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Garrett Barber, 18, of Stuart, Fla., won the 2018 U.S. Amateur Four-Ball title with partner Cole Hammer, defeating Chip Brooke and Marc Dull, 4 and 3, in the final at Jupiter Hills Club (Hills Course), in Tequesta, Fla. Barber advanced to the Round of 32 in last month’s U.S. Junior Amateur. He won this year’s Jones Cup Invitational (in a playoff over 2018 U.S. Open qualifier Theo Humphrey) and the 2017 Rolex Tournament of Champions. He claimed the 2017 Florida Class 1A high school state championship by six strokes with a 36-hole score of 10-under 134. Barber, who will attend Louisiana State University (LSU) in the fall, is the first player to have won both the Jones Cup Junior (2016) and the Jones Cup.

Luis Fernando Barco, 23, of Peru, is competing in his fourth consecutive U.S. Amateur. Barco won the 2018 Mexican Amateur Championship with a 5-under 283 for a five-stroke victory over runner-up Alvaro Ortiz. He has won three tournaments this year, including the Terra Cotta Invitational on April 15. As a senior at Purdue University in 2016-17, Barco was named to the Ping All-Region Team and posted the sixth-best single-season stroke average in school history (72.66).

Zach Bauchou, 22, of Forest, Va., has advanced to the Round of 32 in each of his previous two U.S. Amateurs. He won the Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship for the second consecutive year on Aug. 9. He fired a final-round 66 for a three-stroke victory and tied the championship record at 18-under-par overall. Bauchou, who was the 22nd American to claim the Canadian Amateur title last year, also finished third in both 2015 and 2016. Bauchou shot an 8-under 272 for a one-stroke victory last August. Bauchou, who will be a senior at Oklahoma State University, helped the Cowboys win the 2018 NCAA Championship. He earned second-team All-America and All-Big 12 Conference recognition while posting six top-10 finishes. 

Jake Beber-Frankel, 16, of Miami, Fla., advanced to match play for the second consecutive year in the U.S. Junior Amateur. He tied for 16th in the 2017 Class 1A state high school championship as a member of the Ransom Everglades High team. He was runner-up in the state Boys Junior (ages 13-15) and Junior Players at TPC Sawgrass in 2017. He finished seventh in the 2018 state Boys Junior (ages 16-18). His father David Frankel has directed several successful studio films, including “The Devil Wears Prada” and “Marley & Me,” while his mother owns a Miami advertising agency. His grandfather, Max, was the executive editor of the New York Times. His twin sister, Phoebe, is also a competitive golfer who finished 11th in the 2017 Class 1A girls’ state high school championship.

Jacob Bergeron, 20, of Slidell, La., competed in this year’s U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club and was one of three current Louisiana State University players to qualify for the championship. Bergeron, who will be a sophomore at LSU, was named to the Southeastern Conference All-Freshman Team after tying for 10th in the SEC Championship. He tied for sixth in this year’s Northeast Amateur, which included an opening-round 65. He is playing in his second consecutive U.S. Amateur.

Akshay Bhatia, 16, of Wake Forest, N.C., was the runner-up in the 2018 U.S. Junior Amateur, where he fell to Michael Thorbjornsen, 1 up, in the championship. Bhatia captured his second consecutive Boys Junior PGA title by one stroke with a 72-hole score of 11-under 277 on Aug. 3. He also won this year’s Junior Invitational at Sage Valley by one stroke over Frankie Capan with a 54-hole score of 214 (2 under) and the Polo Golf Junior Classic. In 2017, Bhatia advanced to match play in both the U.S. Junior Amateur and U.S. Amateur Four-Ball. Bhatia, whose sister Rhea just completed her junior season as a member of the Queens University of Charlotte women’s golf team, aced the 17th hole at Pinehurst No. 2 at age 12.

Nick Carlson, 21, of Hamilton, Mich., advanced to the semifinals of the 2016 U.S. Amateur, losing to eventual champion Curtis Luck, in 21 holes. He won two extra-holes matches and defeated Western Amateur champion Dylan Meyer in the quarterfinals. A rising senior at the University of Michigan, Carlson helped the Wolverines finish sixth in the 2018 Big Ten Conference Championship after earning Midwest All-District recognition the previous year.
 

