Patterson came into the final round tied for fourth at 3-under 141, trailing leader Winburne Hughes by four. But he unleashed a hot 4-under 68, storming up the leaderboard to force extra holes. Wyatt, also starting T-4, fired a matching 68 to join the playoff, but Patterson stayed cool under pressure, rolling in that winner.

The victory punches Patterson's ticket to the Palmetto Amateur. This Mississippi native—a Ph.D. in accounting, CPA, and professor at the University of Mississippi—racked up eight top-10s in ranked events last year, including a win at the Mississippi Mid-Amateur. He's no stranger to the big stage: a 2023 U.S. Mid-Amateur semifinalist in his debut, he's teed it up in 16 USGA championships (including the 2011 U.S. Open) and made the Round of 32 last year in the U.S. Amateur Four-Ball with Payne Denman. A three-time all-conference honoree at Middle Tennessee State, he also claimed the 2025 Mississippi Mid-Amateur and finished runner-up in the 2023 Mississippi State and Mid-Amateurs.

Wyatt settled for second place—for the second year running—after his T-2 six shots back of Nate Smith in 2025. The former PGA Tour pro, who returned to amateur status in 2021, took the 2025 Crump Cup and now works in Goldman Sachs' private wealth group in Atlanta.