Trey Rule
By Rory Sharrock, for AmateurGolf.com
ATLANTA, Georgia (Jun 28, 2014) -- It took
four
rounds, and two playoff holes, but The
Dogwood
Invitational finally showcased the same player
who
began and ended the day sitting atop the
leaderboard.
Mercer University golfer Trey Rule teed off
Saturday
with a one-shot lead and concluded play with
the
trophy in hand, defeating Winthrop
University’s
Zach
Seabolt to clinch The Dogwood Invitational at
Druid
Hills Golf Club.
Rule’s win didn’t come without its share of
drama.
When the pair squared off on the par-5 No.
18,
Rule
held a two-stroke lead at -22 and appeared to
be in
the driver’s seat for the title. Victory seemed
a
foregone conclusion when Seabolt misfired on
an
eagle attempt and had to settle for birdie.
However,
Rule, needing a relatively short par save for
championship glory,
left his putt short and made bogey, sending
the
tournament
into a
sudden-death playoff.
“I honestly didn’t think it would go to a
playoff.
When
I hit that putt, I felt like I hit it with the putter
cover
on,” said Rule.
The duo moved to No. 1 for the first playoff
hole
where they traded shots and drew even with
par
scores. On the second playoff hole, the
players
returned to No. 18 where things began to
unravel
for
Seabolt. After Rule blasted the ball down the
middle,
Seabolt hit an errant tee shot which sailed
wide left of
the fairway, landing in a rugged surface of
twigs. Rule
continued to stroll along uphill to the green
while
Seabolt needed two shots just to get back on
the
fairway. Upon his second trip to the green on
18, Rule
was on point, sinking his shot and adding his
name to
the lure of this historic tournament.
“It really hasn’t sunk in yet,” said Rule. “My
favorite
golfer is Webb Simpson. He won here (2007)
and he’s
one of the reasons why I wanted to play in
this event.
I’m so thankful and blessed to win The
Dogwood
Invitational. God is great.”
This was the third playoff finale at The
Dogwood in the
last 20 years. The last two occurred in 1998
(Michael
Kirk) and 2001 (Kyle Thompson). This also
was
the
second longest playoff in the history of this
tournament.
ABOUT THE
Dogwood Invitational
Tournament week is June 2-7 at Druid Hills
Golf
Club
in
Atlanta, Georgia. The entry fee includes
breakfast
and lunch
tournament days as
well
as special events.
The history of this prestigious event extends
back to
1941, when legendary amateur Tommy Barnes
captured his first of five Dogwood titles.
Evolving
with
the times, the modern Dogwood has produced
fine
champions like Webb Simpson (’07), Brian
Harman
(’09), Dawson Armstrong (’15), and in 2019
Brandon
Mancheno. This
evolution can
be
seen also in our course renovations and set-up,
our
relaxed tournament atmosphere, and our spirit
of
social
responsibility.
Players are required to walk during tournament
play
and may carry their golf bag themselves (push
carts are
allowed) or take a caddie. Caddies may be
requested
in advance during registration, or players may
select
one on their own.
Player housing is provided on an as available
basis to
players only, caddies and traveling
companions are not
provided housing.
View Complete Tournament Information