Chris Crisologo, 22, of Canada, will play in his third consecutive U.S. Amateur. He advanced through a playoff to the Round of 64 last year at The Riviera Country Club. He was selected to the NCAA Division II All-America squad for the fourth year in a row as a member of the Simon Fraser University team. Crisologo, who resides in Richmond, British Columbia, also earned All-Region West recognition and was chosen Great Northwest Athletic Conference Player of the Year for a third time. He tied for 45th in the PGA Tour’s RBC Canadian Open on July 29.

Brad Dalke, 20, of Norman, Okla., is competing in his ninth USGA championship and fourth U.S. Amateur. Dalke was the runner-up to Curtis Luck in the 2016 U.S. Amateur and played in the 2017 Masters. A rising senior at the University of Oklahoma, he helped the Sooners capture the 2017 NCAA Championship by winning the decisive match in the victory over Oregon. Dalke helped the USA claim the 2018 Palmer Cup at the Evian Resort Golf Club in France. His father (Bill) was a starting linebacker on Oklahoma’s 1975 national championship football team and his mother (Kay Pryor) played on the first Oklahoma women’s golf team.

Michael Feagles, 20, of Scottsdale, Ariz., is the nephew of Pro Bowl punter Jeff Feagles, who played 22 seasons in the National Football League. Michael, who will be a junior at the University of Illinois, earned first-team All-Big Ten Conference honors this year after tying for fifth in the conference tournament. Feagles, who posted a career-low second-round 64, also tied for 10th in the NCAA Columbus Regional. His grandfather, John Foley, played golf at the University of Notre Dame.

Alex Fitzpatrick, 19, of England, is the younger brother of Matthew Fitzpatrick, who owns four PGA European Tour victories and tied for 12th in this year’s U.S. Open. Alex, who will be a freshman at Wake Forest University, was on the bag for his brother when he won the 2013 U.S. Amateur at The Country Club, in Brookline, Mass. In 2018, he was the runner-up to Billy McKenzie in the Spanish International Amateur, finished fourth in the Irish Amateur Open Championship and tied for 21st in the European Amateur Championship.

Luis Gagne, 20, of Orlando, Fla., shared low-amateur honors with Matt Parziale in the 2018 U.S. Open, tying for 48th at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club, in Southampton, N.Y. Gagne was one of three current Louisiana State University players to qualify for the U.S. Open. He earned third-team All-America and first-team All-Southeastern Conference honors as an LSU sophomore in 2017-18. Gagne is competing in his third consecutive U.S. Amateur and reached the quarterfinals in 2016. He helped the USA claim the 2018 Palmer Cup at the Evian Resort Golf Club in July and tied for fourth in the Northeast Amateur.

Noah Goodwin, 18, of Corinth, Texas, is competing in his fourth U.S. Amateur and ninth USGA championship. He won the 2017 U.S. Junior Amateur by defeating Matthew Wolff, 1 up, in the 36-hole final. He rallied from 4 down with eight holes left to win the championship and earn an exemption into the 2018 U.S. Open. Goodwin became the third player to win after being runner-up the previous year, joining Mason Rudolph (1950) and Tim Straub (1983). Goodwin, who will be a sophomore at Southern Methodist University (SMU), has the same swing coach (Cameron McCormick) as 2015 U.S. Open champion Jordan Spieth.

Ben Greve, 37, of Minneapolis, Minn., is an insurance agent who is competing in his third USGA championship. He has twice won the Minnesota State Open (2016, 2017) and was a member of Minnesota’s 2002 NCAA Championship team. Greve is married to Lindsay Whalen, a four-time WNBA champion with the Minnesota Lynx and a two-time Olympic gold medalist (2012, 2016) who was recently hired as the University of Minnesota’s head women’s basketball coach.

Will Grimmer, 21, of Cincinnati, Ohio, was one of three amateurs to make the 36-hole cut in the 2018 U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club, where he finished 66th. He is playing in his fifth consecutive U.S. Amateur and 12th USGA championship. He advanced to the Round of 32 at Olympia Fields (Ill.) Country Club in 2015. Grimmer, who is a rising senior at Ohio State University, tied for fourth in the 2018 Big Ten Conference Championship. He was third at The Players Amateur on July 15 at Berkeley Hall Golf Club. He qualified for the 2014 U.S. Open, where he was the youngest player (age 17) in the field.

