Stadion Classic on the Nationwide Tour culminates on a surprise note
Another event on the Nationwide Tour, The Stadion Classic at the University of Georgia Golf Course Athens has come to a conclusion with amateur Russell Henley winning the title with two strokes.
The fourth and final day of the event was witnessed by a record number of crowd on a balmy Georgian spring without any unforeseen weather interruptions. The spectators cheered and followed their home boy Henley on every hole leading him to a decisive
victory.
Henley recorded his maiden win on the professional circuit and is only the second amateur to win a tournament on the tour after Daniel Summerhays, who won the 2007 Nationwide Children’s Invitational. Henley is a University of Georgia Senior
who will be graduating this Friday with a degree in Housing and Consumer Economics.
This is the second time in succession that a player has come out of obscurity to win a tournament on the tour. Ted Potter Jr., a Monday Qualifier recently won the South Georgia Classic when he sneaked past the top money leader on the tour Mathew Goggin
to win the title. Henley shot a final day score of three-under, 68, two shots clear of Tory Kelly to win the title.
Another prodigy on the tour, Will Wilcox, a Monday Qualifier, finished tied for third along with Matt Hendrix, trailing the leader by three shots. Further four shots down the lead was the leading money leader on the tour, Bubba Dickerson, who finished
tied for fifth along with Danny Lee, Brag Elder and Matt Davidson.
Speaking to reporters after the day’s play, Henley said, “I knew that if I played fearless golf, went with my first instinct and had as much fun as I possibly could, I'd shoot a good score. It was definitely harder to commit to my shots today. I had
a lot of adrenalin.”
Henley now has the tour card for the rest of the year where he will qualify to play in the Tournament Winner category. The 22-year-old has no recent plans of joining the pro circuit and is eager to play a few more tournaments on the Amateur
Circuit.
“They talk about how much money you can make playing pro golf but I've never played golf to win money,” he added. “I love to play golf and I love to compete and there are a lot of amateur tournaments I want to play in.”
A one-minute silence was observed at 3:08 pm ET to pay homage to one of the greatest European golfers, Seve Ballesteros, who died on Saturday due to a severely deteriorated brain tumour.
Travis Bertoni aced the 16th hole, covering all 191 yards in a single shot with a 6-iron. This was Bertoni’s third Hole-in-One of his career and first final-round ace in the tournament’s five-year history.
Harris English, another UGA Senior, secured his spot in the Melwood Prince George's County Open, being held in College Park, Maryland from June 2 to 5, with his three-under, 68 for the final round.
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