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Three USGA Amateur Champions Fare Well At Masters
By Ken Klavon, USGA
With strong showings at The Masters, three USGA amateur champions perhaps provided a bridge to the future.
Last year's U.S. Amateur winner Ricky Barnes, 1999 Junior Amateur victor Hunter Mahan and 2002 U.S. Amateur Public Links champion Ryan Moore stayed around to play to the end.
It was only the second time in the last 18 years that three amateurs made the cut at The Masters.
"Bobby Jones embodied amateur golf," Mahan told the Associated Press. "I'm proud of the amateurs. I don't think anyone gave us a chance."
Barnes, showing why he won the most prestigious event in amateur golf, finished 21st with a 3-over par 291, which earned him the silver cup as low amateur. It was the lowest score by an amateur since Matt Kuchar's 288 in 1998.
The Master's has had a tradition of inviting the U.S. Amateur champion to complete in the tournament. Only Billy Joe Patton (1954) and Ken Venturi (1956) have held the lead in the event; Patton through 36 holes and Venturi through 54 holes.
With non-professionals normally wilting like three-week old roses as the pressure mounts, and with history telling us no amateur has ever won The Masters, Barnes could walk away pinching himself.
After all, he entered the third round as the first amateur since 1961 to play in one of the final two groups on the weekend. Prior to that, he was paired with Tiger Woods in the first two rounds, actually besting the eight-time USGA champion by six strokes over 36 holes.
So, theoretically speaking, one would have to surmise Barnes' weekend as being 'dreamy.'
Right? Not quite. There's one ominous caveat to the story.
By finishing one elusive stroke away from placing in the top 16, Barnes didn't receive the automatic invitation back to next year's event.
''Low Amateur is a great title to have, but I'd rather be the second amateur and in the top 16,'' Barnes told the Associated Press Sunday after closing out with a 1-over par 73.
Woods helped the younger Barnes, who has also played in two U.S. Opens. The guidance was helpful as Barnes consistently out-drove the world's No. 1 player.
"He made me feel relaxed," Barnes said of Woods. "He told me to enjoy myself and things will go my way."
After their invigorating duel at last year's Amateur, it was only fitting that Barnes and Mahan -- both heading to the U.S. Open on exemptions -- entered the last day tied for 18th. Mahan, paired with Jack Nicklaus for the first two rounds and finishing 17 shots ahead of the legend, stumbled with a 76 in the final round. He finished 28th in a five-way lock with a 6-over 294.
Moore, making the cut with a 3-over 144, had trouble with his putting game in the third round, losing three strokes. When the dust settled, the UNLV junior-to-be finished tied for 48th, 13-over 301. Moore said he'd try to qualify for this year's U.S. Open.
Amid Barnes' setback, all was not lost on the Arizona senior.
''It's going to be a bummer going back to class," said Barnes. "I'll be sitting there saying to myself, 'Wow, I was just at The Masters.'"
Soon Barnes will have to flush those thoughts, because on the horizon is the U.S. Open at Olympia Fields -- where he will, of course, be paired again with Woods through at least the first two rounds.
Alex Miceli of the Golf Press Association contributed.
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