John Daly II, the son of two-time major winner John Daly, won the Southern Amateur on Saturday in Johnson, Arkansas.
“It’s awesome,” Daly said. “I can’t wait to call my dad. I know he’s probably pumped.”
At Blessings Golf Club, Daly shot 70-71-69-68 (-10) and finished five strokes ahead of Garrett Endicott. A rising senior at the University of Arkansas, Daly’s knowledge of his team’s home course gave him an edge in the fifth event in the men’s Elite Amateur Series.
“I knew I could play good out here,” Daly said. “I figured if I could just put together a solid round that I had the advantage from the knowledge of the course.”
The University of North Carolina’s Sihan Sandhu got off to a blazing start in the first round, shooting an 8-under 64 with nine birdies and one bogey. At the end of the day, he held a four-stroke lead over Endicott, Ethan Evans and Zachary Pollo. Daly sat six strokes back at 2-under.
But Sandhu couldn’t keep the momentum going. In the second round, he shot an erratic 1-over 73, with an eagle, five birdies, four bogeys and two double bogeys.
At the same time, Endicott surged, shooting a 5-under 67 with six birdies and a bogey. At 9-under through 36 holes, the rising Mississippi State senior took a two-stroke lead over Sandhu going into the third round. Daly remained well back at 3-under.
“I just really wanted to win because it would be very cool to win at home in front of my friends and teammates.”
John Daly II
Endicott followed up a great round with an over-par round. He parred the first eight holes but recorded bogeys on Nos. 9, 11 and 12. For a moment, Endicott lost the lead to a charging Daly, who went 5-under in his first 11 holes and got to 8-under for the tournament. However, Daly played his final seven holes 2-over par while Endicott birdied 13 and 15.
After 54 holes, Endicott held the lead at 8-under, two strokes clear of Sandhu, Wells Williams and Daly. Saturday’s final grouping would be Endicott, Williams and Daly.
“I’m surprised I slept as good as I did,” Daly said. “I just really wanted to win because it would be very cool to win at home in front of my friends and teammates.”
On Saturday, Endicott’s double bogey on the first hole brought a lot of players back into the championship. Over the next two hours of play, six different players held or shared the lead.
Then Daly took control. After a bogey on the second hole, he birdied Nos. 4, 5, 6 and 8. He made the turn at 9-under, three strokes clear of Endicott, who was 2-over through nine. After Endicott, the next closest players were at 4-under.
An Endicott bogey on the 11th hole put Daly four strokes ahead of the field and out of sight.
The penultimate event in the Men’s Elite Amateur Series will be this week’s Pacific Coast Amateur at Eugene Country Club in Oregon.
RESULTS
Everett Munez