Stewart Hagestad, 27, of Newport Beach, Calif., is competing in his ninth U.S. Amateur and 15th USGA championship. He won the 2016 U.S. Mid-Amateur by defeating Scott Harvey in 37 holes and was a member of the winning 2017 USA Walker Cup Team. Hagestad, who became the second-youngest Mid-Amateur champion, produced the largest comeback victory (4 down with 5 holes to play) since a 36-hole final was introduced in 2001. He was the low amateur in the 2017 Masters Tournament, tying for 36th. Hagestad was a member of the University of Southern California golf team, graduating in 2013.

Cole Hammer, 18, of Houston, Texas, advanced to the semifinals in this year’s U.S. Junior Amateur at Baltusrol Golf Club and won the U.S. Amateur Four-Ball with partner Garrett Barber. Hammer, who was the third-youngest player to compete in a U.S. Open when he played at Chambers Bay in 2015, is playing his second U.S. Amateur and ninth USGA championship. He reached the Round of 64 in 2015 at Olympia Fields (Ill.) Country Club. Hammer captured the Western Amateur on Aug. 4, defeating Davis Riley, 1 up, in the championship match. Hammer, who will attend the University of Texas in the fall, also claimed the Azalea Invitational when he defeated Hugo Bernard and Joseph Pagdin in a playoff.

Scott Harvey, 40, of Greensboro, N.C., is competing in his eighth U.S. Amateur and 28th USGA championship. He won the 2014 U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship, which earned him an invitation to the 2015 Masters, and was the runner-up to Stewart Hagestad in 2016. Harvey, a property manager, was a member of the 2015 USA Walker Cup Team and qualified to play in his first U.S. Open in 2017 at Erin Hills.

Joe Highsmith, 18, of Tacoma, Wash., reached the quarterfinals in the 2018 U.S. Junior Amateur, losing to the eventual champion Michael Thorbjornsen, 4 and 3, at Baltusrol Golf Club. Highsmith became the youngest player to win the Washington State Amateur last year when he posted a 54-hole score of 9-under 205. He also won the 2017 Class 4A state championship and helped Bellarmine Prep capture its third consecutive state crown. Highsmith, the 2016 state Junior Boys player of the year, will attend Pepperdine University in the fall of 2018.

Viktor Hovland, 20, of Norway, earned first-team All-America and All-Big 12 Conference honors in his sophomore season at Oklahoma State University and helped the Cowboys win the 2018 NCAA Championship. He had eight top-10 finishes, including a tie for third in the Big 12 Championship. Hovland, who tied for 11th in the NCAA Championship, was a member of the losing 2018 Palmer Cup International Team.

Matthew Jordan, 22, of England, recorded a nine-stroke victory in the 2018 Lytham Trophy at Royal Lytham & St Annes on May 6. Jordan, who was a member of the 2017 Great Britain and Ireland Walker Cup Team, tied for 16th in the European Amateur. He captured last year’s St. Andrews Links Trophy and was the runner-up in the Scottish Stroke Play Championship.

Drew Kittleson, 29, of Scottsdale, Ariz., was the runner-up to Danny Lee in the 2008 U.S. Amateur at Pinehurst No. 2. Kittleson, who was reinstated as an amateur three years ago, is a sales manager for a kitchen and bathroom remodeling company. He is competing in his fifth U.S. Amateur and advanced to match play at Chambers Bay in 2010. Kittleson, who competed in the 2009 Masters and U.S. Open, reached the quarterfinals of the 2005 U.S. Junior Amateur.

Sean Knapp, 56, of Oakmont, Pa., won the 2017 U.S. Senior Amateur, defeating Paul Simson, 2 and 1, at The Minikahda Club, in Minneapolis, Minn. Knapp is competing in his 14th U.S. Amateur, but first since 2010, and his 44th USGA championship. He advanced to the U.S. Amateur quarterfinals in 1998 and reached the Round of 16 in the 1995 U.S. Amateur before losing, 2 and 1, to eventual champion Tiger Woods. He is a 14-time Western Pennsylvania Golf Association Player of the Year. Knapp, who is vice president of financial sales for an investment management firm, began playing golf at age 19 while caddieing at Oakmont (Pa.) Country Club.

