Danville native overcomes late deficit to win 100th Kentucky Open in sudden-death playoff
Danville native J.B. Williams pulled off a late comeback to win the 100th Kentucky Open on the second playoff hole at Kearney Hill Golf Links in Lexington on Thursday.
Williams, who played three years for Akron University in Ohio before turning professional in 2018, trailed Lexington Christian Academy graduate Evan Davis by one stroke heading to the par-5, No. 18 hole in the final round of the 54-hole stroke-play tournament.
Both golfers faced tough approach shots after their drives landed in the rough on opposite sides of the fairway. Davis, who will be a junior at Belmont University in Nashville this upcoming season, reached the edge of the green and gave himself a 60-foot look for eagle, while Williams attacked the flag and landed a beautiful shot within 7 feet of the cup. Davis ran a fantastic putt within 5 feet and had a shot to win after Williams two-putted for birdie, but he came up short and settled for par, sending the duo into a sudden-death playoff after they matched the lowest score in Kentucky Open history at 19-under (Mark Savage, 2006).
After trading birdies on No. 18, Williams and Davis moved to the par-5, No. 14 hole. Both of them found the fairway with long drives of 300-plus yards. Williams got to the edge of the green with an iron, then Davis got in trouble when his second shot landed in a recessed area below the green. Davis’ chip shot wound up off the opposite side of the green, and his fourth shot came to rest 10 feet past the hole. Williams two-putted for birdie to seal the comeback and the $10,000 first-place prize.
“It feels great,” Williams said after the playoff. “I was hitting the ball well all week and to make only one bogey throughout the tournament has to go down as one of the best accomplishments of my golfing career.
“Evan played some great golf and it was back and forth pretty much all day. Considering it went into extra holes makes it that much sweeter to get the job done.”
The University of Kentucky golf program was well-represented atop the leaderboard. Evan Cox, who graduated from UK in 2018, finished tied for sixth with a 13-under 203 along with fellow UK alumnus Grover Justice, the reigning Kentucky PGA Player of the Year who competed in the PGA Barbasol Championship in Nicholasville last month. Also tying for sixth place was ex-Cat Stephen Stallings, who also competed in the Barbasol Championship along with his Kentucky Open caddie, former UK teammate Chip McDaniel. University of Louisville assistant golf coach Justin Tereshko finished tied for third at 17-under along with St. Xavier graduate Clay Amlung, who will be a junior at the University of Cincinnati.
This story was originally published August 1, 2019 at 7:16 PM.
