CAPE GIRARDEAU - Nick Wilson denied Skip Berkmeyer a spot in the state's golf record books by claiming the Missouri Amateur Championship on Sunday.
Wilson, who recently wrapped up his senior season at the University of Missouri, captured the title with a 2 and 1 victory over Berkmeyer in the 36-hole final at Dalhousie Golf Club.
Berkmeyer, the defending champion from Wildwood, was looking for his fourth Amateur title. That would have put him in rare company, as he would have joined just Don Bliss, Jimmy Jackson, Bob Cochran and Tom Watson with four.
Wilson, a Rocheport native who graduated from Hickman High School, trailed for all but two holes of the morning session, as the match was all square after the eighth and 11th holes.
And things were still looking good for Berkmeyer after he started the second 18 with a 1-up lead and eventually made it 2 up with 15 holes remaining.
But back-to-back birdies for Wilson on the par-4 fourth hole and the par-3 fifth hole squared the match again.
After the players halved the sixth hole, Wilson took a 2-up lead when Berkmeyer bogeyed the seventh and eighth holes.
However, the defending champ didn't quit and eventually tied the match with a birdie on the 12th and a par on the 13th.
But Wilson came back to win the 15th and and 16th holes, and then clinched the win when the players halved the 17th.