Former Benedictine Military School golfer Hughes Threlkeld, a member of the Benedictine Class of 2021, captured the 75th Golf Pro Payments Georgia Open dramatically on August 9 at Kinderlou Forest Golf Club in Valdosta.
Former Benedictine golfer Hughes Threlkeld, a Class of 2021 graduate, holds the trophy after winning the 75th Georgia Open at Kinderlou Forest Golf Club in Valdosta. (Photo courtesy of the Georgia PGA)
Threlkeld, now a mini-tour professional from St. Simons Island, holed out from a greenside bunker from 55 feet on the second playoff hole to defeat Beck Burnette of Blairsville and win the championship after the the two finished regulation tied at 15-under-par.
Threlkeld entered the final round three shots behind Burnette before making four birdies on a bogey-free front nine to pull even at the turn. Threlkeld ran into trouble on the back nine with bogeys on Nos. 10, 13 and 14, putting him three shots behind Burnette again.
But the former Cadet wasn't ready to throw in the towel.
“I thought I was out of it on the back nine midway, but I did a good job of resetting and hanging in there,” Threlkeld said. “I just knew I had to hang in there as long as I can, and crazy stuff can happen.”
Burnette took a one-shot lead to the 18th hole but his bogey and Threlkeld's par sent the two golfers to sudden death. Burnette made par on the first playoff hole, and Threlkeld sank a must-make 14-foot putt to extend the tournament.
Playing No. 18 for a second time in the playoff, Threlkeld found the greenside bunker. Facing a 55-foot bunker shot, he holed it out to end the playoff and claim the title.
“It was really a hit and hope,” Threlkeld said. “My only hope of keeping it on the green was to hit the hole, and luckily it came out pretty good.”
The victory was even more impressive considering Threlkeld wasn't originally in the field. He earned a spot in the tournament as an alternate just a week before the tournament began.
Threlkeld played college golf at the University of North Georgia, and as a senior he was named a Golf Coaches Association of America Honorable Mention All American and was named to the GCAA Southeast All-Region Team. As a senior at Benedictine in 2021, Threlkeld was the low medalist the City of Savannah High School Golf Championship at Bacon Park Golf Course, was named a member of the All Greater Savannah Boys Golf Team and was named an Honorable Mention selection for the Georgia High School Golf Coaches Association for Georgia High School Association Class AAAA.
Photos by The Georgia PGA
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