The U.S. Am returns to perhaps its most inspiring venue (Pebble Beach photo)
VARIOUS SITES ACROSS THE USA (July, 2018) - Qualifying for the 2018 U.S. Amateur is underway at 96 qualifying sites across the U.S., and in Canada, Puerto Rico and Mexico.
The USGA accepted 7,463 entries for the 118th U.S. Amateur Championship, scheduled for August 13-19, 2018 at Pebble Beach Golf Club and Spyglass Hill Golf Course in Pebble Beach, CA.
Highlights from qualifying include:
July 2
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Dan Erickson
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Texas A&M junior
Dan Erickson (Loveland, CO) might have put in the performance of the qualifying season on the very first day of qualifying, taking a six-shot lead after a first-round 9-under 61 (a course record) at Fort Collins (Colo.) CC, then following it up with a 67 to medal by five shots. Not bad for his first tournament as a new Colorado resident.
"I was driving it fantastic all day to put myself in good positions," said Erickson to the Colorado Golf Association afterward. "I was hitting every drive almost perfect. I did everything pretty good obviously. Everything was just working. This course is great. I love every second of being out here. It was good all around."
Qualifiers: Dan Erickson (Loveland, CO) 128, A.J. Ott (Ft. Collins, CO) 133, Kyler Dunkle (Larkspur, CO) 134.
July 6
Currie Municipal GC in Midland, MI
Qualifiers: Alex Scott (Traverse City, MI) 138, Josh Whalen (Canada) 138.
July 9
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Carter Toms
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No doubt inspired by his father David's win at the U.S. Senior Open, LSU junior
Carter Toms punched his ticket to Pebble Beach, shooting 138 to share medalist honors at East Ridge CC in his hometown of Shreveport, LA.
Qualifiers: Carter Toms (Shreveport, LA) 138, Jack Tolson (Opelousas, LA) 138.
Kapolei GC in Kapolei, HI
Qualifier: Spencer Dunaway (Mililani, HI) 140.
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Bobby Bai |
Thomas Lehman |
Another son of a major champion,
Thomas Lehman, Jr. (Scottdale, AZ) won a three-way playoff to take the final qualifying spot at Dacotah Ridge GC in Morton, MN. University of Central Florida senior
Zheng Kai (Bobby) Bai of China was the medalist by three shots.
Qualifiers: Zheng Kai (Bobby) Bai (China) 140, Sam Batta (Watertown, SD) 143, Thomas Lehman (Scottsdale, AZ) 146.
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Alex Schaake (R) and Ryan Nietfeldt
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Reigning two-time Nebraska Amateur champion
Alex Schaake (Omaha, NE) went 36 holes without a bogey at Firethorn GC in Lincoln, NE, shooting 68-64 (-10) and medaling by four shots.
Qualifiers: Alex Schaake (Omaha, NE) 132, Ryan Nietfeldt (Elkhorn, NE) 136.
The day after the Magnolia Amateur concluded at Hattiesburg (Miss.) CC, the U.S. Amateur qualifier was held there.
Hunter Atkins (West Point, MS) shot 82 on Sunday the Magnolia, then turned around and shot 67-68 on Monday to earn medalist honors by one shot. Austin Rose, who
won the Magnolia in dramatic fashion, saw his luck just run out in the qualifier, losing a playoff for the final qualifying spot to
Beau Briggs (Covington, LA).
Qualifiers: Hunter Atkins (West Point, MS) 135, Beau Briggs (Covington, LA) 136.
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Arthur Griffin and Khavish Varadan
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For the third straight year, Charleston Southern senior
Arthur Griffin (Lake Placid, NY) qualified out of Seven Oaks GC in Hamilton, NY, sharing medalist honors with
Khavish Varadan of Malaysia.
Cody Cox (Milford, PA) birdied the second extra hole to win a four-way playoff and take the final qualfying spot.
Qualifiers: Arthur Griffin (Lake Placid, NY) 140, Khavish Varadan (Malaysia) 140, Cody Cox (Milford, PA) 146.
Green Valley CC in Green Valley, CA
Qualifiers: Joe Highsmith (Tacoma, WA) 133, Noah Norton (Chico, CA) 136, Ryan Burnett (Lafayette, CA) 139.
Four players shot 136 at Sunnyside CC in Fresno, CA, necessitating a playoff for the two available spots. Last year's West Coast Conference champion
Peter Kuest (Fresno, CA) of BYU and mid-amateur
Danny Paniccia (Clovis, CA) made it through the playoff and on to Pebble Beach.
Qualifiers: Peter Kuest (Fresno, CA) 136, Danny Paniccia (Clovis, CA) 136.
Fargo CC in Fargo, ND
Qualifiers: Tyler Reisenauer (Dickinson, ND) 137, Will Holmgren (Plymouth, MN) 138.
Beaver Hills CC in Cedar Falls, IA
Qualifiers: Frank Lindwall (Cedar Rapids, IA) 141, Harrison Ott (Brookfield, WI) 141, Dennis Bull (Norwalk, IA).
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James Song
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University of Cal-Berkeley commit
James Song (Rancho Santa Fe, CA) went deep at Seven Oaks CC in Bakersfield, CA, shooting 15 under (64-65) to medal by two shots. Song had 13 birdies and two eagles on the day.
