Kyle Weldon (Metropolitan Amateur Golf Association Photo)
Kyle Weldon was a man on a mission at the Southern Illinois Amateur at the Green Hills Golf Club in Mount Vernon, Ill.
Weldon shot 4-under par to win the tournament by two shots over Kyler Spencer. Weldon shot rounds of 68-70 and was the only golfer to finish under par in both rounds.
After round one, Weldon was leading the championship at 3-under 68. Weldon recorded five birdies, helping place him at the top of the leaderboard.
Spencer turned in a first-round score of 1-under par to sit in solo second going into the final round. Matt Hefley found himself in solo third after Round one with a score of even-par.
Going into the Final Round, Weldon knew he would need to stay under par. Returning a second round of 1-under par 70, Weldon was able to bring his total to 4-under par and place a small cushion between him and the rest of the field.
Though many tried and got close throughout Round Two, by the end of the day, the closest player was Brandon Bullard.
After round one, Bullard was 2-over par, but he rallied back for the second round. With a round two score of 4-under par, Bullard pulled himself into solo second place at 2-under par.
Drew Denton was in the same boat as Bullard after round one, but came back in round two to shoot 2-under par, bringing his total to even-par and into third.
The Senior Division put up some great rounds in round one. Six players carded scores under par, but leading the pack was Tony Nolfo. Nolfo returned an eighteen-hole score of 6-under par with only one bogey and featured an eagle on Hole No. 10.
Two shots back, Joseph Malench completed the first round with a score of 4-under par. Tom Portner was not far behind, with a score of 3-under par on his home course.
David Rudd and Buddy Allen would both go into the second round with a score of 2-under par.
Throughout the final nine holes, players continued to fight and move up and down the board. At one point, Malench and Portner sat tied at the top at 4-over par. Going into the last hole, Nolfo had regained the lead at 5-under par with Malench on his heels at four-under par.
Portner and David Pfeil were close behind at 3-under par with one to play. Nolfo soared through the final hole to make a birdie and bring his final total score to 6-under par.
With this birdie, Nolfo secured the win, as no one else could catch him. All making par on the final hole, Malench finished in solo second at 4-under par, while Pfeil and Portner finished tied for third at 3-under par.
ABOUT THE
Southern Illinois Am
36 hole stroke play tournament with open and
senior
divisions. Entries are
open
to amateur golfers who are affiliated with or
are a
member of a club which is a Member Club of
the
Metropolitan Amateur Golf Association.
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