The Associated Press

ORLANDO, Fla. – Gig Harbor’s Kyle Stanley overcame an eight-shot deficit over the final two rounds, then birdied the first playoff hole to win his second Southern Amateur on Saturday.

The Clemson junior and former Bellarmine Prep standout finished at 14-under, tied with Mike Van Sickle, but holed a 35-foot birdie putt on the first playoff hole at Lake Nona Country Club.

“I can hardly describe the feeling,” said Stanley, who joined Bobby Jones, Lanny Wadkins and Justin Leonard among those who have won the storied tournament more than once. “That’s such an honor to join that list.”

Stanley, who won the Southern Amateur two years ago in Birmingham, birdied the final hole to finish off a round of 6-under 66 and set up the playoff.

His birdie on the first extra hole also assured him a spot in the PGA Tour’s Arnold Palmer Invitational next spring.

George Bryan of South Carolina, Matt Savage of Florida State, and Australian Tim Stewart were two shots back at 12-under 276. Bryan tied the Lake Nona course record with a 9-under 63, becoming the first amateur to go that low.

Blake Trimble of San Diego had lowered the amateur mark to 64 on Friday. He finished in a tie for seventh, four shots off the lead.

This week: Nationwide Tour's Price Cutter Charity Championship, Thursday through Sunday, Highland Springs Country Club, Springfield, Mo.

Third-round score: 7-under-par 65.

Position: Putnam (14-under 202) is tied for fifth with four other golfers, two strokes behind leader Colt Knost (200).

Recap: The Tacoma native tied for the second-best round of the day behind David Branshaw's 64, and moved up 16 spots on the leaderboard, and into contention for his first victory a second time this season. Putnam birdied the four par-5s, ended his round with three in a row (Nos. 16-18) and his 17 birdies through three rounds are tied for ninth in the field.

Tee time Sunday: 10:05 a.m. PDT with Branshaw.