U.S. Amateur Blog

 Uihlein Takes U.S. Amateur

For a short while, David Chung held the upper hand on Peter Uihlein in match play. Not anymore. That's because Uihlein, celebrating his 21st birthday, won the 110th U.S. Amateur, 4 and 2, after Chung conceded at Chambers Bay.

Entering the match, Chung had led Uihlein 2-1 in match play duels. On the 34th hole, Chung conceded after needing three shots to get out of thick fescue on a hill. He tried hitting a trap draw off the tee, he said. Chung added that he tried "a hero shot" on the third shot by going at the flagstick, but the ball stayed in the fescue.  

The two then shook hands and hugged.

"Shocked and surprised," said Uihlein when asked how he felt. "It's so surreal."

Chung said he expected Uihlein to come out strong.

"I was a little flat out there," said Chung, who was the runner-up in the 2004 U.S. Junior Amateur.

"It was hard to get into it. There was so much golf this week."

Hole 33

With a chance to end the match, Uihlein misses a 27-footer. Chung, who was in back of the green 40 feet away, two-putted to keep the match going.

Hole 32

David Chung has an errant drive, the ball stopping in a left fairway bunker. Uihlein puts his ball into a fairway bunker as well, but he has the better out, getting on the green. Uihlein eventually has an opportunity to win the hole with a 20-foot putt. He sinks it for birdie to win the hole.

Uihlein 3 up

 Hole 31

The gallery seems to be pulling for Chung as this point. Uihlein has 155 yards to the hole. He sends it to 9 feet of the hole. Chung has a uphill putt that he misses on the 512-yard par 4. Hole is halved.

Uihlein 2 up

Hole 30

David Chung fighting to come back, misses a 12-footer for birdie.

Uihlein 2 up

Hole 29

David Chung nails a 26-foot birdie putt to win his second consecutive hole. Uihlein, who putted before Chung, nearly holes his putt from 30 feet.

Uihlein 2 up

 Hole 28

On the 28th hole green, Chung misreads the green and watches as his ball breaks right. The ball stops 4 feet away before he converts. Uihlein narrowly misses his par putt. Chung gains a hole back.

Uihlein 3 up

Hole 27

This hole was halved. Chung ends up in the bunker about 15 feet under the lip. Uihlein is on the green. No one could make a move here.

Uihlein 4 up

Hole 26

Chung drives into the left rough onto a hill. He flubs his second shot. Uihlein finds the fairway. Second shot falls 52 yards short of the green. Seemingly in trouble, Chung holes out from 120 yards to gain a critical par save. Uihlein chips on and the ball rests 8 feet from the flagstick. Uihlein converts bringing a fist pump.

Uihlein 4 up

Hole 25

With a chance to go 4 up, pushes his 8-footer by the hole. Chung had found the upper shelf of the green, some 40 feet away, before guiding his ball close. Halved.

Uihlein 3 up

Hole 24

Both drives in the left rough. On his next shot, Chung ends up short and left of the green. Uihlein is right of the green but opts to use his putter. From 35 feet away, Uihlein proceeds to put it close to the flagstick. Chung winds up three-putting to lose the hole.

Uihlein 3 up

Hole 23

Chung, on the 344-yard par 4, drives it left into the rough. Uihlein is in the fairway. Chung too strong and ball goes to the back of the green.  Uihlien on. Chung looked at a 40-foot putt; Uihlein was inside his at 36 feet. Both knock it close for another halve.

Uihlein 2 up

 Hole 22

This hole is halved after Uihlein's 6-foot putt lips out. Chung scrambles to reach the green after being in the left rough. Chung had a 25-foot putt for birdie, but knocked it close.

Uihlein 2 up

Hole 21

On the par 3, which is playing 154 yards today, Uihlein's tee shot hits the front edge of the green and trickles toward the hole. Meanwhile, Chung finds the green, using a mound to funnel the ball to the hole. Uihlein two-putts from 20 feet while Chung two-putts from inside 15 feet.

