A Triangle amateur shot 30 on the back nine Thursday at The Cliffs at Mountain Park to win the 102nd Carolinas Open,
But maybe not the amateurs at the top of leaderboard expected to be in contention in the final round.
William Carr of Raleigh, a rising sophomore at Elon, shot 65, including the amazing four-birdie and one eagle back nine — to beat former N.C. State player Brandon Einstein, and assistant pro at Diamond Creek Golf Club in Banner Elk, by two strokes.
Carr finished 15-under-par 201. Einstein, who trailed by only one shot entering the final hole, finished second at 203 but claimed the $9,000 first prize awarded to the low pro. Six of the top 10 finishers were amateurs.
Playing together in the penultimate threesome in front of three amateur, 36-hole co-leaders, Carr and Einstein passed a handful of players over the final five holes.
Einstein, a 26-year-old Clemmons native, fired 4-under-par 68 — including a bogey on the par-5 final hole when he 3-putted, knowing he probably needed to make a long birdie putt to force a playoff.
Carr, who posted the day’s low round, made an eagle on the par-5 15th and added another on the par-3 17th. Einstein birdied 14, 15 and 17 while shooting 34 on the back side.
Raleigh pro Adam Fisher of North Ridge Country Club and amateur Ben Jordan of Greensboro, a recent Wofford graduate, tied for 11th at 208. Fisher shot 69 Thursday while Jordan fired 71.
Pros John Rackley of Wilmington and Trace McDonald of Sumter, S.C., joined amateurs Luke Mueller of Wake Forest, Jude Carper of Cornelius and Maddux Cook of Wilmington at 204.
Phillip Yribarren of Asheville and amateur Tyler Jones of Jacksonville tied for eighth at 206. Steve Scott of Winston-Salem and amateur CJ Peterson of Wake Forest tied for 20th at 210.
(The original story listed the first prize incorrectly. TriadGolf.com regrets the error and will be more careful using AI)
