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Brody Stevenson of Ponte Vedra Beach, a Florida Gulf Coast University freshman, shot a final-round 65 on Sunday, Dec. 10, to finish at 11-under par and win the 18th St. Augustine Amateur by two strokes.
Andre Zhu of Richmond Hill, Ontario, a high school junior, birdied the final hole to finish alone in second at 9-under.
Stevenson, 19, played the final 32 holes of the tournament 11-under par without a bogey. The Bartram Trail graduate moved from 3 behind leader Kent Hsiao of Taiwan, a Purdue senior, after 36 holes and was in a logjam of players on a rainy Sunday.
A 50-minute rain delay at 1:40 p.m. brought the players into the clubhouse with the final grouping on the 11th tee. There were eight players within three shots at the time, with Stevenson and longtime friend Camden Goldknopf of Ponte Vedra Beach, a William & Mary commitment, tied at 9-under.
Stevenson stayed the course on the soggy but very playable course. He completed his win with a birdie on the par-3 17th and the par-5 18th. The win continued his recent momentum, as he played in one fall tournament for FGCU, shooting a final-round 67 at the Kapolei Invitational in Hawaii.
“On the back nine when it got a little rainy and it was crunch time, I relied on my short game,” said Stevenson. “I made quite a few up and downs and par saves to keep the round going. I felt the best I’ve ever felt coming in here. Playing with all the seniors in college helped with my experience.”
