Mountain Brook grad rallies for win
SHOAL CREEK – What looked to be a two-man race on the final day of 108th Alabama State Amateur turned into a victory stroll for Tom Fischer Saturday at the Shoal Creek Club.
Fischer began the day with a one-shot lead over Ford Goldasich and turned away the field in fourth round and ended up with a four-shot victory. With the victory, Fischer earned a berth in the upcoming U.S. Amateur Championship in August.
Fischer, of Birmingham, who played his high school golf at state powerhouse Mountain Brook, rallied in the final two rounds to secure his Alabama State Amateur amateur title. His 13-under 275 was four shots better than fast-finishing Josiah Gilbert and six shots ahead of third-place finisher Hal Dove.
“I played pretty good, I didn’t get off to the best of starts but I kind of steadied the ship and gave myself a bunch of looks and made a couple birdies,” Fischer told the Alabama Golf Association after play was complete.
It was an uphill climb for Fischer in the first two rounds. He opened with a 4-under 68, but that was two shots behind Max Johnson and tied for sixth place. A second-round 73 left Fischer, who will be a junior at Ole Miss this fall, left him seven back of Goldasich, who grabbed control with a second-round 64 and was 10-under at the mid-way point.
Fischer made up the seven-shot deficit with a third-round best 65 to forge a one-shot lead over Goldasich, who completed his college career this spring at Lipscomb University in Nashville. At 10-under through 54 holes, Fischer overtook Goldasich, who backed up his 64 with a 73 in the third round.
Fischer’s closing 69 was tied for the second-best round of the day. After an early bogey, he made four birdies in a seven-hole stretch to put the tournament title to rest.
Goldasich, of nearby Homewood, fell off the pace with a final-round 76. Gilbert, of Millbrook, made the biggest move in the final round but was too far back to catch Fischer. Gilbert closed the tournament with a 7-under 65 to vault into second place.
Tyler Watts, a junior at Grissom High School, finished tied for fourth at 282 along with Fort Payne’s Hunter Hawkins.
As the Alabama State Amateur champition, Fischer will head to Hazeltine National in Minnesota to compete in the U.S. Amateur Championship Aug, 12-18.
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Featured image of Tom Fischer courtesy of the Alabama Golf Association