Jacob Koppenberg, 31, of Bellingham, Wash., is a volunteer assistant golf coach at his alma mater, Western Washington University, and works in business development for a communications services company. He is competing in his fourth U.S. Amateur, having advanced to the Round of 32 in 2008, where he lost to Rickie Fowler. Koppenberg was a two-time NCAA Division II All-American and twice Great Northwest Athletic Conference Player of the Year as a collegian.

Gaven Lane, 14, of Argyle, Texas, will be the third-youngest competitor in U.S. Amateur history, as he will be 14 years, 1 month and 28 days old at the start of the championship. Lane, who will be an eighth grader at Argyle Middle School, earned medalist honors at the Carrollton, Texas, sectional qualifier that was played in 102-degree heat..

Mark Lawrence Jr., 21, of Richmond, Va., advanced to the semifinals of last year’s U.S. Amateur, falling to the eventual champion, Doc Redman, 1 up. He was competing in his first USGA championship. Lawrence, who will be a senior at Virginia Tech, earned All-East Region and All-Atlantic Coast Conference honors in 2017-18. He won the 2017 Virginia State Golf Association Men’s Amateur Championship, matching his father, Mark Lawrence Sr., who won the title in 1980. The pair were the first father-son duo to claim the state amateur title.

Min Woo Lee, 20, of Australia, is competing in his third consecutive U.S. Amateur and fifth USGA championship. He defeated Noah Goodwin, 2 and 1, in the 36-hole final to win the 2016 U.S. Junior Amateur. He became the fourth international champion of the Junior Amateur and the first male Australian in 10 years to win a USGA title. His sister, Minjee, won the 2012 U.S. Girls’ Junior and owns four LPGA Tour victories. They are the first brother-sister tandem to win USGA junior championships.
 

Thomas Lehman, 23, of Scottsdale, Ariz., is the son of Tom Lehman, who won the 1996 Open Championship at Royal Lytham & St. Annes and three senior major professional titles. Thomas is a sophomore on the Cal Poly team and tied for 15th in the 2018 Big West Conference Championship. He competed in football and baseball (not golf) on the high school level. Lehman advanced to this year’s U.S. Open sectional qualifying in Daly City, Calif.

Logan Lockwood, 20, of Van, Texas, qualified for his first USGA championship with rounds of 68-65 in the Euless, Texas, sectional at the Texas Star Golf Course. After posting his second-round score, Lockwood went inside to have lunch and when he returned his clubs had been stolen. He has yet to find them and since ordered a new set. Lockwood, who is a rising junior on the Texas State University team, tied for 39th in the 2018 Sun Belt Conference Championship.

Hurly Long, 23, of Germany, set the course record at Pebble Beach (Calif.) Golf Links, shooting a second-round 11-under 61 in the 2017 Carmel Cup. Long, who recently graduated from Texas Tech University, surpassed Tom Kite and David Duval, who had previously shot 10-under 62s during the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. In his senior season, Long captured one individual title and helped the Red Raiders advance to the match-play quarterfinals in the NCAA Championship. Long was a member of the USA team that claimed the 2018 Palmer Cup at the Evian Resort Golf Club in July.

Brandon Mancheno, 18, of Jacksonville, Fla., is playing in his third U.S. Amateur and sixth USGA championship. Mancheno, who will be a sophomore at Auburn University, was chosen to the National All-Freshman Team and voted Southeastern Conference Freshman of the Year. He earned All-Southeast Region and second-team All-SEC honors. He carded a course-record 63 in the first round of stroke play before losing in the Round of 64 in the 2017 U.S. Junior Amateur at Flint Hills National Golf Club.

Ryan McCarthy, 28, of Kensington, Md., caddied for his younger brother Denny in 12 USGA championships, including seven U.S. Amateurs and two U.S. Opens. Denny, who is now competing on the PGA Tour, was a member of the 2015 USA Walker Cup Team. Ryan, who is chief operating officer for a commercial real estate company, is playing in his second consecutive U.S. Amateur. He was a member of four Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Championship teams at Loyola (Md.) University.

Michael McCoy, 55, of Norwalk, Iowa, will compete in his 19th U.S. Amateur and 55th USGA championship. He was the low amateur in the 2014 and 2015 U.S. Senior Opens and in 2013 was the second-oldest winner of the U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship. McCoy, who was a member of the 2015 USA Walker Cup Team, works in the insurance business and is an Iowa Golf Hall of Fame member.