Qualifiers: James Song (Rancho Santa Fe, CA) 129, Cameron Sisk (El Cajon, CA) 131.
Cypress Ridge GC in Arroyo Grande, CA
Qualifiers: J.R. Warthen (Pismo Beach, CA) 136, Kaiwen Liu (China) 138, Austin Liu (Oak Park, CA) 138.
The Preserve at Oak Meadows in Addison, IL
Qualifiers: Nicholas Dentino (Carmel, IN), Jack Schultz (Whitefish Bay, WI), Tyler Isenhart (Geneva, IL).
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Mitchell Meissner |
McClure Meissner |
A pair of brothers took the two spots available at Oak Hills CC in San Antonio, TX.
Mitchell Meissner, the Texas Amateur champion and North & South Amateur runner-up this summer, shot 5-under 137 to tie his brother
McClure Meisser for medalist honors, two shots ahead of the rest of the field. Mitchell just graduated from Rice University, while McClure is a sophomore at SMU.
Qualifiers: Mitchell Meissner (San Antonio, TX) 137, McClure Meissner (San Antonio, TX) 137.
July 10
University of North Florida senior
Andrew Alligood (St. Johns, FL) blew away the field at Stonebrook GC in Pace, FL, making 15 birdies en route to rounds of 66-64 (-12) and a seven-shot win.
Qualifiers: Andrew Alligood (St. Johns, FL) 130, John Wright (Mobile, AL) 137.
University of New Mexico GC in Albuquerque, NM
Qualifiers: Greg Yellin (El Paso, TX) 136, Patrick McCarthy (Albuquerque, NM) 140.
In Puerto Rico,
Erick Morales took the only spot at TPC Dorado Beach, shooting rounds of 70-71 to win by a single shot.
Qualifier: Erick Morales (Puerto Rico) 141.
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Mason Overstreet
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At Big Creek Golf & Country Club in Mountain Home, AR, University of Arkansas junior
Mason Overstreet (Kingfisher, OK) shot a remarkable 16 under, racking up 15 birdies and two eagles in rounds of 62-66. Overstreet won last year's Patriot All-America and Jerry Pate Intercollegiate, and was the runner-up in the NCAA Championship.
Qualifiers: Mason Overstreet (Kingfisher, OK) 128, Ryan Spurlock (Maumelle, AR).
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Charles Waddell
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For the third straight year, mid-amateur
Charles Waddell (Chicago, IL) advanced to the championship, earning medalist honors at Twin Orchard CC in Long Grove, IL with rounds of 68-71. Nate Thomson (Greendale, WI) won a five-way playoff for the final qualifying spot.
Qualifiers: Charles Waddell (Chicago, IL) 139, Nicholas Tenuta (Mt. Prospect, IL) 140, Jack Rhea (Jonesborough, TN) 140, Nate Thomson (Greendale, WI) 141.
In Mexico,
Raul Pereda took the only qualifying spot at Mexico City CC, shooting 67-68 (-9) to medal by four shots.
Qualifier: Raul Pereda (Mexico) 135.
Laurel Creek CC, Laurel Creek, NJ
Qualifiers: Zach Arsenault (Medford, NJ) 137, Anthony Sebastianelli (Clarks Summit, PA) 139.
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Hayden Wood |
Austin Eckroat |
Oklahoma State teammates
Hayden Wood and
Austin Eckroat took two of the three available spots at Oak Tree National in their hometown of Edmond. Wood was the medalist by four shots with rounds of 69-68.
Qualifiers: Hayden Wood (Edmond, OK) 135, Scott Purvis (Mason, OH) 141, Austin Eckroat (Edmond, OK) 142.
North Carolina State junior
Benjamin Shipp (Duluth, GA) shot 64-68 (-8) at Willow Creek GC in Knoxville, TN to medal by three shots. There was a three-way playoff for the final qualifying spot, from which University of Tennessee junior
Nolan Ray (Brentwood, TN) advanced.
Qualifiers: Benjamin Shipp (Duluth, GA) 132, Nolan Ray (Brentwood, TN).
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Akshay Bhatia
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One of the nation's hottest juniors took medalist honors in Newport News, VA.
Akshay Bhatia (Wake Forest, NC), winner of the recent Polo Golf Junior Classic and the Junior Invitational at Sage Valley, shot 64-66 (-10) at James River CC.
Qualifiers: Akshay Bhatia (Wake Forest, NC) 130, Brandon Weaver (Purcellville, VA) 131.
Jacoby GC in Laramie, WY
Qualifier: Rosswell Sinclair (South Africa) 134.
July 11
Last year's Master of the Amateurs champion
Charlie Dann traveled from Australia to the U.S. and got a qualifying medal and a place in the championship. Dann shot 68-72 (-4) at Deerfield CC in Rochester, NY.
Qualifiers: Charlie Dann (Australia) 140, Brian Clark (Knoxville, TN) 142.
Chico State golfer
Josh McCollum (Upland, CA) shot a pair of 68s, finishing with three straight birdies, to earn medalist honors at Bayonet Golf Course in Seaside, CA.
Bryan Baumgarten (Granite Bay, CA) shot a 141 and then won a four-way playoff for the final qualifying spot.