Uihlein 2 up

 Hole 20

Uihlein, on the 402-yard, par-4, splits the fairway. Chung isn't as lucky as his ball sails into the right fairway rough. However, both were able to get on the green, where Chung pushes his 50-footer 2 feet by. Uihlein's 14-footer hits the right edge of the hole, but rolls 4 feet past. He converts for the halve.

Uihlein 2 up

Hole 19

Both players came out locating the fairway, although Uihlein needed relief from a sprinkler head. Both also record a green in regulation. Uihlein's putt is 40 feet away; Chung's is 30 feet on the right side of the green. Chung ends up three-putting. Both card bogeys.

Uihlein 2 up

Hole 18

Tom Watson used to always talk about bounce-back holes and how important they are to a round. Uihlein bounced back on the final hole of the morning 18, winning with an eagle to Chung's birdie. Uihlein chipped in from 40 feet. During the break, Uihlein said, "It was good. It was solid. I played the tough stretch of holes pretty well. I expect David to come out and make some putts and do [things]."

Play will resume at 11:45 a.m. PDT.

Uihlein 2 up

Hole 17

On the 183-yard par 3, Chung tries seizing some momentum as his tee shot stops 3 feet away from flagstick. Uihlein's tee shot ends up in a bunker and he doesn't convert the up and down. Chung sinks the putt to win.

Uihlein 1 up

 Hole 16

Chung once again scrambles. With the tee playing up at roughly 279 yards today, Chung groans after hitting his drive despite the gallery's cheers. That's because his ball lands in a greenside bunker 25 feet from the hole. Uihlein opts to use a fairway metal and watches as the ball bounds top the front edge of the green. Chung gets out to within 1 foot of the flagstick. Meanwhile, Uihlein drains a 6-footer. The hole is halved.

Uihlein 2 up

Hole 15

Chung played the hole two over for the week; Uihlein one under. Both record a green in regulation. Chung's mid-range putt rolls 4 feet past the hole, but he makes the comebacker. Uihlein two-putts from 18 feet. The first, "Get in the hole," uttering is heard from the gallery.

 Hole 14

After driving into a fairway bunker, Chung leaves the ball short of the green. Uihlein doesn't have the same issue after getting on the green in two shots. From 24 feet away, Uihlein leaves his putt short and picks up for par. Chung scrambles to sink an 8-footer for par and gain a halve.

Uihlein 2 up

Hole 13

Despite the cool conditions, Uihlein takes off his jacket and proceeds to split the fairway. Chung's ball goes into the left rough, leaving him roughly 75 yards short of Uihlein's ball. Chung's next shot ends up in a greenside bunker before getting out to 4 feet of the hole.  Uihlein two-putts from 25 feet while Chung converts the up and down.

Uihlein 2 up

Hole 12

On the 304-yard par 4, both drive the green, setting up makeable eagle putts. Uihlein, on the top tier of the green, tries to use the front edge slope to lag in the putt. It stops 6-feet short. Chung is below the hole and places his putt close. Both card birdies. The weather is still murky and in the the 50s.

Uihlein 2 up

Hole 11

On the 539-yard par-4 11th, Chung outdrives Uihlein, but both are on the fairway. Chung, with 189 yards to the hole, nails his approach shot to 15 feet. Uihlein is in front of the green, but like the last hole, has another miraculous par save. Chung drains his birdie putt to win the hole.

Uihlein 2 up

Hole 10

Uihlein's second shot rolls into a greenside bunker. Chung is on the green with his second shot. Uihlein, celebrating his 21st birthday today, sticks his next shot to within a foot. Chung knocks his putt to close range and picks it up. Hole halved.

Uihlein 3 up

 Hole 9

Chung put his tee shot into a greenside bunker, then got out to within 15 feet of the hole. Uihlein put his 10-footer to within 1 foot for a par. Chung can't get up and down and loses the hole.

