A pair of college golfers came up big Sunday to win championships in the South Dakota Golf Association State Amateur Tournament at Moccasin Creek Country Club.

Lani Potter, who lives in Aberdeen during the summer, won the women’s title, while Jack Lundin of Sioux Falls took the men’s division.

Potter shot a 69 to set a new course record on the way to winning by six strokes.

“I didn’t know that was happening,” Potter said after she was informed she had established as new course record.

She finished with a 1-under par three-round total of 215. Rapid City’s Alex Kandolin finished second.

Potter was pleased with the way she played en route to the title.

“All my approach shots were super good,” she said. “I couldn’t get a putt to fall until halfway through my final nine. I’m glad I finally did. It was just solid. I’m hitting it super well.”

She said she wasn’t exactly sure what kind of a lead she had, but knew that she was likely in front.

“I knew that I was probably in the lead, just kind of guessing on how the people around me were doing,” Potter said. “but I had no idea by how much or anything like that.”

Potter, from Boulder City, Nev., golfs for South Dakota State. She spends her summers in Aberdeen, where her boyfriend resides.

She said the tourney victory meant a lot to her.

“I have not had a huge amount of success all through college,” she said. “I haven’t really done anything big since high school. It means a lot to know that I can even do this, that I can be under-par; I can win tournaments.”

Lundin needed to erase a three-stroke deficit heading into the final round, but proved to be up to the challenge. He shot a 66 on Sunday to win the title by three strokes.

“Just kept my head in it. I’ve come back before,” said Lundin, who won the same tourney two years ago. “I was two shots down I think, two years ago and came back and won it. I just knew that I could do that same thing again.”

Lundin finished with a 7-under three-round total of 209. Will Grevlos of Sioux Falls was second.

Lundin, who golfed collegiately at Nebraska last year and is transferring to Missouri this season, said he played better as the tournament wore on. He thought he was pressing some on Friday and Saturday.

“I was trying too hard the first two days,” he said, “just was trying to force too much and shoot too well.”

That all changed on Sunday when Lundin went from fourth to first and forced the field to chase him.

He said he knew where he was at as the tourney was drawing to a close.

“I was looking at the scoreboard kind of all day,” he said. “I knew where I was at.”

Lundin, who lost in a playoff at the State Amateur tourney last year, said he was comfortable being the hunted instead of the hunter.

“It almost makes me have more confidence, stick to my game plan,” Lundin said, “because I know that if I just stick to my game plan and play smart golf, that they’re going to have to catch me.”

Still, he was not able to breath a sigh of relief until the final group came off the course.

“These guys are good golfers, so they can come back whenever,” Lundin said. “I was playing tough until the last hole.”

A pair of Aberdeen golfers had strong showings in the Men’s Division. Lucas Schaefbauer finished in a tie for third place, while Jonah Dohrer finished in a tie for fifth.

To see complete tournament results click on the following link:

https://sdga-2021sdgaamateurchampionship.golfgenius.com/pages/2723478