Nicholas Lyerly became the youngest NC Amateur champion on Sunday
(Carolinas Golf Association Photo)
CHAPEL HILL, NC (June 19, 2016) -- On Sunday,
Nicholas
Lyerly, a rising high school senior from Salisbury,
became the youngest North Carolina Amateur
champion
in history at Governors Club in Chapel Hill. At 17 years
5 months and 7 days, Lyerly is two months younger
than Joshua Martin when he captured the 2014 title.
"I've been close a bunch of times, just never got a
win," said Lyerly about claiming his first CGA
championship victory. "To come out with a win is just
great. I'm glad it's on Father's Day, I know my dad is
really proud."
Lyerly, the 2015 North Carolina Junior Player of
the
Year, started Sunday's final round with a two stroke
advantage over Thomas Eldridge of Raleigh and Caleb
Keck of Reidsville. Eldridge, 20, a rising junior at UNC-
Wilmington and 22-year-old Keck would not apply
much
pressure on Lyerly, posting 73 and 78, respectively on
Sunday.
The competitor that closed within one stroke of
Lyerly, played two groups ahead, Jamestown's Justin
Tereshko. The 26-year-old Tereshko's five-under 67
was
kick-started by three opening birdies then an eagle-
birdie combination on Nos. 13 and 14.
"I think I am going to come up one shot short
again," the 2015 runner-up said while waiting for the
last group to finish. The birdie on hole 14 elevated him
to 8-under for the championship, but a downhill putt hit
off the green on hole 16 led to bogey. In four rounds,
Tereshko made 19 birdies and two eagles. He
commented that what he will lose sleep over, are the
three
double bogeys he made during the back nine on
Saturday.
Also shooting 67 Sunday was Tim Conover of Holly
Springs. His round was highlighted by an albatross on
the par-5 13th, made by knocking an 8-iron into the
cup
from 181 yards.
Lyerly came out firing Sunday, hitting pitching
wedges on the first two holes to tap-in birdie range,
extending his lead to four. "On the front nine I came
out
firing," Lyerly recalled after his round. Knowing he had
a
sizable advantage on the field at the turn, the UNC-
Greensboro commit started playing conservatively on
the back nine. Unfortunately, that game plan led to
back-to-back bogeys on holes 15 and 16, cutting his
lead to just one over Tereshko. A birdie on the par-5
17th gave Lyerly the cushion he needed to tap-in a
bogey for the one-stroke victory at 8-under-par 280.
With the win Lyerly gets his name engraved on the
trophy and an exemption into the 102nd Carolinas
Amateur Championship hosted by Country Club of
Charleston July 14-17. Next on his playing schedule is
the 49th North Carolina Junior Boys' Championship,
which begins at Wilson Country Club on Tuesday.
Lyerly
was stroke play qualifying medalist last year before
losing in the quarterfinals.
View results for North Carolina Amateur
ABOUT THE
North Carolina Amateur
Open in all amateur male golfers age 13 or older.
Must
be a resident of North Carolina and a
member of a CGA member club with an index 9.9
and
below. An 18-hole sectional qualifier is required for
those that do not meet the exemption criteria.
Format
consists of 72 holes of stroke play with a cut to the
low
60 and ties after 36 holes.
View Complete Tournament Information