Brandon Einstein made a bogey this week in defense of his title at the North Carolina Open.
But that bogey Tuesday — his only blemish in 108 holes in the past two State Opens — isn’t what cost him another victory.
Symon Balbin just made too many birdies.
Balbin, a 24-year-old former UNC Greensboro golfer from Pinehurst, made four straight Thursday beginning at No. 14 at Forest Oaks Country Club to shoot 66 in the final round for a 16-under-par 200 total and a two-shot victory over Einstein, Forsyth Country Club assistant pro Adam Stephenson and High Point amateur Davis DeLille, who played at East Carolina University.
With the victory, Balbin earned $7,000 and a major Carolinas PGA victory.
“This is the best one,” Balbin said, comparing the victory to others in his golf career. “Everything seemed to go the way I wanted it to.”
When he hit his drive out of bounds on No. 6 and made bogey, Balbin was even-par for the day and trailing Einstein and Stephenson, with several other players within a few strokes.
“After that, I put pedal to the metal and I started firing at flags,” Balbin said. “I just had to step on the gas and make something happen.”
The 26-year-old Einstein, a Clemmons native and an assistant pro at Diamond Creek Golf Club in Banner Elk, had a one-stroke lead over Balbin through 14 holes Thursday as the two played together with David Sanchez of Charlotte in the final group.
DeLille, who won the Triad Amateur at High Point Country Club’s Willow Creek course this spring, also made five birdies on the back nine, including one at the par-5 18th, while closing with 66. The 33-year-old Stephenson, a former ECU standout also birdied 18 for a 65 that included five birdies on the front nine.
A Pinehurst native, Balbin made a brief attempt at a playing career through mini tours before taking a club job earlier this year. He accepted a position at Pinewild Country Club in Pinehurst this spring. Despite the victory, he said he wouldn’t give a playing career another try.
“Nah, I kind of like having some time,” Balbin said. “And even if I play bad, I still have a job.”
Balbin and Einstein each birdied 14 before Balbin took charge, sinking a 6-foot birdie putt at 15. He followed by reaching the green and two-putting for birdie from 30 feet for birdie and the lead at the short par-4 16th (moved up to 298 yards for the final round).
On the 230-yard, par-3 17th, Balbin hit his tee shot to 6 feet and sinking the birdie putt to increase the lead to two strokes. Balbin and Einstein each parried the final hole.
Though down two on the 18th tee, Einstein seemed to have a chance when Balbin drove into the left rough. But Einstein, 285 yards away in the middle of the fairway, failed to reach the green on his second shot and left himself with a difficult pitch.
After getting back into the fairway, Balbin pitched up to 25 feet, lagged up and tapped in for par. Following Balbin’s lag, Einstein missed his 12-footer for birdie.
Failing to birdie 16 and 18 proved costly to Einstein, whose bogey-free 18-under total won last year at Forsyth Country Club. In July, he finished second to Raleigh amateur William Carr in the Carolinas Open.
“I’ve played some good golf the last couple weeks,” said Einstein, who plans to work at Chechessee Creek Golf Club, a Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw design near Hilton Head Island, when Diamond Creek closes for the season.
A total of 43 players finished under par for the week — 19 broke 70 on Thursday — on the 7,100-yard course.
Chip Lynn of Lillington and Peter Skirpstas of Charleston made significant final-day charges.
Skirpstas shot 63, including an eagle at 16, to finish fifth at 203. Lynn, who shot 67 Thursday, made three straight birdies on the front and four straight early on the back to move to the top of the leaderboard, but didn’t make any more and tied for eighth at 206.
