North & South Amateur: Vick wins playoff for medalist honors

Texas’ Travis Vick played near-perfect golf through two days at the North & South Amateur.

“I didn’t make a bogey for 35 holes,” Vick told Pinehurst, “and then I messed up 18.”

The bogey on the 18th hole at Pinehurst No. 2 gave the rising Longhorn sophomore a little taste of what’s to come over what he hopes is the next three days.

Carding a 68, Vick found himself in a three-man playoff against Illinois State’s David Perkins and North Carolina signee Peter Fountain. After three holes, Vick sank a 6-foot birdie putt on the par-4 16th on No. 2 to claim medalist honors and grab the 1-seed for the match-play portion of the event which begins Wednesday.

“Now it’s just face the next guy,” Vick said. “Everybody out here who has played a lot of match play knows anybody can get hot, that anybody can play well for 18 holes.”

Matthew Sharpstene

Overnight leader Matthew Sharpstene could not follow up his course record-setting 64 he posted Monday at Pinehurst No. 4. Sharpstene bested the previous course record at No. 4 which was previously held by Brandon Wu and Karl Vilips who set the pace at last year's U.S. Amateur Championship. Sharpstene finished in a tie for 17th and is the 22-seed.

Related: Sharpstene sets course record on day 1 of North & South Am

As for the ‘next guy’, Vick is set to face off against Florida signee Tyler Wilkes. Wilkes was an AJGA standout with a win at Saddlebrook last May, a runner-up finish at the Arnold Palmer Invitational Junior, and a T-3 finish at the Junior Invitational at Sage Valley in March.

Making room next to his 2016 U.S. Junior Amateur medal, Vick looks to become the first player to win both medalist honors and the match play championship since 2012 when Peter Williamson took home both pieces of hardware.