HOLLISTER - Mitchell Mather ended the reign of Joey Johnson, and his reward was the championship in the 108th Missouri Amateur.
Mather, a member of the Missouri State golf team, captured a 4 and 3 victory against Johnson, the Amaeur's two-time defending champion, in the final at Buffalo Ridge Golf Course.
Mather, a Lebanon resident, started the day by surviving a marathon semifinal, as he beat Wildwood's Teddy Jones on the seventh extra hole. After the first six extra holes weren't enough, Mather got a par on the par-3 seventh hole to best Jones' bogey.
Johnson, an Ozark resident, set up a chance for the three-peat by winning his semifinal match 1 up against Alex Springer of Olathe, Kan.
But Mather never trailed in the final, taking a lead he'd never surrender thanks to an eagle on the par-5 first hole.
He went 2 up after a par on the second hole and made it 3 up with a birdie on the sixth.
Johnson got as close as he would all day after winning the seventh and eighth holes to get to within 1 down.
A par on the ninth gave Mather a 2 up lead going to the back nine. He then won the 10th and 12th holes to go 4 up. Johnson won the 14th hole to keep the match alive, but Mather closed things out with a par on the 15th.