McCollum goes wire-to-wire to win Silver State Amateur
- Silver State Amateur photo
Josh McCollum (Upland, CA) and former player at Chico State, led wire-to-wire at Paiute Golf Resort (Sun Mountain) to win the Silver State Amateur today. McCollum shot a final round 74 to finish at even par for the event. His 216 total bested Yin Ho Hue (Hong Kong; University of Oregon) by three shots.
Logan Price (Grand Blanc, MI),
Patrick Azevedo (Othello, WA),
Jaxon Dowell (Edmond, OK), and
Brady Haake (Gilbert, AZ) all finished tied for third with four-over par 220 totals. Dowell closed with a final-round 69 (-3) which tied for the low round of the tournament.
Mild temperatures again in the low 90s combined with winds steadily at 20-25 mph and occasional gusts in the low 30s made scoring conditions extremely difficult for competitors all week. McCollum got off to a rocky start as he was five-over par through 10 holes while briefly losing his lead but three late birdies on holes 11, 14, and 16 gave McCollum the cushion he needed to seal the victory.
“With the conditions as tough as they were this week I knew that I didn’t have to do anything crazy to have a chance to win," said McCollum. "I knew fairways and greens and a steady putter would be key. I really managed the course well and took advantage of holes I thought were there to get, which were very few.
"With the high winds it was key to lean on the ball-striking and short game to score and I did that very well. I consider my wedge game and short game my strengths and it helped me get the win this week. This tournament was probably the biggest grind I’ve ever experienced in a three-day event. The constant wins just drain you especially as strong as they were this week. It feels great to get this win and excited about where my game is at heading into a heavy summer schedule.”
McCollum, who played collegiately at Orange Coast College and Creighton before landing at Chico State, qualified for the 2018 and '19 U.S. Amateurs and advanced to the match play finals of the Pacific Northwest Men's Amateur Championship in Lakewood, Wash. He also won the 2019 Long Beach Match Play Championship.
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ABOUT THE Silver State Amateur
A part of the Troon Saguaro Amateur Series, the
Silver State Amateur is a 54-hole championship open to
amateur golfers who meet the eligibility and exemption
requirements which include position in various
rankings, USGA appearances, and state amateur and
mid-amateur champions. Maximum handicap 3.0.
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