Amateur Golf

Daniel Berger of Jupiter, Fla., completed his march to victory in the 82nd Dixie Amateur on Friday, posting one of only four scores under par at Heron Bay Golf Club in Coral Springs, Fla. His final-round 70 gave him a 22-under-par 265 total for the four rounds, 13 shots ahead of Tom Loveland of Birmingham, Ala.

Berger, a sophomore at Florida State University, never was fewer than seven shots ahead of the field on a day in which South Florida’s first cold front of the season came through, dropping temperatures 20 degrees F. in 25- to 30-mile-per-hour winds.

“I knew it was not feasible for anyone to shoot 63 today,” said Berger. “My attitude today was make it a damage-control round and try to make as many pars as I could.”

Richard Werenski of South Hadley, Mass., slipped into third place after his 71, for a 279 total, edging Trey Mullinax, who was fourth at 280.

Loveland and Mullinax, both from the Birmingham, Ala., area and University of Alabama teammates, were playing in the final group with Berger but the strong winds thwarted any attempt at an attack, as they closed with a pair of 74s.

“I really wasn’t nervous at all today,” said Berger, who had only four bogeys all week, two in the final round. His chip-in for par after a poor second shot on No. 12 made it a bit easier for him to breathe. “I was probably looking at bogey or double at that point but I chipped it in for par and that’s when I kind of knew I was going to win.”

Ryan Borg of Orangeville, Ont. was the lone Canadian to make the 54-hole cut. He finished tied for 28th at 4-over-par 291, 26 shots off the lead.

The Dixie Amateur is organized and conducted by ClubLink. All players had one round each at Heron Bay, Woodlands Country Club and Palm Aire Country Club before the 54-hole cut brought 73 players back for the final round at Heron Bay.

To view the Dixie Amateur leaderboard, click here.

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Canadians to tee it up at Dixie Amateur this week