Wilson Claims South Carolina Amateur Match Play Championship 4 & 3

 

Event: 52nd South Carolina Amateur Match Play Championship

Host Site: Orangeburg Country Club, Orangeburg, S.C.

Playing Dates: June 6-9, 2024

Social Media: @CGAgolf1909

 

Related: Championship Website  | Scoring |  History  |  Photos 

 

LOCATION – Orangeburg, S.C.

 

A field of 64 dwindled down to one at the 52nd South Carolina Amateur Match Play Championship held at Orangeburg Country Club in Orangeburg, S.C. Congratulations to Jacques Wilson of Charleston, S.C. for winning his championship match 4 & 3 after a long week of play. 

 

“I am definitely going to be sore tomorrow morning,” Wilson said. “Mental toughness is a big thing out here…if you can eliminate mistakes out there, it definitely goes a long way.”

 

On Thursday and Friday, three rounds of Group Play matches were conducted, with the winner of each pod advancing to the Round of 16. 

 

At the end of Group Play, Wilson was part of a three-man playoff to determine who would move on to Bracket Play over the weekend. It took six extra holes on Friday afternoon for him to punch his ticket to the weekend. 

 

Saturday morning, the Round of 16 teed off with the Quarterfinals ensuing that same afternoon. Hot temperatures throughout the week tested players’ mental and physical endurance with multiple rounds played each day. 

 

Wilson won both of his Saturday matches 4 & 3. Even with a break in between matches, he stayed hot with birdies on the first three holes of his Quarterfinals Match to take a fast lead over David Lott of Barnwell, S.C.

 

Adam Hunt of Columbia, S.C., also wrapped his Quarterfinals Match swiftly with a 5 & 4 win. Colt Ingram of Aiken, S.C., had a back and forth battle with Benton Leinster of Greenville, S.C. which lasted 18 holes before advancing with a one-up edge. Sam McMillan of Mount Pleasant, S.C., however, grinded back from three-down to advance to the Semifinals after 22 holes of play against Jack Wieler of Bluffton, S.C.

 

Hunt and Ingram got the action going Sunday morning. Warmth already hung in the air as temperatures continued to rise throughout the morning. 

 

Ingram defeated Hunt on the 18th hole to move on to the Championship Match. His next opponent, Wilson, was already waiting after winning his match 4 & 3.

 

Throughout the week, Wilson relied on his experience. Last year, Wilson made it to the Semifinals before being knocked out. 

 

“I’ve been doing this a long time,” Wilson said. “Learning a little bit from last year, some of the mistakes that I made, trusting my game and just kind of using that this year.”

 

At 11:15 a.m., the final match of the tournament was underway. By the fourth hole, Wilson was three-up over Ingram, but after nine holes and a front score of 34, his lead was only one. 

 

Off the tee, Wilson excelled. His distance gave him comfortable shots into greens which gave him plenty of good looks. Ingram tried to respond down the stretch, but couldn’t get any of his putts to fall. 

 

The wind provided an extra obstacle, which made the course harder to navigate, but Wilson embraced that challenge.

 

“I knew it was going to be hard out there, which kind of takes a lot of the nerves out of there,” Wilson said. “You know it’s going to play hard, you don’t need to be making birdies on every hole.”

 

With Wilson winning holes 11, 12 and 13, it created a deficit that Ingram couldn’t overcome and the match ultimately ended on the 15th hole. 

 

Orangeburg Country Club has seen success from Wilson before. He holds the course record of 63. 

 

“Back in 2016, we had a college day out here,” Wilson said. “I really like the golf course clearly so I was happy the match play was out here this year.”

 

The Carolinas Golf Association would like to thank Superintendent, Alex Tolbert, Head Professional JP Waldron, Director of Golf, David Lackey and all other staff and members of Orangeburg Country Club.

 

About the Carolinas Golf Association (CGA)

The CGA is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit educational organization founded in 1909 to promote and protect the game of golf in the Carolinas by providing competitions, education, support, and benefits to golf clubs and golfers. The CGA is one of the largest golf associations in the country, with over 700 member clubs represented by over 200,000 individuals.

The CGA annually conducts 48 championships and five team match competitions for men, women, juniors, and seniors. It also runs over 150 One-Day (net and gross) events and qualifying for USGA national championships. The CGA serves golf in the Carolinas with numerous programs such as: the USGA Handicap System; tournament management software and support; course measuring and course/slope ratings; agronomy consultation; answers about the Rules of Golf, Rules of Amateur Status, and Handicapping; Carolinas Golf Magazine; Interclub series; Tarheel Youth Golf Association; Carolinas Golf Hall of Fame; expense assistance for USGA Junior and Girls' Junior qualifiers from the Carolinas; and the Carolinas Golf Foundation (CGF). The CGF has distributed over $3,000,000 since 1977 to benefit Carolinas' golf initiatives, including junior, women and adaptive programs.

For more information about the Carolinas Golf Association, follow @cgagolf1909 on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and TikTok or visit our website www.carolinasgolf.org/

 

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