Uihlein 3 up

Hole 8

On the 607-yard par-5 eighth hole, Chung was just off the fairway off the tee. Uihlein split the fairway. Chung had 120 yards to the green on his third shot. Uihlein near the green in two shots. Both made mid-range putts for birdie to halve.

Uihlein 2 up

Hole 7

Chung earns a much-needed win on the 508-yard par 4. Chung finds the left fairway, but Uihlein ends up 40 yards farther. Chung's approach stops at the back of the green. Uihlein's ball goes 15 feet past Chung's, into the back rough. Both players face downhill putts. Uihlein's first attempt rolls 8 feet past the flagstick. Chung narrowly misses a birdie and Uihlein concedes before missing his next two putts. 

Uihlein 2 up

Hole 6

The two halved with bogeys.

Uihlein 3 up

Hole 5

The gallery is starting to swell. It's still cold and overcast. Chung puts his drive into the right rough. He seems to be off his game. Uihlein on the fairway. Chung's approach is too strong as the ball rolls to the back of the green. Chung has a masterful chip to about 6 feet of the flag, but he misses the putt. Uihlein, in the meantime, two putts from 12 feet for par and wins the hole.

Uihlein 3 up

Hole 4

Entering today, Peter Uihlein played this 568-yard, par-5 hole at seven under par; Chung five under. Both find the fairway. Chung shows hubris by going for the green in two, but ends up short. Chung put his third shot to 12 feet short of the hole, but his first putt is too fast, stopping 10 feet past the hole. Uihlein has a mid-range putt that drops in the left edge of the hole for a birdie.

Uihlein 2 up

Hole 3

On the 190-yard par, Uihlein puts his tee shot 50 feet away from the hole on the back edge. He knew after hitting it that it was long, imploring the ball to stop. Chung isn't much better. His ball is 40 feet away from the hole. Uihlein leaves his putt 8 feet short; Chung knocks his to 5 feet. Both make par. Halved.

Uihlein 1 up

Hole 2

Uihlein uses an iron off the tee and misses the fairway. He's 0 for 2 in fairways hit. Meanwhile, Chung finds a fairway bunker. On the green, Chung three-putts; Uihlein cards birdie to go 1 up.

Uihlein 1 up

Hole 1

David Chung and Peter Uihlein both warmed up early Sunday. Weather conditions are cool, in the 50s, and cloudy. On the first hole, Uihlein puts his drive into the left rough while Chung finds the fairway. Uihlein had a mid-range birdie putt, but missed. The hole was halved.

All Square

Byeong-Hun An is proving again that he's going to be a tough out in this championship. On No. 5, he drained a 33-foot eagle putt to go 2 up. He followed it immediately with a bevy of fist pumps. It seemed An was ready to take control of the match when he nailed an 8-foot birdie on the next hole to go 3 up.

If ever David Chung needed to stop the wave of momentum, it was now. He did so on No. 7, sticking his approach to 6 feet and making the putt to gain a hole back.

In the other semifinal match, Patrick Cantaly trailed Peter Uihlein 2 up as they went to No. 10. Cantaly was in the fairway with 122 yards to the flagstick discussing what shot to hit with his caddie. Cantaly said he was going to go with a low liner. He instead struck a high-arcing shot that bounded until it stopped 5 feet left of the hole. His caddie turned and said, "His definition of a low shot is different in his mind, I guess," drawing laughs.

He made the putt to cut the deficit, but then gave it back on the next hole.

We're all set for the semifinals. Patrick Cantlay will take on Peter Uihlein, while David Chung goes up against Byeong-Hun An. Chung, who has had success in USGA championships, said he carries confidence going into Saturday. He's enjoying the setup and all the challenges the course presents.

