Elbow surgery started a lull in his golf game that lasted more than a year. But he has long since recovered, his game returned, and Hoft will have a second chance after winning the Hilton Head Amateur Championship on Sunday at The Golf Club at Indigo Run. The Bluffton resident won the event for the second time, the first in 2007.

Hoft finished with a 3-under-par 141, pulling away from Beaufort's Matt O'Quinn and nine-time amateur champion Kevin King to win by six shots. He earned an invitation to the 2014 Players Amateur.

"They like a lot of national players, I guess," Hoft said. "It's nice enough for them to give us an exemption for a local tournament, which is good."

Hoft and O'Quinn were tied when a downpour halted play with the final group on No. 12 green. After the restart, O'Quinn posted a pair of 7s to fall out of contention. King, at 56 years old and wearing a brace after breaking his ankle in January, chipped in for eagle on the par-4 15th on his way to tying for second.

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