If there was ever a time to knock off the No. 1 ranked golfer on the AGB Tour, it was probably Sunday. Rob Nelson entered the match with State Am champ Adam Baxter (No. 6) having suffered injury Saturday.

While carrying a large boulder Nelson estimated to be 80 pounds or so, he slipped and fell backward in his yard and the boulder bruised his chest and arms badly. Surprisingly, it only hurt to swing the golf club on swings that were less than full, Nelson said during the match he won 1-up on a beautiful day at Palmer golf course.

“It was a really good match,” Baxter said. “I was up for over half the match and I was surprised by that. I had a chance the last three holes to get back to even or win it, so can’t ask for more than that against Rob.”

Nelson canned a three-footer for par on the 17th hole to close out a match that began as part of the Herschel Deaton Gaggle on the 18th tee in a shotgun start. While he didn’t make many putts longer than that last one, Nelson’s impressive game was on display, from his drives easily exceeding 300 yards to approach shots that smothered the flag. Nelson rarely found himself in position to make a bogey on his way to a 2-under 70 from the blue tees.

“He didn’t play normal Nelly golf, which is probably about 68 out here, but he played well enough to make me concentrate and think hard all day,” Baxter said.

Since the inception of challenge matches this May, Nelson thwarted two other challengers in Heath Martin and Chris Wright. Baxter was Nelson’s highest-ranked challenger and it resulted in his closest match. Still, Baxter warns those who decide to challenge for No. 1 in the future.

“You’re gonna have to golf your ball, because Nelly didn’t play well today and he still shot 2-under,” Baxter said.

The most visible turning point in the match came at the 10th hole, when Baxter fired a driver shot out of bounds and lost the hole to a Nelson birdie. The exchange put Nelson 1-up, putting Baxter in chase mode. Baxter had led 1-up until the eighth hole, courtesy of a birdie at the second hole.

Baxter missed nice birdie opportunities at 13, 15 and 16, perhaps his best chance to square the match coming at 15. He stuffed a 200-yard approach shot to within seven feet or so at the par-3. Nelson missed his long attempt at birdie, opening the door.

“I was thinking, here we go,” Baxter said. “I’m gonna make a birdie, I’m gonna get the match to even and I’m gonna win a skin too. Wasn’t meant to be.”