Tournament History

Trahan Sweeps Second Consecutive Amateur Title

Hilton Head Island, SC - Defending Champion, D. J. Trahan of Inman captured his second consecutive SCGA Amateur Championship with a final round 2-under-par 69 over the 6882 yard, par 71 Pete Dye designed Long Cove Club.  Calm, but humid conditions returned after two days of steady breezes, as the average scores for the field were lower in the final round.

Trahan began the day tied for the lead with fellow Clemson teammate Jack Ferguson at 1-over par 214.  Robert Godfrey of Clemson was one stroke back at 215.  Bert Atkinson of Charleston and Matt Hendrix, another Clemson player, of Aiken were in contention only four strokes back at 218.

Ferguson made bogeys on the first two holes to move out of the lead, as Trahan recorded pars.  Godfrey also fell away, a victim to the watery par-3 second with a double bogey.  Ferguson also made bogeys on seven and eight to make the turn in 4-over-par 40.  Godfrey recouped with a birdie on the fourth, but lost ground with bogeys at five and six.  Godfrey finished the front at 3-over-par 39.  Trahan's only blemish was a three putt bogey at the par-3 eighth on his front nine score of 1-over 37.

As the final group made the turn to the back, Trahan held a three stroke lead over Ferguson and Godfrey and four over Bruce McDonald of Charleston, who posted a 1-under-par 35 on the front, playing two groups in front of the leaders.

Trahan built on his lead over the next four holes, with two birdies.  An iron stiff to the flag at eleven and another to ten feet at the short par-3 thirteenth got him inside "his range"  as he canned both.  Godfrey managed pars over the stretch, but Ferguson fell further back with a double bogey at the tree lined eleventh.  McDonald derailed his chances with a double bogey at the 590 yard par-5 fifteenth.

Godfrey made consecutive bogeys at fourteen and fifteen and at that point, began to play for second.  A bogey by Ferguson at sixteen and a birdie by Godfrey at seventeen left Godfrey one stroke up for second place with one to play.  Meanwhile, McDonald had made birdie from short range at seventeen and a par at eighteen to finish at eight over par.  A par by Ferguson at the last and a bogey by Godfrey left them tied with McDonald for second at 7-over-par.

Trahan dropped a twenty foot putt for birdie at seventeen to move to 2-under-par for the day, and 1-under-par for the championship.  A par at the final hole and Trahan captured the 2002 Championship by eight strokes.

Full Field Scores: