10 biggest names to miss the cut at 124th U.S. Amateur
Miles Russell (USGA Photo)
The 124th U.S. Amateur featured an exciting stroke play portion, including a tense 14-for-11 playoff to determine the final spots in match play. The 36-hole stroke play was split between Hazeltine National Golf Club and Chaska Town Course, where players faced significantly different scoring conditions. With Chaska playing about 700 yards shorter and yielding scores five strokes lower on average than Hazeltine, players needed to take full advantage of their opportunities there.
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Here are 10 notable players to miss the 64-man cut to match play at the 124th U.S. Amateur:
TOP 25 WAGR PLAYERS:
1: Jackson Koivun (#3)
Koivun, ranked #3 in the world, was the highest-ranked player to miss match play. The rising sophomore at Auburn University swept the season-long awards for the collegiate season, as well as the SEC Individual championship, and a runner-up at the NCAA Division I National Championship. Koivun fired a 2-under 68 at Chaska Town Course and followed up with a 4-over 76 at the difficult Hazeltine National.
2: Ian Gilligan (#9)
Gilligan, the 9th-ranked amateur in the world, recently won the 2024 Western Amateur championship in a thrilling match against his fellow Florida Gator teammate, Jack Turner. After opening with a frustrating 76 at Hazeltine National, Gilligan bounced back with a 3-under 67 at Chaska Town Course, but missed a playoff opportunity by just one stroke.
3: Stewart Hagestad (#15)
The top-ranked mid-am in the field and defending U.S. Mid-Amateur champion, Hagestad teed it up in his 15th U.S. Amateur this week. The 2023 Walker Cupper opened with a 76 at the difficult Hazeltine National before bouncing back with a one-under 69 at Chaska Town Course, but missed out on the playoff by three strokes.
4: Hiroshi Tai (#22)
The 2024 NCAA Division I Individual National Champion and 22nd-ranked amateur in the world has had a quiet summer, but is not to be forgotten about. The Singaporean national and Georgia Tech star struggled to shoot 78-79 and Chaska Town Course and Hazeltine National, respectively.
TOP JUNIOR PLAYERS:
5: Tyler Watts
A member of the aforementioned U.S. National Junior Team, Watts shot 74-81 at Chaska Town Course and Hazeltine National, respectively. The 82nd-ranked amateur in the country was runner-up at the 2024 U.S. Junior at Oakland Hills, losing to Nebraska native Trevor Gutchewski, who also missed the cut at this year's U.S. Amateur.
6: Miles Russell
Perhaps the most recognizable member of the U.S. Junior National Team, the 86th-ranked amateur in the world opened up with a 74 at Chaska Town Course before improving with a 71 at Hazeltine National. Russell, who finished at 3-over-par, made a quadruple bogey on the 8th hole during his first round at Chaska Town Course. He missed the playoff by three strokes.
7: Blades Brown
Along with the other boys on this list, Brown is a member of the first ever U.S. National Junior Team. The 94th ranked amateur in the world shot 71 at Hazeltine National and 75 at Chaska Town Course, one of the few players in the field to score better at Hazeltine National than at the scoreable Chaska Town Course.
STUNG BY HAZELTINE:
8: Evan Beck
Beck, the runner-up to Stewart Hagestad at the 2023 U.S. Mid-Amateur and 27th-ranked amateur in the world, found himself at the top of the leaderboard after a classy 4-under 66 at Chaska Town Course, before shooting a 5-over 77 at Hazeltine National.
9: Cooper Claycomb
Claycomb, the younger brother of Alabama golf alum and professional golfer Canon Claycomb, found himself in the same spot as Beck after a 4-under 66 on day one. Hazeltine National had other plans for Claycomb, as he fired a 7-over 79 on day two to miss the cut by three strokes.
10: Maxwell Ford
Maxwell Ford, twin brother of David Ford, who finished T3 in stroke play, opened with a one-over 71 at Chaska Town Course, before shooting a 6-over 78 at Hazeltine National.
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ABOUT THE
US Amateur
The U.S. Amateur, the oldest USGA
championship, was first played in 1895 at
Newport Golf Club in Rhode Island. The
event,
which has no age restriction, is open to
those
with a Handicap Index of 2.4 or lower. It is
one
of 14 national championships conducted
annually by the USGA, 10 of which are
strictly
for amateurs. It is the pre-eminent
amateur
competition in the world.
Applications are typically placed online in the spring
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