PINEHURST, N.C. -- Gonzaga men's golfer, Sean Walsh, held off a late rally from George Cunningham to win the 115th annual North and South Amateur Championship on the Pinehurst No. 2 course Friday.

Walsh, the sixth-seed in bracket play, never trailed top-seeded Cunningham in the championships. Walsh was one-over-par through the front-nine, and had a one-hole lead over Cunningham at the turn. Walsh then took two of the first three holes on the back-nine to go ahead three holes. Cunningham won the 15th hole, but Walsh sealed the upset victory with a win on hole No. 17. Walsh was even-par through the 17 holes, while Cunningham was two-over.

Cunningham, a sophomore at Arizona, was a second team All-Pac-12 performer last season as a freshman in Tucson. He topped the leaderboard after stroke play at two-over (212).

"Obviously it was a great week," Walsh said. "To play so well and to get a locker in the North South Champions Locker Room at Pinehurst next to names like Jack Nicklaus and Ben Hogan is so hard for me to put into words. All of the work I've been putting in really paid off this week, and with the help of a good game plan and great execution, I was able to make it through the stroke play portion and make life easier on myself in match play. Overall such a great week, couldn't be happier with the result."

The North & South Amateur Championship is the longest consecutive-running amateur golf championship in the United States. Over the past century, the best in the golf world have vied for its coveted Putter Boy trophy. The winners now serve as legends in the game -- Walter Travis, Francis Ouimet, Billy Joe Patton, Jack Nicklaus, Curtis Strange and Davis Love III, among others -- and continues to draw the best in amateur golf circles.

Entries are open to male amateur golfers who have a handicap index of 5.0 or less. All applicants must conform to the USGA Rules of Amateur Status.

The Pinehurst Resort has hosted the PGA Championship, Ryder Cup, and three U.S. Open Championships, including the latest in 2014. The Pinehurst No. 2 par-70 course played 7,198 yards.

Walsh finished stroke play tied for fifth place at eight-over (218). He opened the tournament with a two-over (72) first round total Monday. He birdied three holes on the back-nine, but also bogeyed a trio. The following day in Round 2, he bogeyed five holes on the back-nine, and finished five-over (75). Entering the final round at seven-over Wednesday, Walsh played his best 18 holes in stroke play. He bogeyed holes three and seven, but hit par on eight of the back-nine holes, while going birdie on the par-three 15th.

The Keller, Texas native, had five birdies and 36 pars in the 54 holes of stroke play. He was one-over on the par-three and par-five holes.

Walsh was seeded-sixth in the 16-player match-play bracket. He continued his hot-play in the opening round against Nicholas Pandelena of Boston College. Walsh went one-under through 16 holes and won three holes up.

Walsh then upset third-seeded Ben Griffin, a sophomore at North Carolina, in the quarterfinals. Griffin was six-over in stroke-play and coasted through his round of 16 matchup. But, it was Walsh that jumped out to a four-hole lead through the front-nine, before holding off a fierce rally. Griffin climbed all the way back from four holes down through nine to even the match entering the final hole. Walsh would bogey 18, and Griffin's monumental comeback attempt ended with a double-bogey.

After going five-over against Griffin, Walsh shot a one-over round in a semifinal win over Clark Engle Friday. Engle, from Ohio State, was making the historic No. 2 course look like his practice course. After rounds of 65 and 70 to follow his opening 78, the second-seeded Engle cruised to a 6 & 5 victory over Mario Beltran with four birdies before dropping Keenan Huskey 3 & 2 after a birdie on the 513-yard 16th. Walsh went back-and-forth with Engle, before winning the match 1-up, with a key par on the 17th.