Cameron Meeks, 19, of Las Vegas, Nev., is the third of three generations of USGA championship competitors. His father Eric won the 1988 U.S. Amateur Championship and his grandfather Robert played in the 1995 U.S. Senior Amateur. Cameron, who is a rising sophomore at Loyola Marymount University, helped Palo Verde High School claim two Nevada state championships as he tied for sixth individually as a senior and was fourth as a junior.

McClure Meissner, 19, of San Antonio, Texas, shared medalist honors with his older brother, Mitchell, at the San Antonio, Texas, sectional qualifier. He shot 5-under 137 (71-66) at Oak Hills Country Club. Meissner, who will be a sophomore at Southern Methodist University, earned an individual bid to the NCAA Norman Regional and was runner-up in the American Athletic Conference Tournament. Meissner, who was SMU’s best finisher in six tournaments, was the 2017 Texas 5A Individual state co-champion and named San Antonio Express-News Boys Golf Player of the Year.

Mitchell Meissner, 22, of San Antonio, Texas, shared medalist honors with his younger brother, McClure, at the San Antonio, Texas, sectional qualifier. He shot 5-under 137 (69-67) at Oak Hills Country Club. Meissner led Rice University to the 2018 Conference USA Championship and was medalist in the C-USA Tournament. Meissner, who earned first-team All-C-USA honors, tied for eighth in the NCAA Bryan Regional, one of six top-10 finishes during his senior season. Meissner, who is playing in his second U.S. Amateur, won the 109th Texas Amateur Championship by three strokes in June with a 72-hole score of 6-under 282.

Collin Morikawa, 21, of La Cañada Flintridge, Calif., is competing in his fourth consecutive U.S. Amateur after having advanced to the Round of 16 the previous two years. He posted a perfect 4-0 record in leading the USA to a 19-7 victory over Great Britain and Ireland in the 2017 Walker Cup Match. Morikawa was named the 2018 Golfweek Men’s Player of the Year, while also earning first-team All-America and first-team All-Pac-12 Conference honors as a junior at the University of California. He broke a 14-year-old single-season NCAA record by posting a 68.68 stroke average in 2017-18 and captured two individual titles.

William Mouw, 17, of Chino, Calif., is competing in his second USGA championship after advancing to the Round of 32 in the 2018 U.S. Junior Amateur. Mouw won the 2017 Western Junior by eight strokes, tying 1999 U.S. Junior Amateur champion Hunter Mahan’s 72-hole scoring record of 266 (14 under). He received the Curtis Cup Award as the top junior player in Southern California and was chosen as a Rolex All-American. Mouw, the winner of the 2015 IMG Junior World Championship (ages 13-14) and a member of the victorious 2017 Junior Presidents Cup Team, is the son of a chicken egg farmer.

Josh Nichols, 27, of Apex, N.C., was the runner-up to Matt Parziale in the 2017 U.S. Mid-Amateur at Capital City Club’s Crabapple Course. Nichols, who was competing in his second consecutive Mid-Amateur, works as a wedding caterer. In 2017, he won the Carolinas Open and Triad Amateur, while finishing fifth in the North Carolina Amateur. Nichols is a 2013 Appalachian State graduate, where he was a four-year member of the men’s golf team.

Gary Nicklaus, 49, of Jupiter, Fla., is the son of four-time U.S. Open, two-time U.S. Senior Open, and two-time U.S. Amateur champion Jack Nicklaus. Nicklaus advanced through the Naples, Fla., sectional qualifier by defeating 14-year-old Luke Clanton on the third playoff hole. He is competing in his 10th USGA championship, which includes the 1997 and 2001 U.S. Opens. Nicklaus, who was reinstated as an amateur in 2007, will play in his sixth U.S. Amateur and most recently qualified in 2012 when the championship was held at Cherry Hills Country Club, in Cherry Hills Village, Colo.

John Pak, 19, of Scotch Plains, N.J., is competing in his second U.S. Amateur and sixth USGA championship. He was chosen the 2018 Atlantic Coast Conference Rookie of the Year as a freshman at Florida State University. Additionally, he was selected third-team All-American and All-ACC while posting nine top-10 finishes. He advanced to match play in all four U.S. Junior Amateurs he competed in, reaching the semifinals in 2016 and the quarterfinals in 2015.

