After near miss, SC’s Sam Jackson maintains ‘play my game’ perspective for US Mid-Amateur

Sam Jackson thought about the what-might-have-beens for a bit. What if his shot on No. 18 in the 2023 U.S. Mid-Amateur semifinals had found the green instead of a bunker? What if he had won the tournament and earned a Masters invitation. What if ...

“But after a few weeks, I flushed (the memories) and moved on,” he said.

Indeed, he has moved on this way: His golf game remains strong and he’s in contention to earn the South Carolina Player of the Year award for the third straight time. Yet, he could not be blamed for looking toward this year’s U.S. Mid-Amateur, for players 25 and older, with an unfinished-business attitude.

“I proved I could play at that level last year and, yes, playing well in that tournament gives me confidence and let’s me know what I have to do,” Jackson said. “But (reaching the 2023 semifinals) hasn’t changed my perspective. I just want to play my game.”

Jackson, who grew up in the Pelion area and lives in West Columbia, continues to sparkle on the course. Although he hasn’t matched his four-win 2023 season, he is peaking heading into the U.S. Mid-Amateur that begins Sept. 21 in Manakin-Sabot, Virginia.

“I’ve had a solid summer” that included a second in the Palmetto Amateur and a fourth in the South Carolina Amateur, he said. “I hit quality shots under pressure down the stretch in the Palmetto and got the lead” only to lose to Vanderbilt golfer Chase Nevins, who birdied the final two holes.

“That gave my confidence a boost, then I shot 66 in the final round of the State Amateur. I didn’t get into real contention, but it’s another solid, bogey-free round against quality competition.”

Before heading to the national tourney, Jackson is working with professional Greg Payne at the Country Club of Lexington.

“Nothing major,” he said. “We’re looking at things like alignment and set up. When you play a lot, it’s easy to get a little bit off. We’re just tightening up things.”

Now, Jackson, 31, hopes to take the next step in the U.S. Mid-Amateur. The format calls for 36 holes of stroke play with the low 64 advancing into the match-play phase that leads to the champion.

In 2022, he qualified for match play and won his first-round match. A year ago, he won fourth matches before falling 1-up to eventual champion Stewart Hagestad, thanks in part to the shot that found the bunker on the final hole.

First things first: He needs to qualify for match play. Then?

“Match play is tricky; you never know,” he said.

Remember his goal is to play his game. And when he does, good things often happen.

Jackson will be among seven South Carolinians in the field of 264. He will be joined by Stephen Behr Jr., Todd White, Phillip Mollica, Chandler Mulkey, Michael Sims and Austin Langdale.

Chip shots. All-Americans Hannah Darling and Louise Rydqvist placed one-two individually, leading USC’s high-powered women’s team to a runaway victory in the Annika Intercollegiate in Lake Elmo, Minnesota. With Darling posting a career best 12-under-par 202, Rydqvist finishing at 203 and sophomore Maylis Lamoure sharing sixth, the fourth-ranked Gamecocks won by 27 strokes against a field that included seven teams ranked in the Coaches’ poll. No. 18 Clemson tied for ninth. ... In their first tournament under new coach Rob Bradley, USC’s men finished third in the Visit Knoxville Collegiate in Loundon, Tennessee. Three Gamecocks — Nathan Franks, Zach Adams and Ismael Encinas — shared 12th individually. ... In the Inverness Intercollegiate in Toledo, Ohio, the College of Charleston men placed seventh and Clemson finished 12th. ... The team of Dan Sullivan (Columbia) and DeeBo Kelly (Camden) won the SCGA’s Senior Better Ball title at Santee Cooper CC in Santee. ... Nine local charities received shares of $225,000 from the PGA Tour’s Myrtle Beach Classic.