Denver, CO - William Mouw was the last man standing at the 118th TMGA Amateur Championship.  Mouw’s 22’ birdie putt on the second playoff hole warranted a huge first pump but had to wait for Connor Jones's birdie effort to slide by before claiming victory.  Ironically, this was the second win in a row for a Pepperdine University golfer on the second extra hole.  Duke’s Luke Sample was the third member of the playoff but bowed out with a bogey on the first playoff hole. 

 

As the final groups made the turn, four players stood at 10 under, two at 9 under, and two more at minus 8.  It was still anyone’s championship to win.  Luke Sample was a few pairings ahead of the leaders but quickly moved up the leaderboard posting 7 birdies thru his first 15 holes and sitting at minus 10. A late bogey left him finished at 9 under and waiting to see if that would be enough. 

 

While waiting for others to play the final holes several players hovered around the lead playing the back nine.  Connor Jones went out in 31, then made birdie to reach 10 under but played the last 4 holes in one over to end at 9.  Pepperdine’s William Mouw made the turn at one-under and 9 under for the event, then proceeded to make 9 consecutive pars. 

 

Several other players reached the 10 under mark but made costly bogeys down the stretch to leave them just outside the playoff. While at times during the day it looked like any number of players had opportunities to make a move but the tricky conditions, firm greens, and the pressure of hoisting the trophy prevented others from making a charge. 

 

The 118th version of the TMGA Amateur Championship will go down as an exciting championship with a crowded leaderboard, two rounds that set the course record, and a birdie putt on the second extra hole to seal the win.    

 

It’s been a fantastic week at Denver Country Club, and the Trans-Mississippi Golf Association extends its most sincere appreciation to the members and staff for all their hard work in making the tournament such a memorable event. Sixty members pitched in throughout the week with volunteer duties and 21 member families hosted 32 players in their homes during the week.

Extra special thanks are due to Director of Golf Steve David and his great staff, Golf Course Superintendent Ben Getman and his tireless grounds crew, General Manager Patrice Piralla and Volunteer Chairmen Gary Potter, John Eliot and Bob Leo.

Additionally, we want to thank all our dedicated directors for their efforts throughout the week and the entire season. The Trans-Mississippi Golf Association staff could not conduct these elite tournaments without a total team effort. We thank everyone involved.

 

ABOUT TRANS-MISS GOLF ASSOCIATION: The Trans-Mississippi Golf Association is one of the oldest and most prestigious golf organizations in the United States. Established in 1901, the Trans-Mississippi is composed of over 300 member clubs located throughout the country. The Association is governed by a board of independent directors and is headquartered in Dallas, TX. 

Our mission is to: 

• Promote and advance the true spirit of amateur golf by cultivating fellowship, harmony, friendly competition, and cooperation among members of the association. 

• Conduct four annual tournaments – the Trans-Mississippi Amateur, a summer competition inaugurated in 1901, the Trans-Mississippi Senior & Mid-Master Championship which began in 2000, the Trans-Mississippi Four-Ball which began in 1981 and the Trans-Mississippi Junior-Senior which was added to the schedule in 2021. All four championships rotate annually among the nation’s finest golf courses. 

• Cultivate and promote our Turf Scholarship Fund, which provides interns to our member clubs agronomy staff. These internships provide a hands-on learning experience for students preparing to enter the golf course agronomy field at some of the country’s best facilities with top-flight superintendents. Clubs gain the benefit of additional assistance and teaching potential new staff with funding provided by the Trans-Mississippi Turf Scholarship Fund. 

 

ABOUT ELITE AMATEUR SERIES: The Elite Amateur Series of seven top ranked amateur championships across the country.  The seven events include the Sunnehanna Amateur, Northeast Am, North & South Amateur, Trans-Miss Amateur, Southern Amateur, Pacific Coast Amateur and the Western Amateur. 

The Trans-Miss Amateur is part of the new Elite Amateur Golf Series which kicked of this summer.  Top players from the series will earn PGA Tour starts, Korn Ferry Tour starts and exemptions into the US Amateur and into the finals of US Open qualifiers in 2023.