Matt Parziale, 31, of Brockton, Mass., won the 2017 U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship by defeating Josh Nichols, 8 and 6, at Capital City Club (Crabapple Course), in Atlanta, Ga. Parziale became the first Mid-Amateur champion to earn a full exemption into the following year’s U.S. Open. His margin of victory matched the third-largest in championship history. Parziale, a firefighter with the Brockton Fire Department, and Luis Gagne were the low amateurs in the 2018 U.S. Open, tying for 48th at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club. Parziale, who was reinstated as an amateur five years ago, competed in the 2018 Masters.
 

Trent Phillips, 18, of Inman, S.C., advanced to the Round of 16 in the U.S. Junior Amateur for the second consecutive year. He is a three-time Class 4A/5A state high school championship medalist (2014, 2015, 2017) and has led Boiling Springs High to four state titles. Phillips, who became the first player since 1991 to win consecutive South Carolina Junior Championships, tied for third in this year’s Junior Invitational at Sage Valley. He will attend the University of Georgia this fall, where his brother, Trevor, is a rising junior on the team. They are one of two sets of brothers competing in the 2018 U.S. Amateur.

Trevor Phillips, 20, of Inman, S.C., is competing in his second U.S. Amateur and reached the Round of 32 in 2014 at Atlanta Athletic Club. Phillips, who is a rising junior at the University of Georgia, will be joined by his younger brother Trent on the 2018-19 Bulldog team. They are one of two sets of brothers competing in this year’s U.S. Amateur. Trevor tied for 10th in the Southeastern Conference Championship. Phillips, who advanced to the Round of 16 in the 2013 U.S. Junior Amateur, helped Boiling Springs High capture state championships in 2013 and 2014.

Cullen Plousha, 19, of Carlsbad, Calif., is part of an athletic family. His father Cullen served in the U.S. Marines and played football at the University of Arizona, while his mother, Mary, won four varsity letters as a member of the Wildcats basketball team. Cullen, who competed in the 2015 U.S. Junior Amateur, is a rising sophomore at Colorado State University. He played in five events in 2017-18 and his best finish was a tie for ninth in the Bob Writz Invitational.

Garrett Rank, 30, of Canada, is competing in his seventh U.S. Amateur and 17th USGA championship. In 2016-17, Rank became a full-time official in the National Hockey League after working for several years in the American Hockey League. Rank, who overcame a cancer scare at age 23, is one of 16 players in the U.S. Amateur field who competed in this year’s U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills. Rank was the runner-up in the 2012 U.S. Mid-Amateur and has advanced to at least to the quarterfinals with partner Patrick Christovich in three consecutive U.S. Amateur Four-Balls (2016-18).
 

Jovan Rebula, 21, of South Africa, is the nephew of 1994 and 1997 U.S. Open champion Ernie Els. Rebula defeated Robin Dawson to capture the 123rd Amateur Championship, conducted by The R&A, at Royal Aberdeen Golf Club. He became the first South African to win the Amateur since Bobby Cole in 1966. Rebula, who is a rising junior at Auburn University, earned All-Southeast Region and second-team All-Southeastern Conference honors in 2017-18. He finished 21st in the NCAA Championship and became the first South African to be selected to the Arnold Palmer Cup International Team.

Davis Riley, 21, of Hattiesburg, Miss., is competing in his fifth U.S. Amateur and ninth USGA championship. He advanced to the Round of 32 in the 2016 U.S. Amateur at Oakland Hills and matched the North Course record of 64 in stroke play. Riley, who will be a senior at the University of Alabama, was chosen third-team All-American and first-team All-Southeastern Conference in 2017-18. He posted six top 10s, tied for 29th in the NCAA Championship and helped the Crimson Tide to a national runner-up finish. Riley, who was the U.S. Junior Amateur runner-up in 2013 and 2014, advanced to the Western Amateur championship match, losing to Cole Hammer, 1 up, on Aug. 4.

Dave Ryan, 64, of Taylorville, Ill., is competing in his fourth U.S. Amateur but first since 1997. Ryan, who is the second-oldest player in this year’s U.S. Amateur field, won the 2016 U.S. Senior Amateur Championship. On his way to the title, he made the first double eagle in championship history when he made a hole-in-one on a par 4 in his Round-of-16 match with Paul Simson. Ryan, who is a six-time Illinois State Senior Player of the Year, is playing in his 24th USGA championship.

