Golf: Auburn’s Schlottman wins Palmetto Amateur

Auburn golfer Ben Schlottman (Advance, N.C.), the Southeastern Conference’s freshman of

the year, fired a final-round 4-under-par 66 and captured the Palmetto Amateur title Saturday at

Aiken’s Palmetto Golf Club.

Schlottman, who finished second in the SEC championship, began the day three shots off the

pace set by Austin Langdale (Townville), but Langdale, a rising junior at Clemson, made triple

bogey on the fifth hole and never recovered. Schlottman finished four tours of Palmetto in 8-

under-par 272.

Another Clemson golfer, Billy Kennerly (Alpharetta, Ga.), provided the biggest challenge

down the stretch, making five birdies on the back nine en route to a 65. But he fell two strokes

short at 274 of the champion, who highlighted his round with three back-nine birdies to secure

the victory in the first event of the national summer amateur schedule.

Dane Burkhart (Aiken), who led USC Aiken to three NCAA Division II national titles in the

mid-1990s, climbed to a tie for third at 277 with a closing 68. Playing in his first tournament

since regaining his amateur status, Burkhart moved steadily up the leader board after an opening

75. Sean Kelly (Bradenton, Fla.), a rising senior at South Carolina, shared third after closing with

a 71.

Todd White, the 47-year-old high school instructor from Spartanburg, bolstered his chances

to earning one of the mid-amateur spots on the U.S. Walker Cup team by sharing fifth place at

279 with J.D. Tomlinson (Gainesville, Fla.) and Langdale. White, who made the U.S. team in

2013, won the Azalea Invitational during the spring and last month teamed with Nathan Smith to

win the U.S. Men’s Four-Ball title.

Only six players broke par Saturday and only seven bettered par for four rounds.