Red-hot Beck goes back-to-back at Eastern Amateur
Evan Beck (Eastern Amateur photo)
Evan Beck joined elite company on Sunday by becoming just the fourth player to win back-to-back Eastern Amateur championships.
Beck entered the final round at Elizabeth Manor Golf Club in Portsmouth, Va. nursing a one-shot lead over Bryce Corbett but birdies on holes No. 6 and 9 helped the former Wake Forest player stretch his lead to four shots.
With none of his pursuers able to mount a charge, Beck cruised home with a final round of 68 which left him a 13-under 267 for the tournament, good for a four-stroke victory over Jayce Hargrove, who plays collegiately at Virginia Commonwealth.
Beck, currently ranked 68th in the World Golf Amateur Rankings, birdied five of his first seven holes on Saturday en route to a third-round 64 which moved him to 10-under for the tournament. Corbett, who plays collegiately at Radford, fired a 3-under 67 in the third round which left him just one back heading into Sunday's final round, but four birdies in an eight-hole stretch was all Beck needed to march home with his second straight Eastern Amateur title.
With the win, Beck became the fourth player to successfully defend his title at the Eastern Amateur, joining former PGA Tour commissioner Deane Beman, Ben Crenshaw and Braxton Wynns.
Beck continues to set a torrid pace which started with a second-place finish at The George Coleman Invitational at Seminole in April. He went on to win the George Thomas Invitational at Los Angeles Country Club last month and reached the semifinals of the Virginia State Amateur in early July. He also finished second in the Virginia State Open a few weeks ago.
In addition to his win at last year's Eastern Amateur, Beck also bagged victories at the Virginia State Open, and Virginia Mid-Amateur in a successful 2021.
ABOUT THE Eastern Amateur
The Eastern Amateur is a 72 hole stroke play
event that perennially attracts a top-drawer field.
The tournament has been
played -- with the exception of 1977 and 1999 -- at
Elizabeth Manor Golf and Country Club. Elizabeth
Manor is a par 70 Dick Wilson design in Portsmouth,
Virginia.
The impressive list of winners includes U.S. Open
winners Curtis Strange, Ben Crenshaw, Andy Bean,
Hubert Green, Jim Furyk and Steve Jones. Other
notables who have played in the Eastern Amateur
are Lanny Wadkins, Arron Oberholser, Steve Marino,
Scott Hoch, Clarence Rose, Gary Koch, Bob Tway,
John Rollins, Fred Funk, Carl Petterson, Chip Beck,
Jim Simons, Ben Crenshaw, Steve Melnyk, Andy
Bean and Steve Liebler. Liebler won the who the
Eastern in three different decades and is the only
golfer to have ever qualified for the USGA Junior,
USGA Amateur, USGA Open, USGA Public Links,
USGA Senior Open and USGA Senior Amateur as
well
as representing his state in the USGA Team
competition.
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