Todd Sr. wins 15th County Am title

South Carolina Golf Hall of Famer Walter Todd Sr. needed a couple of extra holes but captured his 15th Laurens County Amateur Championship Sunday afternoon at Lakeside Country Club.

Todd parred the par-3 11th hole in a playoff to edge two-time champion Mattie Wiggins. After tying at even-par 144 over the tournament’s scheduled 36 holes, Todd and Wiggins both parred the par-4 10th to force a second playoff hole.

Todd two-putted from eight feet for the par, while Wiggins failed to get up-and-down from a green-side bunker despite a deft shot from the sand that left him inside four feet for par and to extend the playoff.

Todd, 64, said this championship was special on his long list of county titles.

“It might feel better than any of them,” Todd said. “You never know if you’ll get another one. I had nothing to lose – if you play golf like you have nothing to lose, you’ll always have a chance.”

Wiggins was tied for the first-round lead with Jonathan Coleman at 1-over-par 73 and appeared ready to claim his third Laurens County Amateur in four years when the final group arrived at the par-5 18th hole.

But Todd sank a long putt for birdie despite leaving his approach short and seeing it plug into the rain-softened turf in front of a water hazard. He played the course’s five par-5s at 4-under over the final round.

Todd, who started the round with a birdied two of the final three holes to finish with a 2-under 70 and force the playoff.
It didn’t start out easy for Todd, who bogeyed the par-5 first hole and followed that up with back-to-back pars.

“I got a birdie there on No. 5 (a 501-yard par-5), and that kind of steadied me,” he said.

Walt Todd Jr. and Tyler Croxton finished in a tie for third place in the championship flight.

Travis Gosnell fired a final-round 76 to capture the first flight by three strokes over Graydon Hamby.

Jack Brown won the senior flight in a card playoff over Frank Finley. Both players finished with matching scorecards of 78-74–152.

Here are complete results:

Championship
1. Walt Todd Sr. 74-70–144 (won playoff, 2nd hole); 2. Mattie Wiggins 73-71–144; 3t. Walt Todd Jr. 74-76–150, Tyler Croxton 77-73–150; 5. Neal Todd 75-76–151; 6. Bryan Newton 76-77–153; 7. Philip McMurray 77-77–154; 8. Jon Coleman 73-82–155; 9. Austin Johnson 78-78–156; 10. Layton Mahon 78-84–162; 11. Craig Little 78-85–163.

First Flight
1. Travis Gosnell 80-76–156; 2. Graydon Hamby 80-79–159; 3t. Phil Milner 79-82–161, Peyton Spangler 79-82–161; 5. Charles Brewington 79-83–162; 6. Jonathan Abrams 81-82–163; 7t. Aiden Bragg 85-82–167, Luke McMurray 86-81–167; 9. Jaeden Weathers 90-82–172; 10. Logan Crawford 88-86–174; 11. Tony Hamby 87-89–176; 12. Kris Hornberger 90-87–177.

Seniors
1. Jack Brown 78-74–152; 2. Frank Finley 78-74–152; 3. Scott Friday 75-80–155; 4. Gary Allen 82-75–157; 5. Mike Craine 84-78–162; 6. Brad Holmes 84-81–165.