Pinehurst’s Martin successfully defends at the Carolinas Amateur

Josh Martin of Pinehurst, N.C. has done it again. Martin was able to successfully defend his Carolinas Amateur title in the same town that he played his college golf for the last four years – Chapel Hill. Last year, Martin won the 104^thCarolinas Amateur just down the road from where he grew up at the Country Club of North Carolina in Pinehurst.

“It’s crazy to think about but it’s awesome to do it last year at home in Pinehurst and then to do it here where I went to school – my second home – it’s pretty special,” said Martin.

Martin is only the second golfer in the stroke-play era of the Carolinas Amateur Championship to defend the title. His former University of North Carolina men’s golf teammate, Carter Jenkins is the other (’13, ’14 and ’15).

Not only was Martin able to successfully defend the title but he was able to do so in a runaway fashion. Martin won this year’s championship by seven strokes which ties the record for margin of victory in the stroke play era of the championship. Last year, he won the championship by three shots.

While it appears that Martin ran away with the title, his competitors were a lot closer than the final score shows. Martin got off to a hot start making birdies on three of his first four holes, but he gave two shots back after making bogeys on Nos. 5 and 8. He then put his foot on the gas at the turn and didn’t let off.

Martin made birdies on Nos. 10, 11, 13, 16 and 17. By the time he reached the treacherous  par-4, 18^th hole the title was as good as his. Martin two-putted to victory on the final green.

“Coming down the stretch I saw I had a big lead coming in,” said Martin. “It was just a relief just to get in and not spoil that. I finished not how I wanted to the last two days so my goal was just to keep my head down and do what I do and finish strong.”

Martin’s 6-under-par, 66 on Sunday was the low round of the day. He finished at 16-under-par, 272 total for the championship.

Former Wake Forest men’s golfer, Davis Womble of Winston-Salem, N.C. was hot on Martin’s heels in the final round. Womble made the turn at 9-under-par total for the championship and was only two shots off the lead at the time. Unfortunately for Womble, Martin’s bad holes were behind him and an even-par, 36 on the back nine was not enough to catch the leader. Womble finished in solo second place at 9-under-par, 279 for the championship.

Peter Fountain of Raleigh, N.C. was looking to claim his second CGA championship title of the summer but came up two places shy of the win. Fountain fired a 2-under-par, 70 on Sunday to finish the championship at 8-under-par, 280 total to finish in third place. Fountain won the North Carolina Junior Boys’ Championship at Lonnie Poole Golf Course only two weeks prior to the start of the Carolinas Amateur. Fountain will follow in the footsteps of Martin and will begin his freshman year at the University of North Carolina this fall.

Martin, a recent college graduate, is continuing his education and his amateur golf career. Starting in September he’s going to the University of Nottingham where he received a scholarship to play on their golf team while he completes an eleventh-month graduate degree program.

“I’m not even sure if I’ll be back in the U.S. to defend depending on how the program is, but if there’s a will there’s a way and I’ll try to get back,” said Martin.

The Club at 12 Oaks team took home the Capers Cup at this year’s competition. The Capers Cup competition is held during the first two rounds of the championship. Teams are comprised of three or four bona fide members from the same club, and the low three scores count. Zach Roberts of Holly Springs, N.C., Timothy Driver of Holly Springs, N.C. and Garrett Risner of Holly Springs, N.C.comprised the winning team and finished with a eight-over-par 440 to take home the trophy.

105th Carolinas Amateur Championship
Governors Club | Chapel Hill, N.C.
Final Results

Photo credit/Carolinas Golf Association/Contributed.