Olsen wins Southern Amateur in playoff
-- Golfweek Photo
THE WOODLANDS, Texas (July 20, 2013) — Youthful Zachary Olsen sank clutch birdie putts on the 72nd hole and first playoff hole to win the 107th Southern Amateur Saturday at The Club at Carlton Woods’ Nicklaus Course. Olsen, headed for his freshman year at Oklahoma State in the fall, canned a 12-footer at No. 18 to climb into the three-way playoff, then drained a 20-footer in the first overtime hole to defeat Joey Garber and Sam Love.
“It was pretty awesome, making two big putts on the last two holes to win,” Olsen gushed. “But I love playoffs.”
As Southern Am champ, he earns a spot in the PGA Tour Arnold Palmer Invitational next March in Orlando.
“Getting that spot is great, but right now winning this is more important. This is the biggest win I had.”
Joey Garber, a Georgia Bulldog senior, led most of the final round after posting 5 birdies in his first eight holes. But he cooled after that and saw his chance to win in regulation fade when his 15-foot birdie at 18 hung on the lip. Love, a senior at the University of Alabama-Birmingham, had surged out of the pack with a closing 66 to gain a playoff spot.
The 2014 Southern Am will be at the Honors Course outside Chattanooga.
ABOUT THE Southern Amateur
The Southern Amateur, which dates back to 1902, is
one of two competitions held by the Southern Golf
Association (the other is the Southern Junior). This
is a 72-hole stroke play championship with a cut
made after 36 holes. Entries are open to any male
amateur golfer who has a current USGA Handicap
Index® not exceeding 3.4 under the USGA Handicap
System. Non-exempt players must pre-qualify at
one of the qualifying sites held across the southern
U.S. in the two months leading up to the
championship.
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