Qualifiers: Josh McCollum (Upland, CA) 136, Derek Ackerman (Half Moon Bay, CA) 137, Bryan Baumgarten (Granite Bay, CA) 141.
There were three qualifying spots available at Whirlwind GC in Chandler, AZ, and three players shot 135 totals to win medals:
Mason Andersen (Chandler, AZ) of Arizona State,
Michael Feagles (Scottsdale, AZ) of the University of Illinois, and Anthony Quezada (Phoenix, AZ), who became known for his appearance on Golf Channel's The Big Break in 2014.
Qualifiers: Mason Andersen (Chandler, AZ) 135, Michael Feagles (Scottsdale, AZ) 135, Anthony Quezada (Phoenix, AZ) 135.
Weibring GC at ISU in Normal, IL
Qualifiers: Daniel Anfield (Channahon, IL) 136, Varun Chopra (Champaign, IL) 138, Drew Pershing (Washington, IL) 139, Benjamin Johnson (Downsers Grove, IL) 140.
July 12
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Jacob Huizinga |
Gary Nicklaus |
At Eagle Creek G&CC in Naples, FL, former Florida Amateur champion
Jacob Huizinga (Orlando, FL) medaled with a 138 total. The battle for the second and final spot was between 49-year-old
Gary Nicklaus (Jupiter, FL) and 14-year-old Luke Clanton (Miami Lakes, FL), who both shot 139 and went to a playoff. On the 3rd extra hole, it was Jack's son who prevailed.
“Going into the playoff, I said to myself, ‘You gotta hit good shots and you might have to hit a birdie cause this kid isn’t making a mistake,’ ” Nicklaus said to the Naples Daily News. “Then I got a bit a lucky.”
Qualifiers: Jacob Huizinga (Orlando, FL) 138, Gary Nicklaus (Jupiter, FL) 139.
Mission Inn Resort & Club in Howey-in-the-Hills, FL
Qualifiers: Jonah Leach (Windermere, FL) 138, Jake Beber-Frankel (Miami, FL) 139, Jesus Montenegro (Argentina) 139.
Texas Star GC in Euless, TX
Qualifiers: Triston Fisher (Southlake, TX) 131, Logan Lockwood (Van, TX) 133.
July 16
Two of the three qualifiers out of Taconic Golf Club in Williamstown, Mass., are members of the Williams College golf team. Will Kannegieser and Sam Goldenring took the top two spots, with Kannegieser earning medalist honors at 5-under 137.
“It’s a D3 mentality where they put so much effort into academics and not into golf during the school year when they are in class,” Williams coach Josh Hillman said of his two players. “In the summer when they are able to play more golf, you will see that they are capable of scores like 65 and 69 in tournament settings.”
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Matthew Paradis
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The third spot went to
Matthew Paradis, a rising senior at Southern New Hampshire University who
won the New Hampshire Amateur over the weekend. Paradis overcame a triple-bogey on his 33rd hole, but made two clutch pars on the final two holes to take the final spot by one shot.
Qualifiers: Will Kannegieser (Minot, Maine) 137, Sam Goldenring (Florham Park, N.J.) 139, Matthew Paradis (Hookset Park, N.J.), 143
Echo Lake Country Club in Westfield, NJ
Qualifiers: Eoin Leonard (Republic of Ireland) 137, Matthew Cocorikis (Monroe Township, N.J.) 139, Brandon Dalinka (New York, N.Y.) 139
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Jake Koppenberg
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Jake Koppenberg, a former Western Washington University men's golfer, has qualified for his second consecutive U.S. Amateur. It will be his fourth total. Koppenberg -- who played in the U.S. Amateur in 2008 (Pinehurst No. 2), 2015 (Olympia Fields Country Club), and 2017 (Riviera Country Club) -- is a volunteer assistant for Western Washington.
Koppenberg was 8 under for 36 holes at Lake Spanaway Golf Course in Tacoma, Wash. It left the Bellingham, Wash., native five shots ahead of the second qualifier, Ian Siebers.
Qualifiers: Jacob Koppenberg (Bellingham, Wash.) 132, Ian Siebers (Bellevue, Wash.) 137
Devon Bling earned a share of medalist honors at the Country Club of Rancho Bernardo in San Diego. Bling capped a freshman season in May that included one individual victory and two more top-5 finishes. He is the first Bruin to qualify so far. Bling shared the top spot with
Kevin Tassistro.
Qualifiers: Devondeep Bling (Ridgecrest, CA) 133, Kevin Tassistro (San Diego, CA) 133, Cullen Plousha (Carlsbad, CA) 134
A month after his Utah State Amateur victory, Preston Summerhays easily got into the U.S. Amateur, and almost shot a 59 in doing it. The 15-year-old, the youngest winner of the state amateur in history, opened with 7-under 65 in the 36-hole U.S. Am qualifier at Soldier Hollow in Midway, Utah, then followed it with a bogey-free 60. The round included an eagle on the par-4 14th. Summerhays lives in Arizona during the year, but visits family in Utah each summer. His father Boyd works with PGA Tour player Tony Finau.
Summerhays finished at a stunning 19 under, eight shots ahead of
Drew Kittleson, the 2008 U.S. Amateur runner-up who recently had his amateur status restored.
