Kannapolis, N.C. – Grayson Murray of Raleigh, N.C. entered Saturday’s final round of the Imperial Headwear Southern Open with a four-shot lead and an eye on capturing his first professional win in just his third start on the eGolf Gateway Tour.

The former junior phenom, who was on par with Jordan Spieth as a prodigious teenager, looked every bit the part of PGA TOUR superstar on day four at host The Club at Irish Creek. Murray blistered the Davis Love III design to the tune of two eagles and three birdies on his way to a closing 63, a commanding seven-shot victory and the event’s $13,500 first-place prize.

Murray’s week at the Davis Love III design opened with rounds of 63-64-64—191 for a 19-under-par total, good for a four-shot cushion heading into the final round.

In the day’s final threesome alongside Christian Brand of Charleston, W.V. and eight-time tour winner Frank Adams III of Laurinburg, N.C., Murray struggled early with missed 10-foot birdie tries on Nos. 1 and 2 to remain at 19-under par.

“I wasn’t really nervous. I just didn’t hit good putts. But, I stayed patient and never really forced it,” he said.

On the short par-4 fifth, the door finally opened with a birdie that pushed him to 20-under par and four shots clear of the field at the time.

Murray locked down his path to win No. 1 on the par-5 sixth, where an 8-iron approach to 15 feet set up an eagle putt, which he converted to vault to 22-under par – a commanding six shots ahead of his nearest competitors.

“That really got me going. After that I made some good pars from Nos. 7 through 11. I knew I was through the tough part of the course and I could keep it going from there,” said Murray, who turned in 3-under 31.

Grayson Murray

Birdies on 12 and 15 moved the 21-year-old to 24-under par, a distant six shots in front of Brand and on the precipice of a breakthrough victory.

On the 340-yard par-4 17th, Murray launched a massive tee shot to just in front of the green, and from there pitched in from 35 yards for an unlikely eagle that was met with a fist pump and a rebel yell.

“I hit a ball in the water earlier this week on 17, so I focused in on that drive. I hit it exactly where I wanted to, and then hit a perfect chip,” he said. “Sometimes it’s just your week. That’s how golf goes.”

Murray hit an ideal tee shot on the 240-yard par-3 18th to 30 feet, and from there went through the mere formality of a two-putt par to lock up a closing 63 and a 26-under-par total, good for his first win as a professional.

“I just had to keep putting the pedal to the metal out there. I can’t say it doesn’t feel really good,” said an elated Murray after his round. “I had a four-shot lead at the start, but I felt real comfortable all day. That was the key for me.”

The win for Murray comes just two months after a declaration to turn pro, which ended a three-year college career that featured stops at Wake Forest, East Carolina and Arizona State.

As a junior golfer, the Raleigh native was one of the most sought-after talents in the game, going toe-to-toe annually with players who are now excelling on the PGA TOUR, including Spieth.

Christian Brand

“Everyone gets there a different way. There’s no perfect way of doing it. If you want to say there is a perfect way, it’s probably what Jordan did – but that’s one in a million, it’s just not going to happen,” Murray said. “So I just have to put it in perspective and know there’s a way I’m going to get there, and it’s no one else’s way – it’s my way.”

Often times a first win justifies decisions to naysayers and onlookers, but for Murray, the win validated his own belief in himself, even after a tumultuous tenure through the college ranks that left more questions than answers in the shadow of a player who was arguably the most skilled 18-year-old in the country.

“This is huge. I can’t tell you how big this is for me. It really gives me the confidence to know I can win at this level,” he said. “I’ve seen guys play out here and move up, so I know that now I can handle myself when it comes down to pressure time. This is huge for my confidence.”

Brand finished alone in second place at 19-under 261 following a final-round 66. He earned $8,325 for the week.

The runner-up was the third of Brand’s eGolf Gateway Tour career, and his seventh top-4 finish in his last 22 months on tour.

The former Marshall University standout has been the bridesmaid three times now to three dominant performances.

At the 2014 Willow Creek Open, he posted 10-under par, but fell four shots shy of winner Andrew Yun, who is now starring on the Web.com Tour.

Earlier this year at the Nova Tax Group Open near Charlotte, Brand tallied an 11-under-par total on a tough NorthStone Country Club course, but wound up six shots behind runaway winner T.J. Howe – who secured his fifth win in two years.

Mason Jacobs

Mason Jacobs of Metropolis, Ill. wound up in solo-third at 17-under 263 in just his second career start on tour. He earned $6,500.

The 25-year-old former Illinois standout charged early on Saturday with birdies on Nos. 3 through 6 to reach 16-under par, but played the final 12 holes in just 1-under to round out a final-round 65.

Adams and Chris Epperson of Hilton Head Island, S.C. tied for fourth place at 16-under par, earning $4,700 apiece.

• The tour would like to thank Irish Creek General Manager Alan Cress, Head Golf Professional Jeremy Hurst, and their staff for their help in coordinating the Imperial Headwear Southern Open this week. A special thanks goes to Irish Creek head golf course superintendent Artie Helton and his crew for presenting a wonderful venue for the week, and for putting in extra work to prepare the course coming out of the most brutal winter/spring in recent Carolinas golf history. Finally, a special thank you goes to the members of Irish Creek for allowing the tour to utilize their club for the week. Without their support, the event would not be possible.

• Thank you to Imperial Headwear for their support of this event. Companies that support the tour on a grass-roots level enable us to guarantee purses and secure great venues for the tour.

• The eGolf Gateway Tour remains in the greater Charlotte area next week for the 12th annual Cabarrus Classic, to be contested at Cabarrus Country Club in Concord, NC on July 15-17.