Jose Montaño, the 2017 Cardinal Amateur champion (Cardinal photo)
GREENSBORO, North Carolina (July 29, 2017) —
Jose Montaño of Bolivia completed a wire-to-wire victory at the Cardinal Amateur Sunday, closing with a one-over 71 for seven-under 203 total, two shots clear of the field.
Montaño, a rising senior at the University of North Carolina, started the day with a three-shot lead and immediately birdied the first hole of his final round. When he turned in one-under 34, he was five ahead of the field and had played every nine holes under par for the tournament.
With four holes to go he was still one under for the day and nine under for the tournament, but started to stumble at the par-five fifteenth, making a bogey on a hole he had eagled each of the first two rounds.
Another bogey at the par-four seventeenth and a missed green at the last might have raised the stress level just a little, but Montaño was able to get up and down and finish off the tournament.
Jackson Spires of Fayetteville, NC and East Carolina University birdied two of his last three holes to post five under and finish alone in second.
Jackson Lang of Lexington, MA and Davidson College tried to make a run early, making four birdies in his first seven holes, but a double at the par-three eighth halted his momentum and he had to settle for a 67 and 206 total, tied for third at four under.
Hometown player
Bryce Hendrix of Greensboro and UNCG was the only player in the field to post three under par rounds, finishing tied with Lang in third at four under.
Montaño's win continues a good run of form this year, having placed fourth at the Mexican Amateur and sixth in the Latin America Amateur.
DAY TWO RECAP
Jose Montaño, 21, had another impressive outing today, adding to his lead at the Cardinal Am with a 3-under 67. He now stands at 8-under for the tournament.
“It’s definitely tougher today. The winds started to blow,” mentioned the Bolivian in regards to the conditions today at Sedgefield Country Club’s Dye Course. “I hit the ball a little better than yesterday though, and I made some good up-and-downs.”
Montaño made his first birdie on the long par-5 4th, then after pars on Nos. 5 and 6, rolled in a 20-footer for birdie on No. 7.
“It was the first long putt I made today and it kind of got my confidence up for the day,” said Montaño.
Montaño would rely on this confidence while knocking down crucial par-putts on Nos. 8, 10, and 14. On No. 15, the UNC player must have forgotten about the putter altogether, capping off a day of stellar play by holing a 30-yard pitch for his second eagle in two days on the 576-yard par-5 16th.
“I feel like my game has adapted to this course pretty well. I feel comfortable around the golf course, and I really feel confident about tomorrow,” offered Montaño. “I’m going to try to do my own thing and hopefully the pieces fall into place.”
Trailing Montaño by 3 shots is Luis Ruiz (68-67=135). Ruiz plays for Coastal Carolina University, Dustin Johnson's alma mater. Thomas Tilly (Newton, North Carolina) and Jackson Spires (Fayetteville, N.C.) are T3 at 4-under.
ABOUT THE Cardinal Amateur
The Cardinal Amateur, presented by McConnell
Golf, is held at the Sedgefield Country Club, Pete
Dye Course in Greensboro, NC. 54-hole stroke
play tournament. Many former competitors are
now on the PGA, Senior PGA and Nationwide
tours. The field consists of 78 contestants,
chosen among college level and mid-amateurs.
Jay Sigel, a winner on the senior tour, has been
quoted as saying that the Cardinal Am is one of
the finest amateur tournaments in the country
and one which he wishes he had won during his
amateur career.
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