Former Auburn golfer posts his first pro victory

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Sports

Former Auburn golfer posts his first pro victory

Updated: Jul. 30, 2023, 11:58 p.m.|

Published: Jul. 30, 2023, 11:44 p.m.

Trace Crowe tees off in the final round of the NV5 Invitational presented by Old National Bank on Sunday, July 30, 2023, at the Glen Club in Glenview, Illinois.(Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images)

By

Mark Inabinett | minabinett@al.com

Former Alabama golfers Lee Hodges and Davis Shore were winners on Sunday, with Hodges posting his first PGA Tour victory and Shore getting his first PGA Tour Canada victory.

But Auburn was not left out of the golf celebrations on Sunday.

A four-year player for the Tigers, Trace Crowe won the NV5 Invitational presented by Old National Bank at the Glen Club in Glenview, Illinois, for his first victory on the Korn Ferry Tour.

Crowe defeated Patrick Fishburn on the second hole of a sudden-death playoff to win the tournament after both golfers were tied at 25-under par at the end of the fourth round.

Crowe has played on the Korn Ferry Tour for two seasons, and Sunday’s victory was a bolt out of the blue. In his 28 starts on the circuit before Sunday, Crowe had posted two top-25 finishes, with his best showing coming this season at the Ledges in Huntsville, where he came in 11th at the Hometown Lenders Championship.

After missing seven cuts in his 11 starts this season, Crowe entered Sunday’s tournament 139th on the Korn Ferry Tour points list. The victory shot him to No. 35. The top 30 golfers on the Korn Ferry Tour points list at the end of the season receive PGA Tour cards.

“I’m still in shock,” Crowe said. “It’s a crazy feeling. It’s been a long, tough, interesting season. To be standing here -- it still hasn’t sunk in. I’m just blown away just how good everyone is, and I feel like I just played unreal the last couple days.”

Crowe had a two-stroke lead playing in the final group on the 18th hole on Sunday. But Fishburn sank a 40-foot eagle putt on the par-5 finishing hole to force a playoff.

Both golfers birdied the 18th on the first playoff hole. Playing the 18th again, Crowe had a par while Fishburn took a bogey to end the tournament.

Crowe became the fourth winner in Korn Ferry Tour history to overcome a triple bogey in the final round. That happened on the par-4 second hole, before Crowe birdied eight of the next 12 holes.

Crowe earned the winner’s purse of $180,000, which boosted his Korn Ferry Tour winnings for the season to $251,161.

Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.

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