21st August 2022

Match Play – Final

Sam BENNETT (USA), 22, beat Ben CARR (USA), also 22, by 1-Hole in the 36-hole Final of the 122nd U.S. Amateur Championship at The Ridgewood Country Club.

He publically said earlier this week that he was the best player in the Championship and to be fair he proved it.

Sam Bennett With The Havemeyer Trophy (Photo: USGA / Grant Halverson)

Bennett, who is returning for a 5th year at Texas A&M University, had his college coach Brian Korton on the bag. Carr had former PGA Tour pro Willy Wilcox caddying for him.

“It’s a dream come true. It means a lot to hold that trophy. I’m sure I’ll take a peek at all the names, but I know Tiger Woods’ name is on it three times, and to put my name beside him, I know it’s something special.” said the new champion afterwards.

The two finalists couldn’t have had more contrasting routes to the Final. Bennett was tasked with taking down highly ranked players in each round whilst Carr, who is also returning to Georgia Southern University for a 5th year, had mainly faced relative unknowns before coming up against Derek Hitchner in the Semi-Finals.

Neither player gave up much ground in the opening exchanges but birdies on 14 and 18 saw Bennett take a healthy 3 Up lead into lunch. Allowing for the normal match play concessions he shot a 3-under 68 compared to Carr’s 72.

Match Play – Final Round 1 – Bennett v. Carr Scores (Graphic: USGA)

Early birdies on the 2nd and 3rd holes in the afternoon saw Bennett move into an even more commanding 5 Up lead.

Any thoughts of a victory procession were dispelled by Carr who quickly responded with two 60 foot winning birdies of his own, a putt followed by a chip-in on the 5th and 6th holes.

Nevertheless Bennett still turned into the final 9 holes 3 Up and well placed to take the title. However, a combination of nerves, poor decision making and good play from Carr saw the match taken to the home hole. Thankfully for the Texan he played it perfectly to hold on for a narrow 1 Hole win.

Match Play – Final Round 2 – Bennett v. Carr Scores (Graphic: USGA)

Click here to view the – 2022 U.S. Amateur Match Play Scores

The champion, Sam Bennett, earned an exemption / invitation to the 2023 Masters Tournament (must still be an amateur), the 2023 U.S. Open Championship and the 2023 Open Championship (must still be an amateur).

The silver medalist, Ben Carr, secured an exemption / invitation to the 2023 Masters Tournament and the 2023 U.S. Open Championship so long as he remains an amateur.

ME.

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20th August 2022

Match Play – Semi-Finals

The start of play (2.00pm EDT) was delayed by 1 hour and 20 minutes on Saturday afternoon due to inclement weather.

Sam BENNETT (USA) beat Dylan MENANTE (USA) by 1 Hole in the opening Semi-Final. Bennett, who was 2up after 13 holes but was pegged back, birdied the par 5 17th to take a narrow win.

Match Play – Semi-Finals – Menante v. Bennett Scores (Graphic: USGA)

Ben CARR (USA) overcame Derek HITCHNER (USA) by 3&2, pulling away on the back nine after two birdies on the 13th and 14th holes.

Match Play – Semi-Finals – Carr v. Hitchner Scores (Graphic: USGA)

Here is a quick profile of each of the Quarter Finalists: –

Dylan MENANTE (USA) / Carlsbad, California / 21 years old  / SPWAR #12, WAGR #8

Sam BENNETT (USA) / Madisonville, Texas / 22 years old / SPWAR #16, WAGR #3

Ben CARR (USA) / Columbus, Georgia / 22 years old / SPWAR #48, WAGR #70

Derek HITCHENER (USA) Minneapolis, Minnesota / 22 years old / SPWAR #37, WAGR #51

Hitchener, seeded #59, came through Wednesday morning’s 15-for-11 play-off to take his place in the Match Play stage.

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19th August 2022

Match Play – Quarter Finals

There were no surprises in the Quarter Finals with the higher ranked players all prevailing.

Sam Bennett’s post round interview raised a few eyebrows. He said “They’re great players, but I’m a better player. Number 3 in the rankings and I feel like I’m the best player. I’m the dog in this race. I’ve been playing the best golf leading up to here.” It will be interesting too see if he can ‘walk the talk’ over the next two days.

