Ty Palmer
(Guilford College Athletics Photo)
PINEHURST, NC (December 21, 2016) -- Ty Palmer of Division III Guilford College used an even-par final round 72 to finish 2-under and win the Country Club of North Carolina Amateur. Palmer finished one-stroke in front of the 1-under Fulton Smith at the Dogwood Course of the Country Club of North Carolina.
After beginning the day in second place and two back, Palmer used some late heroics to lift the trophy. The day began nicely for the 2015 NCAA Division III All-American with a birdie on the 3rd but three bogeys followed that dropped him to 2-over for the week. Needing to rally down the stretch, Palmer rolled in a birdie on No. 14 and then the title clincher on the final hole.
Smith, an uncommitted junior player, made a strong move early with birdies on Nos. 3 and 4 before he bogeyed the 5th. Another birdie came on the 12th that returned Smith to 1-under but he wasn't able to find a playoff forcing birdie coming home.
Zach Seabolt (Winthrop) and Jackson Spires (East Carolina) shared third at even-par while Caden Orewiler (Ohio State), Blake Fiest and Jonathan Henry (Gardner-Webb) were tied for fifth at 1-over. Fiest matched the round of the tournament with a 4-under 68 that included six birdies and two bogeys.
One day after posting a 4-under 68 of his own, first round leader, Joseph Cansler, of UNC Greensboro ended up tying for eighth at 2-over.
Due to harsh weather conditions the CNCC Amateur has been reduced to 36-holes, rather than the traditional 54-holes.
ROUND ONE RECAP
UNC Greensboro junior Joseph Cansler started the Country Club of North Carolina Amateur with a bogey-free 4-under 68 and he will carry a two-stroke lead into Wednesday's final round. Cansler was one of just five players to break par on the first day of play at the Dogwood Course of Country Club of North Carolina.
Starting on the 10th hole, Cansler birdied the 17th hole before doing most of his work on his second nine with birdies on the 1st, 5th and 9th holes.
Ty Palmer of Division III Guilford College is in second place following a 2-under 70. Palmer, a PING third team NCAA Division III All-American in 2015, turned in even-par and set the stage for a flawless 2-under 34 on the backside. His birdies on Nos. 10 and 18 came on homeward nines par-5's.
Quade Lukes (Elon commit), Sam Wimbrow (UNC Charlotte) and Jackson Spires (East Carolina) are all tied for third at 1-under.
ABOUT THE Mid Pines Invitational
Formerly known as the CCNC Amateur but moved to
Mid Pines in
2022. 54-hole stroke play event with a cut after 36
holes to
the low 40 players and ties.
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