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Post Date: Tuesday, July 13, 2021 |
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 PALM BEACH GARDENS — A quarter century ago, Brandon Smith of West Palm Beach got serious about golf when he was 14.
One of his early successes was playing well in the Palm Beach Kennel Club County Amateur, placing fourth until he struggled in the final round.
“I always thought this would be a cool tournament to win,” Smith said. “I don’t know if there’s anything else like it in the country. It’s hard to win.”
Sunday, Smith strode to a five-stroke victory in the 46th Palm Beach Kennel Club County Amateur at BallenIsles Country Club. He shot a final-round 71 to finish at 10-under 206, five ahead of Casey Matthews of West Palm Beach.
“It’s a very meaningful victory, the biggest one I’ve ever had,” said Smith, owner of an insurance company and the membership director at Mayacoo Lakes Country Club in West Palm Beach.
Smith basically won the tournament Saturday when he shot a course-record 9-under 63 on the renovated South Course to take a three-shot lead over Matthews into the final round. Pat Dewey of Jupiter shot a 64 Saturday that stood as the course record for just an hour.
The 39-year-old Smith made birdies at the third and fifth holes Sunday to increase his lead to four shots. He made six consecutive pars and a birdie at the 13th to coast to the win.
“It was all about getting the putter working in the 63,” Smith said. “This course is a lot like Mayacoo – you’re better off in the fairway than you are hitting it long.”
Matthews shot 73 and finished at 211, a stroke ahead of Justin Goodhue (71-212) of Palm Beach Gardens. Tyler Stachunas (74-213) of Lake Worth was fourth and Thomas Christensen III (68-214) of Coral Springs was fifth.
In 1996, Smith decided he wanted to get serious about playing golf. Problem was, he stood 5-foot-3 and weighed 189 pounds - not the usual golfer’s frame.
His instructor, Jeff Simke, told Smith if he didn’t get serious about losing weight, he would no longer work with him. Smith lost 40 pounds while growing seven inches in the next three years, giving him the athleticism to play the game at a high level.
Smith played seven years professionally (2010-2017), qualifying for the Korn Ferry Tour, before regaining his amateur status at the start of this year.
The County Amateur’s first two rounds were held at BallenIsles – home of the 1971 PGA Championship – and the Club at Ibis’ Tradition Course, with 62 players who made the cut at 9-over 153 advancing to the final round at BallenIsles.
“It’s great to give back to Palm Beach County amateur golf,” said Jeff Fitzherbert, BallenIsles’ director of golf. “This event has such a rich history. We were honored when they asked us to host the tournament on the new Rees Jones design.”
The Palm Beach Kennel Club County Amateur has been won by major champion Mark Calcavecchia (1979) and fellow PGA Tour members Steve Hart (1981) and Gary Nicklaus (2008) after he regained his amateur status.
The only players to win it multiple times were Tom Knapp (four), Bill McDonough (twice) and two-time defending champion Scott Turner of Palm City, who missed this weekend’s tournament because he played in the Southern Amateur.
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