JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – He missed an eagle putt on 18. Tapped in for birdie. Just missed recording an elusive 59 in a professional golf tournament.
But Eddie Olson wasn’t disappointed. With the final birdie, the Las Vegas native captured the title of the 2020 Unbridled Tour: Fleming Island Golf Club, presented by By Your Side Senior Care, tallying a 67-64-60—191 (-22) to win by two shots over Garrett May and four shots over second-round leader Nick Voke.
“I actually figured something out with my swing on the range before the second round,” said Olson, who just missed by three shots of qualifying on Monday for the first Korn Ferry Tour event of the restarted season. “I knew coming in today I’d have to shoot in the low 60s to have a chance, so I just went out trying to record as many birdies as I could.”
Olson had seven birdies and no bogeys on the day, but it was his two eagles that made the difference, starting with the 303-yard par-4 12th hole that he drove before dropping in a 20-foot putt. After a second eagle on the par-5 16th hole, the 32-year-old had a 25-foot, uphill putt for eagle on 18 and a final-round 59. It just missed on the low side.
“I’ve shot a 59 once in my life on my home course, but never in a tournament,” Olson said, who now owns the course record. “And you don’t get too many opportunities to putt for a 59. But I’m going to take my picture of the check and send it to my mom. She’ll be very happy with that.”
Olson pockets $8,650 for his first-place finish. Notable finishers include Chase Koepka, Brooks Koepka’s younger brother, who tied for fifth (-15), Ollie Schniederjans, the PGA TOUR veteran who tied for eighth (-14), and Norman Xiong, the 2018 NCAA Division I Player of the Year, who finished at seven-under.
North Florida sophomore Cody Carroll finished as the low amateur, shooting 68-65-66—191, just eight shots back of the leader, good for a Top-10 finish.
“It felt great to compete again,” said Carroll, who sidelined with his Osprey teammates when the spring season was canceled due to the Covid virus. “Playing with such strong competition gives me confidence that I can compete at the next level.”
The Unbridled Tour now moves to Hidden Hills Golf Club in Jacksonville, June 16-18. The Tour is shadowing the Korn Ferry Tour as it plays back-to-back events in the PGA TOUR’s hometown. bdG Sports, based in Lexington, Ky., and operator of the first two Korn Ferry Tour events of the season in the Bahamas, will be staging future Unbridled Tour events to follow Monday qualifiers throughout the summer and fall. The Unbridled Tour Championship is scheduled for Las Vegas later this fall. For more information, visit www.UnbridledTour.com.