CORAL SPRINGS, Florida (December 22, 2009) -- In a thrilling playoff victory, Peter Uihlein defeated Florida’s Mu Hu on Heron Bay Golf Club’s signature 18th hole today to capture the Dixie Amateur title.
Hu fired a spectacular 67 in the final round to catch Uihlein, who shot 69 to finish at 205 for the 54-hole weather shortened event. UCLA star Gregor Main of Danville, CA and Clemson standout Corbin Mills tied for 3rd at 206.
Mills' 65 was the best round of the day but left him one shot short of the playoff. Berkeley Prep phenom Blake Morris shot a tournament best 64 in the second round that helped him tie for 5th place at 208.
It should be noted that the tournament was literally saved by the grounds crew at Heron Bay Golf Club, which received torrential downpours of 14 inches of rain over a 24 hour period from the same storm that blanketed the Northeast with snow.
"Jeff [Hippensteel, Heron Bay superintendent] is my best friend right now," said tournament director Jeff Hunt in a phone interview. "He literally rebuilt 84 bunkers with his crew on Saturday, working from 7am to dusk."
Heron Bay is built around sand, with huge bunkers guarding the left and right sides of most fairways. Add to that the rains, and a field of 179 players with short winter days, and the logistical challenge of pulling off a tournament seemed insurmountable until the weather broke and the grounds crew did their job.
Heron Bay began hosting the tournament in 2008 and has since improved the field quality substantially -- this year 21 countries were represented and 150 qualified players were turned away.
story courtesy Dixie Amateur Tournament Committee
Dixie Amateur Championship: Top Finishers
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Northern California