Winston Margaritis (Tennessee Golf Association Photo)

Golf was no longer fun for Winston Margaritis. The sport that he once loved and invested heavily into had become a harsh taskmaster. He needed a sabbatical to regain his perspective.

A highly-touted junior golfer out of Germantown who won a TSSAA state individual golf title in 2016 while playing at St. George’s Independent School, Margaritis signed with Florida State out of high school. After a year in Tallahassee, he walked away from the sport and completed his undergraduate degree at Baylor University.

But Margaritis became reacquainted with his former passion two years ago when Belmont University golf coach Scott Flynn – who retired in May after leading the program for 16 years – offered the graduate student a spot on the Bruins’ roster.

With a renewed outlook on golf, the game once again brought joy to Margaritis. Results no longer dominated his thinking or defined his identity, and Flynn’s wise counsel enabled him to find the perfect balance in his relationship with golf.

Flynn’s influence on Margaritis was ever-present on Friday at the par-70, 6,814-yard Jackson Country Club for the final round of the 37th Tennessee Mid-Amateur Championship. As the youngest competitor in the field after turning 25 in late June, Margaritis was constantly reminded of the sage words of his former coach throughout the afternoon.

The result was a four-shot victory as the lone finisher below par with Margaritis compiling a 54-hole total of 1-under-par 209, posting a 69 in his final round. The victory is his first Tennessee Golf Association title and his first triumph since his high school state championship.

“I want to thank Scott Flynn, because he believed in me when I really didn't believe in myself,” Margaritis said. “When I graduated from Baylor, I hadn't played college golf for two and a half years. I reached out to him about playing in grad school, and he took a chance on me.  I wouldn't have won this tournament without his help.”

Margaritis entered play trailing leader Grant Leaver of Murfreesboro by two strokes. But five holes into Friday’s round, Margaritis suddenly found himself with a five-shot cushion. The Spring Creek Ranch member tallied birdies on 2, 4 and 5. Meanwhile, Leaver carded a double-bogey on No. 5 following two earlier bogeys.

“It was big to get off to a good start,” Margaritis said. “Coming into the day two down, I knew that wasn’t a huge margin given how difficult the course was playing. I was just hitting it to the middle of the greens, and a couple of my putts early trickled in the front edge.”

After making the turn in 33 with a comfortable lead, two more birdies at 13 and 15 sealed the outcome for Margaritis.

“I don't really look at leaderboards too much, but I definitely noticed the swing in our group in my favor,” Margaritis said. “My gameplan didn't really change that much, because I was already picking conservative targets, making aggressive swings, and trying to die the ball on the front edge. But down the stretch I knew I had a cushion, and so I was playing a little bit more conservatively.”

Over the course of his winning round, Margaritis constantly reflected back on the words of Flynn during his life-changing season at Belmont.

“Golf is a game of presence, where you're trying to execute the shot at hand with full awareness,” Margaritis said. “It's very meditative and very mindful in that regard. We're always having conversations with ourselves in competition, and today I could hear Coach Flynn’s voice in my head and the things he used to tell us. I was hearing his instructions today, reminding myself of these little swing keys.”

Leaver overcame his disappointing front-nine 40 to shoot 35 on the back side to close at 3-over 213, tied with Chattanooga’s Hunter Garrett in the runner-up position.

Garrett, who plays out of Chattanooga Golf and Country Club, posted a 68 on Friday with six birdies to make a late charge after an opening round 76.

“I went back and reviewed an older online lesson and played less aggressively off the tee and into the greens,” Garrett said. “My goal was to just give myself chances and see if putts would drop. It certainly gives me some momentum and confidence going into the offseason, but I cannot wait to recharge with my wife and two sons.”

Knoxville’s Jack Smith finished fourth at 4-over 214 after shooting 69 on Friday. Defending champion Taylor Mottern of Sewanee strung together four straight birdies on his front side to finish in a tie for fifth at 5-over 215 with Matt Mitchell of Burns and Nashville’s Brenton Flynn.

Craig Reasor of Knoxville and Chattanooga’s Andrew Weathers were knotted in the eighth spot, closing at 6-over 216.

The decision to distance himself from competitive golf was something that made Margaritis’ victory even more rewarding.

“I needed to step away from the game to get the right perspective,” Margaritis said. “Golf can be very taxing and very frustrating when you put a lot of time in it and you don't get the results. At that point in my life, I was 19 and wasn’t really enjoying it. It took me a long time to examine and get perspective on why I play the game. I came to realize it’s not to shoot low rounds. It's not really to win tournaments. It's just because you love it.”

With a victory in his first competitive start as a mid-amateur, Margaritis is looking forward to enjoying his healthier relationship with golf.

“I think that mid-am golf is kind of the quintessential enjoyment,” Margaritis said. “We're doing it for the love of the game. All these guys in these tournaments are taking time off work, taking time away from their families, traveling just to play for the love of the game.”

Paul Payne can be emailed at paulpayne6249@gmail.com