Scott Harvey rallies to the Coleman Invitational Title
Coleman Invitational winner Scott Harvey
(Golfweek Photo)
JUNO BEACH, FL (April 29, 2017) - Scott Harvey has once again found himself in the winners circle. After beginning the final round of the George L. Coleman Amateur Invitational two shots off the pace Harvey rallied to the title thanks to a strong opening nine performance at Seminole Golf Club.
Harvey has won many times before but his win on Saturday meant more to him than any other in his career, "A lot of people don't know this, but for me it was the hardest and most fulfilling thing that I will do in golf," Harvey said. "What I mean and some people think it is silly but I have been walking in my dad's [Bill Harvey] footsteps forever and he is a past champion [of the Coleman] and I always put a lot of pressure on myself at this event and it a took a lot to handle my emotions at times. This [win] means more than any Masters appearance and I can't tell you how special it is, I cried off and on for two hours last night."
Harvey, even-par for the tournament, started his round with birdies on two of the first three holes and after the front nine he had gone from two behind to three-strokes ahead.
"It is always important around that golf course to get off to good start," Harvey said. "Especially when it is windy and the greens are firm and fast. It doesn't give you much and the first three holes, it is very easy to bogey them and it is important to get off to get off to a good start because there aren't many holes that give you a chance for birdies."
Once in the lead Harvey continued his solid play and he was able to hold off Matthew Swan and Matt Broome by a shot. Harvey led by four shots after 17 holes before making things a little bit more interesting with a closing triple-bogey.
For Harvey, who combined rounds of 71-71-74, this was his first Coleman Invitational title and his first AmateurGolf.com Ranking win of the season. Harvey is currently the top-ranked player in the a AmateurGolf.com Mid-Amateur Rankings.
"We are all trying to win everything but it doesn't work like that and it was one of those that was on the bucket list and it gives me great momentum early in the season," continued Harvey. "I can't stress how special that one was and when I to do anything my dad has done before it is just really special."
Matthew Swan and Matt Broome finished in a tie for second with a 1-over showing, 36-hole leader Stewart Hagestad fell to fourth place with a 2-over finish while in fifth it was Michael Muehr at 3-over.
Defending champion TJ Shuart ended up in a tie for 40th.
ABOUT THE
Coleman Invitational
One of the very best amateur events all year
long played on the last great private course
designed by Donald Ross. The course, not long
by
today's standards, lies hard by the Atlantic
Ocean. Oceanic winds and very fast greens
give
this course teeth. Ben Hogan once said 'If you
can play Seminole, you can play any course in
the world.'
The tournament is a 54-hole stroke play invitational
that draws an elite field of mid-
amateurs and seniors.
View Complete Tournament Information