Paul Simson, 67, of Raleigh, N.C., is the oldest player in the U.S. Amateur field and has competed in 61 USGA championships. Simson, who was the runner-up to Sean Knapp in last year’s U.S. Senior Amateur, is playing in his 15th U.S. Amateur but first since 2008. Simson won the 2010 and 2012 U.S. Senior Amateur titles and was the low amateur in the 2001 U.S. Senior Open. He and Chip Lutz are the lone players to have won the U.S. Senior Amateur, the Seniors Amateur, conducted by The R&A, and the Canadian Senior Amateur championships.

Austin Sipe, 23, of Dayton, Ohio, chipped in for birdie on the first playoff hole to earn one of two spots in the Dayton, Ohio, sectional qualifier at Moraine Country Club. At the age of 8, he was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes and has since started his own nonprofit foundation to provide underprivileged kids and families necessary diabetic supplies that they may not be able to afford.

Cameron Sisk, 18, of El Cajon, Calif., was a semifinalist in this year’s U.S. Junior Amateur, losing to eventual champion Michael Thorbjornsen, in 21 holes, at Baltusrol Golf Club. Sisk, who is competing in his first U.S. Amateur, was a 2017 AJGA Rolex All-America and was chosen to the All-Southern California Junior Team. Sisk was also a member of the AJGA Wyndham Cup West Team and will attend Arizona State University in the fall.

Alex Smalley, 21, of Wake Forest, N.C., is competing in his third consecutive U.S. Amateur. He reached match play last year and was the stroke-play medalist and advanced to the Round of 32 in 2016. Smalley, a rising senior at Duke University, earned both All-East Region and All-Atlantic Coast Conference recognition for the second straight year.

Tyler Strafaci, 20, of Davie, Fla., competed in this year’s U.S. Open Championship at Shinnecock Hills. He is competing in his third U.S. Amateur and sixth USGA championship. His grandfather, Frank Strafaci, won the 1935 U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship and went on to become the executive director of the Florida State Golf Association. Strafaci, who will be a junior at Georgia Tech, earned All-East Region and All-Atlantic Coast Conference recognition in 2017-18. His mother, Jill, was a senior vice president for the Miami Dolphins for more than two decades and played golf at the University of Florida from 1976-79.

Justin Suh, 21, of San Jose, Calif., earned first-team All-America honors and was the Pac-12 Conference Player of the Year as a junior at the University of Southern California. Suh, who broke USC’s single-season records for stroke average (68.73) and rounds in the 60s (21), is competing in his third U.S. Amateur and eighth USGA championship. Suh, who won the 2018 Pac-12 Championship, has advanced to match play in the U.S. Amateur twice. He won this year’s Northeast Amateur by six strokes with a 72-hole score of 15-under 261. His sister Hannah played in the 2013 U.S. Women’s Open.

Preston Summerhays, 16, of Scottsdale, Ariz., shot 65-60 in U.S. Amateur qualifying at Soldier Hollow Golf Club, in Midway, Utah, the lowest 36-hole sectional score since Aug. 3, 2011. Summerhays is the son of former PGA Tour player Boyd, the nephew of current PGA Tour player Daniel and the great nephew of Bruce, who won three PGA Tour Champions events. Preston, who attends Chaparral High School, captured this year’s Utah State Amateur to become the youngest player (age 15) to win the championship. He broke a record that was shared by Tony Finau and his uncle Daniel.

Sahith Theegala, 20, of Chino Hills, Calif., is competing in his third consecutive U.S. Amateur and reached the quarterfinals in 2016 and Round of 32 last year. Theegala is playing in his eighth USGA championship, including the 2017 U.S. Open at Erin Hills. A rising senior at Pepperdine University, he earned third-team All-America honors and was All-West Region and All-West Coast Conference for the third consecutive year. In 2017, Theegala won the Collegiate Showcase to earn a spot in the PGA Tour’s Genesis Open and went on to tie for 49th.

