BLUFFTON, S.C. It wasn’t the finish Daniel Nisbet envisioned, but the 21-year-old Australian enjoyed the perks of winning the 13th annual Players Amateur just the same, claiming the title after the final round was cut short because of storms Sunday at Berkeley Hall Club.
Play was suspended because of thunderstorms about 12:45 p.m., with the leaders having played 10 holes. When the storm had not let up more than 90 minutes later, Nisbet was declared the champion and the results reverted to the 54-hole scores.
The early ending didn’t change the inevitable result. After entering the final round with a one-shot lead over Alabama star Bobby Wyatt, Nisbet had extended his advantage to six shots by the time the storm hit.
He made four birdies and just one bogey on the front nine, even chipping in from the fringe in front of the green after hitting a conservative approach at the par-4 eighth hole.
What was played of the final round amounted to more of the same great play that made Nisbet the frontrunner over the final three days. He didn’t make a double bogey all week.
Wyatt made a charge late Saturday, but he couldn’t continue the momentum Sunday morning. While Nisbet birdied two of the first three holes, Wyatt made bogeys at No. 4 and 5 and couldn’t make up any ground.
Nisbet becomes the second Australian to win the Players Amateur, joining Aron Price, who was a student at Georgia Southern at the time of his victory in 2004.
Up next for Nisbet is the Southern Amateur next week in Little Rock, Ark. He plans to turn pro at the end of this year, so he will be playing for a paycheck when he plays in the RBC Heritage on a sponsor’s exemption next April at Harbour Town Golf Links.