Thompson wins 2nd Dixie Amateur

CORAL SPRINGS, Fla. (Dec. 22, 2013) – Curtis Thompson joined a short list of players who have captured the Dixie Amateur multiple times when he birdied the second extra hole in a sudden death playoff Sunday to defeat Florida State freshman Jack Maguire. Thompson, a local favorite who lives just 10 minutes from the Heron Bay Golf Club, and Maguire shot final round 65s to set up the playoff. Thompson missed a 10-footer for par on the 72nd hole to force the extra holes. In a display of terrific shot making, the final group which also included third-round leader McCormick Clouser, had 21 birdies and one eagle. Both Thompson and Maguire shot similar 32-33 nines and were never separated by more than one shot throughout the afternoon. “I really didn’t know what I shot,” said Thompson, who attends Louisiana State University and is the third member of the golfing Thompsons; younger sister Lexi has won multiple times on the LPGA already while older brother Nick has been playing on the PGA tour for a couple of years. “I thought I had 66. I was more concerned with playing each shot.” Thompson was one behind on the 17th hole when Maguire could not get up and down from the fringe and made bogey. Curtis drained his birdie and the group went to the 18th with Thompson one up. But he gave the shot back, three-putting from the back fringe while Maguire two putted for par, missing a birdie putt that would have won it by inches. “I can’t be disappointed shooting seven under,” said St. Petersburg, Fl., resident Maguire. “This was one of my best rounds of the year and as long as I didn’t lose it, that’s all I care about. Curtis played just great.” Thompson, who won this event in 2011, is the seventh player to win the Dixie twice while Earl Christianson and Bill Hyndman III won it three times. “Win, lose or draw,” he said, “it was a lot of fun today.” In the Woodlands Winter Invitational played at Woodlands Country Club, another ClubLink facility in nearby Tamarac, Corey Knight beat Ryan Carter with a par on the first hole of sudden death to win the inaugural event. Knight, from Avondale, Az., had a 73 to go with his opening round 69 while Carter, from Miami was two under Sunday to tie atop the leaderboard at 142. The 83rd Dixie Amateur had players from 31 countries participate, a record for the event.