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LSU GOLFER CURTIS THOMPSON WINS DIXIE AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP
CORAL
SPRINGS, Fla. – Christmas came early for one member of the LSU men’s
golf program as freshman standout Curtis Thompson fired a score of
13-under par 274 in 72 holes to capture the 81st Dixie Amateur
Championship held Dec. 19-22 at the 7,234-yard Heron Bay Golf Club.
After
firing back-to-back rounds of 3-under 69 in the first and second rounds
held at East Course at Woodlands Country Club, Thompson took home his
first career major amateur championship with rounds of 3-under 69 and
4-under 67 at Heron Bay Golf Club en route to a two-stroke victory.
Daniel
Berger of Jupiter, Fla., finished two shots behind Thompson in second
place on the leader board at 11-under 276, while Motin Yeung of
Orlando, Fla., took third place at 9-under 278 for the event.
“I
never enter an event thinking I can’t win,” Thompson said. “Going into
(the final round), I just focused on keeping the ball in play. The
turning point, really, was when I bogeyed No. 6 but then made a
30-footer for birdie on No. 7, and then birdied No. 9 and No. 10.”
Among
those in the gallery following Thompson’s every shot was his sister
Alexis Thompson. “Lexi” is a rising LPGA Tour star who this year, at
the age of 16, became the youngest golfer in history to win on the LPGA
and European women’s tours. She also won the women’s Dixie Amateur
Championship in 2007 at the age of 12, forming the first brother-sister
duo to win the prestigious title.
The men’s Dixie Amateur
Championship, which was first played in 1924, is designated as one fo
the “majors” of amateur golf by amateurgolf.com. Nearly 30 of the top
500 male amateurs worldwide ranked in the latest World Amateur Golf
Rankings competed in the event.
A total of 80 players from
the initial field of 240 survived the 36-hole cut at 4-over par after
two rounds in the event. Thompson held a one-stroke lead over the rest
of the field at 6-under on “Cut Day.”
With his victory,
Thompson joins an impressive list of past champions who have enjoyed
great success on the PGA Tour, including Andy Bean, Bruce Fleisher,
Nolan Henke, Ryuji Imada, Len Mattiace, Jesper Parnevick, Brandt
Snedeker, Hal Sutton and Lanny Wadkins. Two-time defending tourney
medalist Peter Uihlein did not compete for his third-straight title
after declaring his intentions to turn pro next month.
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