Nelson Wins South Amateur
Galveston: Houston’s Padden Nelson comes from behind to win the 2021 South Amateur by five strokes. Two strokes were all that separated 36-hole leader Joshua Lim of San Antonio and Nelson heading into the final round. Nelson who was solo second after 36-holes knew he would need a strong final round to overcome Lim who had been playing flawless golf through the first two rounds.
The final group started on the par-5 first hole where Nelson made a 35-foot eagle putt to get his day started. After a par on the par-3 second hole, Nelson again picked up a stroke over the field when he made birdie on the par-4 third hole. A trio of pars followed before another birdie rolled in for him on the par-4 seventh hole. Nelson’s lone bogey on the day immediately followed as he made four on the par-3 eight hole. With a par on the par-4 ninth hole he turned at 3-under par for day, 7-under par for the tournament. His 3-under par front nine was enough to take a two-stroke lead over the field with nine to play.
After making the turn Nelson started with a pair of pars before making another birdie on the par-5 12th hole. Another birdie on the par-4 13th got him to 5-under on the day. Nelson would finish the round with five pars and post a final round score of 5-under par 67 and claim the South Amateur title.
Leaderboard
1- Padden Nelson – 207 (-9)
2 – Joshua Lim – 212 (-4)
T3 – Hayes Hamilton – 215 (-1)
T3 – Broc Haymon – 215 (-1)
T3 – Niko Nebout – 215 (-1)
6 – Holden Hamilton – 216 (E)
Top Finishers: Finishing in solo second behind Nelson was 36-hole leader Joshua Lim of San Antonio. Lim played his first 36-holes with just one bogey and was 6-under par for the tournament. A difficult final round of 2-over par 74 put Lim at 4-under par 212 for the tournament. In a three-way tie for third place at 1-under par 215 was GCC host club exemption Hayes Hamilton, Broc Haymon and Niko Nebout. Hamilton’s twin brother Holden, also a host club exemption, finished in sixth place for the tournament at even-par 217.
Weather: After six inches of rain leading up to the South Amateur, Friday’s first round saw overcast skies and scattered thunderstorms. Due to the morning forecast starting times were adjusted to a 10:00 am start off both Nos. 1 & 10. Saturday’s second round had blue skies with a high of 90 and a “feels like” high of 103 degrees. During Sunday’s final round the gulf wind picked up and players were tested with wind gusts up to 25mph. The skies remained blue and clear with highs in the low 90s and a “feels like” high of 105 degrees.
Golf Course: Galveston Country Club, which traces its roots back to 1898, moved to its current location at Pirates’ Beach in 1946 and was designed by Carlton Gipson and Ralph Plummer. The course has undergone several renovations over the years, most recently in 2003 overseen by Jacobsen Hardy Golf Design. With strong winds coming off the coast, the course layout is stern and demanding testing all aspects of the game.
Next Up: The 2021 South Regional Series comes to an end with the conclusion of the South Amateur. Three of the four TGA Men’s Majors are next on the schedule including the Texas Four-Ball, Texas Mid-Amateur and Texas Senior Amateur.
For more information on the Texas Golf Association, South Regional Series and South Amateur, please visit www.txga.org.