Tim Hamm is the Texas South Amateur champion
(TGA photo)

Both players hit their drives into favorable spots in the playoff, but Hamm was a bit further back and played his approach first. His wedge shot hit two feet short of the hole, took a short hop, zipped back like a yo-yo on a string, and disappeared.

“I knew I needed to get it close,” Hamm said. “When it was in the air it looked good, and there you’re just hoping that it does something good. And luckily it did.”

Hamm had an up-and-down final round on Horseshoe Bay Resort’s Slick Rock Course. The 34-year-old had six birdies and an eagle, but also made three costly bogeys, including one on No. 18 that forced the tournament to go to extra holes.

“That (bogey on 18) hurt a little bit,” Hamm said. He was forced to wait for the final group to finish before learning about his playoff fate. “Then that (hole out) happened so quickly. It made me feel really good.”

The Austin resident got off to a hot start in the penultimate grouping. He birdied his first two holes and then eagled No. 5 to get to 4-under for the day. But the rest of the day was a grind as the winds picked up and the course dried out.

Costello, of Austin, once again got off to a hot start on the front nine. He birdied No. 2, 3 and 8 and turned at 3-under for the day. But he also struggled coming down the stretch and played his final nine holes at 1-over par. The rising-sophomore at the University of Texas did not make a bogey on the front nine all week -- playing the side at 10-under total on the week -- but the back nine gave him some trouble as he was only able to play them 1-under par.

Former champion Tony Soerries, of Montgomery, finished a shot behind the leaders after shooting 69 to miss out on the playoff by a shot. Robert Quinilty, of Cypress, and Jake Goodman, of San Antonio, finished at 9- and 8-under, respectively, to round out the top five.

This isn’t the first time Hamm has won in this manner, in fact, he seems to have a flair for the dramatic. As a kid he recorded a hole-in-one to win a tournament. But this still ranks as one of his proudest accomplishments in golf.

“This shot is right up there,” Hamm said about his hole out. “I moved here probably five years ago and haven’t done anything too significant in the tournaments. So it’s pretty cool to get a win.”

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