PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. – With a packed leaderboard, the 108th Amateur Championship came down to the wire at BallenIsles Country Club. On a tense final day where any number of players had a shot at the title, it was Reed Greyserman who emerged from the fray. With steady nerves and clutch execution, Greyserman closed on the first playoff hole
Greyserman fired a final-round 68 to complete an improbable comeback after opening rounds of 74 and 75. At the end of the second round, he sat in a tie for 53rd place. Meanwhile, Arth Sinha was in strong position at 3-under, tied for second.
Saturday proved pivotal. From holes one through nine (his back nine), he rocked in six birdies. Combined with two birdies on his front nine, his round helped soar 48 spots up the leaderboard with an 8-under 64, just one stroke shy of the East Course record. He had a chance to tie the mark on his final hole but watched his birdie attempt slide just inches past.
And then came Sunday’s final round, which was a tightly contested battle, with the lead constantly changing hands. Greyserman and Sinha continued to trade positions at the top, while several contenders lurked close behind.
TJ Thompson made a run but couldn’t convert key opportunities. Preston Worch briefly tied for the lead with a dramatic 25-foot eagle putt on the 17th, only to fall out of contention with a double bogey on the 18th.
Sinha appeared to have slipped from the chase after a double bogey on the 16th, with the difficult 18th hole looming. After a par on the 17th, he needed a birdie to stay alive, and delivered in spectacular fashion. Facing a stiff wind, he crushed a 243-yard 3-wood to within four feet of the hole, tapping in to force a playoff.
In the playoff, both players found the right rough off the tee. Sinha being further from the hole was the first to play from the fairway where he shortsided himself short right to a back right hole location. Greyserman tugged his approach. Unfortunately, Sinha proceeded to leave his chip in the bunker while Greyserman chipped up to about five feet.
Greyserman got up and down and calmly tapped in for par to claim the 108th Amateur title.
“It feels great to get the job done. I didn’t have much of a chance heading into the weekend, I really didn’t think it was possible. Getting it done was really special” Greyserman said just moments after his victory. “I treated the playoff the same as every other hole. Obviously there’s more pressure, but at the end of the day the shot is the same. I made a really good par on a really good hole” said Greyserman after walking off the green. “I focused on one shot at a time and it all came together.”
The victory capped off a remarkable display of resilience. Greyserman began the weekend nine shots behind the lead and climbed from near the bottom of the leaderboard to hoist the trophy.
Greyserman joins his brother, Dean Greyserman, as the first set of brothers to win the Florida Amateur Championship.
Full Results | Round 1 Recap | Round 2 Recap | Round 3 Recap
