Another University of Texas golfer wins big tournament at Chambers Bay

Doug Ghim is thankful for everyday, public golf facilities.

It definitely made the biggest win of his amateur career at the 51st Pacific Coast Amateur all that more special.

That one-stroke victory over Cameron Champ came at another public course — Chambers Bay — where he clinched it with a two-putt birdie on the finishing par 5.

Ghim’s 1-under-par 69 on Friday in the final round left him with a winning four-round total of 9-under 275 on the 7,367-yard links layout in University Place.

The senior-to-be at the University of Texas was the only man in the prestigious 83-golfer field to shoot under-par scores in all four rounds.

Champ, the long hitter who tied for 32nd at last month’s U.S. Open at Erin Hills, also shot 69, leaving him one stroke behind Ghim alone in second place at 276. Defending champion William Zalatoris (71) was third at 277.

Ghim grew up just outside Chicago, and made the most of his time on public venues.

“Growing up, I didn’t have the best clubs,” Ghim said. “We (my father and I) were looking for cheap places to play.”

His go-to site was Twin Lakes Golf Course, which was a nine-hole course with seven par 3s, and two par 4s. It also had a driving range where golfers hit balls into a lake. Ghim said he often spent summer days there from 6 a.m. until dusk.

“To be able to play on a place like this, and win, it means a lot,” Ghim said.

But he had to sweat out the dramatic finishing holes.

Zalatoris had a chance to tie Ghim at 8-under on the 16th hole, but the Wake Forest standout missed a 4-foot putt for birdie.

Champ, the Texas A&M star, was in the group ahead. And on the 18th hole, a reachable par 5, he hit his approach shot close, and sank the 12-footer for eagle to tie Ghim.

“All day, the only putt I made was on No. 18,” Champ said. “But I played well. I gave myself a lot of chances.”

With 250 yards left after his drive on the final hole, Ghim blistered a 4-iron that cleared the spine in the front part of the green, and his ball fed toward the hole.

His eagle putt from 40 feet grazed the right edge of the hole. He tapped in the final 2-footer for his first win since the 2014 CB&I tournament where he broke Jordan Spieth’s scoring record.

Now, Ghim has won on the same major-championship venue where Spieth won the 2015 U.S. Open.

The win also boosts Ghim’s chances to making the U.S. Walker Cup squad.

“I can’t lie and say that hasn’t been (on my mind),” said Ghim, the reigning Big 12 golfer of the year.

CHIP SHOTS

Zalatoris has his putter to blame for not repeating Friday. He missed a 10-footer for birdie at No. 15, and the short one a hole later. ... Six of the top 20 in the amateur golf rankings were in the field this week — Braden Thornberry (No. 3), Zalatoris (No. 8), Ghim (No. 11), Champ (No. 13), Dawson Armstrong (No. 14) and Nick Hardy (No. 17). ... Two aces and two double eagles were recorded during the tournament this week. Chambers Bay general manager Matt Allen said the double eagles at No. 18 by Edwin Yi on Thursday (driver, 8-iron) and Aaron Whalen on Friday (driver, 4-iron) were the first on the course during a tournament. ... The Pacific Coast Amateur goes to another U.S. Open venue — Olympic Club — in 2019.

This story was originally published July 21, 2017 at 6:00 PM with the headline "Another University of Texas golfer wins big tournament at Chambers Bay."