NAPLES, Fla. — Caleb Surratt came back to make history.
The University of Tennessee commit did just that — emphatically — becoming the first to win back-to-back at the 26th Terra Cotta Invitational at Naples National Golf Club on Sunday.
Surratt shot a 4-under 68 to finish at 14-under 202, seven ahead of Virginia commit Ben James.
“It’s pretty spectacular,” Surratt said. “I’ve been working pretty hard and I knew I could do it. I came out here with a great game plan and sure enough it worked out, and it was stress-free. It was really a great day.”
Peter Uihlein had the largest margin of victory at eight in 2007. Jorge Garcia shot 202 to win in 2015, so Surratt tied that mark. Surratt shot a 213 last year to win by three.
Sunday, Nicholas Prieto, a South Florida commit, and Luke Clanton, a Florida State commit, tied for third at 5-under 210. Filip Jakubcik from the Czech Republic was fifth at 211.
Workday was the presenting sponsor for the second straight year, with Bentley of Naples and Titleist Foot-Joy as other major sponsors. Charitable proceeds this year will go to Youth Haven, as well as other children’s charities.
The tournament changed formats from match play — there was a stroke-play seeding round — to full stroke play in 2006. Danny Green won it twice in the match-play era, in 2000 and 2004, but no one had ever won back-to-back.
However, many of the champions since the event switched to stroke play have not returned to defend because they were either going off to college or turning professional. Davis Riley, who now plays on the PGA Tour, was the closest to repeat, winning in 2014 and coming in second to Garcia in 2015.
Surratt started the final round one stroke ahead of Prieto, and no one was closer than seven from Prieto.
But that quickly changed.
After each birdied the first hole, Prieto stumbled with a double bogey on the second to put Surratt ahead by three. Surratt extended the lead with a 20-foot birdie on No. 6, and after Prieto had back-to-back bogeys on the next two holes, the lead was six at the turn.
“I had a long talk with myself before I teed off ‘I’m not going out there and try to win. I’m just going to go out there and figure out how to play every hole on every tee box,'” Surratt said.
“Not much went my way,” Prieto said. “I had a shot at winning, which is good this first time playing.”
James, playing a group in front, made a charge with three birdies on the back on the way to a 5-under 67, the best score of the day.
Surratt birdied Nos. 15 and 17 to remove any possible chance of James or someone else catching up.
“Sometimes it’s fun playing with someone who’s playing that well,” Prieto said.” It gives you good visuals, just seeing kids drop putts like that. It makes you play better as well, which is what I did yesterday when I played with him.”
Mykhailo “Misha” Golod, the 15-year-old who escaped from Ukraine in mid-March, tied for ninth. He started out with three birdies on his first five holes, but bogeyed the next three, and ended up at 1-over 73. He next play in an American Junior Golf Association tournament in Savannah, Georgia, next Friday, just his third in months.
“It was an awesome week,” Golod said. “I really enjoyed it. The golf course was just pristine. I was not able to play good today. Unfortunately wasn’t my best stuff, but I held it in, I never gave up so I still posted a half-decent score. Thankfully I got in the top 10 so I’m seeing a lot of hard work pay off, especially on the greens.”
Gulf Coast High School’s Noah Kent, an Iowa commit, was the top local finisher, tying for 28th after a 75 for a 222 total. Former Gulf Coast golfer Remi Chartier, who is headed back to the NCAA Tournament with East Tennessee State, tied for 39th. John Daly’s son John II, who plays at Arkansas, shot a 1-under 71 to tie for 54th at 229.
Next year, Surratt plans on going for a three-peat if the Volunteers’ schedule allows.
“I knew I was going to come back here as soon as I won last year,” Surratt said. “I have full intention to come back next year as long as our college season doesn’t prevent it.
“Hopefully I’ll be back, but if not, I’ll try to be back the next year. This is probably one of my favorite places and it’s an honor to be here, so I don’t know why I’d never come back.”