By Jed Blackwell Associate editor/publisher

Patrick Stephenson said that at some point on the 16th green in the second round of the Upstate Amateur at Carolina Country Club, he started seeing black spots. With brutal weather conditions, Stephenson was content to chalk it up to the temperature.

Well, he certainly started hot.

Stephenson rode a blazing start and a steady finish to a two-hole playoff victory over JD Lehman when both finished regulation play with identical scores of 8-under.Stephenson won with a par on hole No. 9 after both had parred No. 1. 

“I was in a really good group, and I had a lot of fun,” he said. “All three of the guys  played with today had really good rounds. To be able to get this win feels great. I was able to stick in it, and sometimes you come out on top.”

Stephenson’s start was something special. He parred the first, second, and third before an eagle at the fourth put him at 5-under through four holes, and 8-under for the tournament.

“I think that might be the best start I’ve ever had,” the former East Carolina golfer said. “I made a couple of 40-footers in there, and you don’t expect to see that.”

He didn’t make another birdie until the 18th. He bogeyed the 15th, and found himself in a tie with Lehman who was having a bit of a rollercoaster round. Lehman had three birdies on the front himself, then birdied the 10th to get to 4-under on the day. He bogeyed No. 12, birdied 13, and bogeyed 16 as he and Stephenson found themselves on the 18th tied at 7-under.

“I gave myself a ton of good looks, and hit a bunch of good putts, but they didn’t go in,” he said. “And then I hit some putts that were just bad. It was real streaky this week, but overall my game was consistent.”

Stephenson found the middle of the green with his second shot on 18, while Lehman laid up. He pitched to 10 feet. Stephenson’s eagle putt stopped on the lip, Lehman ran his eagle in, and the pair went to the scorer’s table, and on to the playoff.

“JD is such a good putter, I knew he was going to make his,” Stephenson said. “When the ball was tracking, I thought I’d done it, but it kind of rolled up on the lip and came back, and sometimes that’s how golf is.”

Lehman said his decision to trust his wedge was an easy one.

“I had a pretty bad lie, and didn’t think I could risk it,” he said. “I’d been wedging it pretty good all day, probably better than I had been, and I knew I had to give myself a chance.”

Both were long with their approaches on the first playoff hole, with Lehman off the green. He again cozied a chip up to the hole, Stephenson narrowly missed his putt, and the two remained tied.

Both hit good tee shots on the second playoff hole, but Lehman pulled his approach into the greenside water hazard. Stephenson hit his approach to 15 feet, and calmly two-putted for the win.

Max Cranford and Mason Tucker tied for third at 5-under, while Jack Wofford finished fifth at 4-under for the tournament.

Scores from the Upstate Amateur at the Carolina Country Club https://greenvillecga.bluegolf.com/bluegolfw/greenvillecga23/event/greenvillecga231/contest/9/leaderboard.htm