VIDEO: How Michael Fincham Became a World Champion
Michael Fincham has been playing in the Play Golf Myrtle Beach World Amateur Championship for a while. He’d come close in years past but was never quite able to get over the line. In 2026, it all changed. We sat down with Fincham moments after his World Am win to get his thoughts.
Michael Fincham:
I’m leaving the golf course, and I’m like, “I blew it. I just blew it.”
I was in the Marine Corps. A couple buddies went off to play. It was more of a drinking event then. And I retired in 2014 and I was like, “Hey, that’s something I think I could pick up and kind of really dedicated to playing.” I probably played three, four, five times a week after 2014, and just took to it and really enjoyed it.
I’m not sure if it’s my sixth year or my seventh year, but we’ve been coming down here and enjoying it for quite some time.
Michael Fincham:
There’s so many things that happened this week for me to get here that I just couldn’t believe. I thought I threw it away on day four. My back nine, I played Rivers Edge, I shot a 48 (and) had two eights just on that nine alone. And yeah, I called my wife. She’s my biggest fan. It’s amazing having her support. No matter what I’m doing. If I’m just golfing, she’ll come out there and support me. If playing softball, she comes out there and supports me. So it’s just amazing.
I mean, all the way until scores were posted that night at 5:00. We were done early. So from 1:00 to 5:00, I’m just ate up, like I just blew it. Yep.
When we’re on the course today, a gentleman I was playing with, he starts out like three under through four holes. And I was like, “I’m not beating this guy. There’s just no way. I’m not in that league.” And he took a double on 17 to let me go one stroke up. And I was like, “I just can’t believe it.” The pressure was still on. I’ve got to hit the green.
That’s another one of those things. When I was lining up that fourth putt, my intention was not to make it because I had an extra stroke. My intention was to roll it down there right next to the cup, and just tap it in for a bogey, and it just kept rolling and went in.
I mean, it was just amazing week and everything felt right for that to happen.
My name is Michael Fincham from New Bern, North Carolina. I am the 2026 Play Golf Myrtle Beach World Am champion.