Match Play – Quarter Finals Results (Graphic: USGA)

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18th August 2022

Match Play – Round of 16

International interest in the 122nd U.S. Amateur Championship ended at this stage with David PUIG (ESP), Hayden HOPEWELL (AUS) and Hugo TOWNSEND (SWE) all losing their matches in the afternoon series.

Here are the results from the Round of 16: –

Match Play – Round of 16 Results (Graphic: USGA)

Match Play – Round of 32

Here are the results from the Round of 32: –

Match Play – Round of 32 Results (Graphic: USGA)

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17th August 2022

Match Play – Round of 64

The three remaining GB&I players, Sam BAIRSTOW (ENG) #44, Josh HILL (ENG) #35 and Mark POWER (IRL) #11, all fell at the first match play hurdle.

Bairstow handed the initiative to the experienced three time USA Walker Cup player Stewart HAGESTAD #21 by playing the opening five holes in 4-over in their Round of 64 encounter. However the Yorkshireman fought back to a Tied position after 10 holes with some solid par golf. Unfortunately parity couldn’t be retained and a bogey on the 11th followed by two birdies by the American on 16 and 17 saw the match end in a 3&1 defeat.

Round of 64 – Stewart Hagestad v. Sam Bairstow Scores (Graphic: USGA)

Josh Hill was 1-over for the 17 holes he played around the challenging Ridgewood course and therefore didn’t do too much wrong but unfortunately came up against an in-form Campbell KREMER (USA) #30 who was 2-under when the match ended.

Round of 64 – Campbell Kremer v. Josh Hill Scores (Graphic: USGA)

Mark Power couldn’t re-produce the play in his Round of 64 match that had seen him qualify strongly for the match play stage over the first two days of the Championship. 4-over for the 16 holes played was unlikely to get the job done against Walker ISLEY (USA) #54 who appears to have made few mistakes.

Round of 64 – Mark Power v. Walker Isley Scores (Graphic: USGA)

A very competitive Round of 64 saw a number of games require extra holes and numerous ‘upsets’.

Andrew VON LOSSOW‘s (USA) #63 3&2 win against co-medalist Michael THORBJORNSEN (USA) #2 was arguably the biggest surprise.

The ‘curse of the medalist’ also struck again with #64 seed Peyton SNOEBERGER (USA) taking out the #1 qualifier Luke GUTSCHEWSKI (USA) over 20 Holes.

The two other co-medalists Hugo TOWNSEND (SWE) #3 and Fred BIONDI (BRA) #4 both progressed after wins against JonErik ALFORD (USA) #62 and Frankie CAPAN (USA) #61 respectively.

Here are the full Round of 64 results: –

Match Play – Round of 64 Results (Graphic: USGA)

Click here to view the – 2022 U.S. Amateur Match Play Scores

Stroke Play Qualifying – Play-Off

The 15-for-11 play-off started at 7.30am local time (12.30pm BST) on the 148 yard par 3 15th hole at The Ridgewood Country Club.

14 Americans and one Australian, Karl VILIPS, were participating in the early morning shoot out.

Walker ISLEY (USA) birdied the hole to claim the #54 seeding and a match against Ireland’s Mark POWER.

Conveniently for the USGA ten of the remaining players parred the hole (taking the #55th to #64th seedings) and four, including Vilips, bogeyed it meaning the play-off was resolved in 52 minutes with just one extra hole being necessary.

ME.

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16th August 2022

Stroke Play Qualifying – Round 2

The Stroke Play Qualifying concluded with 68 of the 312 competitors still involved in the 122nd U.S. Amateur Championship.

53 players on +4 and better have secured their spots in the Round of 64 Match Play draw. The remaining 15, who all finished with +5 totals, will play-off tomorrow morning for the final 11 places.

Fred BIONDI (BRA), Luke GUTSCHEWSKI (USA), Hugo TOWNSEND (SWE) and Michael THORBJORNSEN (USA), who double bogeyed his final hole, shared medalist honours after recording 36-hole scores of 138 (-3). 2022 is the first time the Championship has produced four co-medalists.

Michael Thorbjornsen, Hugo Townsend, Fred Biondi and Luke Gutschewski (Photo: USGA)

Hugo Townsend, who was born in Ireland and now resides in and represents Sweden, is the son of the 1965 GB&I Walker Cup player Peter Townsend.

Gordon SARGENT (USA) produced the best round of the Stroke Play Qualifying competition in Round 2, a bogey free 65 (-5) at Arcola Country Club, to take the 5th seed.

