U of L golfer from Central Kentucky takes home men’s state amateur championship

Heading into the final day of competition, University of Louisville rising sophomore Warren Thomis had just a one-shot cushion in first place at the 111th Clark’s Pump-N-Shop Kentucky Men’s Amateur Championship.

The Richmond native then separated himself from the pack Wednesday at Lexington Country Club, shooting a 1-under-par 70 for a 7-under-par total score and a place at the top of the Kentucky amateur golf podium.

Thomis’ day three title-securing score was his worst of the event, coming at the end of three consecutive days of temperatures approaching the mid-90s. He opened the tournament Monday with a 4-under 67 and followed the stellar start with a 2-under 69 on Tuesday.

With the win, the former Madison Central High School standout earned an exemption into the 125th U.S. Amateur Championships from Aug. 11-17 at The Olympic Club’s Lake and Ocean Courses in San Francisco, according to a press release from Golf House Kentucky.

University of Kentucky rising sophomore Gavin Clutts trailed Thomis by three strokes but had an impressive final day to secure his spot on the leaderboard. Clutts, a Hazard native, entered the day in fourth place and shot a 2-under-par 69, including an eagle on the 7th hole, to soar into second place with a total tournament score of 4 under.

Joshua Rhodes of Paducah finished the tournament with a bronze medal. Rhodes, who started Wednesday just two shots off the lead, can attribute his third-place finish to a four-bogey final round that led him to a 2-over-par performance on the day. Still, Rhodes finished the tournament 2 under.

According to the news release, “the top 25 finishers and ties” earned an exemption into next year’s Amateur Championship at the University of Louisville Golf Course.