Spirit of America: Mahlik takes it
Alex Mahlik
DECATUR, Ala. (July 7, 2013) -- Central Alabama's Alex Mahlik shot a 1-under 70 in Sunday's final round to secure a five-shot victory at the 2013 Spirit of America Championship at Burningtree Country Club.
Mahlik took the lead thanks to rounds of 67-68 in the first two rounds of action.
Chanat Sakuulpolphaisan of Mississippi State fired closing rounds of 68-69 to take runner-up while Matt Georgeot was third thanks to rounds of 68-71-72.
Casey O'Toole, who shared the first-round lead with Mahlik, struggled with weekend rounds of 75-70 and finished tied for fourth place alongside Landon Lyons and Rory Doll.
The Spirit of America Championship is an invitational concentrated on college players. The event features 72 holes of stroke play but rain shortened this year's event to 54 holes.
Past winners of the event include Stewart Cink and Heath Slocum.
ABOUT THE Spirit of America
The Spirit of America Golf Classic is Burningtree
Country Club's long-running, fundraising
tournament
held annually in conjunction with
Decatur’s Spirit of America Festival, which itself is
one
of the largest, free Fourth of July festivals in the
south. Established in 1967, this unique "college
team
and
individual" format event has been
home to collegiate players and top amateur
players
from across the nation. The format is 72-holes of
stroke play, with a 54-hole
collegiate team division. The "Spirit"
tournament boasts many top graduates, like 1995
Champion-turned-PGA tour player Heath Slocum,
and
1989 Junior Champion-turned-PGA tour player
Stewart
Cink.
Starting in 2020 the golf tournament will be a coed
event. The plan is to have 30 two-woman teams and
30 two-
man teams. The women’s teams will be invited and
not have to pay an entry fee.
View Complete Tournament Information