Philip Knowles wins The Players Amateur in Playoff

July 16, 2017 | by AmateurGolf.com Staff

2017 Players Amateur winner Phillip Knowles (Players Am photo)

Knowles shot 64 Sunday to catch Bryson Nimmer, then won his place in the Heritage Classic on the second extra hole

BLUFFTON, SC (July 16, 2017) - It was a long trying final day at the Players Amateur hosted by Berkeley Hall Club but in the end North Florida junior Philip Knowles was able to win the title on the second hole of a sudden death playoff against Bryson Nimmer. Knowles started Sunday four shots behind before surging during the final round with a bogey-free 7-under 64 to finish regulation 13-under. “You dream of this, you know?” Knowles told Bluffton Today. “I started the day, I don’t know how many back, and you dream of going out there and playing one of the best rounds of your career.” Knowles also told the Bluffton today reporter that he had no idea the Players Amateur champion is awarded a sponsor exemption to play in the RBC Heritage. “I made the putt, I looked at [my caddy], and he says, ‘You just qualified for your first PGA Tour event. I had no words. I am excited to come back.” The final round charge for Knowles started with three consecutive birdies on Nos. 2-4 and then continued with a 7th hole birdie that saw the 2016 Atlantic Sun All-Freshman team member turn in 4-under 32 and at 10-under for the tournament. Still chasing and despite a better than three-hour rain delay, Knowles continued to rally with 14th, 15th and 17th hole birdies. The final birdie ended up being good enough to put Knowles into the playoff. Nimmer, a junior for Clemson, had chance to win the tournament outright but he bogeyed the closing hole to finish regulation 13-under and in the playoff against Knowles. For much of the day Nimmer, who shot a final round 3-under 68, was in control of his game and following a birdie on No. 16 he was 14-under and alone in the lead. Vanderbilt teammates Patrick Martin and 54-hole co-leader Theo Humphrey shared third at 12-under while in a tie for fifth it was William Rainey of the College of Charleston and Vanderbilt's John Augenstein at 11-under.

Results: Players Amateur

Place	Player	Location	Pts	Scores
1	Philip Knowles	Bradenton, FL	1200	71-69-67-64=271*
2	Bryson Nimmer	Bluffton, SC	900	69-69-65-68=271
T3	Patrick Martin	Birmingham, AL	700	69-69-70-64=272
T3	Theo Humphrey	Greenwich, CT	700	69-67-67-69=272
T5	William Rainey	Charlotte, NC	700	67-70-69-67=273

View full results for Players Amateur

About the Players Amateur

While competing in the 1999 US Amateur Championship at Pebble Beach, former US Walker Cup Team members, Duke Delcher and Tom McKnight discussed the formation of a premier 72-hole stroke play amateur golf tournament. The inaugural Players Amateur was ...

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