SALUDA, S.C. - Two shots down with three holes to play, it didn't look like Jamie Felder's return to amateur golf would be a triumphant one.

It was, though, as Felder one-putted the final two greens for a one-shot victory in the North Augusta Exchange Club/Persimmon Hill Classic.

The Grovetown golfer closed with 2-over-par 74 on Sunday and finished at 1-over 145 for two trips over Persimmon Hill Golf Club.

Randy Sapp, who was in control after 15 holes, also shot 74 to tie for second place at 146 with Wes Herlong, who had 75.

Sapp led Felder by two shots and Herlong by three going to the par-4 16th hole. Sapp left a shot in a greenside bunker and emerged with double bogey, dropping him into a tie with Felder and one ahead of Herlong.

Felder and Herlong birdied No. 17 and Sapp made bogey, giving Felder a one-shot lead over Herlong and two shots over Sapp going to No. 18.

Sapp rolled in a 45-foot birdie putt from off the green for birdie on the final hole and Herlong made par. That left Felder with a 4-footer for par and the victory.

"He drained it; it was dead center," Herlong said.

"I was pretty focused, pretty calm (on the par putt)," Felder said. "I was not really all that nervous. I kept telling myself, 'you've done this a thousand times, you can do it again.' "

That might have been so, but it had been a long time since Felder had been in that position. The last tournament he won was the 1997 W.M. Gregory Classic, a Regions Cup event at North Augusta Country Club. He turned pro in 1999 and then applied to be reinstated as an amateur in 2003. The waiting period ended in September, and this was his first event back as an amateur.

"I guess I did pretty good," said Felder, who turned 30 on Thursday. "My dad (Richard Felder) has been begging me to play in tournaments and start practicing again. He knows I was pretty good at one time. Once I get back into amateur golf and get a little confidence, I think I can still play, and play at a pretty high level."

"He (Felder) played good," said Sapp, a three-time Regions Cup winner. "You've got to finish. That's the thing about it. I didn't finish. Nothing against him; he played good coming in."

Senior division winner Jim Brisson played well the entire tournament, shooting 71-69-140 for his first victory. Bob Rickman finished second, three shots back.

Brisson, 53, has been playing on the Regions Cup since the late 1990s.

"It's been a long time coming. I was a 3 or 4 handicap for so long and in the last year or two, my game has gotten better, especially this year," said Brisson, who has yet to shoot over par in five stroke-play rounds this season.

Brisson won by beating Mike Jackson, a 12-time senior division winner, head-to-head. Playing in the final group of the day with Brisson, Jackson shot 74 to tie for seventh place.

Jackson had made an 8-foot par putt to edge Brisson by a shot to win the W.M. Gregory Classic.

"(Jackson) called me that night and said I played good and he hated to beat me because he know I badly I wanted to win one," Brisson said.

Reach David Westin at (706) 724-0851 or david.westin@augustachronicle.com.

ross taylor/staff Jamie Felder, left, won the regular division of the North Augusta Exchange Club/Persimmon Hill Classic on Sunday, while Jim Brisson, right, took home the senior division championship.