HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. – Brett Roberts of Coral Gables, Fla., won the 2019 Sea Pines Junior Heritage on a rainy Sunday at Harbour Town Golf Links, but he needed a playoff to accomplish the feat.
The first-round leader shot 4-over-par 75 in the final round, a score that left him tied with local qualifier J.T. Herman of Hilton Head, who made up a 1-shot first round deficit with a closing 74 at the Jack Nicklaus/Pete Dye-designed PGA Tour course.
On the third extra hole, the short par-4 ninth, Roberts sank a short par putt for the win after Herman failed to get up and down for par. Both golfers had completed regulation play at 1-over 144.
Roberts was two under for the tournament after a birdie on the par-3 14th, but bogeys on Nos. 15, 17 and 18 cost him a chance to win the boys’ division outright.
“Even though I fell back some on the back nine, I was able to put myself in position for a playoff and ultimately get the win,” said Roberts, who has committed to play college golf at Florida State.
Under difficult conditions, Rebecca Skoler of Needham, Mass, shot 75 to win the girls’ division of the Sea Pines Junior Heritage by two shots over Laney Frye of Nicholasville, Ky.
Skoler, the 2018 Massachusetts Girls’ Junior Amateur champion, started the day two strokes behind first-round leader Sophia Burnett of Bluffton, S.C., but quickly made up ground while Burnett played a six-hole stretch on the front nine in 8-over-par figures.
Skoler posted a winning total of 5-over 148. Phoebe Carles was third at 151, one shot behind Frye.