Matthew Render wins the Spirit of America Classic by one stroke.
DECATUR- It was a thrilling finish at the 59th Daikin Spirit of America, but ultimately one player handled the heat the best.
Lee University’s Matthew Render finished five-under-par, outlasting four other golfers who finished one stroke behind him. Birdies on 16 and 17 helped him seal the deal at Burningtree Country Club in Decatur.
“I tried to do the little things right and that paid off today,” Render said.
Huntingdon College player Jack Hundley held the lead entering the final round. But five bogeys on Saturday helped open the door for other contenders. Samford’s Gavin Isbell was a constant presence on the leaderboard, shooting a 67 on Friday and a 68 Saturday. But when it looked like he could separate from the pack, he bogeyed 17.
Render tried to stay focused on the moment and said he wasn’t paying attention to the crowded leaderboard.
“I did not know anything until I walked off that green on 18,” Render said. “It was a big shock to me.”
