At Payne's Valley, Peter Weaver wins the Missouri State Amateur

Peter Weaver (St. Louis) adds his name to Missouri golf history and a pair of iconic trophies, taking home the 116th Missouri Amateur Championship with a 4 & 2 win at Payne’s Valley Golf Course in Hollister. Weaver went 34 holes with opponent Michael Winslow (Overland Park), and held a steady lead for most of the match. Weaver started the 36-hole match at a steady pace, sitting no less than tied with Winslow at any point during the match. He capitalized on a birdie on hole eight to put himself at a comfortable score of 3 up at the first turn. Weaver had complete control on the back nine, going as far as 5-up over Winslow on hole 14. He finished the first round of 18 at 3-up over Winslow. The playing field evened out after Winslow earned a birdie on hole 10, followed by a bogey from Weaver. However, Weaver took the lead again on hole 12 and held it until his final competition with Winslow for the day. Weaver only needed to make par on hole 16 to secure the title and trophy, but instead sunk one in from 20 feet out to win the match and the Missouri Amateur Championship. Weaver began the tournament strong, advancing out of stroke play as the No. 7 seed. He took his preceding matches 4 & 2 (round of 64), 3 & 2 (round of 32), 5 & 4 (round of 16) and 4-up (quarterfinal). In the semifinal, Weaver battled 2022 Missouri Amateur Champion Chad Niezing (Manchester) through a full 18 holes. Weaver fell to one down after the 15th hole to Niezing, but came back to tie the match on hole 17. Weaver sank a putt for a birdie to secure the win and a trip to the championship match. Weaver joins an impressive list of former Missouri Amateur Champions, including MGA president Wayne Fredrick, PGA Tour champion Tom Watson, and golf legend Payne Stewart, the namesake of Payne’s Valley. Story courtesy Missouri Golf Association