The five-hour drive from Cary to Okatie, S.C., for a three-day golf tournament last week was a bit much for Michael Marshburn. But after 55 holes, it was worthwhile.

Marshburn returned home as the winner of the 59th annual CGA Carolinas Junior Championship, which was played Tuesday-Thursday at the par 70 Chechessee Creek Club last week. Marshburn shot a 54-hole total of two-over 212 and secured the win on the first playoff hole.

“It’s my biggest win ever,” said Marshburn, a rising senior at Green Hope High. “It felt pretty good.”

Marshburn shot a two-over 72 in the first round, leaving him in a tie for 10th place, four strokes off the lead. Because his practice round was cut short, he never saw the front nine until after he made the turn (he started his round on No. 10). He was at even par through 16 holes, but a double bogey on No. 8 brought a sour taste to his otherwise solid round.

He made his move up the leaderboard in the second round, shooting one-under 69 to move into a second-place tie, two strokes off the lead. He was one-over on the front nine and got back to even on the par 5 15th.

But he had a long wait before he sunk the birdie putt. Sitting 155 yards from the pin, Marshburn dropped his approach with a 9-iron to 10 feet. But before he could putt, the the horn blew for a storm delay. After an hour in the clubhouse, Marshburn returned to the green and made his birdie.

He went to two-under after sinking a 20-foot birdie putt on 17, but he finished the round with a bogey on 18.

“It didn’t make me feel good because I made bogey from the middle of the fairway,” Marshburn said. “But I just forgot about it and went into the next day wanting to shoot par or better.”

On Thursday, Marshburn made the turn at one-over. On No. 10, he had a 25-foot eagle putt but three-putted for par. After closing with five pars and a bogey on the final six holes, Marshburn walked into the clubhouse only to find his day wasn’t done.

Mark Joye, of Columbia, S.C., shot a final-round, three-under 67 to climb from a 13th-place tie after 36 holes into a share of the lead with Marshburn after 54.

On the first playoff hole, both players missed the par 5, 10th hole’s green. Joye blasted out of the greenside bunker to about 4 feet. Marshburn then chipped to about 1 foot and tapped in for birdie. Joye missed his birdie putt, giving Marshburn his first CGA title.

“I was kind of stunned,” Marshburn said. “I wasn’t expecting him to miss it.”

Andy Knox and John Conners — teammates on the Apex High golf team — were right on Marshburn’s heels in Okatie. Knox was the mark of consistency, shooting 71-71-71 to finish at three-over 213 and in third place. Connors shot 70-71-73 to finish at four-over 214 and tied for fourth.

Because of the win, Marshburn will be a part of the Carolinas team in the Carolinas-Virginias Junior Team Matches this weekend at The Club at Irish Creek in Kannapolis. Knox will also be on the team, as will Marshburn’s former Green Hope teammate Ben Kohles.