Bryson Nimmer Takes Alpharetta Classic in Georgia

ALPHARETTA, Georgia — On the par-3 17th hole, Bryson Nimmer twice had his towel fall from his bag, forcing him to turn around and retrieve it. Oh, he also bogeyed two holes during the final round of the Alpharetta Classic, and that was pretty much the sum of the mistakes the former Clemson All-American made. Otherwise, Nimmer was flawless during the final round, and that included a spectacular eagle hole-out on his 54th hole as he established a new competitive Golf Club of Georgia record. Nimmer made 10 birdies and an eagle during Friday’s play on his way to a 10-under 62 that allowed him to cruise to a four-shot triumph over playing partner Hayden Shieh. Nimmer’s final shot of the inaugural event of the LOCALiQ Series was merely a bow on top of his already-neatly wrapped present.

With a three-shot lead and standing on the 18th tee, Nimmer put his game in safe mode on the par-5. He striped his drive down the middle of the fairway and then laid up, leaving himself a wedge-shot approach into the green. Nimmer’s shot was at the pin the entire way, and he watched as the ball rolled and tucked against the pin, eventually falling into the hole for an eagle.

“It was super solid. I thought it was a little short. I think it did land a little short,” Nimmer said of his last stroke of the tournament. As he watched it roll toward the pin, he wasn’t sure the ball had dropped. “It kind of hit the flag and stayed there, so I could see the ball. I thought it was sitting on the edge. When everybody went nuts, I thought it was probably in the hole.” It was.

Nimmer began his final round a stroke behind 36-hole leader Shieh, but he immediately went to work, making three birdies on his first five holes. Nimmer’s bogey on No. 6—his third consecutive on that par-3—derailed his momentum momentarily, but he closed the front nine with three additional birdies. That was a pattern he followed later in his round. Following a three-putt bogey at the par-5 10th, Nimmer took control of the tournament with another birdie-birdie-birdie performance, starting at No. 11 He closed with a birdie at No. 16 and the eagle on 18.

Walking down the 18th fairway, Alex Weiss, who played the final round with Nimmer and Shieh, said, “Whatever Bryson tells you about his round today, he won’t do it justice. It was the best display of golf I’ve seen in a long time.” And Weiss made that statement before Nimmer’s final-shot heroics.

“There are a lot of birdie opportunities on this golf course. Kind of going into the day, I was one back and I figured somewhere around 18 (-under) would get it done,” explained Nimmer after blowing past his goal by four shots. “I went out and tried to make as many birdies as I could. I came off to a hot start and made some putts early. Honestly, I tried to play it safe most of the way on the back nine, and I made a couple of putts.”

Next LOCALiQ Series Tournament: 

August 11-13

The Championship at Echelon Golf Club

Echelon Golf Club

Alpharetta, Georgia

Did you know Bryson Nimmer played collegiate golf at Clemson, where he was a four-time, first-team All-Atlantic Coast Conference selection? The only other Clemson golfers to accomplish that feat are PGA TOUR veterans Jonathan Byrd and D.J. Trahan.

Points Standings

Through Alpharetta Classic

Key Information  

• Bryson Nimmer was born and grew up in Hilton Head, S.C. He was a regular attender while growing up of the PGA TOUR’s RBC Heritage. He was still in elementary school the first time he attended, and his final three visits to the tournament he worked as a volunteer, handing range balls to players for two years. During his senior year of high school, Nimmer drove former PGA TOUR player and PGA TOUR Radio announcer Mark Carnevale in his cart as Carnevale covered the tournament.
• Bryson Nimmer took the early lead in the LOCALiQ Series Order of Merit—the Race to the Bahamas Points Standings. Nimmer earned 500 points and is 200 points ahead of Hayden Shieh. The No. 1 player in the standings at the conclusion of the final event of the season, the LOCALiQ Series Championship at the Ocean Club Golf Course at Atlantis Paradise Island Bahamas, earns a PGA TOUR start at a 2020-21 PGA TOUR event.
• The top-78 eligible players on the Race to the Bahamas Points Standings following the final event of the season, the Classic at The Club at Weston Hills in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., will also qualify for the LOCALiQ Series Championship.

• Southern Company is sponsoring the Southern Company Swing that encompasses the Series’ first four events (three in Georgia and one in Alabama). The top-two points earners at the conclusion of the Swing, which ends at The Invitational at Auburn University Club, earn $7,500 and $2,500, respectively.

