Who would have guessed the CGA North Carolina Amateur Championship would turn into a head-to-head battle between Russia and the Ukraine?
But it did. Well, sort of, in a cordial way.
Jackson Spires of Apex shot even-par 70 Saturday at The Cardinal by Pete Dye for a 9-under 271 total for 72 holes to hold off Mykhailo “Misha” Golod for a two-stroke victory in the state amateur and an automatic berth in the U.S. Amateur at The Olympic Club in San Francisco.
“I had chills walking off of 18,” said Spires. “I’ve never been to California. It’s going to be real cool.”
An explanation of the connection between combatents in a global conflict and a state championship?
Golod is an 18-year-old Ukrainian, who escaped Kiev in 2022 after the invasion of his home country by the Russians, who quickly occupied the course where Golod played.
Soon after the Russian occupation, Golod’s story was featured in Golf Digest. With the help of superstar instructor David Leadbetter, he immigrated to Florida and eventually signed to play at UNC.
Spires, a 30-year-old former East Carolina golfer, is married to former ECU tennis player Maria Storozheva, a native of Moscow. Spires and his wife have an infant son, Harvey, and have planned an upcoming trip to Russia to see family.
Golod and Spires chatted amicably during the round.
“I don’t think (the war) has anything to do with the people,” Spires explained. It’s the governments.”
Spires, who pretty much led wire-to-wire after opening with 65 in the opening round, answered Golod’s eagle at No. 15 with a two-putt birdie of his own to maintain the lead, then regained command with a 15-foot birdie putt at 16, and finished with tap-in pars to secure the triumph. Spires said he didn’t have any three-putts on Cardinal’s fast, undulating greens.
“I definitely really like this place,” Spires said. “It fits my game well. It’s a ball-strikers course.”
No stranger to USGA events, Spires played in the U.S. Mid-Amateur last year advancing through stroke play and winning in the opening-round of match play. Working in finance, Spires’ 5 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. work schedule leaves him time to play golf. He said he even worked some hours around this week’s first 54 holes on Wednesday through Friday.
Golod, a rising sophomore at UNC, nearly holed a short birdie chip on 17. Both players missed birdie putts on the final hole.
Colby Hutchens of Pinehurst closed with 65 to tie the third member of the final group, Chad Wilfong of Charlotte, who finished with 68, for third at 275. Branden Boyce of Spring Lake shot 67 Sunday to finish fifth at 276. Sam Davidson of Asheboro tied for the day’s low round with 66 and joined a four-way tie at 278 that included first-round leader Cyrus Stewart of Raleigh.
Golod quickly made up ground on Spires’ five-stroke lead with a birdie on the first hole as Spires made bogey. The lead was down to two at the turn.
The Cardinal, listed at 7,002 yards for the tournament, frustrated the hopes of the majority of the field throughout the tourney. But on Sunday, the Carolinas Golf Association set up a shootout with some forward tees and accessible pins on the back nine.
“We set the back nine up, to hopefully, generate some excitement and I think that did happen,” CGA executive director Andy Priest said.
Spires and Golod each shot 34 on the back. Hutchens shot 31, Wilfong had 32. Boyce made eagles on 14 and 15 to pull into a tie with Golod, one behind Spires, but fell out of contention with a double-bogey at 17 — he still had 33 on the side — after an errant tee shot.