Mark POWER (IRL), who was the leading GB&I player, finished his second round 68 with an eagle to secure an impressive top 10 result.

Stroke Play Qualifying Results – Top 10 (Graphic: USGA)

Power was joined by Englishmen Josh HILL (+3) and Sam BAIRSTOW (+4) in the Match Play Stage after both produced good second rounds to comfortably make the mark.

Sandy SCOTT (SCO) bounced back well with a 70 at Arcola but like the other GB&I entries had simply left himself too much to do after poor opening rounds.

In Round 2 the average score at The Ridgewood (par 71) was 77.03 (Round 1: 76.52) and Arcola (par 70) 74.87 (Round 1: 75.62). Whilst a little simplistic this suggests a Ridgewood first, Arcola second draw was beneficial during the Qualifying.

19 players, one more than yesterday, broke par, although the split was very different. Five players broke par at The Ridgewood Country Club (Round 1: 11) whilst 14 achieved the feat at Arcola Country Club (Round 1: 7).

GB&I Stroke Play Qualifying Results (Graphic: USGA)

Click here to view the – 2022 U.S. Amateur Stroke Play Qualifying Results

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15th August 2022

Stroke Play Qualifying – Round 1

Just 18 players from a starting field of 312 broke par around the challenging host venues. Eleven came at The Ridgewood Country Club and seven at Arcola Country Club.

The five Round 1 leaders, all American, opened their accounts at The Ridgewood with 3-under 68’s. Michael THORBJORNSEN, the 2018 U.S. Junior Amateur and a rising junior at Stanford University, is the standout name amongst this group.

South Africa’s Christo LAMPRECHT, a rising junior at Georgia Tech University, recorded the best round at Arcola on Day 1 with a 2-under 68.

Both courses played on average 5.5 shots over par; The Ridgewood (par 71) at 76.52 and Arcola (par 70) 75.62.

Stroke Play Qualifying Round 1 Leaderboard & Round 2 Tee Times (Graphic: USGA)

It was sadly not a particularly good day for the GB&I contingent. Josh HILL and Mark POWER (tied 52nd) led the way for us with 2-over scores and positions within the all important top 64.

Hill, who started his Championship at Arcola, looked on course for a better score but a double bogey on his 16th hole and a bogey on his 17th, the 6th and 7th on the course after he had teed off on the 10th, saw him not get fully rewarded for a good day’s work.

Power dropped two early shots on the 2nd and 5th at The Ridgewood but battled well to be even par for the remainder of his round, a bogey on long par 4 10th offset by a birdie on the short 12th.

For the remainder of our players it is going to take an exceptional round on Day 2 to make the match play cut, although Sam BAIRSTOW (+5 / T132) and John GOUGH (+6 / T166) are certainly not out of the running yet.

Based on the Round 1 scores it is anticipated that a maximum 145 total (+4) will be required to progress.

GB&I Round 1 Scores (Graphic: USGA)

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12th August 2022

Introduction

This year’s Championship is being played at The Ridgewood Country Club and Arcola Country Club, both of which are located in Paramus, New Jersey.

Administered by the United States Golf Association (USGA) the U.S. Amateur is the most important and prestigious competition in the amateur golf calendar.

2022 Field

7,749 entries were received for the 122nd U.S. Amateur Championship.

312 players, who were either exempt or who came through pre-qualifying, from 29 different countries will be competing.

Exemptions were granted based on past performances in previous amateur championships, selection for the Walker Cup and World Amateur Golf Rankings.

94 qualifying events, all played over 36 holes, were staged between 27th June and 27th July to make up the rest of the field. Click here to view all of the – 2022 Qualifying Results.

The average age of the field this year is 22.79 with the youngest player being Thailand’s Ratchanon Chantananuwat (15, born 4th March 2007) and the oldest USA’s Jerry Gunthorpe (59, born 25th May 1963).

Chantananuwat and Spain’s David Puig have both competed as amateurs on the LIV Golf Invitational Series in recent months. Puig has earned $267,000 (2 events) and Chantananuwat $136,000 (1 event) to date both clearly via Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) contracts as the maximum allowable prize money is $1,000 per event.