In the other match, Uihlein said that all he knew about Cantlay is that he'll be a freshman at UCLA. Speaking of Uihlein, after he knocked off Oklahoma State University teammate Morgan Hoffmann, 1 up, the two embraced. "Sorry," Uihlein told his former roommate. Hoffmann responded by telling him to go out and win the championship.

The two Oklahoma State University teammates, Morgan Hoffmann and Peter Uihlein, are playing a nip-and-tuck match. Hoffmann had been clinging to a 1-up lead after sinking a 3-foot par putt on No. 6. It elicited a "Good putt, Morgan," from Uihlein.

Hoffmann lost the lead on the par-3 ninth, which starts on a ledge and has a precipitous drop to the green. Both players had 69-foot putts; Uihlein placed his to 1 foot and picked up. Hoffmann had a 3-footer, but pushed it.

Uihlein took his first lead on the 436-yard par-4 10th, draining a 12-foot right-to-left putt.

Incidentally, the last time two OSU teammates dueled in a U.S. Amateur was 1994 when Trip Kuehne eliminated Kris Cox in the semifinals. -- Ken Klavon

When Peter Uihlein won his match against John Hahn late Thursday, he looked at his next opponent and smiled. He'll get Morgan Hoffmann, fellow Oklahoma State University teammate. After his win over Alex Ching, Hoffmann said it's a tough course. "It's one of the longest courses I've ever seen. It's one of the hilliest."

Uihlein, when asked of the matchup, took the high road. "It will be a good day for OSU golf. It will be fun. We've never played head to head. We had a chance in our last U.S. Junior but I think he lost in the round of 16."

The Uihlein-Hoffmann match isn't the only one featuring university teammates. Max Homa will take on defending champion Byeong-Hun An, both of whom attend the University of California, Berkeley.

As an aside, let's hear it for Jed Dirksen. Why? Because he's opted to carry his own bag. He's been offered a caddie, but has refused.

 From writer Dave Shedloski:

NCAA champ Scott Langley, who emerged victorious from two 19-hole matches in the first two rounds of the U.S. Amateur, finally got off the golf course quickly in round three Thursday afternoon with a 6-and-4 thumping of Australian Ryan McCarthy. Langley never trailed, another departure from his first two match play outings when he had to rally from two-hole deficits against Tim Jackson and Patrick Reed.

"I'm happy to win today and get it done early," Langley said with a slight laugh. "Ryan is a great player, but he struggled a bit."

Langley, 21, of St. Louis, used his consistency and ball-striking to take command as higher winds began to whip Chambers Bay. "It changed dramatically from yesterday," he said of the course conditions. "You had to play smart today, had to think your win around, play for pars all the time."

Langley won three holes in a row, including two with pars, starting at the fifth to take command, and he won the ninth with a bogey to turn in four over. McCarthy missed a 5-foot birdie putt at the 10th to cut into the lead, and he never got another chance as Langley was steady all the way in, winning the 13th and 14th with pars to end it.

For whatever reason, David Chung has the pedigree to play in USGA championships. The junior-to-be at Stanford University made short work of Skip Berkmeyer, 36, winning 4 and 3 in the second round of match play. The match arguably took a turn on the 490-yard par 5 when Berkmeyer missed a 4-footer that would have halved the hole. Chung grabbed a 2-up lead, never looking back.

Chung, the 2004 U.S. Junior Amateur runner-up, plays with composure and a tactician's eye.

"What I love about a USGA setup is that you have to play smart and not mindless golf," said Chung, who is playing in his fifth U.S. Amateur and has already won the Porter Cup and Western Amateur this summer. "It's always a tough test and a fair test."

After defeating Berkmeyer on the 15th hole, transportation was waiting for both players to shuttle them to a second shuttle service needed to get back to the clubhouse. Chung considered walking back. Reading between the lines, he's not too concerned with playing another match today.

