Dechambeau wins Trans-Miss Amateur

FAIRFAX,–Bryson DeChambeau ramped up his summer of golfing success by rolling to a five-shot victory in the 110th Trans-Mississippi Championship presented by TaylorMade-Adidas Thursday at the Meadow Club. Just a few weeks after finishing second in the California State Amateur, the Modesto native and current Clovis resident captured his first tournament victory since high school. "I don’t know what to say. It’s been a long time coming, but this one feels so sweet,” he said after the short par putt for the win, highlighted by a small wave and large smile. DeChambeau, who earned Conference USA Freshman of the Year honors for the SMU Mustangs this spring, shot a final round 69-266 total, 14-under-par. He joins fellow SMU golfer Kelly Kraft, who captured the Trans-Miss title in 2011. Former University of Arkansas golfer Austin Cook from Jonesboro, Arkansas tied for second with Jeremy Sanders, Chatsworth, California with a 9-under 271 total. Cook shot a final round 70, Sanders had a closing 68. At one time in the morning third round, DeChambeau had a seven-shot lead, but it slowly began to dwindle. With a bogey on his final hole of the morning round, his lead was down to three shots over Corey McElyea and four over Cook, five better than Cal NCAA champion Max Homa. After nine holes in the afternoon round, DeChambeau’s lead was down to two shots to Homa, who has played the Alister MacKenzie classic layout hundreds of time as his college home course. But after Homa bogeyed No. 11, the lead was back up to three shots and DeChambeau lead by five after 15 holes and enjoyed a drama-free back nine stroll. "When I made bogey on No. 11 and then didn’t make birdie on 12 or 13 that really put me behind the 8-ball on the back nine,” Homa said. "It’s not what I wanted for this week, but I had four rounds at par or better so I can’t be too disappointed.” Homa, who plans to turn pro later this summer, will be in the amateur Porter Cup in two weeks and will make his Buy.com Tour debut in August in Pittsburgh. He will also play in the U.S. Amateur next month and hopes to make the U.S. Walker Cup team before turning pro. He wound up finishing tied for fourth with Santa Cruz’s Corey McElyea with an 8-under 272. Cook’s second place finish was one place higher than last year’s third place standing. "I played good today, but I didn’t take advantage of my opportunities. Holes 1-3 just killed me today. I never got those figured out,” he said. McElyea will return to another season playing college golf for USF with plenty of confidence from his Trans-Miss showing. "I’m ready to keep playing. I didn’t achieve my goal to win, but I played well for four days and that is important.’ The 111th Trans-Miss Championship will be staged next July at Southern Hills Country Club in Tulsa, Oklahoma.