Champ’s sand blast at Hilton Head Island Am goes into Legends lore

Bubba Jacoby calls it “hands down” the best shot he’s ever struck in his golf career. It might be one of the best in the Hilton Head Island Amateur’s three decades of existence.

“It was nuts. I don’t know how else I can say it,” Jacoby said Wednesday, still euphoric three days after his improbable bunker blast set up a dramatic winning birdie at The Legends Golf Club on Parris Island.

Nursing a one-shot lead over J.D. Hoft, Jacoby found himself against the back slope of a deep bunker behind the par-5 18th. Not only couldn’t he take a normal stance without his backswing hitting the bunker lip, a steep runoff and water loomed behind the hole.

“If I would have bladed it or hit it thin, it would have gone in the water,” he said, noting that was the only bunker he found in 54 holes at The Legends.

Jacoby somehow found the proper touch, watching his ball skip twice before trickling to within 3 feet of the flagstick.

“It definitely wasn’t the shot I (envisioned),” he said, “but I’ll never forget that shot.”

That wasn’t the end of the drama, though. Hoft was on the green in two for an eagle try — only to watch it steam past the hole and just off the green. But he made the comebacker for birdie, forcing Jacoby to drain his or go to a playoff.

“I hit the putt and I don’t even remember it going in,” Jacoby said. “I’m still shocked that I won. I’m still living on cloud nine.”

Victory also earned Jacoby an automatic berth into The Players Amateur next summer. In the shorter term, he’s trying to set up a return to The Legends with his father, Tom, who helped found Old South Golf Links in the early 1990s.

“I want to show him some of the shots I had to win that tournament,” the younger Jacoby said.

They’ll probably spend some extra time behind the 18th green.

▪ The Hilton Head Island Better Ball Championship is next on the HHIAGA calendar, to be played July 23-24 at Hampton Hall. For more information, go online to HHIAGA.com.

GRIZ LEADS LOWCOUNTRY PARADE

Lowcountry golfers pulled off a near-sweep at the Hurricane Junior Golf Tour’s stop at Haig Point last weekend, paced by a seventh HJGT victory this year from Hilton Head Island’s Jonathan Griz.

Griz dominated the the Boys 11-13 division, opening with a 3-under-par 69 that propelled him to a nine-stroke romp over Columbia’s Blake Weinbach. Griz has finished no worse than second in nine HJGT events, with a pair of runner-up finishes on his chart.

Bluffton’s Sophia Burnett captured the girls’ top division, taking advantage of a faltering first-day leader Layne-Marie Carter to claim a four-stroke victory.

Hilton Head Island’s Caden Edwards and Savannah Hylton were wire-to-wire winners in their divisions, with Hylton claiming an 11-shot victory in the Girls U13 competition. Edwards won the Boys 14-15 event, three shots ahead of his nearest pursuers.

The top boys’ division went to Connor Moore, who pulled away for a 10-shot romp.

CAROLINAS AMATEUR TEES OFF

Former USC Beaufort teammates Riley Schank and Kirk Mitchell are among four Lowcountry golfers who tee off Thursday in the 102nd Carolinas Amateur, which runs through Sunday at the Country Club of Charleston.

Bluffton’s Alec Weary and Hardeeville’s Jonathan Phillips also earned berths through one of seven regional qualifiers.

Carter Jenkins (Raleigh) has won the past three editions, but the former North Carolina standout will not defend his title after turning professional this spring.

RODRIGUEZ TO U.S. WOMEN’S AMATEUR

Hilton Head Island’s Clementina Rodriguez booked a reservation for the U.S. Women’s Amateur, grabbing one of seven berths available from a qualifier last week outside Chicago.

Rodriguez, a member of the Washington squad that won its first NCAA title last month, carded a 2-under-par 69 to advance with a stroke to spare. The U.S. Women’s Amateur begins Aug. 1 at Rolling Green Golf Club outside Philadelphia.

ACES & AGE-BEATERS

▪ Bob Pinter carded a hole-in-one July 6 at the seventh hole of Moss Creek GC’s South Course, watching his 8-iron find the cup from 120 yards away. Witnesses were Bob Lachenauer, Joe Consiglio and Stan Eastman.

This story was originally published July 13, 2016 at 8:47 PM with the headline "Champ’s sand blast at Hilton Head Island Am goes into Legends lore."