• Hayden Shieh played his final 47 holes of the Alpharetta Classic bogey-free. His last bogey came in Wednesday’s first round, at the seventh hole. He had 15 birdies, two eagles and 30 pars the rest of the way.
• China’s Yuxin Lin was the low amateur for the week, finishing at 15-under and tied with Carson Young at 15-under and in fourth place. Lin will play in the U.S. Amateur next week in Oregon.
• After opening with a 7-under 65, Alex Smalley stumbled to an even-par 72 in the second round. He recovered nicely Friday, shooting a 9-under 63 to move into solo third. Smalley earned his Mackenzie Tour membership earlier this year at the Florida Qualifying Tournament. Smalley played his final 23 holes bogey-free.
• Two players who recently won state opens played well this week. Mark Anguiano tied for seventh, two weeks after winning the Colorado Open, and Alex Weiss, winner of the Ohio Open, finished alongside Anguiano in the seventh position. After finishing as runner-up at the 2019 Ohio Open, Weiss shot a final-round 69 at Weymouth Country Club last week to defeat former PGA TOUR player Bob Sowards and Kent State assistant golf coach Ryan Kip. The win was worth $8,000. Anguiano picked up a whopping $100,000 by shattering the all-time Colorado Open scoring record. He finished at 29-under and defeated Carson Jacobs by two shots. Jacobs tied for ninth this week.
• Six players had all three rounds in the 60s: Bryson Nimmer, Hayden Shieh, Yuxin Lin, Stephen Behr, Ryan Snouffer and Steven Chervony.
• The 36-hole cut came Friday morning, at 4-under. Two players who didn’t complete their rounds—Chris Korte and Isaias Salinda played their final hole and both ended up making the cut. Korte tied for 23rd and Salinda tied for 51st. Sixty-three players played all 54 holes.

What the Players Said

 “That hole had my number all week. I only had four bogeys for the week, and I bogeyed that one three times. That one had me. It’s tough. That water is just looking at you, so I bailed out to the right all three days and didn’t get up and down.” –Bryson Nimmer on his three bogeys at The Golf Club of Georgia’s sixth hole

“I figured it was pretty much going to be between Hayden, Alex and me. I knew there was an off chance a guy could shoot eight- or nine (-under) in front of us. Eighteen (-under) was my goal, and once I got there, I started to play it safe.” –Bryson Nimmer on playing partners Hayden Shieh and Alex Weiss 

“I was hitting my wedges really good. They were awesome.” –Bryson Nimmer 

“I’m just excited to be able to play these events. We haven’t had much to play in, Monday qualifiers mostly. To have three-day events week after week is good.” –Bryson Nimmer 

 “Mondays are hard. I would much rather do this every week.” –Bryson Nimmer on Korn Ferry Tour Monday qualifying 

“The money is awesome, especially at a time like this when we don’t have a lot to play in. But I would say more than anything to be able to test your game is what matters most. It’s been a while since I’ve been able to play in an event that is this big. In this kind of event, with 144 players, probably 70 of them are playing well. It’s just a whole other level.” –Bryson Nimmer 

“I was bogey-free for 62 holes, but you’re not going to beat a guy who goes out and shoots 62.” –Hayden Shieh 

“I’m hitting it really well. I had a lot of wedge shots from 110 to 125 yards that I didn’t hit very well. I probably need to work on that over the weekend.” –Hayden Shieh 

“I told the cart guy when I was driving back from the range this morning that someone was going to shoot 62 today. I didn’t think the pins were that tough. This course is in such good shape. If you’re hitting it in the fairway, you’re getting a perfect lie.” –Hayden Shieh 

“I thought I played pretty solid all week. Today was just a tough day. I really only hit three bad shots today but never made any putts.” –Alex Weiss

“To make the amount of birdies he made to those pins was something pretty special” –Alex Weiss 

“You kind of feel for Hayden because he did exactly what you’re supposed to do when you’re leading into the final round. He played awesome, too, with a bogey-free 5-under (round). But today was one of those days, where Bryson just went out and beat everyone.” –Alex Weiss

“Those final two rounds were awesome, and I’m really happy for Bryson as he and Hayden were both a blast to play with.” –Alex Weiss

Final-Round Weather: Sunny and warm. High of 87. Wind S at 5-7 mph.