Ben Sigel got a big win at Troon North (Kansas Athletics/TNGC photo)
SCOTTSDALE, AZ (June 20, 2018) - Ben Sigel (Deephaven, MN), a rising sophomore at the University of Kansas, won the 2nd Sizzler Amateur at Troon North Golf Club (Monument Course) in spectacular fashion, breaking open a tight contest with Ryoto Furuya (Alpharetta, GA) with a shot he'll remember as long as he plays.
Furuya, who is transferring from the University of Iowa to South Florida for his junior season, held the lead by one shot over Sigel after rounds of 69-68. Aaron Ramos (Goodyear, AZ), a rising sophomore at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, was two shots back but lost three shots over the first four holes and the tournament soon became a two-man race.
Furuya also started slowly, bogeying the first two holes, before resuming his good play and battling Sigel throughout the round. At the turn they were even, the Furuya grabbed the lead with a birdie at the 14th, before Sigel squared it again with a birdie on the 15th.
On the 495-yard par-4 17th, Sigel was 190 yards from the green with a breeze quartering in from the left. Taking a 6-iron, Sigel watched the ball land just short of the pin and roll into the hole for an eagle two. That shot gave him a two-shot advantage going into 18, which he would need.
If Furuya was rattled by Sigel's shot, he didn't show it, rallying to make a closing birdie on the 18th. Forced to make par to win, Sigel did just that and became the second Sizzler champion.
“It was big,” said Sigel of the shot and the win. “I won a pro event last week in Minnesota and it gave me a lot of confidence. Going into the summer I didn’t expect much and just wanted to play good golf and knew that my game was good enough to contend in these tournaments. Going forward into some of the other big tournaments this summer, this win gives me confidence I can compete with the best amateurs in the country.”
Sigel's 67 was the low round of the tournament and gave him an 11-under-par 205 total. Furuya was the runner-up at 10 under, with Ramos (72) finishing in a four-way tie for third at 5 under witht Gavin Cohen, Piran Adi, and Rosswell Sinclair.
ABOUT THE
The Sizzler
First played in 2017. Open to male amateur
golfers who with a handicap of 3.0 or less, with
several categories of exemptions based on
performance in college and amateur events. Format
is 54-holes of stroke play with no cut
The Sizzler is a partner tournament to the
Southwestern Amateur.
Players are encouraged to play in both events.
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