Rice Planters Amateur winner Jonathon Brightwell
(Rice Planters Amateur Photo)
MT. PLEASANT, SC (June 23, 2018) - Leading by three at the beginning of the day Jonathan Brightwell had to work overtime on Saturday to win the Rice Planters Amateur. Brightwell carded a 1-under 71 in the final round and finished 13-under for the tournament but with the championship on his putter he bogeyed the 72nd hole sending play at Snee Farm Country Club to a playoff.
Brightwell, who played spectacularly all week long, didn't let his momentary slip up throw off his composure as just a short time later the rising UNCG Greensboro senior defeated Garrett Wood in extra holes.
It seemed as if Brightwell had created just enough breathing room when he rolled in his fourth and final birdie of the day on the 16th but with the tournament hanging in the balance he bogeyed the 18th, a hole that he had birdied each of the first three days.
Overall Brightwell, who carded three straight 4-under 68's to start his week, signed a Saturday scorecard that included four birdies and three bogeys.
Garrett Wood, an All-Big East performer as a freshman for Xavier, started the day three of the lead before making an early move. Wood birdies Nos. 1, 4, 9 and 10 to play the opening 10 holes in 4-under. Although Wood, 13-under overall, birdied just once and bogeyed once during the closing stretch his early run put just enough pressure on Brightwell to force play to extra holes.
Wood, tied for the lead after day two, finished his week with a 4-under 68 to go along with tallies of 68-68-71.
NC State's William Holcomb V and Australian Nathan Barbieri shared third at 9-under while another Australian Jack Murdoch and Notre Dame's Davis Lamb were fifth at 8-under
ABOUT THE
Rice Planters Amateur
The Rice Planters Amateur was the inspiration of
amateur golfer, Dick Horne. During his first Porter
Cup
at the Niagara Falls Country Club in 1973, Horne
befriended the tournament's chairman Dick Harvey.
Harvey encouraged a receptive Horne to develop his
own southern tournament and, consequently, along
with other Porter Cup officials, shared enough useful
information to get Horne started in the South. The
Rice Planters quickly grew to become one of the top
amateur events in the country.
FORMAT AND ENTRY
INFORMATION
The Rice Planters is played over
54 holes of stroke play. While
entries are
by invitation only, the tournament typically
holds a 90-player qualifier for the final five spots in
the
field.
View Complete Tournament Information