Qualifiers: Preston Summerhays (Scottsdale, Ariz.) 125, Drew Kittleson (Scottsdale, Ariz.) 133
A pair of teammates from the Simon Fraser University roster (a Division II program in Canada) took both qualifying spots at Pitt Meadows Golf Club in British Columbia, Canada. Sy Lovan finished at 8-under 136 while recent B.C. Amateur champ
Chris Crisologo was next at 5-under 138. Crisologo won a playoff for the final spot. Simon Fraser won two events last season and qualified for NCAA regional play.
Qualifiers: Sy Lovan (Canada) 136; Chris Crisologo (Canada) 138
Banbury Golf Course in Eagle, ID
Qualifier: Colby Dean (Eagle, Idaho) 133
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Eric Ansett
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Eric Ansett recently finished his eligibility on the Lipscomb roster, but his amateur golf career is hardly slowing down. Already this summer, Ansett had top-20 finishes at the Dogwood Invitational, the Sunnehanna Amateur and the Sahalee Players Championship. He led qualifying at Burningtree Country Club in Decatur, Ala., with 8-under 134.
Qualifiers: Eric Ansett (Spokane, WA) 134, Tanner Owens (Old Hickory, TN) 137
Moraine Country Club in Dayton, Ohio
Qualifiers: Patrick Cover (Cornelius, NC) 136, Austin Sipe (Dayton, OH) 139
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Nick Costello
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Two of the three qualifiers out of Columbine Country Club in Columbine Valley, Colo., will be playing the U.S. Amateur for the first time. One of those is Austin Hardman, who was medalist by one shot at 6-under 138. Hardman grew up in Highlands Ranch, Colo., and has caddied at Cherry Hills Golf Club. He has spent the past two years on the men’s golf roster at Mesa (Ariz.) Community College.
"My grandparents used to live in Monterey, so Pebble is my favorite place on the entire planet, without question," Hardman told the Colorado Golf Assocation. "I'm pretty excited about it for sure. This U.S. Amateur will definitely be the biggest tournament I've ever played in.
"I've played Pebble Beach (Golf Links) twice. It was a hit and giggle out there for six hours, which is the best six hours in my life."
Fellow Highlands Ranch native
Coby Welch, who finished third, will also be making his U.S. Am debut. Welch is a rising junior at Northern Colorado. The two will be joined by Texan
Nick Costello, who is a member of the Longhorns roster.
Qualifiers: Austin Hardman (Highlands Ranch, CO) 138, Nicholas Costello (Austin, TX) 139, Coby Welch (Highlands Ranch, CO) 141
Mascoutin Golf Club in Berlin, WI
Qualifier: Joe Du Chateau (Fond Du Lac, Wis.) 140
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Isaiah Salinda
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Isaiah Salinda, a rising senior at Stanford, led qualifying out of Coldstream Country Club in Cincinnati, Ohio. The San Francisco native had a 9-under 133 total that included two birdies in his final four holes.
Austin Squires, who will be a senior at Cincinnati, also qualified for the second consecutive summer.
Qualifiers: Isaiah Salinda (South San Francisco, Calif.) 133, Austin Squires (Union, Ky.) 137
Millburn Golf Club in Overland Park, KS
Qualifiers: Andy Spencer (Prairie Village, Kan.) 133, Brady Dixon (Mounds, Ill.) 135
July 17
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Riley Elmes
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Riley Elmes, a rising senior at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, Calif., was medalist at Eagle Point (Ore.) Golf Club to win one of two available U.S. Am spots. He led almost from the get-go during the morning round, getting six birdies on the front nine to shoot 6-under 30. A solid 1-under par 35 on the back nine had Elmes at 7-under par (65) after the first 18 holes, with a two shot lead. He tacked on a 67 to get to 12 under and finish three ahead of
Shawn Lu, a rising junior at Oregon State University, coming off his best season with the Beavers.
Qualifiers: Riley Elmes (Lake Oswego, OR) 132, Shawn Lu (Corvallis, OR), 135
Maridoe Golf Club in Carrollton, TX
Qualifiers: Gaven Lane (Argyle, TX) 148, Matthew Griggs (Prosper, TX) 150
Georgia standout
Spencer Ralston qualified for the U.S. Amateur in his home state. Ralston, who played every event with the Bulldogs this season, finished 36 holes at 10-under 134, which was four shots better than the next qualifier. That player happened to be
Trevor Phillips, a Georgia teammate who went bogey-free in his afternoon round of 4-under 68.
Qualifiers: Spencer Ralston (Gainesville, GA) 134, Trevor Phillips (Inman, SC) 138, Spencer Ball (Suwanee, GA) 139, Alex Shead (Appling, GA) 140, Matthew Smith (Seneca, SC) 140
Korea’s Yongjun Bae led qualifying at Crystalaire Country Club in Llano, Calif. with an 8-under 136 total. Bae, who was fourth at last month’s Toyota Junior World Cup, birdied his final two holes to lift himself out of a playoff and take medalist honors.
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Damon Krause
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The four-man playoff that did occur ended with local Chris Baingo and
Damon Krause, a 41-year-old who last month
won the Los Angeles City Championship by five shots, getting through.
