In the end, Ben Shipp put himself exactly where he needed to be coming down the stretch at the South Beach International Amateur.
Despite entering the final round at Miami Beach Golf Club four shots off the pace, Shipp, a senior at North Carolina State, inched his way into contention and when the leaders stumbled down the stretch, found himself in a playoff for the title.
After two extra holes with Oklahoma senior Garett Reband, who had the lead or a share of it all week, Shipp earned his first title since the Puerto Rico Classic at the beginning of last spring’s college golf season.
South Beach International Amateur: Leaderboard
Shipp was only within reach of the leaders because of a third-round 67 at Miami Beach Golf Club. He played the front nine on Sunday in 2 over before turning and reeling off birdie, bogey, then eagle at Nos. 10-12. By the time Shipp made his next birdie, at No. 15, he had a share of the lead at 2 under. Reband made double at No. 15.
Both Reband and Shipp made birdie at No. 16 – a drivable par 4 – while Karl Vilips, the Australian teen who also was in contention, lost his share of the lead with a bogey.
Reband ultimately left the door open for Shipp with a bogey on No. 18. Shipp prevailed after two extra holes.
Shipp hails from Duluth, Georgia, and was runner-up in his last start of the fall college season, the Bank of Tennessee Collegiate. He advanced through the first two rounds of match play at this summer’s North & South Amateur, played at Pinehurst Nos. 2.
Reband ultimately finished second in Miami with Vilips in solo third at 1 under.
A pair of Englishmen finished fourth and fifth: Jake Bolton was even par and Benjamin Jones posted one of the best rounds of the day, 4-under 67, to finish at 1 over.
Patrick Welch, a sophomore teammate of Reband’s at Oklahoma, also had a closing 67 that put him in a share of sixth at 3 over along with German Jannik De Bruyn.
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