Perfect summer continues for Champ with victory at Trans-Miss

Cameron Champ bypassed an opportunity – with good reason – to play in last month’s Air Capital Classic golf tournament in Wichita.

But Champ, a Texas A&M senior, made it to Kansas this week for the 114th Trans-Mississippi Championship at Prairie Dunes Country Club.

His fellow competitors may have wished he had stayed away.

Champ, from Sacramento, Calif., powered his way through stifling heat Thursday for a four-shot victory in one of the premier amateur tournaments on the summer schedule.

He fired a 4-under-par 66 in the third round and was rolling through six holes of the fourth round when nearby lightning stopped play. After a brief rain delay, the event was shortened to 54 holes.

“It was like I had blinders on, really,” said Champ, who officially finished the tournament at 9-under 201.

“I put myself in good position to win and obviously Mother Nature had to go and do her own thing.”

Champ entered Thursday’s 36-hole finale with a one-shot lead over recent Lipscomb University graduate Stoney Crouch and Stanford senior Franklin Huang after firing a 65. In the third round, he mixed five birdies with three bogeys over the first 12 holes, then padded his advantage with an eagle at the 523-yard, par-5 17th.

Champ carried the momentum into the final round. By the time the threat of inclement weather surfaced, Champ had extended his lead to seven shots over Crouch and eight over 2015 Trans-Miss champion Collin Morikawa, a junior at Cal.

The long-hitting Champ earned a sponsor exemption into the Web.com Tour event at Crestview Country Club by winning the 2016 Patriot All-America Invitational. But Champ yielded the spot after he qualified for the U.S. Open, which was played the same week.

Champ, 22, made the most of his time at Erin Hills, near Milwaukee. He was one of two amateurs who made the weekend cut and tied for 32nd.

“I played well in (U.S. Open) qualifying, but then my confidence went up 10 notches just seeing those (PGA Tour) guys,” Champ said. “We look up to them watching them on TV.

“But after the first few holes, the wow factor was gone, and I was like, ‘I can hit the same shots as them. I can do some of the same things they can. They just have more experience.’ ”

At Prairie Dunes, a course not known as a long hitter’s paradise, Champ persisted with the driver. He finished with 15 birdies and an eagle.

“This has been a great summer so far, qualifying for the (U.S.) Open and playing well there,” Champ said.

“To come here and win, the summer is just going really well.”

Seven golfers who will compete in next week’s U.S. Junior Amateur at Flint Hills National made the 36-hole cut at Prairie Dunes. The group included Wichita’s Wells Padgett, who finished 59th at 11-over 221.

This story was originally published July 13, 2017 at 8:19 PM with the headline "Perfect summer continues for Champ with victory at Trans-Miss."