Qualifiers: Youngjun Bae (Korea) 136, Chris Baingo (Llano, CA) 138, Damon Krause (Los Angeles, CA) 138
Four players finished their rounds at Kearney Hill Golf Links in Lexington, Ky., at 7-under 137, so a playoff took place to determine the two qualifiers and two alternates. Canadian amateur
Joey Savoie, last year’s Tennessee Open winner and a former Middle Tennessee State player, and Chandler Morgan, a recent graduate of the University of Akron, punched their tickets to Pebble Beach.
Qualifiers: Chandler Morgan (Lexington, KY) 137, Joey Savoie (Canada) 137
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Daniel Wetterich
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Cincinnati native
Daniel Wetterich was the medalist at his home golf course, OSU Golf Club’s Scarlet Course in Columbus, Ohio. Wetterich, who traveled to every event with the Buckeyes this season then qualified for the NCAA Columbus Regional as an individual, posted 1-under 141 to finish four shots ahead of
Caleb Ramirez.
Qualifiers: Daniel Wetterich (Cincinnati, OH) 141, Caleb Ramirez (Blythe, CA) 145
Camargo Golf Club in Cincinnati, OH
Qualifiers: Matthew Wetherill (Cincinnati, OH) 137, Andrew Bailey (Cleveland, OH) 140
Hayes Dupree earned the top qualifying spot at Legacy Golf Club in Las Vegas. In scorching hot temperatures, Dupree finished birdie-eagle-par to leapfrog
Joey Vrzich and end up as medalist.
“I was kind of slapping it around but I hit a great shot into 16 (a par-4) and made the birdie after bogeying 15,” said the 24-year-old employee of El Rio Golf Course in Mojave, Ariz. “Then I hit it a long way down on 17 (a par-5) and hit a great 4-iron and made the putt for eagle.”
Dupree finished at 8 under (rounds of 66 and 70) and posted a 1-shot victory over Vrzich, who carded rounds of 69 and 68.
Qualifiers: Hayes Dupree (Mohave Valley, AZ), 136; Joey Vrzich (El Cajon, CA), 137
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Nathan Barbieri
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Six spots were up for grabs at Colleton River Club in Bluffton, S.C., and all but one went to a South Carolina player. Australian
Nathan Barbieri – who has top-10 finishes at the Sahalee Players Amateur, Monroe Invitational and Rice Planters Amateur so far this summer – was that lone player.
Florida State’s
Jake Carter and incoming Clemson freshman
Zack Gordon shared medalist honors at 4-under 140.
Andrew Orischak, the 2015 U.S. Junior runner-up who now plays for Virginia, also nabbed one of the spots.
Qualifiers: Jake Carter (Aiken, SC) 140, Zack Gordon (Gaffney, SC) 140, Garett Reband (York, SC) 141, Andrew Orischak (Hilton Head, SC) 141, Jeremy Grab (Daniel Island, SC) 142, Nathan Barbieri (Australia) 142
July 18
Five North Carolina players earned spots in the U.S. Amateur in the two-day qualifier at Oak Valley Golf Club in Advance, N.C. Vanderbilt’s
Will Gordon took home medalist honors and the first qualifying spot after shooting 13-under 131.
Four players at 7-under par 137 entered a playoff for the final three spots and High Point standout
Brandon Einstein captured the first spot with a birdie on the first playoff hole.
"Certain players rise to the occasion when the pressure is on and everyone saw that today when he not only shot 66 in the final round, but birdied the first playoff hole to secure his spot,” High Point coach Brady Gregor said of his player.
The final two qualifying spots went to
Nick Lyerly, who
won the Eastern Amateur two days before the qualifier, and
Jackson Van Paris.
Qualifiers: William Gordon (Davidson, NC) 131, Jake McGlone (Charlotte, NC) 135, Brandon Einstein (Clemmons, NC) 137, Jackson Van Paris (Pinehurst, NC) 137, Nicholas Lyerly (Salisbury, NC) 137
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Derek Bayley
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Derek Bayley of Rathdrum, Idaho shot rounds of 64-74 (6 under) to earn medalist honors among the 50 players who competed at U.S. Amateur qualifying at the Palouse Ridge Golf Club in Pullman, Wash.
Bayley, a Washington State graduate who last week won the Rosauers Open for the second time, blistered the morning round in the June 18 qualifier, firing 11 birdies and making only four pars on his way to an 8-under 64.
Along with Bayley, the other player to advance from this qualifier is
Chris Hatch of Mukilteo, Wash., who shot rounds of 70-69 to reach 5 under. Hatch graduated from Western Washington University in 2017, where he set a GNAC record for 119 rounds played.
Qualifiers: Derek Bayley (Rathdrum, ID) 138, Chris Hatch (Mukilteo, WA) 139
Walnut Creek Country Club in South Lyon, Mich.
Qualifiers: James Kneen (White Lake, MI) 136, Donnie Trosper (Canton, MI) 136
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Gordon Neale
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Gordon Neale, a Florida Gator who hails from Dove Canyon, Calif., took the top spot in a U.S. Am qualifier closer to home. Neale, coming off a top-30 finish at the Players Amateur, played 36 holes in 6-under 138 to medal by a shot. He was a 3 under in his last five holes. UCLA's
Hidetoshi Yoshihara won a three-way playoff for the final spot.
