Needing an inspired performance to have a chance for his first victory in a national mid-amateur tournament, Philip Lee came through with a 5-under-par 67 to win the 14th Carlton Woods Invitational by one stroke last Thursday in The Woodlands, Texas.
Lee (pictured), a resident of Nashville, Tenn., started the tournament with rounds of 73-72 and entered the final round trailing Brian Blanchard by four strokes and defending champion Joseph Deraney by three. His final round looked like it would be more of the same until a birdie-eagle burst on Nos. 7 and 8 on the Nicklaus Course at the Club at Carlton Woods. After turning in 3 under, he went bogey-free on the back nine, adding two birdies along the way.
It was a big win for Lee, a two-time Tennessee Mid-Amateur champion who had finished in the top five of last year’s Crane Cup and Tennessee State Amateur.
Lee finished 54 holes at 4-under 212, one stroke ahead of Deraney, although the final margin was deceiving because Deraney made an eagle on his final hole. Deraney had opened with a 68 but struggled to subsequent rounds of 74-71. In a distant tie for third at 4 over were Rob Garland, Dan Crockett and Matt Van Zandt. Garland and Crockett are, like Lee, past Tennessee Mid-Amateur champions. Van Zandt posted his second consecutive top-five finish in the tournament.
Blanchard, the 36-hole leader, shot 80 the final round and finished sixth at 5-over 221.
Former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo, who is playing his third PGA Tour event this week at the AT&T Byron Nelson, finished 12th at 10 over.
Lewis Stephenson of Mansfield, Texas, won the senior division. Stephenson previously finished in the top five at the Jones Cup Senior earlier this year and won the 2018 Society of Seniors Spring Classic.
Staff and Wire Reports