Wake Forest Athletics
Jerry Haas Wins South Carolina Open
6/7/2012 12:00:00 AM | Men's Golf
By Gary Petit (@GaryWFU), Wake Forest Media Relations
FORT JACKSON, S.C. - Wake Forest men's golf coach Jerry Haas continued his strong play this summer by winning the 61st South Carolina Open on Thursday which was played at the Fort Jackson Golf Club.
Haas, who carded rounds of 67-69-69, finished at 8-under par and outlasted NC State rising-senior Hunter Howell on the first playoff to win the event.
After the first round was washed-out on Tuesday, the players trudged through 36 holes on Wednesday. Haas came away from the day with rounds of 67-69 and had a one-shot lead heading into Thursday's final round. Howell and the third member of the group, Paul Dickens, each birdied the first hole on Thursday to pull even with Haas.
Haas went out in 2-under and held a one shot lead on Howell at the turn. But back-to-back bogeys at Nos. 10 and 11 dropped him back into a three-way tie. Haas then birdied No. 12 and would remain even with Howell as the final group headed to No. 16. Haas made a solid birdie at the par-5 16th and then hit his approach close on No. 17 to setup yet another birdie.
Trailing by one on the final hole, Howell made a solid par to post at 8-under par. Haas, who was at 9-under, drove his ball into a fairway bunker at No. 18. A solid shot out of the bunker left him with a long putt across a severely sloping green. Haas left himself an eight-footer for the victory but his putt came up one roll short and he and Howell would head back to the tee for a playoff.
On the first playoff hole, Haas drove beautifully to the right side of the fairway. After Howell missed his approach to the right side of the green, near where Haas was in regulation, Haas knocked his approach from 150 yards to within six feet and put the pressure on Howell. The Wolfpack standout had the same result as Haas as he would three-putt from nearly 40 feet. Haas then two-putted his way to victory.
Coupled with Haas' sixth place finish at the Carolinas Open last month at Bryan Park, he now leads the Carolina PGA Section Player of the Year race.