Qualifiers: Gordon Neale (Trabuco Canyon, CA) 138, Jake Williams (Temecula, CA) 139, Hide Yoshihara (Irvine, CA) 141
July 19
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Brandon Mancheno
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NCAA runner-up Brandon Mancheno took one of three spots at the World Golf Village (King and Bear Course) in St. Augustine, FL. The Auburn sophomore shot 136, two shots behind UNF commit Davis Lee.
Qualifiers: Davis Lee (Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.) 134, Brandon Mancheno (Jacksonville, FL) 136, Eric Berggren (Sweden) 139
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Sam O'Dell
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Four-time and reigning West Virginia Amateur champion
Sam O'Dell shot a pair of 67s to medal by three shots at Guyan G&CC in Huntington, WV. O'Dell, a dentist from Hurricane, WV, made four birdies in a five hole stretch on his final nine to pull away from the field.
Qualifiers: Sam O'Dell (Hurricane, WV) 134, Josef Dransfeld (Huntington, WV) 137
July 20
Hobe Sound GC in Hobe Sound, FL
Qualifiers: Won Jun Lee (Korea) 133, Alexander Vogelsong (Palm City, FL) 136
July 23
Stephen Behr (Atlanta, GA) and
Ryan Stachler (Milton, GA), the only two players from Georgia in the field, shot 8-under 136 to share medalist honors at Benvenue Country Club in Rocky Mount, NC. Behr is a former Clemson player who won the Byron Nelson Award in 2016. Stachler is a rising senior at the University of South Carolina who was the runner-up in the Southeastern Amateur this summer and who qualified for the U.S. Open in 2016
Qualifiers: Stephen Behr (Atlanta, GA) 136, Ryan Stachler (Milton, GA) 136
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Bradford Tilley
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Last year's Mid-Amateur qualifying medalist and quarterfinalist
Bradford Tilley took one of two spots available at the Redding, CT qualifier, shooting a pair of 68's at Redding Country Club.
Qualifiers: Gray Barnes (Stormville, NY) 135, Bradford Tilley (Easton, CT) 136
Erik Dulik and Jack Melville battled 40 mph winds at Bidermann Golf Club in Wilmington, DE and came out as co-medalists at 2-over 146. “The wind was nuts all day,” said Dulik, who recently finished his college golf career at the University of Louisville. “I feel like I did a great job flighting my ball, keeping myself out of a lot of trouble. I don’t think I made a double bogey today. I kept the ball in front of me, tried to avoid the big hazards and took bogey when I needed to.”
Qualifiers: Erik Dulik (Great Falls, VA) 146, Jack Melville (Maple Glen, PA) 146
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Darin Goldstein |
Max Theodorakis |
Mid-amateur
Darin Goldstein and Campbell University junior
Max Theodorakis shared medalist honors at the Country Club of Darien (CT), with 4-under 138 totals. Goldstein, last year's Metropolitan Amateur champion, shot a 6-under 65 in the morning and hung on for a 73 in the afternoon to qualify with one shot to spare.
Qualifiers: Darin Goldstein (New York, NY) 138, Max Theodorakis (Danbury, CT) 138
Willow Ridge Country Club in Harrison, NY
Qualifiers: Christian Cavaliere (Katonah, NY) 137, Etienne Breault (Canada) 138
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Matthew Lowe
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Former Cardinal Amateur champion
Matthew Lowe was the medalist at Brookville Country Club in Glen Head, NY, shooting 2-under 140.
Qualifiers: Matthew Lowe (Farmingdale, NY) 140, Jack Casler (Garden City, NY) 141
Hayfields Country Club in Cockeysville, ND
Qualifiers: Ryan McCarthy (Kensington, MD) 140, Ryan Smith (Carlsbad, CA) 140
Travis Vick made USGA history last week at Baltrusol Golf Club when he made the first double eagle in a U.S. Junior. Now the Houston native will play in the U.S. Amateur after winning medalist honors in the qualifier at Golfcrest Country Club in Pearland, Texas. He led all qualifiers with rounds of 63-66 for a 15-under total. Vick, 18, recently committed to the University of Texas for the fall of 2019. He is a three-sport athlete who also drew the attention of college coaches on the baseball and football fields.
Qualifiers: Travis Vick (Houston, TX) 129, Mario Carmona (Mexico) 132
Will Holcomb, a rising junior at Sam Houston State, and Parker Holekamp, a junior at Texas A&M International (which has one of the great college nicknames -- the Dustdevils), tied for medalist honors at Stonebridge Ranch Country Club in McKinney, Texas, and took the only two qualifying spots for the U.S. Amateur. Holekamp had two eagles on his card in a first-round 70. Holcomb’s day was a lot steadier, until he bogeyed the final two holes to make it in on the number.
Qualifiers: William Holcomb (Huntsville, TX) 141, Parker Holekamp (Kingwood, TX) 141
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Patrick Frodigh
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Less than two weeks after capturing the Massachusetts Amateur title,
Patrick Frodigh was medalist at the qualifier at The Ledges in York, Maine. Frodigh had 17 birdies on his way to 11-under 133. He easily took medalist honors and the first of two qualifying spots as the next-closest players were at 3-under 141. Matthew Cowgill won the second and final spot on the first hole of a playoff.
Qualifiers: Patrick Frodigh (Westwood, MA) 133, Matthew Cowgill (Weston, MA) 141
Sand Creek CC in Chesterton, Ind.
