By Jed Blackwell, Associate Editor-Publisher, The Golf Club

Zach Herold and Sam Jackson survived a wild final round and a three hole playoff to win the Chanticleer Invitational Four-Ball on Sunday afternoon.

Their win was the end of a roller-coaster two hours that saw several lead changes and a bunch of outstanding shots.

At around 2:30, Josh Branyon and Jake Miller finished off Sunday’s low round, a 66 that got them in the clubhouse with a two-day total of 137, seven-under, and hopes for a shot at the title.

They finished fifth, and the end didn’t come for two more hours.

Behind them, Jared and Chad Howard were making a run that came up short at eight-under. Then Josh Fickes and JD Lehman came down the stretch, making birdie at 15 and 18 to get to -10 for the tournament and assume the lead.

That’s when the fun started.

Playing in the last group, Garland Ferrell and Matthew Hayes birdied 15 and 17 to get to -10 as well. Needing a birdie at 18 to get into the playoff, Jackson came through, sending all six players back to the tee at No. 1.

Dizzy yet?

“Watching the leaderboard at the end over that last hour, there was a lot of moving around,” said Chanticleer Assistant Pro Jarrod McWatters. “Guys would fall to third, get back to first, there was a lot of back and forth. But it was all good golf. It was all because of birdies and eagles.”

Nobody was able to take advantage at the par-four first hole, but the second was a different story. Herold’s tee shot on the par-3 was about five feet from the hole, and the team looked to be in good position. But the good look turned into a must-make when Ferrell jarred a long putt for birdie. Herold was up to the task and matched the birdie with his own, and the two teams advanced to the par-5 third as Lehman and Fickes bowed out.

With Ferrell and Jackson out of the hole after their second shots found the creek in front of the raised green at No. 3, the match was between Hayes and Herold. Hayes hit his third past the flag to the back of the green, and Herold nearly made his, hitting a wedge just past the flag and spinning it back “past the cup, almost nipping the edge on the way by before setting four feet away.

“I got pretty fortunate that my tee shot was in play, and then I didn’t hit a great second shot, so I was fortunate to have a good number in there,” Herold said. “I’ve been working hard on my wedges, had a good number, and just went right at it. I had 78 yards, and I had a little bit of a backstop so I knew I could stop it. The greens were pretty soft, so I played an 80-yard shot and happened to get pretty close.”

Then Hayes nearly made his birdie. It slipped just past on the right side, leaving the door open for Herold.

“Anytime you have a chance to make a putt to win a golf tournament, there’s a little bit of adrenaline,” Herold said. “I was pretty happy to make that one.”

Equally important was Jackson’s birdie on 18 that got them in the playoff.

“We were one back on the tee at 18,” Jackson said. “I hit a wedge in there to four or five feet and made that to get us to 10 (under) and get us in the playoff.”

Herold said winning an event like the one at Chanticleer is a good way to finish up a competitive year.

“Any time you can win in the state of South Carolina, it’s pretty good,” he said. “We’ve got a great Mid-Am list of players who play in this event. It’s always a good field, and a good way to wrap up the year.”

McWatters said the event consistently draws a high level of play, which was evident on Sunday.

“I think it factors in for SCGA Player of the Year, and these guys of course want to get as many of those points as they can. This tournament has kind of built itself up a little bit. The golf course is so good, the field is so good that guys want it. They really want to win this one. Sam and Zach should be proud of themselves. It’s a great win for them to pull off.”

Jackson’s share of the win will likely help the defending South Carolina Golf Association Player of the Year earn a second straight P-O-Y award.

Going into the Chanticleer tournament Jackson held a lead over SCGA and USGA Senior Amateur champion Todd White from Spartanburg with Greenville’s Garland Ferrell in third.

In addition, to his share of the win at Chanticleer, Jackson won the Carolinas Golf Association Mid-Am championship and played his way into the semi-final round of the USGA Mid-Am before dropping a 1 up match to the eventual champion Stuart Hagestad.

The SCGA usually announces the annual award winners in early December,

Scores from the Chanticleer Invitational