Strong first and third rounds lead Nagy to top 10 finish in prestigious amateur event
by Scott Lipsky
2/8/2010 4:57:02 PM
KENNESAW, Ga. - Kennesaw State junior Matt Nagy bounced back from an 81 in the second round to fire a final round 2-over par 74 in tough conditions on Sunday to finish in a tie for sixth place at the Jones Cup at Ocean Forest Golf Club in Sea Island, Ga.
Fighting through tough conditions the first two days, the Buena Vista, Ga. native used his knowledge of the course from previous rounds and his experience playing in bad weather to shoot a round that only six players bettered on Sunday.
“Today was all about fairways and greens, just making par after par,” said Nagy, who shot a 1-under par 71 in the first round. “The wind was blowing in the complete opposite direction from the day before, so I had to approach a lot of the holes differently. I tried to use some lower-lofted clubs at times to keep my shots from being impacted by the wind, but it was very hard to avoid the conditions.”
First-year Owls head coach Jay Moseley was very encouraged by his star pupil’s performance this weekend.
"I am extremely proud of Matt and his performance at the Jones Cup Invitational," said Moseley, who was an All-American during his playing days at Auburn. "He beat some of the best amateur golfers in the world. It is great for Matt and our program to be represented well at such a prestigious event. I strongly believe this is only the beginning of great things to come from Matt and our entire program."
The Jones Cup, which is distinguished as an amateur golf major, featured a field of 81 world-class golfers, including reigning U.S. Amateur champion Byeong-Hun An, U.S. Mid-Amateur champion Nathan Smith, and several members of the United States Walker Cup team.
Nagy, who is now ranked 79th in the world among amateur golfers according to the latest GolfWeek rankings, and qualified for and competed in last year’s U.S. Open, was another name that enhanced the quality of the field.
“Playing in the [U.S.] Open last year, it put me up against the top players in the world. That experience allowed me to come into a tournament like this and feel like I belonged there and that I could win,” he said.