Luke Clanton clips Guan in a playoff to take South Beach International Amateur title
Luke Clanton
Seventy-two holes weren't enough to decide the South Beach International Amateur championship and that was just fine with
Luke Clanton.
Clanton, a freshman at Florida State, clipped 14-year-old
Henry Guan on the first playoff after both players tied at 17-under 266 at the end of regulation at Miami Beach (Fla.) Golf Club.
It marks the third major amateur title this year for Clanton, who also won the prestigious
North & South Amateur at Pinehurst in July, and before that the
Azalea Invitational in Charleston, S.C., in March.
Clanton, a native of nearby Hialeah, Fla., entered the final round three shots behind Guan, who held the 54-hole lead at 15-under 197 after rounds of 65-65-67, but overtook the Irving, Texas resident after making back-to-back birdies on holes 16 and 17.
However, Guan calmy drained an eight-foot birdie putt on the par 4 finishing hole to force a playoff.
The two players went back to the par-5 15th hole where Clanton's drive split the fairway while Guan's leaked to the right and found the water. He then attempted to hit his halfway submerged ball but he was unsuccessful in clearing the penalty area. Clanton played it safe from the fairway, hit his third shot to 10 feet and two-putted for par and the victory.
Auburn commit
Jackson Koivun from San Jose, Calif. finished in sole third place finish at 13-under following a final round 67.
Roberto Nieves, a Miami resident who plays collegiately at Pepperdine, tied for fourth place with Virginia's
Deven Patel at 12 under par.
ABOUT THE South Beach International
72-hole event with 36-hole cut. Open to
highly
ranked amateurs, college players, mid-amateurs
and juniors. Non-exempt players must submit a playing
resume to be considered for the field.
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