Missouri golf's Jack Lundin plays 'lights out,' wins Tigers' home event at Old Hawthorne

The inscription on Jack Lundin’s putter headcover tells you all you need to know.

“Lights out,” it reads.

On Tuesday, the Missouri golfer was just that.

Lundin shot a bogey-free, 5-under 66 at The Club at Old Hawthorne in Columbia to finish the 54-hole event at 13 under and win the Tiger Invitational, Missouri’s home tournament, by two strokes. He led wire-to-wire, entering Tuesday’s round tied for the lead after rounds of 64 and 70 to open the event Monday.

The Missouri senior has now finished atop the leaderboard in each of his past two starts, after securing The Hootie at Bulls Bay title in a playoff March 26 in Awendaw, South Carolina.

Lights out, indeed.

The headcover is new, and wasn’t acquired by choice.

At an event in December in Sea Island Georgia, Lundin noticed his putter cover had gone missing. He walked into an Odyssey equipment truck, and asked them for whatever they had available.

“They happened to hand me that one,” Lundin said.

It’s turned into a happy accident; a lucky charm with a built-in positive motto.

The level of golf he produced Tuesday? Nothing accidental about that.

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Lundin entered the week as the 25th-ranked player in the PGA Tour University standings. Each of the top-25 players at the end of this college golf season earn varying degrees of status to one of the various PGA Tour-sanctioned circuits. Lundin would currently qualify for the second stage of PGA Tour Q School and a swing on the PGA Tour Americas.

The Sioux Falls, South Dakota, native hasn’t just won two straight events — he’s finished in the top five in each of his past five starts. His season scoring average through 30 rounds is due to dip close to 69.

That was evident Tuesday, as he fought off a bunched leaderboard for another title.

Even a tricked-up Old Hawthorne track, with holes cut behind swales and hazards and runoffs, was no match for the in-form Tiger.

As the pins and shots got tighter, Lundin did not.

Stepping onto the par-five 15th tee, Lundin’s lead was three. Stetson’s Dominic Clemons, who shared the overnight lead with the Missouri golfer, started sluggish but began to claw his way back into title contention with birdies on 10 and 13 to cut the lead to three.

Lundin found the right rough with his drive, and with a hazard short and a 207-yard carry to find a safe surface, he was faced with a choice: Risk it or not?

He took the brave option, and hit a rope straight onto the green, which he turned into a two-putt birdie to match Clemons.

“It was definitely a little risky,” Lundin said. … “But I knew if I just got it over that first initial water that I was going to be OK, so it was just having confidence and commitment again — just believing that I can hit that shot.”

And the best was yet to come.

After trading pars on the 16th, Lundin pulled driver on the reachable par-four 17th.

Risky, with a three shot lead and two to play?

For some, maybe.

The ball never left the flagstick from the moment it hit the club face. It landed within 10 feet of the hole from about 290 yards out and trickled out to 20-feet for an easy-as-you-like, two-putt birdie.

Where does that one rank, Jack?

“It's up there,” he said. “Probably top 10. I mean, it was good. And especially in regards to the moment. It was good.”

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Clemons played the inward nine in five-under 30. Lundin played too well for that to matter, never coming particularly close to making a costly mistake. He only missed four greens in regulation all day, and was able to get a putter onto three of those shots, getting up and down each time.

A drive, pitch and two putts up 18, and it was smiles and photos in front of the clubhouse.

“I had a lot of family here (who) haven't seen me play golf and some friends who haven't seen me play golf,” Lundin said. “You know, so seeing those people excited and happy and little tears here and there, that makes me feel great.”

Missouri coach Glen Millican’s team finished second in their home event at 9-under, two strokes behind champions Iowa State. Missouri senior Charlie Crockett finished tied for 12th at 9 under (72-69-70). Sophomore Alfons Bondesson was tied for 22nd at even par, tied with teammate Brock Snyder, who was competing in the home tournament as an individual.

Dagbjartur Sigurbrandsson and Adam Miller, who made up Missouri’s five-person counting roster at Old Hawthorne, finished outside the top 65 in the event.

The next time the Tigers tee it up will be at the SEC Championship, which is being held nearby where Lundin grabbed his putter headcover — St. Simons Island, Georgia. Missouri’s postseason begins with stroke play qualifiers April 24 to set up the eight-team match play bracket.

Lundin will take back-to-back wins to Georgia. He’s now finished with medalist or co-medalist honors five times across his college career.

Seems like a good time for the postseason.

“The Hootie gave me a sense that, ‘yeah, I can get it done when it means the most,’” Lundin said. “And I think, you know, I definitely had some pressure coming into today with being tied for first, so I think it's just a matter of relying on what my game is, and knowing that I can get it done when it matters most.”

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This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: Missouri golf's Jack Lundin plays 'lights out,' wins Tigers' home event