BLUFFTON, S.C. - Former Baylor School and University of Tennessee golfer Blakesly Brock won six straight holes in the middle of the championship match Thursday and sailed to a 5-and-4 victory over Aliea Clark to win the U.S. Women's Mid-Amateur.
Brock (formerly Warren) had to go 19 holes in her previous three rounds at Berkeley Hall Club. That wasn't the case when it mattered. The 25-year-old from Chattanooga was 1 down to Clark after a bogey on the sixth hole when Brock made her big run and was 5 up through 12 holes, then closed out Clark two holes later.
Clark, a 25-year-old San Diego native in graduate school at New York University, was trying to become the first player with the No. 64 seed to win.
According to the United States Golf Association's website, at 25 years, 10 months and 20 days, Brock is the tournament's third-youngest champion. Brock, who recently won the Tennessee Women's Mid-Amateur, earned an exemption into the 2022 U.S. Women's Open in Southern Pines, North Carolina. She's also exempt from the next two U.S. Women's Amateurs and the next 10 U.S. Women's Mid-Ams.
"This has been an absolute dream week for me," Brock said in the USGA's tournament report. "I'm so happy. The course has been phenomenal. I've enjoyed it. The superintendent has done a great job, especially with the rain we had at the start of the week. The USGA has been absolutely incredible. It's a dream."
Brock won back-to-back individual state titles her final two years at Baylor while helping the Lady Red Raiders win team championships those years as well.
AP photo by Rogelio V. Solis / Chattanooga's Stephan Jaeger hits a shot from the first fairway during the opening round of the PGA Tour's Sanderson Farms Championship on Thursday in Jackson, Miss. Jaeger, a former Baylor School and UTC standout, was tied for 17th after opening with a 68.Rookie leads PGA Tour event
JACKSON, Miss. - PGA Tour rookie Sahith Theegala carved his tee shots into play and made it look easy from there for an 8-under 64 and a one-shot lead over Harold Varner III and Nick Watney after the opening round of the Sanderson Farms Championship.
Theegala missed three fairways but was out of position just once at the Country Club of Jackson. He had a birdie putt on every hole but one and finished his round with a 15-foot birdie on the par-4 ninth.
Baylor School graduate Harris English is not in the field after helping the United States roll to a Ryder Cup victory last weekend, but three other former Red Raiders are competing. Stephan Jaeger was tied for 17th after a 68, with Luke List one stroke back and tied for 32nd and Keith Mitchell tied for 119th after a 73.