There are nine Great British & Irish (GB&I) players in the 2022 field. They are: –

Sam BAIRSTOW (ENG) – Exemption: WAGR Top 50 as at 22nd June 2022
Ryan DIXON (ENG) – Qualifier: Riverhill C.C., Kerrville, Texas on 11th July 2022
Alfie FOX (ENG) – Qualifier: Burningtree C.C., Decatur, Alabama on 5th July 2022
John GOUGH (ENG) – Exemption: WAGR Top 50 as at 22nd June 2022
Josh HILL (ENG) – Exemption: WAGR Top 50 as at 22nd June 2022
Bobby LEOPOLD (ENG) – Qualifier: Connecticut National G.C., Putnam, Connecticut on 29th June 2022
Mark POWER (IRL) – Exemption: Walker Cup GB&I Team Member 2021
Sandy SCOTT (SCO) – Exemption: GB&I Walker Cup Team Member 2019
Sam STOREY (ENG) – Exemption: Decotah Ridge G.C., Morton, Minnesota on 28th June 2022

To put this into context there were 5 GB&I players at Oakmont last year, 11 at Bandon Dunes in 2021, 11 at Pinehurst in 2019, 7 at Pebble Beach in 2018, 9 at Riviera in 2017 and 11 at Oakland Hills in 2016.

Format / Schedule

36-holes of stroke play will determine the top 64 match play qualifiers. Ties for the last qualifying place will be resolved by a sudden death play-off.

Six 18 hole match play rounds will then be played culminating in a 36-hole Championship Final. Extra holes will be played to resolve any halved games.

Monday 15th August – Stroke Play Round 1 (Ridgewood and Arcola – 18 holes)
Tuesday 16th August – Stroke Play Round 2 (Ridgewood and Arcola – 18 holes)
Wednesday 17th August – Match Play Round of 64 (Ridgewood – 18 holes)
Thursday 18th August – Match Play Rounds of 32 and 16 (Ridgewood – 18 holes)
Friday 19th August – Match Play Quarter Finals (Ridgewood – 18 holes )
Saturday 20th August – Match Play Semi-Finals (Ridgewood – 18 holes)
Sunday 21st August – Match Play Championship Final (Ridgewood – 36 holes)

Host Courses

The Ridgewood Country Club – stroke play and match play
7,487 yards (maximum), Par 71
Opened in 1929
Designed by A.W. Tillinghast with renovations completed by Gil Hanse in 2000

The Ridgewood C.C. has previously staged the Ryder Cup (1935), U.S. Amateur (1974), PGA Tour Barclays (2008 and 2010) and the U.S. Girls’ Junior Amateur (2016).

Arcola Country Club – stroke play co-host
7,256 yards (maximum), Par 70
Opened in 1909
Deisgned by Herbert H. Barker & William G. Wilkinson with subsequent renovations by Robert Trent Jones Sr. and Steve Smyers.

Weather Forecast

The weather forecast (as at 12th August) is mixed with a fair amount of rain showers forecast for the week.

Stroke Play Qualifying
Mon 15th August – Light Rain Showers PM / Wind 9 mph SE / Temp. Min. 17°C, Max. 25°C.
Tues 16th August – Light Rain Showers / Wind 12 mph NE / Temp. Min. 16°C, Max. 24°C.

Match Play Stage
Weds 17th August – Light Rain Showers / Wind 10 mph N / Temp. Min. 16°C, Max. 24°C.
Thurs 18th August – Sunny Intervals / Wind 9 mph NW  / Temp. Min. 17°C, Max. 27°C.
Fri 19th August – Sunny / Wind 9 mph SW  / Temp. Min. 18°C, Max. 28°C.
Sat 20th August – Light Rain Showers PM / Wind 9 mph S / Temp. Min. 19°C, Max. 29°C.
Sun 21st August – Sunny Intervals / Wind 6 mph S / Temp. Min. 19°C, Max. 29°C.

Prizes

The 2022 U.S. Amateur champion will receive the following: –

a) A gold medal and custody of the Havemeyer Trophy for the following year;
b) An exemption to play in the 2023 U.S. Open which is being staged at The Los Angeles Country Club;

and assuming they remain amateur,
c) An exemption to play in the 2023 Open Championship at Royal Liverpool G.C.;
d) An invitation to play in the 2023 Masters at Augusta National Golf Club;
e) An exemption to play in the 2023 – 2032 U.S. Amateur Championships;

and unofficially

f) Various invitations to play in PGA Tour and European Tour events.

A Silver Medal is awarded to the runner-up and Bronze Medals to the two losing semi-finalists. A Bronze Medal is also awarded to the stroke play medalist(s).

