke on Saturday at Sunnehanna Country Club in Johnstown, Pennsylvania.
Facing one of the deepest fields on the amateur calendar, the South Carolina native posted four rounds in the 60s and made birdies on Nos. 11, 12 and 13 during the final day to clip Ian Siebers of Duke University. Phillips (above), who won the Florida Gators Invitational earlier this year and started the week ranked No. 48 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking, made a combined three bogeys on the back nine the entire week.
Phillips started the last round with a one-shot lead ahead of Karl Vilips but lost the lead with two bogeys in his first five holes. The run of birdies on the back nine – each requiring a putt shorter than 5 feet – gave him command of the tournament. He did not miss a fairway in the last round.
The 21-year-old lefty who represented the American side in the Palmer Cup two weeks ago had a standout junior career, including being the youngest ever to win the Palmetto Amateur. He’s been a consistent college player with 17 top-10 finishes for his career and a 70.78 scoring average in the season that ended this spring, and often has been on the fringes of U.S. Walker Cup team discussions. Phillips plans to turn professional after his upcoming senior season at Georgia.
Siebers closed with 5-under 65 to take second place. Travis Vick of the University of Texas made two late birdies to shoot 4-under 66 to take third place, two strokes back of Phillips.
Winning the Sunnehanna Amateur is typically a good signal for future success. Collin Morikawa, Rickie Fowler, Webb Simpson and Lucas Glover all won the event in the past 20 years.
RESULTS
James Leow, an Arizona State junior from Singapore, shot 12-under 272 to win the 106th Southwestern Amateur by three strokes on the Outlaw Course at Desert Mountain in Scottsdale, Arizona.
An injury kept Leow from playing a college schedule this past semester and the Southwestern event was only his third start of the year. Ranked No. 319 in the world coming into the tournament, Leow opened with 8-under-par 63 and never looked back in his triumph ahead of Tucker Allen from the University of Oklahoma.
There was a women’s division at the Southwestern Amateur for the first time in the event’s storied history. Ching-Tzu Chen, a Taiwanese player from the University of Oregon, shot even-par 284 to beat Ya Chun Chang by one stroke. Chen came into the week ranked No. 300 in the world, the best ranking of her career.
RESULTS: Men | Women
Laird Shepherd staged arguably the greatest comeback in Amateur Championship history when he came from 8 down after 17 holes to beat fellow Englishman Monty Scowsill at the 38th hole of a scintillating final at Nairn Golf Club, Scotland.
Shepherd had practically thrown in the towel at lunchtime, even though he won the 18th hole to get the deficit back to 7 down.
“Honestly, as I was having my lunch after the first 18 holes I thought it was over,” the 23-year-old admitted. “I just didn’t want to make it an embarrassing score line.”
Shepherd, who defeated compatriot Jack Dyer by one hole in the semi-final, still was 4 down with the last four holes to play but won them all to take the match back down the first hole. He and Scowsill, who booked his final place with a two-hole win against Welshman James Ashfield, halved the 37th hole. But Shepherd got up and down for a par on the 38th, while Scowsill three-putted from the back edge.
“Just to win is amazing, but to come back like that is surreal,” said Shepherd, who broke down in tears on the 38th green.
Staff and Wire Reports