Video: Ole Miss’ Thornberry Finishes in Top 4 at PGA St. Jude Classic in Memphis

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WCBI/Ole Miss Athletics) – Ole Miss sophomore Braden Thornberry fired a final round 5-under 65 Sunday to finish in a tie for fourth at the FedEx St. Jude Classic at the TPC Southwind in Memphis.

Thornberry, the 2017 NCAA Individual Champion, entered the day tied for 32nd overall, but carded a birdie on the par-4 second and an eagle on the 554-yard, par 5 third to shoot up the leaderboard and into contention. The Southaven, Mississippi native, who was playing in his first PGA Tour event on a sponsor’s exemption, closed out the front nine with six straight pars to go into the turn with a 3-under 32.

Thornberry then birdied the par-3 14th and followed that with another on the par-5 16th to jump to 8-under. After back-to-back pars to close the round with a 5-under 65, Thornberry entered as the clubhouse leader at 8-under, but was eventually passed by eventual champion Daniel Berger. With his fourth-place finish, Thornberry is the highest amateur finisher at the FedEx St. Jude since 1965 and has the best amateur finish on the PGA Tour since 2016.

“It was pretty cool with this being my hometown and knowing the golf course to go out and play so well,” Thornberry said. “I wish I had hit it off the tee a little better and made it a little easier on myself, but I’m happy with where everything is right now. My (putt) stroke had gotten a little off Monday at the US Open qualifying, but coach (Chris) Malloy worked with me and told me a was getting a little inside. That helped me and I kind of got hot out there on the greens.”

The Ole Miss sophomore, who owns seven career victories in college, carded three birdies and an eagle on the day against no bogeys en route to the second-best final round score of the day.