Steelman medalist in wild Western Amateur

Writing from Highland Park, Illinois

Thursday, August 4, 2022

In a few years, what Ross Steelman accomplished on Thursday would be accompanied by a trophy ceremony and an oversized check late on a Sunday afternoon. Streelman beat a field of 155 other players to the finish line in the 120th Western Amateur – sorry, no check – with a 72-hole score of 14-under-par 270 at Exmoor Country Club, including Thursday’s 36-hole grind that produced rounds of 66 and 68.

But while leading the stroke-play portion of the Western Am gets you a trophy and a handshake, Steelman is only halfway home. After winning in the equivalent of a PGA Tour weekend – and many of these players will be playing for cash within a few years, if not weeks – the competition is only beginning.

The Western Am has the most formidable schedule in golf. On Friday morning, Steelman and 15 other worthies commence match-play eliminations. The Sweet Sixteen round in the morning, quarterfinals on Friday afternoon, the semifinals on Saturday morning, and finally two players will remain on Saturday afternoon to scrap for the grand title.

“It’s a tough three days,” Steelman said. “I’m really happy to medal. I played really solidly and am happy to come out on top against the best 156 amateurs in the world.

“It’s a long week. I like match play a lot. You can make a 12 and it doesn’t hurt you. It’s a different pace.”

Among those advancing was defending champion Michael Thorbjornsen of Wellesley, Mass., who scored 7-under 277, and Ricky Castillo of Yorba Linda, Calif., making his fourth straight Sweet Sixteen appearance after posting 8-under 276. Castillo made it to the semifinals in 2019 and 2020 but was knocked out by Thorbjornsen in last year’s quarterfinals.

Tommy Kuhl of downstate Morton and Illinois’ golf team, the runner-up in the Illinois Amateur, tied for fourth at 9-under 275, and says he can flip the switch from stroke play to match play.

“ I’ve got to be ready for tomorrow,” Kuhl said. “It doesn’t really matter (who the opponent is). I’ve just got to go out and do my thing.

“My game feels the best it ever has. I’m playing more confidently than I have all summer and even last year. Been struggling with my ball-striking. Usually that’s my strength. This week I just decided to trust it, and I’m hitting it so good off the tee.”

The playoff for the final two spots began with seven players who deadlocked at 6-under 278 and still featured a quartet, Austin Greaser, Adrien Dumont de Chassart, Gordon Sargent and Ian Siebers, after three sudden-death holes. Greaser advanced on the fourth hole, and some 30 minutes after the 8:04 p.m. sunset, Dumont de Chassart advanced on the seventh extra hole via a 20-foot birdie putt.

His survival places three Fighting Illini players in the Sweet Sixteen for the first time since 2014 at Beverly Country Club. He would join Kuhl and transfer Matthis Besard, like Dumont de Chassart from Belgium.

Cohen Trolio, John Butler and Patrick Welch were eliminated on the first two holes.

Sweet Sixteen Pairings

8 a.m. – Ross Steelman vs. Adrien Dumont de Chassart

8:12 a.m. – Tommy Kuhl vs. Travis Vick

8:24 a.m. – Mateo Fernandez de Oliveira vs. Yuxin Lin

8:36 a.m. – Cole Sherwood vs. Michael Thorbjornsen

8:48 a.m. – Matthis Besard vs. Austin Greaser

9 a.m. – Kelly Chinn vs. Ricky Castillo

9:12 a.m. – William Mouw vs. Spencer Tibbits

9:24 a.m. – Derek Hitchner vs. Connor McKinney

Around Exmoor

Among those missing the cut of 6-under 278: 2019 champion Garrett Rank, the NHL referee and Illinois Amateur champion Mac McClear of Hinsdale. In McClear’s case, the next stop is the U.S. Amateur. … The elite quality of the field is shown by the four-round scoring average of 72.46 on the par 71 layout. Fourteen holes played over par, but all three par-5s were under par, defenseless again the length of the modern player. … A majority of players and caddies word blue ribbons on their hats or caddie bibs as a show of support for the Highland Park community, wracked by the shooting at the Fourth of July parade a month ago.

– Tim Cronin