Valdes captures Western Am medalist honors

Writing from Glenview, Illinois

Thursday, August 3, 2023

Brendan Valdes looks like he has something left in his tank after 72 holes in the Western Amateur.

That’s a good thing, because the real tournament is just beginning.

Valdes, from Orlando, Fla., and Auburn, captured Western Amateur medalist honors at North Shore Country Club on Wednesday, adding rounds of 3-under-par 68 and 2-under 69 for a four-round total of 15-under 269 on the 7,193-yard course.

For that, he received a silver plate and gets his name on the Cameron Eddy Trophy.

And he gets to play more golf along with 15 fellow competitors in the match-play portion of the competition bright and early on Friday, beginning with a Sweet Sixteen match against Auburn teammate Carson Bacha. If Valdes wins four more matches, he wins the 121st edition of the Western Am, and will be remembered far longer than for being the medalist.

“I’ve played five rounds including the practice rounds,” Valdes said. “I’m through one tournament and now I have another one. I’m excited about it.”

To Valdes, switching from stroke play to match play doesn’t mean a completely different mentality.

“It’s the same thing,” Valdes said. “Instead of going out and beating the whole field I have to beat one guy. I wouldn’t say it’s too different. Maybe go at a few more pins?”

Why not? He’s already made 21 birdies and an eagle. At North Shore, that doesn’t happen by being bashful.

Valdes, whose first big splash in golf came five years ago by winning the Boys 14-15 bracket of the Drive, Chip & Putt Championship at Augusta National, made the U.S. Open field but missed the cut, and also qualified for the U.S. Amateur later in the month.

As always, the Sweet Sixteen is studded with notables, mostly young, but with one oldster.

The only Illinoisan who advanced is Mac McClear, the two-time Illinois Amateur and Big Ten individual champion from Hinsdale and Iowa. McClear plays Kazuma Kobori of Rangiora, New Zealand, at 8:12 a.m. Friday.

The one former champion advancing is Michael Thorbjornsen of Wellesley, Mass., who was on the bubble or close to it most of the day. Thorbjornsen saw his birdie putt on the 72nd hole lip out, forcing the 2021 winner into a seven-for-four playoff for those at 8-under 276. He acquitted himself admirably, lifting his 95-yard approach to within three feet of the cup on the first playoff hole, North Shore’s testing ninth, to advance.

The old man in the field is Stewart Hagestad, the only mid-amateur to make the Sweet Sixteen. The 32-year-old financial executive also used a playoff birdie to get in. That could help his chances at making a fourth straight Walker Cup team. Those selections will be made after the U.S. Amateur in a fortnight. Thorbjornsen has already been named to the squad.

Carson Bacha of York, Pa., and Cole Sherwood of Austin, Tex., also advanced in the playoff. Ian Gilligan of Reno, Nev., Karl Vilips of Perth, Australia, and Maxwell Moldovan of Uniontown, Ohio, were eliminated.

Ben Sluzas of Lockport and Ryan Banas of Winnetka, the latter part of a North Shore member family, missed the playoff by nine and 22 strokes, respectively.

Live coverage of match play will be on www.westernamateur.com and on Peacock at 10 a.m. CT., with the quarterfinals following in the afternoon. The semifinals and championship match are on Saturday.

– Tim Cronin

Round of 16 Matches

8 a.m. – Brendan Valdes (269), Orlando, Fla. vs. Carson Bacha (276*), York, Pa.

8:12 a.m. – Mac McClear (274), Hinsdale, Ill., vs. Kazuma Kobori (275), Rangiora, New Zealand

8:24 a.m. – Gustav Frimodt (272), Glomsbjerg, Denmark vs. Stewart Hagestad (276*), Newport Beach, Calif.

8:36 a.m. – Matthew McClean (272), Belfast, Northern Ireland, vs. Preston Summerhays (275), Scottsdale, Ariz.

8:48 a.m. – Drew Goodman (271), Norman, Okla., vs. Michael Thorbjornsen (276*), Wellesley, Mass.

9 a.m. – Jimmy Zheng (274), Auckland, New Zealand, vs. Caden Fioroni (275), San Diego, Calif.

9:12 a.m. – Nick Dunlap (272), Huntsville, Ala., vs. Cole Sherwood (276*), Austin, Tex.

9:24 a.m. – Wenyi Ding (273), Beijing, vs. Christiaan Maas (275), Pretoria, South Africa