Southern Am: Surprise Win for Carpenter

BIRMINGHAM, AL (July 17, 2010)--Unranked and unheralded Alex Carpenter vaulted past several of the world’s top amateurs Saturday to win the 104th Southern Amateur Saturday at Shoal Creek. Carpenter, an Abilene-Christian junior out of Little Rock , surged to the top of the leaderboard with a late birdie-eagle combo that gave him a closing 7-under-par 65 and 272 total, for a one stroke victory.

It was also one stroke better that Lee Trevino shot to win the 1984 PGA at Shoal.

The decisive and dramatic stroke came at the 17th hole, where Carpenter, 20, snaked in a curving, 65-foot for an eagle 3.

“This is the best field I’ve ever played against,” said Carpenter, who was lightly recruited and went to Abiline on a partial golf scholarship. “Everywhere I looked this week I saw players I’ve heard about.”

Among those were Alabama All-American Bud Cauley and world No. 1-ranked Russell Henley of Georgia. Those and California teen Patrick Cantley swapped the lead most of the day until Carpenter zipped past them down the stretch. Cantley, headed for UCLA in the fall, provided one final thrill moments after Carpenter finished. Needing an eagle 2 to force a playoff, he bounced his approach to the 18th off the flagstick and tapped in the short birdie to finish alone in second.

Among the perks for the winner is a playing spot in the PGA Tour Arnold Palmer Invitational next March. “I thought about that last night, but I tried to keep it out of my mind today,” said Carpenter.

The 105th Southern Amateur is slated for Innisbrook Resort next July.