Robby Prater (AGA)

“I knew that if I would hit the fairway, I had a good chance of making birdie,” Prater told the Alabama Golf Association.

Leaving himself 125 yards left to the hole and needing a birdie, Prater did gave himself exactly what he needed.

“I probably had my best shot of the week at 125 yards with a little wedge, 10 feet from the hole. Austin had a tough putt, a downhill slider that barely missed by a couple feet. I got lucky!” Prater said.

Austin Sparks, who was tied with Prater as the two stood on the 54th and final tee box, was the victim of the Montgomery Country Club’s slippery greens as he bogeyed the last to give Prater a two stroke victory.

Prater was the one that opened the door for Sparks in the first place. Tied through 36 holes, the pair matched each other shot for shot through 14 holes. Prater dropped two shots to Sparks with back to back bogeys on Nos. 15 and 16 to give Sparks a two shot lead with two to play.

Charging back with a birdie on No. 17, Prater pulled off another birdie on the 18th to claim the one-shot victory at 9-under 201 while Sparks closed out at 8-under 202.

Although coming up short, Sparks was happy with the finish.

“It was my first time to play in the Mid-Amateur, so it’s unbelievable to finish second,” said Sparks.

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