Michael Thorbjornsen, 16, of Wellesley, Mass., won the 2018 U.S. Junior Amateur Championship, defeating Akshay Bhatia, 1 up, in the 36-hole final at Baltusrol Golf Club. As a result of his victory, he receives an exemption into the 2019 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach (Calif.) Golf Links. Thorbjornsen, who was competing in his first USGA championship, played in the 2018 AJGA Wyndham Cup. He won the 2016 Drive, Chip & Putt National Final (ages 14-15) at Augusta National Golf Club and was the 2012 and 2013 U.S. Kids Golf National Player of the Year.
 

Braden Thornberry, 21, of Olive Branch, Miss., is competing in his fourth U.S. Amateur and advanced to the Round of 32 last year. He was a member of the winning 2017 USA Walker Cup Team. Thornberry became the third player in University of Mississippi history to be chosen All-American multiple times and earned All-Southeast Region and All-Southeastern Conference recognition for the second consecutive year. He competed in this year’s U.S. Open and tied for 26th in the PGA Tour’s FedEx St. Jude Classic. In 2017, he won the NCAA Division I individual title by four strokes with a 72-hole score of 11-under 277 and received the Fred Haskins Award as the top collegiate golfer.

Carter Toms, 21, of Shreveport, La., is the son of David Toms, who won this year’s U.S. Senior Open at The Broadmoor and the 2001 PGA Championship. Carter, who caddied for his father during the first two rounds of the U.S. Senior Open, shared medalist honors with Jack Tolson in the Shreveport, La., sectional qualifier. Toms, who will be a junior at Louisiana State University, played in three tournaments in 2017-18. Toms captured an individual state title while a senior at C.E. Byrd High School, while also helping the team to its third consecutive Division I team state crown.

Travis Vick, 18, of Houston, Texas, was the medalist (63-66) in the Pearland, Texas, sectional to qualify for his second U.S. Amateur. Vick is a three-sport athlete at Houston’s Second Baptist School. In addition to golf, he was a Division II honorable mention all-state linebacker and all-district quarterback and a pitcher/third baseman on the baseball squad. Vick is a family friend of Hal Sutton, who competed in 18 U.S. Opens and won the 1980 U.S. Amateur and 1983 PGA Championship.

Daniel Wetterich, 21, of Cincinnati, Ohio, is the cousin of PGA Tour player Brett Wetterich, who played in two U.S. Opens and won the 2006 Byron Nelson Championship. Daniel, who will be a senior at Ohio State University, earned All-Midwest Region and second-team All-Big Ten Conference honors in 2017-18.

Jeff Wilson, 55, of Fairfield, Calif., is the general sales manager at an automobile dealership. He abandoned a professional golfer’s life, bouncing around mini-tours, for a more stable career path. Wilson, who was reinstated as an amateur in 1997 tied for 31st in this year’s U.S. Senior Open at The Broadmoor and became the second player to earn low amateur in both the U.S. Open and U.S. Senior Open, joining Marvin “Vinny” Giles III. Wilson, who was low amateur in the 2000 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach (Calif.) Golf Links, is competing in his 10th U.S. Amateur and 30th USGA championship.

Hayden Wood, 22, of Edmond, Okla., is competing in his third U.S. Amateur. He was the stroke-play medalist and advanced to the Round of 32 last year at The Riviera Country Club. Wood helped Oklahoma State University captured the 2018 NCAA Championship, the program’s 11th national crown. His father, Willie, won the 1977 U.S. Junior Amateur and played in seven U.S. Opens.

Shae Wools-Cobb, 22, of Australia, advanced to the Round of 16 in last year’s U.S. Amateur, his first USGA championship. Wools-Cobb tied for sixth in the Porter Cup on July 21 and fired a second-round 65. He reached the semifinals of the 2018 Australian Amateur, losing to David Micheluzzi, and tied for 19th in the Australian Master of the Amateurs.

Chun An Yu, 20, of Chinese Taipei, advanced to the quarterfinals in last year’s U.S. Amateur, falling to Theo Humphrey, 1 up. Yu, who competed in this year’s U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills, is a rising junior at Arizona State University. Yu, who is playing in his fourth USGA championship, tied for fifth in the NCAA Raleigh Regional and tied for 21st in the NCAA Championship. He posted the second-best stroke average (71.61) by a freshman in Sun Devil history behind Jon Rahm.

Brian DePasquale is a manager of championship communications at the USGA. Email him at bdepasquale@usga.org.