Bai Continues his Summer of Success with Palmetto Am Win
Zhengkai "Bobby" Bai After His Palmetto Am Win
AIKEN, South Carolina (August 5, 2017) -- Zhengkai (Bobby) Bai summer of amateur golfing success rolled on nicely as he won the 46th annual Palmetto Amateur Saturday with a 69-268 total at historic Palmetto Country Club for a five-shot victory over Henry Shimp.
Bai, a rising sophomore at UCF qualified for match play at the British Amateur earlier this summer and was named American Athletic Conference freshman of the year and all conference this spring at UCF.
“I had a good day today and played a pretty good week. It’s exciting to win a prestigious tournament against a lot of good players,” he said.
Bai, who had to Monday qualify to even get into the field this week, seized control of the tournament with a second round 64 and took a six-shot lead going to the final day.
Despite going out in two over 36 Saturday, he never lost the lead and birdied three holes on the back nine to win going away.
“The more I played the course, the better I got to know it,” Bai said. “I gained confidence from the way I played.”
Shimp, a sophomore golfer at Stanford University, shot the low round of the final day to finish at 65-273 with birdies on three of the last five holes.
Florida State golfer Jonathan Keppler was alone in third place at 69-277.
ABOUT THE Palmetto Amateur
72-hole stroke play event held on a classic
Alister
MacKenzie design. The field of 84 is
selected
from
applicants based on handicap, participation
in
amateur golf events and competitive
record, in
previous Palmetto Amateurs and other
amateur
tournaments.
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