Qualifiers: Luke Armbrust (Wheaton, IL) 134, Nick Bienz (Hoagland, IN) 136
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Max Sear
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Maxwell Sear, a rising senior at West Virginia, led qualifying out of the Country Club of Lansing (Mich.). Sear had rounds of 66-67 and finished two shots ahead of
Kaleb Johnson, who will be a junior at Michigan State.
Qualifiers: Maxwell Sear (Canada) 133, Kaleb Johnson (Naples, FL) 135
Ben Greve, the 2016 and 2017 Minnesota Open champion, was the medalist at Olympic Hills in Eden Prairie, Minn. Greve’s first-round 6-under 66 carried him as he backed up to 2-over 74 on the second 18. Greve is not only one of Minnesota’s top mid-amateurs, but is married to one of the WNBA’s top players, Lynx guard Lindsay Whalen.
Qualifiers: Ben Greve (Minneapolis, MN) 140, Parker Reddig (Minneapolis, MN) 143, Ben Sigel (Deephaven, MN) 143
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Ben Reichert
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Florida Azalea champion
Ben Reichert was among the qualifiers at Hannastown GC and Totteridge GC in Greensburg, PA. Reichert was behind 16 players after the first round, but an afternoon 67 jumped him into a tie for second and a spot in the championship.
Qualifiers: Palmer Jackson (Murrysville, PA) 135, Ben Reichert (East Amherst, NY) 138, Brett Young (Bethel Park, PA) 138, Mason Williams (Bridgeport, WV) 138
Stanford sophomore
Ashwin Arasu and high school sophomore
Alexander Yang were the co-medalists at Hacienda GC in La Habra Heights, CA, each shooting 4-under 138. Pepperdine standout
Clay Feagler took the third and final qualifying spot.
Qualifiers: Ashwin Arasu (San Diego, CA) 138, Alexander Yang (Carlsbad, CA) 138, Clay Feagler (Laguna Niguel, CA) 139
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Corby Segal
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47-year-old
Corby Segal, the PGA Tour caddie and Kelly Cup champion who qualified for the U.S Amateur and U.S. Mid-Amateur last year, shot 5 under at Wilshire Country Club in Los Angeles to medal by three shots.
Qualifiers: Corby Segal (Santa Clarita, CA) 137, Cameron Meeks (Las Vegas, NV) 140, Brett Robinson (Tustin, CA) 143
UNLV senior
Harry Hall of England shot 68-66 (10 under) at Santa Rosa G&CC in Santa Rosa, CA to earn medalist honors by two shots over Duke University senior
Shrish Dwivedi. University of Washington sophomore
Noah Woolsey took the final spot in a playoff at 7 under.
Qualifiers: Harry Hall (England) 134, Shrish Dwivedi (Redwood City, CA) 136, Noah Woolsey (Pleasanton, CA) 137
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Joshua McCarthy
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Pepperdine junior
Joshua McCarthy blitzed the Valley Course at Castlewood CC in Pleasanton, CA, making only one bogey and shooting 15-under 129. McCarthy was six under through his first eight holes on the way to a morning 62, then added a bogey-free 67 in the afternoon.
Qualifiers: Joshua McCarthy (Danville, CA) 129, Jeff Wood (Shingle Springs, CA) 132, Zach Smith (Isla Vista, CA) 136
In a 4-for-1 playoff that had to be completed the next morning, former Cal State San Marcos player
Christopher Tuulik captured the final qualifying spot at Mission Viejo (Calif.) CC.
Qualifiers: Dylan Menante (Carlsbad, CA) 141, Taylor Wood (Coto de Caza, CA) 144, Christopher Tuulik (San Diego, CA) 146
Only one spot was available at The Ranch Club in Missoula, MT, and when two players tied at 139, a playoff was held. UCLA senior
Patrick Murphy defeated Montana State Amateur champion Ryggs Johnston and punched his ticket to Pebble Beach.
Qualifier: Patrick Murphy (Canada) 139
July 24
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Joe Alfieri |
Devin Hernandez |
Mid-amateurs took both spots at Cypress Run GC in Tarpon Springs, FL, but it wasn't easy.
Joe Alfieri and
Devin Hernandez were cruising along until both players stumbled to the finish, with Alfieri bogeying two of the last three holes and Hernandez suffering a double and a bogey on his last two holes. This put them in a 3-for-2 playoff with another mid-am, Miles McConnell, but both made it through the playoff and on to the championship.
Qualifiers: Joe Alfieri (Lutz, FL) 143, Devin Hernandez (St. Petersburg, FL) 143
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Michael Brennan |
Blake Windred |
In a qualifier delayed a day by rain, Middle Atlantic Amateur champion and Wake Forest commit
Michael Brennan shot a pair of 69s on the par-73 at Chambersburg (Penn.) Country Club to earn medalist honors by two shots. The other qualifying spot went to Australian
Blake Windred, who shot 6 under and then birdied the first hole of a three-way playoff. Windred is in the U.S. competing this summer, and is coming off of a runner-up finish in last week's Porter Cup.
Qualifiers: Michael Brennan (Leesburg, VA) 138, Blake Windred (Australia) 140
Barry University senior
Jorge Garcia of Venezuela shot 65-70 (-7) to medal at Jacaranda GC in Plantation, FL. University of Florida sophomore and 2017 Terra Cotta champion
Chris Nido was one shot back at 6 under, with University of Texas senior
Steve Chervony taking the final qualifying spot at 4 under.
