Amateur Spotlight: Walker Cup Is One List College Star Hopes To Make

2004 U.S. Amateur Runner-Up Poised For One Final Run This Summer

May 23, 2007

By Stuart Hall

Danny Elkins stood on the Olympia Fields ( Ill. ) Country Club practice range prior to the 2003 U.S. Open and soaked in the sight of the game's sweetest swings.

A long-time teaching pro and an accomplished Georgia PGA player, Elkins held a greater appreciation of the workings of a swing than those spectators sitting behind him in the grandstands. And to him, no swing looked any tighter or more effortless than that of 18-year-old amateur Luke List.

Luke List, competing at the 2005 U.S. Open, has played in three majors already. (John Mummert/USGA)
Granted, Elkins was a bit partial since List had been his student since midway through 2002. But he could just tell by watching the Ringgold, Ga. , native that there was something special sprouting out of that lanky 6-foot-2, 190-pound body.

"When I initially saw him, I thought he was unbelievably talented," said Elkins. "Granted, he was still a work in progress at that time, but when you watched him swing, he had an ease and grace about him."

Fast forward about 14 months after Elkins watched List on the U.S. Open practice range.

At the 2004 U.S. Amateur at Winged Foot Golf Club in Mamaroneck, N.Y., List, then 19, whittled his way into the 36-hole championship match against 21-year-old Ryan Moore, who was having the greatest amateur season since Bob Jones in 1930 by winning the NCAA Division I championship, the U.S. Amateur Public Links and the Western Open.

List, who trailed only five holes in the week's six matches, held a 2-up lead through the 32nd hole. Moore , though, won the final four holes to post a 2-up victory and claim the title, becoming the first player in USGA history to win both the APL and Amateur in the same calendar year.

"Should I have won?" List now asks rhetorically, weighing his response. "It would have been great to win, but keep in mind I got beat by a great amateur. I gave it my best."

Therein lies the story of List, now 22 and a week away from ending his Vanderbilt collegiate career at the NCAA Division I Championships in Williamsburg , Va.

Should he have won more than a handful of collegiate and amateur events, the last being the prestigious Jones Cup, a highly-touted amateur event held in February? Probably, yes.

Does it define him? No.

"I've never been one to get down on myself," said List, a semifinalist at the 2003 Amateur Public Links. "Of course we all have our moments, but in the long road, I try and stay balanced. Not too excited, not too upset."

Elkins believes a lot of expectations were placed on List following his '04 U.S. Amateur run. In fact, losing that final to Moore may ultimately be the proverbial blessing in disguise.

"He wins there and all of a sudden people start thinking he should win all of the time," said Elkins. "Did that one slip away? Probably, but who hasn't let one slip away. If you watch Luke for any amount of time, you see that potential to be something very special."

What Elkins sees is a player with plenty of tools at his disposal.

"So many of today's players hit the ball long, but Luke hits it long with ease," said Elkins. "And that gives him the ability to hit different trajectories, different speeds. He's able to get out of his usual rhythm and hit shots with confidence.

"His game impresses me, but more than that, he's so grounded, just a fine person. He's not concerned about what might have been. He knows he's good and he knows he's going to win some more. At the same time, he also can accept that maybe a few got away. That's a sign of maturity that some players don't have. He won't beat himself up."

In a way, the near miss at the U.S. Amateur, along with others the past couple of years, has whetted List's taste for winning.

"I was in contention, that's what you want," said List. "I've been in contention a lot. Maybe I should have won more than I did, but at least I gave myself a shot. Golf is a funny game like that. You look to put yourself in contention. Then with a little luck and a few breaks you start winning."

Before the violin strings are played, consider some of the numbers of List's collegiate career. He owns the third- through sixth-best season scoring averages in Vanderbilt history since 1993 (PGA Tour pro and '03 APL champion Brandt Snedeker owns positions one and two). He owns the school's two best low rounds - a 63 as a freshman and a 62 at the College All-American in El Paso , Texas , in March. He's won twice, which is second only to Snedeker's three.

Also on List's playing resume are three major appearances - a Masters (where he tied for 33rd in 2005) and two U.S. Opens.

"You have to be careful how you phrase something like this, but I have no doubt that Luke will be successful at the next level," said Elkins. "Does that mean he will win a lot? Who knows, but I truly believe we will be seeing Luke's name up on a lot of leaderboards. I'm not concerned that he's let some chances get away in the past."

Moving Forward

Born in Seattle , Wash. , and raised in northwestern Georgia, List learned the game from his grandfather, Robert Brown, who played at the University of Tennessee . His parents, Mark and Bonny, were All-American swimmers at the University of North Carolina . In fact, List's mother had her own near-miss, failing to make the 1976 U.S. Olympic swim team in the 100-meter freestyle by two-one hundredths of a second.

"I just was not into swimming laps," cracked List as to why he never got the urge to be competitive in the pool. "But both my mom and dad have been a great support system. They know what it's like to be in the heat of the moment and the sacrifices needing to be made in order to be successful."

When List leaves historic Williamsburg next week, he will not immediately turn professional. He plans to play a full amateur schedule this summer - the Palmer Cup, the Northeast Amateur, the Sahalee Players Championship, the Southern Amateur and the U.S. Amateur in late August at The Olympic Club. He also is hoping to solidify his position for a shot at being selected to the USA Walker Cup team, which competes Sept. 8-9 at Royal County Down in Northern Ireland. List was not invited to the informal practice session this past January, but that was before he defeated Gary Woodland in a playoff at the Jones Cup. Woodland was invited to that practice session.

List just missed making the Walker Cup team in 2005 after his strong 2004 summer. But a lackluster spring and summer - he missed the 36-hole cut at the U.S. Open and also failed to qualify for match play at the APL - relegated him to alternate status for the 10-man squad.

"That was disappointing, no doubt, but again, it's a matter of putting yourself in position to succeed," said List, who advanced to sectional qualifying for the 2007 U.S. Open. He'll play at the Rockville , Md. , site June 4. "If I just go out and play my game, the way I know I can, and not get caught up in things I cannot control, then everything will work out."

Stuart Hall is a freelance writer from the Golf Press Association. His work has appeared previously on www.usga.org.