"[The course] is as taxing as you want to make it," he said. -- Ken Klavon 

Talk about a turnaround. After three magnificent days of clear blue skies and temperatures hovering around 90, the weather has done an about-face. Today it's 60, winds blowing and overcast. Some people are bundled up.

It will be a long day with two rounds. This course can cause more than just bruised egos. Sore muscles and legs are the norm. And tired arms from so many swings.

From writer Dave Shedloski:

Chambers Bay already is proving to be a staggering test of golf over the first two days with its hard greens and a stiff breeze complicating matters further. Now you can add noise pollution. About a dozen boats have been lingering near the shoreline on Puget Sound, and just after pulling up anchor one started blaring heavy metal music, clearly audible on the 16th green where one group was putting out. The group stopped and glared out into the water briefly and then finished up. Nobody missed his short putt, luckily.

From writer Dave Shedloski:

Bob Tway is once again caddieing for his son, Kevin, in the U.S. Amateur, and the younger Tway, a former U.S. Junior Amateur champion, looks like a lock to advance to match play after a 3-over-par 74 Tuesday at Chambers Bay gave him a 2-over 145 total. But Bob now has a happy dilemma, one he's faced in the past: to stay on Kevin's bag or go compete himself.

Don't be surprised if the eight-time PGA Tour winner remains at Chambers Bay for as long as his son is playing.

Two years ago Tway withdrew from the first PGA Tour playoff event, The Barclays, at Ridgewood Country Club in New Jersey to stay with Kevin at the U.S. Amateur at Pinehurst No. 2. This week, he is scheduled to play in the Champions Tour event at TPC Snoqualmie Ridge, a much shorter commute than the North Carolina to New Jersey trek. The Boeing Classic begins Friday about an hour's drive from Chambers Bay in Snoqualmie, Wash., east of Seattle, but Tway thinks he might not make that tee time, either.

"To be honest, after walking 36 holes yesterday (Monday) I'm fried," said Tway, who caddied for Kevin at the Home Course after a quick scouting of Chambers Bay. "This is not an easy walk anyway, so I'm done in. But I can't say that it's that tough of a decision; I mean, I'd rather stay and help Kevin anyway and take it as far as we can go. We'll see. You know, I've played enough golf. This is more important."

 From writer Dave Shedloski:

Interesting grouping that just made the turn at Chambers Bay Tuesday morning. Jim Liu, 14, the reigning U.S. Junior Amateur champion, is paired with Harry Rudolph III, 40, a longtime amateur player from La Jolla, Calif.

Rudolph is a former California State Amateur champion who was medalist and advanced to the quarterfinals of the 1987 U.S. Junior Am. He is watching a bit of history up close, given that Liu is the youngest ever winner of the U.S. Junior.

That shouldn't be a big deal to Rudolph, though. He has been a lifelong friend of 1990 U.S. Amateur champion and three-time Masters champion Phil Mickelson. Earlier this year, in late March, Rudolph was playing a casual round with Mickelson and two others at The Plantation Club outside of Palm Springs, Calif., and watched the No. 2 player in the world shoot a 58. A few weeks later Mickelson won his third Masters title.

From writer Dave Shedloski:

Not sure you could find a more difficult opening hole than No. 1 at Chambers Bay. It's a par 4 measuring 501 yards. Complicating matters is that it is playing into the wind with shifting breezes cutting across from right to left. Scoring average today might be a lot closer to 5 than 4 by day's end. Some days this hole will play as a par 5 of 542 yards. Why wait? It's a par 5 now.

Jeff Wilson, 47, a three-time medalist at the U.S. Mid-Amateur, closed out his first round today in style, going eagle-eagle to shoot a 62 at the Home Course.

"I'm still trying to figure what the heck happened," he said.

Wilson said he got on a roll on the 10th, 11th and 12th holes as his putter heated up.

His first eagle came at No. 8 (he started on No. 10) when he used a 3-wood to knock the ball 8 feet above the hole, which he eventually made. On No. 9, he chipped in with a wedge from 131 yards out.

