University of North Florida senior Adam Vermut made a 5-foot birdie putt at the par-5 18th hole of the St. Johns Golf Club on Dec. 7 to win the 20th St. Augustine Amateur by one shot over Jake Moffitt, a Southern Miss freshman from Ripley, Miss. 

Vermut, who began the day with a three-shot lead, finished with 71 and a 54-hole total of 7-under 206. 

Max VanderMolen, a 17-year-old high school player from Richland, Mich., who has committed to Louisville, shot the tournament’s low round with a 64 and finished two back at 5-under. Ponte Vedra Beach High senior Easton Oliva (72), who has signed with UNF, and Chattanooga sophomore Ward Harris (69), tied for fourth at 3-under. 

“Coming down the stretch, it was a lot, a lot of the nerves, a lot in my head,” Vermut told a tournament media official. “I just had to keep going forward. I handled it nicely in these conditions. This is going to stick with me for quite a while.” 

The final round began with a shotgun start at 8:30 p.m. because of the weather, but play was halted to 90 minutes to clear standing water.  

Moffitt took a one-shot lead over Vermut when he birdied Nos. 11 and 12 and Vermut doubled No. 12 when he hit his tee shot out of bounds. But Vermut birdied No. 14 on a 7-foot putt while Moffitt bogeyed. 

Moffitt followed with a birdie at the 16th to tie for the lead but three-putted the 17th hole for bogey and Vermut got his closing birdie, two-putting from 25 feet after hitting a 6-iron into the green from 225 yards. 

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: North Florida senior Adam Vermut wins 20th St. Augustine Amateur