Around the Green

Davis Wins South Amateur presented by Impact Precision Golf

Fair Oaks Ranch – Jacob Davis, of Cibolo, birdied the first playoff hole to clinch a comeback victory in the 2018 South Amateur presented by Impact Precision Golf with a final score of 67-68-70—205. Davis trailed Conroe’s Chad Sewell by one stroke entering the final round of the 54-hole tournament. Davis shot a final-round 2-under-par 70, while Sewell finished with a 71.

San Antonio’s John Keefer shot a final-round 71 to finish one stroke behind the leaders. Jack Randle of Shenandoah and Brandon Rougeau of Washington finished at fourth and fifth, respectively. Rougeau stormed back with a final-round 66, but came up just short.

The victory required one extra hole, but it was worth the wait for Davis.

“This just means a lot more because last year I had my colon removed,” Davis said.

He spent two months in the hospital and dropped down to 110 pounds, but he says that helped him gain a deeper appreciation for golf.  “It just feels different now,” Davis said. “I sort of fell in love with the game all over again.”

An attitude like that helped him navigate conditions that were the most difficult of the weekend. After relatively little wind during the first two rounds, the wind picked up during Sunday’s final round.

“The wind swirled like crazy today,” Davis said. “I struggled picking clubs.”

He credits a hot putter throughout the weekend for helping him cover up a few mistakes. He drained a few long putts on Sunday to help him make up some ground.  

After being tied at the turn, Davis and second-round leader Chad Sewell each fired a 33 on their back nine to force a sudden-death playoff. Each player birdied No.18 on their final hole of regulation, but Davis was the one who was able to repeat that feat to clinch the championship in the playoff. Sewell missed his birdie chance and made par.

“All I told myself was ‘I can do all things through Christ,’” Davis said of his mindset going into the playoff hole. “I even said it out loud on the fairway.”

It seemed only fitting that tournament would come down to No. 18, a hole that Davis and Sewell each played at 3-under over the weekend. Davis just happened to get the last birdie of the weekend.

“Chad is obviously a great player, but I guess somebody had to win,” Davis said.

The Texas Golf Association extends sincere gratitude to the membership, Director of Golf Phil Wiese and his staff at Fair Oaks Ranch Golf & Country Club for their gracious hospitality throughout the week. The Live Oak Course provided a true test of golf for the competitors. 

This concludes the 2018 South Regional Series presented by Impact Precision Golf. Impact Precision Golf is a premier club fitter located in Spring, TX. The other three events, the South Four-Ball, South Mid-Amateur, and South Senior Amateur were all contested earlier on in the season. Players must reside in the southern part of Texas (31^st parallel, Salado, TX) to be able to compete in the South Regional Series presented by Impact Precision Golf. The Texas Golf Association would like to thank our partners, Impact Precision Golf, for their commitment to amateur golf.

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