2017 Players Amateur winner Phillip Knowles (Players Am photo)

Knowles started Sunday four shots behind before surging during the final round with a bogey-free 7-under 64 to finish regulation 13-under.

“You dream of this, you know?” Knowles told Bluffton Today. “I started the day, I don’t know how many back, and you dream of going out there and playing one of the best rounds of your career.”

Knowles also told the Bluffton today reporter that he had no idea the Players Amateur champion is awarded a sponsor exemption to play in the RBC Heritage.

“I made the putt, I looked at [my caddy], and he says, ‘You just qualified for your first PGA Tour event. I had no words. I am excited to come back.”

The final round charge for Knowles started with three consecutive birdies on Nos. 2-4 and then continued with a 7th hole birdie that saw the 2016 Atlantic Sun All-Freshman team member turn in 4-under 32 and at 10-under for the tournament.

Still chasing and despite a better than three-hour rain delay, Knowles continued to rally with 14th, 15th and 17th hole birdies. The final birdie ended up being good enough to put Knowles into the playoff.

Nimmer, a junior for Clemson, had chance to win the tournament outright but he bogeyed the closing hole to finish regulation 13-under and in the playoff against Knowles.

For much of the day Nimmer, who shot a final round 3-under 68, was in control of his game and following a birdie on No. 16 he was 14-under and alone in the lead.

Vanderbilt teammates Patrick Martin and 54-hole co-leader Theo Humphrey shared third at 12-under while in a tie for fifth it was William Rainey of the College of Charleston and Vanderbilt's John Augenstein at 11-under.