Southern Amateur Championship
James Roller shot a 6-under 66 in the Southern Amateur Championship qualifier at Diamante Country Club on Monday, June 24, to qualify for the 156-man field in the prestigious amateur golf championship later this summer.
Roller, from Jenks, Oklahoma, a member of the Kansas State golf team this year, transferred there after three years on the golf team at Texas Tech, where he was a teammate of PGA star Ludvig Aberg.
Phisher Phillips, of Rogers, Arkansas, a sophomore at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, shot a 5-under 67 to snag the lone alternate slot in the 25-man field, which included Diamante member Kolt Carden, who carded a 74.
John Daly II, the son of PGA star John Daly, caddied for his University of Arkansas teammate Manuel Lozada, who shot an even par 72.
Carson Garner, of Hot Springs, who just finished his collegiate golf career at Montana State and played in the Diamante Classic, the club’s member-guest, earlier this month as a guest of Diamante member Michael Butler, shot a 73.
This year marks the 118th playing of the Southern Am, one of the most prestigious amateur golf championships in the country.
Diamante Country Club, which played at 7,000 yards for the event, is one of 17 golf clubs serving as sectional qualifying venues this year for the Southern Am. It’s the second consecutive year Diamante has hosted the event.
Idle Hour Golf Club in Lexington, Kentucky will host this year’s championship July 17 – 20, a 72-hole stroke-play event hosted by the Southern Golf Association.
Past Southern Am champions have included PGA tour stars Ben Crenshaw, Justin Leonard, Lanny Wadkins, Hubert Green, Webb Simpson, Mark Brooks, Bill Rogers, Kyle Stanley and Len Mattice.
Full Field Results for the Southern Am Qualifier at Diamante Country Club:
Phisher Phillips (left) finished runner-up, and James Roller (right) won the Southern Am qualifier at Diamante Country Club on June 24.
James Roller 66
Phisher Phillips 67
Collin Bond 68
Logan McDonald 68
Burke Alford 69
Reeves Pullin 70
Rhett South 71
Manuel Lozada 72
Carson Garner 73
Cooper Tate 73
Wil Griffin 74
Jake Hopper 74
Carter Maneth 74
JT Stephens 74
Jay Trusty 74
Kolt Carden 74
JP McCarron 75
Jack Wilson 75
Collin Spangler 76
Zachary Knight 77
Michael Collie 78
Jack-Henry Wise 81
Daniel Taylor 84
CJ Guthrie 85
Ryan Spurlock WD