Arkansas Business

This story is from the archives of ArkansasSports360.com.

Peter Williamson, a recent Dartmouth grad and New Hampshire native, donned long pants and carried his own clubs over the four rounds of the Southern Amateur Golf Championship, but he never wilted in the mid-July Arkansas heat. And when he drained a 27-foot birdie putt Saturday on the third hole of a sudden death playoff at Chenal Country Club's Bear Den course, the Ivy League All-American had the biggest win of his amateur career.

Williamson stiill had to wait until Bobby Wyatt's 20-footer from the back right fringe of the hole on No. 1 ran just to the right of the cup to end a long day of golf for the pair.

Wyatt, a rising junior at for recent NCAA runner-up Alabama, came into the 106th Southern Amateur as the world's No. 1 ranked amateur, according to the Scratch Players rankings. Williamson was on a roll as well, capturing the prestigious North-South Championship at Pinehurst, N.C., two weeks ago.

"This has been an amazing week," Williamson said.

Saturday was an amazing round for the final threesome, which also included Daniel Berger of Florida State. Williamson and Wyatt were tied to begin the round at 7-under, with Berger at minus-6, but Williamson put some distance between himself and the field with four straight birdies over holes 5 through 8.

When the golfers made the turn, Williamson was at minus-11 to Wyatt's and Berger's minus-7.

But Wyatt made a big move on the 535-yard par 5 No. 10 with a brilliant second shot, drawing an iron over the trees on the right to within 7 feet of a pin in the right corner of the three. Any less of a draw and Wyatt would have been in heavy grass to the right of the green, if not the trees. He sank the eagle putt, to Williamson's birdie, the made up two shots on 11 with an even bolder play.

Wyatt's drive on the dogleg left 11th was so bad and into trees on the right, it was suggested he hit a provisional drive, which he then put in the fairway bunker on the left side. But officials found his first ball just inside the tree line on the right, and he threaded his 190-yard second shot through limbs to withing 5 free of the hole. His birdie and Williamson's bogey meant a two-shot swing and a one-shot lead for the Dartmouth golfer.

Berger quietly worked his way into contention as well with a run of birdies, though he could never catch the other two.

Wyatt birdied 14 to tie for the lead, only to give it back with a three-putt par on the par-5 15th, while Williamson hit a 75-yard shot to within 3 feet to set up birdie. Wyatt returned to 12-under and a tie with a birdie on 17, then made a deft up-and-down to save par on 18, while Williamson nearly chipped in from behind the green to win it.

And Berger nearly joined the tie at the top, as his shot from the sand just right of the green hit the pin.

The playoff was contested over holes 1 and 18, and 18 provided the players with a most difficult pin to make birdie. Williamson had a good look at birdie on the first playoff hole after a perfect drive, but his putt broke across the front of the hole. Wyatt never had a good look at birdie in the playoff.