"I made all the putts I should have and the putts I probably shouldn't have," said Wilson. -- Ken Klavon

Mark Wiebe watched his son Gunner Wiebe play today. It was a good day to watch, as Gunner nailed 18 of 18 greens and shot two under par.

Mark has a bum foot/ankle, but said he is going to try to play the Champions Tour’s Boeing Classic this weekend. -- Ken Klavon

At 51, Tim Jackson continues to roll along. The Germantown, Tenn., resident shot even-par 71 on Chambers Bay to find himself in the early mix. His secret? Patience. He shot two under through the front.

On the par-4 16th, he laced a 9-iron 145 yards to 3 feet of the hole. "I had a nice bounce. You never know what kind of bounce you'll get here," he said of the birdie.

Jackson shrugged off someone's question asking what it's like playing against competitors half his age. Each year he hears the same question.

"I'll tell you what I am," he said. "I'm a baseball player who started playing golf. I'm a competitor. It's the ultimate game."

With the way he's playing, there are no plans to take up bowling soon.

16th Hole

The 16th hole plays along the Puget Sound, tucked away below the hills at Chambers Bay. Maybe it made it easier to concentrate? In addition to Jackson's birdie, Will Bowman and Ryan McCarthy scored their own in exciting fashion.

Bowman, a senior at the University of North Carolina Greensboro, sank a 70-foot putt. He raised his right arm. He shot 7-over 78.

McCarthy, playing behind Bowman's group, sent his approach into a back bunker before holing out. He finished 3-over 74.

One of the locals wasn't kidding when he called the area "God's air conditioning." In the mornings here, like today, it is cool. High 40s, low 50s. Driving in, you needed a nice pair of sunglasses. Not a cloud in the sky. Once on site, different story. The sun is trying to break through, and doing so in spots. 

Switching gears, it's all for real now. It's interesting to note the disposition of players getting ready to play as opposed to the past couple of days. They're definitely not as loose. Maybe except for defending champion Byeong-Hun An, who said he feels no pressure as champion. "No, that was last year. This is all new and that's the way I'm approaching it."

While hanging out at the range this morning, one player could be overheard saying that Chambers Bay is a different world. He's not wrong. The place is breath-taking. The former gravel pit is expansive and sits next to the South Puget Sound. On the right day, Mt. Rainier and the Olympic Mountains can be seen in the distance.

A transportation driver estimated that the sun shows its face about 100 days a year. The rest of those days are overcast or rainy. There was a noticeable drop in temperature between the hotel and course this morning. Roughly 20 degrees. Players practicing today are subjected to the wind and clouds.

It's estimated to walk this course is between 7 1/2 and 8 miles. So it's long.

The last time University of Virginia Coach Bowen Sargent, 41, made an appearance in the U.S. Amateur, George W. Bush was in office. It was 1991 at The Honors Course (Tenn.). Nineteen years later he punched a ticket back to the championship after surviving a five-for-one playoff at Birdwood Golf Club in Charlottesville, Va., on Aug. 2, making a 25-foot birdie putt at the second extra hole.

Sargent stood on the first playoff hole thinking about the odds, knowing he had a 20 percent chance of qualifying. But he knew that his experience of playing in an Amateur, never mind it being 19 years ago, would give him a confidence boost. When his putt dropped in on the second playoff hole, he still had to wait for one player to try and make a 15-footer.

"It was exciting, disbelieving, exhilarating," said Sargent, entering his seventh year as head coach.

 What makes Sargent's story more intriguing is that two of his players - Amory Davis and Henry Smart - also qualified. And what if they happened to square off in match play?

"That would be really, really awesome," said Davis. "It would be one of the highlights of my life."

Added Smart: "I'd love it. It'd be something else. I wouldn't treat him as a friend. I'd treat him as a competitor."

Sargent laughed, just saying that it'd be nice if he met one of them in the final.