The original silver Havemeyer Trophy was presented to the U.S.G.A. on March 1895 in honour of the Association’s first President Theodore A. Havemeyer. This was lost in a fire at Bobby Jones’ home club, East Lake, in 1925.

A new gold trophy was produced in 1926. This was retired in 1992 with a copy of the trophy being produced and passed from champion to champion ever since. Sadly the original gold trophy was stolen from the U.S.G.A. Museum in 2012 and has never been seen since.

Spectators / Television Coverage

Some highlights of the stroke play will be shown on the USGA website and social media channels.

In the USA Peacock and Golf Channel will be covering the match play stage.

In the UK Sky Sports Golf normally take the U.S. television feed, via the Red Button, over the final match play weekend.

2021 U.S. Amateur Championship

James PIOT (USA), 22, won the 121st U.S. Amateur Championship beating Austin GREASER (USA), 20, by 2&1 in the 36-hole Final at Oakmont C.C.

Greaser entered the final back nine with a 3Up lead but by the time he got to the 14th tee he was 1Down, Piot having won four consecutive holes with two birdies and two pars.

Earlier this year Piot turned professional and joined the LIV Golf series.

James Piot (Photo: USGA / Chris Keane)

Medalist honours in the Stroke Play Qualifying went to Mark GOETZ (USA), 23, after rounds of 64 and 68 at Longue View and Oakmont respectively gave him a 132 -8 total, the joint second lowest in the history of the Championship.

Mark Goetz (Photo: USGA / Chris Keane)

Alex FITZPATRICK (ENG) was the only GB&I player to qualify for the Match Play Stage. He won one game before losing in the Round of 32 to Davis CHATFIELD (USA) by 1 Hole.

Not helped by the ongoing COVID-19 related travel restrictions there were only five GB&I competitors in the 2021 U.S. Amateur Championship.

GB&I Stroke Play Qualifying Results (Graphic: USGA)

*Conor GOUGH (ENG) shot a 74 +4 around Longue View in his opening round and was lying tied 140th before withdrawing overnight.

Click here to view the – 2021 US Amateur Stroke Play Qualifying and Match Play Results

U.S. Amateur Championship History

The U.S. Amateur is the oldest golf championship in America and 2022 will see its 122nd playing.

It was first played in 1895, the winner being Charles B. Macdonald.

It has always been decided by match play save for an 8 year period between 1965 and 1972 when the winner was determined solely by stroke play.

Former U.S. winners include Walter Travis (1900-01-03), Jerome Travers (1907-08-12-13), Bobby Jones (1924-25-27-28-30), Francis Ouimet (1914-31), W. Lawson Little (1934-35) Arnold Palmer (1954), Jack Nicklaus (1959-61), Deane Beman (1960-63), Lanny Wadkins (1970), Craig Stadler (1973), Mark O’Meara (1979), Hal Sutton (1980), Phil Mickelson (1990), Justin Leonard (1992), Tiger Woods (1994-95-96), Matt Kucher (1997), Ryan Moore (2004) and Bryson DeChambeau (2015).

British players have won the Championship on six occasions but just twice in the last 100 years – H.J. Whigham (1896-97), Findlay Douglas (1898), Harold Hilton (1911), Richie Ramsay (2006) and Matthew Fitzpatrick (2013).

Matthew Fitzpatrick (Photo: U.S.G.A.)

Italy’s Edoardo Molinari (2005) and Norway’s Viktor Hovland (2018) are the only players from the Continent of Europe to have lifted the Havemeyer Trophy.

Future U.S. Amateur Venues

For reasons I have never understood the USGA continue to allocate venues far out into the future: –

14-20 August 2023 – Cherry Hills Country Club, Cherry Hills Village, Colorado
12-18 August 2024 – Hazeltine National Golf Club, Chaska, Minnesota
11-17 August 2025 – The Olympic Club, San Francisco, California
10-16 August 2026 – Merion Golf Club, Ardmore, Pennsylvania
09-15 August 2027 – Oak Hill Country Club, Pittsford, New York
13-19 August 2029 – Inverness Club, Toledo, Ohio
12-18 August 2030 – Atlanta Athletic Club, Johns Creek, Georgia
11-17 August 2031 – Honors Course, Ooltewah, Tennessee
TBD August 2032 – Bandon Dunes, Oregon
TBD August 2041 – Bandon Dunes, Oregon
TBD August 2047 – Oakland Hills Country Club, Bloomfield Hills, Michigan

ME.

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