AUSTIN, Texas – Chandler Phillips heard the roars on the second hole of the University of Texas Golf Club on Thursday and knew that his go-to strategy of playing aggressively would be especially important. Phillips began the day at the Under Armour/Jordan Spieth Championship with a two-shot lead, but Charles Kim immediately gave chase.
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It began with the hole in one. Kim is a native of nearby Cedar Park, Texas, who has committed to play for the Longhorns beginning next fall. He know the University of Texas track well, but even Kim was surprised by the number of things that went his way in the final round.
After the ace at No. 2, Kim birdied Nos. 9 and 11, then kept chasing on the back with a birdie at No. 13 and an eagle at the par-5 14th. His 6-under 65 ties his lowest round in competition. He also shot 65 earlier this summer at the AJGA’s FootJoy Invitational, a prestigious event hosted at Sedgfield Country Club in Greensboro, N.C.
“I was striking the ball well,” said Kim, whose round pushed him to 7-under 206 for the tournament. After Phillips came in behind whim with a final-round 69, the two had to play down the 18th hole again in sudden death.
And again. And again.
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Kim and Phillips traded pars on the first two tries – Phillips getting up-and-down from the bunker on the first playoff hole and Kim getting up-and-down from nearly that exact spot the second time. Finally, Phillips made a 6-footer for par to win the tournament and claim his second AJGA title.