PNG graduate Bailey second in SW Amateur

Published 7:07 pm Saturday, June 18, 2016

On a week when Andrew Landry is shocking the golf world with his play in his first-ever major, Braden Bailey nearly pulled off a huge victory in one of the sport’s premier amateur tournaments.

Bailey, who like Landry graduated from Port Neches-Groves High and completed his first season at Baylor, finished tied for second at 10-under 270 in the 101st Southwestern Amateur on the Desert Mountain Club’s Cochise Course in Scottsdale, Ariz.

Bailey recorded four under-70 rounds (68-67-67-68) to tie Derek Bayley of Rathdrum, Idaho. P.J. Samiere of Kailua, Hawaii, who competes at San Diego State, won the tournament at 267.

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Bailey said in a press release the winds and difficult pin positions created a challenge for all the players. The field played under clear skies, hot temperatures approaching 105 degree and swirling gusty winds.

“The winds made the golf course play much more difficult than [Friday], and P.J. played a great round of golf to win the tournament,” Bailey said.

Samiere shot three rounds of 67, with his 66 coming in the second. On Saturday, he birdied the 397-yard first hole and had a four-shot load when he recorded consecutive birdies at Nos. 10 and 11.

Samiere joins an illustrious list of Southwestern Amateur champs including Mark O’Meara (1980), Corey Pavin (1981), Tom Pernice Jr. (1982) and Nick Watney (2002).

The Cochise Course is one of six Jack Nicklaus-designed signature golf courses.

About I.C. Murrell

I.C. Murrell was promoted to editor of The News, effective Oct. 14, 2019. He previously served as sports editor since August 2015 and has won or shared eight first-place awards from state newspaper associations and corporations. He was born in Memphis, Tennessee, grew up mostly in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, and graduated from the University of Arkansas at Monticello.

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