Tupelo’s Joe Deraney will now have his name on the Greenwood Country Club Invitational trophy three times after overcoming a three-shot deficit to defeat Ben Snow on the second playoff hole Sunday.
“I was three down with five holes to go, and I never gave up hope,” said Deraney, who is from Tupelo. “You are never out of it until it is over. I didn’t come here to finish second. I came here to win this tournament for a third time.”
On the first playoff, which was on No. 17, Snow drove his ball down the fairway and had a good look at the hole. Deraney, however, drove down the right side, which is right by the road at the entrance to the club. After the ball bounced down the road, it hit a pothole and landed in a flower bed just to the right of the pin. Both players were able to save par on 17, sending them to No. 18.
Both golfers drove down the fairway. On Snow’s second shot, he came up a bit short of the green, where Deraney landed with his second shot. Snow, who is from Hattiesburg and is a former Southern Mississippi golfer, made bogey on the hole. Deraney, who won the tournament in 2019 and 2020, tapped in for par.
“I guess the golf gods were looking down on me with that drive on No. 17,” said Deraney. “I took advantage of that and saved par. I hit a good second shot on 18 to get on the green. I shot 18-under for three days. I’m very pleased with the way I played this weekend.”
Deraney led after shooting a 63 in Friday’s opening round. He shot 68 Saturday for a 131 total, which placed him one shot back of Snow headed into Sunday’s championship flight.
“I’m not discouraged or disappointed at all,” said Snow, who has placed second five times at the invitational since he started playing in the event in 2002. “I led coming into Sunday but I didn’t feel like I could win it. Joe was the best golfer in this tournament, but I was able to hang in there until the end. I’ll be back next year to try and win this thing for the first time.”
Eddie Brescher III picked up six shots on his final round Sunday to finish at 15-under (201) and claim third place. Josh Lampley, the 2016 winner, came in fourth at 204, and Austin Sparks was alone in fifth at 205. Greenwood’s Alan Ellis closed with a 1-under 71 to finish sixth at 206.
“I was proud of the way I finished down the stretch,” said Ellis, who won the tournament in 2010 and 2014. “Like I said earlier in the week, it’s real tough to play three straight days. I lost my focus and ran out of gas Sunday. Overall, though, I’m very pleased.”
Contact Calvin Stevens at 662-581-7234 or cstevens@gwcommonwealth.com.
