Mathers edges two-time defending champ at Spirit of America
Drew Mathers
For the first time in three years, the winner of the Spirit of America title was not named Brooks Rabren. After winning the event the past two years, Rabren came in second to Drew Mathers on Sunday at Burningtree Country Club in Decatur, Ala. Mathers clipped Rabren in the final round, using a 4-under 68 to come out two shots ahead.
Mathers is a rising junior at Huntingdon College, an NCAA Division III school in Montgomery, Ala. He put together rounds of 70-66-67-68 for a 13-under total that left him on top of the individual leaderboard. Already this summer, Mathers logged a top-10 finish at the Dogwood Invitational.
There is also a team component to the Spirit, and together with teammate Connor Bruce, Mathers finished third overall. Huntingdon had six total players in the event and three two-man teams. Huntingdon No. 1 (Arthav Argade and Owen Burt) finished 10th and Huntingdon No. 3 (Mark Connelly and Carson Whitton) was eighth.
Rabren, who plays for South Alabama, was cruising through the week in the top spot through 54 holes. After rounds of 69-67-65, Rabren closed with 72 to drop to 11 under.
Alabama’s Tyler Hitchner finished three shots behind him, followed by Tennessee’s Bryce Lewis in fourth another shot back. Vanderbilt’s Michael Shears rounded out the top 5 at 6 under.
ABOUT THE
Spirit of America
The Spirit of America Golf Classic is Burningtree
Country Club's long-running, fundraising
tournament
held annually in conjunction with
Decatur’s Spirit of America Festival, which itself is
one
of the largest, free Fourth of July festivals in the
south. Established in 1967, this unique "college
team
and
individual" format event has been
home to collegiate players and top amateur
players
from across the nation. The format is 72-holes of
stroke play, with a 54-hole
collegiate team division. The "Spirit"
tournament boasts many top graduates, like 1995
Champion-turned-PGA tour player Heath Slocum,
and
1989 Junior Champion-turned-PGA tour player
Stewart
Cink.
Starting in 2020 the golf tournament will be a coed
event. The plan is to have 30 two-woman teams and
30 two-
man teams. The women’s teams will be invited and
not have to pay an entry fee.
View Complete Tournament Information