Alabama Golfer Wins State Amateur

University of Alabama golfer Hunter Hamrick fired a final round of 5-under-par 67 to claim the 93rd Alabama Amateur Championship at the par-72, 7,267-yard Greystone Golf and Country Club.

Hamrick will be a sophomore at Alabama next season.

“It was a great accomplishment, and one that I am very proud of,” Hamrick said. “It was kind of the next step within the state for me after winning the Alabama Junior Amateur and the three state championships in high school. You want to be considered one of the best players in the state, so being able to win the state amateur was great.”

Hamrick sank six birdies with only one bogey in the final round to finish at 282 (-5) and secure the come from behind victory.

“I just wanted to come out on Sunday, have fun and put together a good round,” Hamrick said. “I felt good going into the day, and being behind a few strokes really doesn’t bother me. I kind of like playing from a position where I can go chase them down and put a lot of birdies up on the scoreboard.”

The Montgomery native went to the top of the 72-player field with a second-round 67 (-5) after shooting even par in round one. However, he slipped back to the pack in the third round with a 4-over-par 76 that left Hamrick in third place, four shots behind the 54-hole leader Blake West of UAB.

Hamrick righted the ship in the final round with birdies on four of his first eight holes to take control as West fell to third place with a 77 (+5). Hamrick’s teammate and fellow sophomore-to-be at Alabama, Hunter Slatton, finished tied for fourth at 292 (+4) after turning in his best score of the tournament with a 71 (-1) in the final round.

Hamrick adds this victory to his growing resume that includes honorable mention All-America honors from PING following his redshirt freshman season with the Crimson Tide in 2008-09. Hamrick also won medalist honors at the NCAA Northeast Regional helping UA capture the regional title en route to a 15th-place finish at the NCAA Championships.