July 14, 2009
CHARLESTON, S.C. -
Jack Fields, a rising sophomore on North Carolina's golf team, won of the 95th annual Amateur Championship of the Carolinas Golf Association this past weekend in Charleston, S.C. Fields defeated Josh Gallman, 8 and 7, in the 36-hole final to capture the championship.
Fields never trailed in the 36-hole match play final which was hosted by the Country Club of Charleston, a par 71, 7,129-yard layout. Gallman, a rising senior at the University of South Carolina-Upstate was able to hang close to Fields for the first seven holes of the match. However, Fields' back-to-back birdies on the 8th and 9th holes vaulted him to a quick 3 up lead and that was as close as Gallman would get for the rest of the match.
After halving holes 10 and 11, Fields birdied the par-4 12th hole to take a 4 up lead. Gallman won the 13th hole with a par 4 score, but Fields responded by winning four out of the next five holes to take a 7 up lead after the morning round (18 holes).
"I wanted to keep going after the first 18 holes," said Fields. "I had the momentum and felt confident during the round. I knew if I kept making pars and birdies that I would win."
The afternoon round began with the 19th hole being halved with par 4's. Gallman made his first birdie of the day on the 20th hole to cut Fields' lead to 6 up. The par-3 21st hole was halved and then Fields won the next two holes with birdies to take an almost insurmountable 8 up lead. The two players halved holes 24 through 27 and then Gallman carded a birdie on the 28th hole to cut Fields' lead to 7 up.
However, on the infamous 186-yard par-3 11th hole (29th of the match), Gallman's tee shot landed short and rolled all the way down the false front back into the fairway. Fields then hit his shot on the back right fringe just 18 feet from the hole. Gallman was unable to get up and down for par. Fields had two putts to win the championship, but only needed one as he drained a putt from just off the green to win 8 and 7.
"The 11th hole dominated me this week," Fields said. "I never hit the green in regulation and I think I made six bogeys and only one par. I knew I had two putts to win, but wanted to made that birdie putt."
On his way to the 8 and 7 win, Fields defeated Billy West, 1 up (first round); Uly Grisette, 1 up; Bryan Newton, 2 up and Steven Brame, 3 and 2.
Fields is one of 10 individuals to win both the Carolinas Amateur and the North Carolina Amateur (2008) Championships.