Qualifiers: Jorge Garcia (Venezuela) 135, Chris Nido (Miami, FL) 136, Steven Chervony (Boca Raton, FL) 138
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Trey Winstead |
Skip Berkmeyer |
LSU sophomore
Trey Winstead lapped the field at Westwood Country Club in St, Louis, MO, shooting 63-64 (15 under) and winning by 7 shots. Winstead made 13 birdies and two eagles over the 36 holes. Former Crump Cup champion
Skip Berkmeyer was among the other qualifiers, shooting 4 under and making it on the number.
Qualifiers: Trey Winstead (Baton Rouge, LA) 127, Ethan Brue (Ashland, IL) 134, Cole Harris (Carmel, IN) 137, Skip Berkmeyer (Town & Country, MO) 138, Kory Franks (Jefferson City, MO) 138
Fresh off a match play appearance at the U.S. Junior Amateur Championship last week, Dartmouth College-bound freshman
Mark Turner added another career first to his playing resume by earning medalist honors at Essex County Club in Manchester-by-the-Sea, MA. The 18-year old shot a 1-under 69 par in his morning round, then followed up with an even par 70 in his second 18 to finish at 1-under par 139 for the day.
Qualifiers: Mark Turner (Gloucester, MA) 139, Steven Dilisio (Swampscott, MA) 141, James Imai (Brookline, MA) 143
Notre Dame teammates
Davis Chatfield and
Alex Jamieson took two of the three spots at Pawtucket (R.I.) Country Club, with Chatfield the medalist with rounds of 68-68 (-2) and Jamieson getting through a 4-for-2 playoff. Also advancing through the playoff was Oklahoma State commit
Patrick Welch.
Qualifiers: Davis Chatfield (Attleboro, MA) 136, Alex Jamieson (Duxbury, MA) 137, Patrick Welch (Providence, RI) 137
Bull's Bridge GC in South Kent, CT
Qualifiers: Tyler Vincent (Lisle, IL) 136, Matt Liston (Louisville, KY) 137
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Trent Phillips |
Andy Ogletree |
In one of the largest qualifiers in the country with 133 players entered, six players earned their way into the championship from Brickyard GC in Macon, GA. Leading the way were the two co-medalists, Wofford College sophomore
Ryan Marter and University of Georgia commit
Trent Phillips, at 5-under 139.
Former Cardinal Amateur champion and Georgia Tech junior
Andy Ogletree, University of Alabama sophomore
Davis Shore, Kennesaw State sophomore
Grant Sutliff, and Auburn senior
Trace Crowe took the other four spots, with Crowe getting through in a playoff.
Qualifiers: Ryan Marter (Columbia, SC) 139, Trent Phillips (Inman, SC) 139, Andy Ogletree (Little Rock, MS) 140, Davis Shore (Brentwood, TN) 141, Grant Sutliff (Cumming, GA) 141, Trace Crowe (Auburn, AL) 142
July 25
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Brian Blanchard and Donald Kay
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At the Country Club of DC Ranch in Scottsdale, AZ, University of Oregon sophomore
Donald Kay (San Diego, CA) shot 65-69 (-6) to take medalist honors. Mid-amateur
Brian Blanchard (Scottsdale, AZ) took the other available spot with rounds of 68-67 (-5).
Qualifiers: Donald Kay (San Diego, CA) 134, Brian Blanchard (Scottsdale, AZ) 135
Three players played off for the only spot available after shooting 7-under 137 at Scotch Hall Preserve in Merry Hill, NC. Loyola University Maryland junior Preston Ball (Raleigh, NC) won the playoff against Tyler Bakich (Valrico, FL) and Nolan Mills (Charlotte, NC) to advance to the championship.
Qualifier: Preston Ball (Raleigh, NC) 137
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Chase Johnson |
Kevin O'Connell |
Chase Johnson, who recently completed his college golf career at Kent State, shot 69-66 (-5) to medal by two shots at Shaker Heights (OH) Country Club. The former Northern Amateur champion tied a competitive course record in the second round with his 66.
Kevin O'Connell, the reigning Monroe Invitational champion and current #4 in the
AmateurGolf.com Mid-Amateur Rankings, took the other spot with rounds of 69-68 (-3).
Qualifiers: Chase Johnson (Barberton, OH) 135, Kevin O'Connell (Cary, NC) 137
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Alvaro Ortiz |
Quade Cummins |
At Midland (Tex.) Country Club, Latin America Amateur and Mexican Amateur runner-up
Alvaro Ortiz of Mexico was the medalist after rounds of 65-71 (-8). Ortiz just finished his college career at the University of Arkansas. Oklahoma Sooner junior
Quade Cummins took the other available spot with rounds of 68-69 (-7).
Qualifiers: Alvaro Ortiz (Mexico) 136, Quade Cummins (Weatherford, OK) 137
What's Next
The 118th U.S. Amateur Championship begins on August 13, with 312 players will teeing it up at Pebble Beach and Spyglass Hill for stroke play qualifying. After one round on each course, the low 64 players will advance to single-elimination match play until the champion is crowned.