Matt NeSmith of North Augusta, S.C., took home the champion’s
trophy at the Azalea Invitational, held March 29 – April 1 at The Country Club
of Charleston. After a 1-overpar 72 in
the first round, NeSmith fired three rounds of 66 for a 14-under-par tournament
total.
NeSmith, the No. 3 ranked boy in the Polo Golf Rankings,
joins an impressive list of past champions with the win, including two-time
winner and AJGA alum Webb Simpson.
NeSmith has signed a National Letter of Intent with the
University of South Carolina. The South Carolina native came out on top at the
AJGA’s Polo Golf Junior Classic in 2011, and then followed with a win at the
Jones Cup Junior Invitational. In 2011, he had four top-three finishes in
national junior golf competition.
Other AJGA members with top-10 finishes at the Azalea
Invitational included Jim Liu of Smithtown, N.Y., who finished in second with
an 11-under-par tournament total. Wyndham Clark of Greenwood Village, Colo.,
finished in sixth at 8-under-par.