Arnaud rallies to win Emerald Coast Pro Classic

Michael Arnaud won the Silver Slipper Emerald Coast Golf Tour Pro Classic on Saturday.

Arnaud won by one stroke with a three-round score of 209, edging Glenn Northcutt and Chase Seiffertover the last four holes on The Pines course.

It was Arnaud’s first win on the Emerald Coast Golf Tour. He finished second in 2015 at Diamondhead. The Mandeville resident birdied holes 15, 16 and 17 to move to 2-under par. He also parred 18 to secure the win. Northcutt and Seiffert tied for second at 210.

“It feels great to get the win over here,” Arnaud said. “It was sort of like a home game for me. I’m only 45 minutes away. Even though we got the rain on Friday, the course was in very good shape.

“They actually do a very good job of getting the course ready. The greens were in great shape. They were firm and fast.”

Arnaud collected $7,500 for winning the tournament. Northcutt and Seiffert each earned $2,450. Jake Tucker earned $1,750 for fourth place. Hunter Hamrick earned $1,500 for fifth place. Jacob Harper earned $1,200 for sixth place, and Kyle Sapp $1,000 for his seventh place finish.

Arnaud overcame a tough first round, shooting a 75 on Thursday, trailing tournament leaders Northcutt and Seiffert by eight strokes after 18 holes. But he rallied Friday to shoot a tournament-low 64.

Arnaud started Saturday one stroke off the lead and tied with Northcutt at 139. Seiffert led after two days at 138. Arnoud finished with a final round of 70, Northcutt 71 and Seiffert 72. Hamrick’s 69 on Saturday was the low score for the final round.

“It was exciting,” Emerald Coast tour director Geno Celano said. “Looked like Northcutt was going to run away with it. It was a great finish for Arnaud to come back and win. Some great players out there, and they battled to the end. Great event.”

Arnaud, ranked third on the APT money, list, will play in an APT tour event in Garland, Texas, next week.

This story was originally published May 13, 2017 at 6:12 PM with the headline "Arnaud rallies to win Emerald Coast Pro Classic."