Blake Hathcoat birdies final six holes to force playoff, then wins Saguaro Amateur at Ak-Chin Southern Dunes Golf Club

Blake Hathcoat of Fresno, CA. and a member of the St. Mary’s College golf team, birdied his final six holes to shoot a 7-under par 65 and force a playoff with Drew McCullough of Richland, WA. on January 4th at Ak-Chin Southern Dunes Golf Club in Maricopa, AZ. McCullough, who is a senior on the University of Wyoming golf team, shot a tournament-record 9-under par 63 and was comfortably in the clubhouse with a two-shot lead when Hathcoat birdied 17 and then converted a four-footer on 18 to force the tie and sudden-victory playoff at 12-under 204. Both players narrowly missed birdies on 18 (the first playoff hole) and then Hathcoat’s par on the second playoff hole (No. 1) was enough to hold off McCullough for the win. 

Hathcoat’s victory also propelled him to win the inaugural Troon Saguaro Amateur Series Championship – a multi-stage, four-event series for high-level amateurs, college players, juniors and Troon-facility club champions played throughout the year at Troon-managed facilities. Hathcoat finished 3rd in the series-opening Sizzler Amateur in June 2017 at Troon North Golf Club in Scottsdale. Josh McCollum of Upland, California, who finished 9th this week, was the Series runner-up. The 2018 Saguaro Amateur was the Series Championship of the 2017-18 Troon Saguaro Amateur Series, which consisted of the Sizzler Amateur played at Troon North in June; The Gobbler Amateur played at Sewailo Golf Club in Tucson in November; and the Agave Amateur played at Shadow Hills Golf Club in Indio, California in December.

The concept of the Saguaro Amateur and its evolution into a series is the brainchild of University of Colorado Head Men’s Golf Coach Roy Edwards, University of Wyoming Director of Golf Programs Joe Jensen, and Ak-Chin Southern Dunes General Manager Brady Wilson.

For full tournament stats and results, visit www.saguaroamateur.golfgenius.com. For more information on the Troon Saguaro Amateur Series, visit www.saguaroamateur.com

2018 SAGUARO AMATEUR TOP 10 

*Blake HATHCOAT (Fresno, California) 70-69-65—204 (-12)

Drew McCULLOUGH (Richland, Washington) 73-68-63—204

Ryan KNOP (Pleasanton, California) 71-67-68—206

David LASKIN (Elk Grove, California) 71-64-72—207

Koichiro ISHIKA (Tempe, Arizona) 70-69-69—208 T6. 

David PERKINS  (East Peoria, Illinois) 69-69-72—210

Joshua SEDENO (Roseville, California) 74-66-70—210

Sam TRIPLETT (Scottsdale, Arizona) 72-71-67—210 T9. 

John SOUZA (Phoenix, Arizona) 72-70-69—211

Zachary BURRY (Quincy, Illinois) 71-69-71—211

Colton YATES (Scottsdale, Arizona) 71-70-70—211

John MURDOCK IV (Laramie, Wyoming) 74-72-65—211

*Won two-hole sudden-victory playoff