Writing from Olympia Fields, Illinois
Monday, August 17, 2015
The first day of the U.S. Amateur is an interesting study in golf and golfers. Each man in the field of 312 players comes in knowing that only 20 percent of the group will still be around on Wednesday, when match play commences.
And each man is confident they’ll be among that 20 percent. That represents 64 places. By hitting fairways and making some putts, how hard can it be?
Then the bell rings and the discovery is made. It can be very hard.
Monday at Olympia Fields Country Club was only the latest example in a string that stretches back to 1895.
For every Nick Hardy, the Illinois sophomore-to-be who cruised around the South Course in 2-under-par 68, a score that placed him in a tie for ninth entering Tuesday’s second round of qualifying, there was an Ethan Farnam. His 11-over 81 on the North Course all but guarantees he’ll be going back to Crystal Lake on Tuesday night without a berth in the field of 64.
Golf can be tough that way. Style counts for nothing, pedigree even less. The raw number rules.
Just ask Doug Ghim of Arlington Heights. The sophomore-to-be at Texas scored 6-over 76 on the testing North Course, despite authoring what might have been the shot of a day, a 180-yard approach from the to the ninth green that flew under the branches of one tree, soared over the next tree, missed the one after that, caught the green by inches and rolled to within four feet of the cup.
Ghim missed the putt. He’s in a tie for 219th going into the second round. Golf can be tough that way.
The rest of his round? Tough.
“I didn’t make enough putts, didn’t put it in play enough, and didn’t play smart,” Ghim said. “I came in thinking to shoot around even par and have a relatively stress-free day (Tuesday).”
Now, the heat will be on. The South Course is about a stroke easier, but that doesn’t mean his morning will be easy. Even with a 65 or 66, he’ll have to wait several hours to see if he makes the field – or ends up in a playoff.
“I have to think my way around,” Ghim said. “Today, I let emotions get in my way.”
Those bubbled up when he double-bogeyed the second hole. And with family watching a rare home game, it was difficult for Ghim keep them in check. Tuesday may be different. Nobody wants to go home, whether near or far, before match play begins.
A 65 on the South is possible. Matt NeSmith of North Augusta, S.C., carded precisely that on Monday morning, a stroke better than the 66s of Ryan Ruffels and Kenta Konishi on the North and Lee McCoy and Nathan Yankovich on the South.
Nobody else in the Illinois resident contingent could keep up with Hardy, though fellow Fighting Illini teammate Alex Burge (Bloomington) scored even-par 70 on the South to come close.
David Cooke (Bolingbrook) fired a 71 on South, Dan Stringfellow (Roselle) opened with a 73 on North, while Todd Mitchell (Bloomington) fashioned a 74 on North.
Andrew Price (Lake Bluff) shot 75 on North, Daniel Hudson (Western Springs) a 76 on North to match Ghim, Mack Foster (Knoxville) scored 79 on South, Jordan Lewis (Marion) took 80 on South, and Jordan Wetsch (St. Charles) brought up the rear with an 89 on North for solo possession of 312th place.
Illinois senior-to-be Charlie Danielson fired a 75 on South, while teammate Thomas Detry of Belgium answered to a 72 on North.
Defending champion Gunn Yang opened with a 73 on North. Beau Hossler, last year’s Western Amateur champion, scored 75 on North. Jon Rahm-Rodriguze of Spain, the world’s top-ranked amateur, opened with a 74 on North.
Western Amateur runner-up Aaron Wise had a 75 on South, while British Open low amateur Jordan Niebrugge scored 73 on South, while Paul Dunne, whose showing at St. Andrews through 54 holes prompted a special invitation from the USGA, carded a 71 on North. NCAA champion Bryson DeChambeau fired a 70 on South.
Missing from the field of 312 is Western Amateur champion Dawson Armstrong, who triumphed 10 days ago at Rich Harvest Farms. Armstrong failed to make it through U.S. Amateur qualifying, and the Western Am champ doesn’t get an exemption.
– Tim Cronin