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Who will be this year's breakthrough amateur?

Wed, 12 Jun 2013 13:24:00 GMT

By Ryan Herrington

ARDMORE, PA. -- They say they're holding the 113th U.S. Open here this week, but some suggest what's really going on at Merion GC is one last practice session for the University of California men's golf team before splitting up for the summer.

OK, that's an exaggeration, but with three members of the Golden Bears squad -- Max Homa, Michael Kim and Michael Weaver -- among the 10 amateurs in the field for the year's second major championship, you'll hardly fault Cal fans from crowing. USGA officials haven't been able to find another year in which three current players at the same school have participated in the championship.

(photo by Getty Images)

"It's quite an honor," said Cal coach Steve Desimone. "It speaks to the players themselves and just how much hard work they've put in the last few years."

Having the trio compete in the U.S. Open soothes some of the pain the boys from Berkeley are feeling after the disappointment of trying unsuccessfully to cap a historic 11-win college season with a NCAA Championship victory two weeks ago, losing in the semifinals to Illinois.

Interestingly, another Pac-12 program the University of Washington boasts two representatives -- Chris Williams and Cheng-Tsung Pan -- and has a claim at a third with University of San Francisco's Cory McElyea in the field (he started his college career with the Huskies).

It's been 80 years since Johnny Goodman became the last amateur to win the U.S. Open, a feat that no one believes will be duplicated this week. Still, an amateur contending in a U.S. Open at Merion is not unheard of. Jim Simons led after three rounds in 1971 before finishing T-5, the best performance by an amateur in the championship in the last four decades.

Recent history also suggests there will be some amateurs playing 72 holes at Merion. Since 1998 at least one amateur has made the cut at the U.S. Open in all but two years (2006 and 2007), with three making it in four of the last five years.

So who are the most likely candidates to succeed at Merion GC? Here's our educated guess.

Steven Fox, 22, Henderson, Tenn.

How he qualified: U.S. Amateur champion

Odds of making the cut: 8-1

Skinny: Having wrapped up his college career at Chattanooga last month, Fox will hold off any plans of turning pro until after the Walker Cup. In the meantime, he continues to enjoy the spoils of his U.S. Amateur victory at Cherry Hills CC last August, which include a spot in this week's championship and next month's British Open. In the last three weeks he has played in each of the PGA Tour's stops on sponsor's exemptions, upping the number of tour starts overall in 2013 to six including his appearance at the Masters. Unfortunately for him, he has yet to make the cut in any, posting a 75.75 stroke average.

Gavin Hall, 18, Pittsford, N.Y.

How he qualified: Shot four-under 137 to earn one of four spots at Purchase, N.Y., sectional qualifier

Odds of making the cut: 8-1

Skinny: The youngest player in the field at Merion shares some similarities to last year's U.S. Open amateur darling, Beau Hossler. Both will be playing their first season of college golf at Texas in the fall (Hall having recently transferred from UCLA, where he was redshirting) and both are the types you would describe admirably as being mature beyond their years. Hall's slight stature (5-10, 155 pounds) also reminds some of another teenage amateur who made headlines this year, China's Tianlang Guan. These qualities are indicators that the lefty might just be able to handle what lies ahead this week. Still, this is a challenging venue to be making your first start in a PGA Tour event.

Max Homa, 22, Valencia, Calif.

How he qualified: Shot five-under 138 to earn one of five spots at Newport Beach sectional qualifier

Odds of making the cut: 3-1

Skinny: There was arguably no hotter player in college golf at the end of the 2012-13 season than the California senior, who's opening 61 at L.A. North in the Pac-12 Championship wrapped up the conference crown for him early. He then topped himself by claiming the NCAA individual title with a bogey-free 66 in the final round at Capital City Club's Crabapple Course. Both Homa and Cal coach Steve Desimone point to Homa's decision in early April to stick around as an amateur this summer in hopes of making the U.S. Walker Cup team as a turning point that helped ease any pressure on the former U.S. Amateur quarterfinalist and allow him to play more freely. What should impress folks is Homa's ability to shrug off adversity. It's hard to shake the crushed expression Homa had after he lost on the 20th hole in his NCAA semifinal match against Illinois' Thomas Pieters, it ended the Golden Bears' dream season. Two days later he secured his spot at Merion with rounds of 66-72 in his qualifier. His game is in great shape and mentally he's pretty strong.

Michael Kim, 19, Del Mar, Calif.

How he qualified: Shot 11-under 133 to earn one of three spots at Ball Ground sectional qualifier

Odds of making the cut: 3-1

Skinny: Just qualifying for his first major championship was a bit of an adventure for the Cal sophomore. The morning after his squad's disappointing loss in the NCAA semifinals outside of Atlanta, he flew to Columbus, Ohio, to pick up the Jack Nicklaus Award as Division I's college player of the year during the final round of the Memorial Tournament. He then flew back to Atlanta that night for his U.S. Open qualifier the next day, where he shot rounds of 67-66. This week he claimed another POY honor, earning the Fred Haskins Award, after winning three college titles and having 10 top-10 finishes in 14 starts while posting a 70.1 stroke average. The only knock against him was his so-so showing at NCAAs (T-49 was his only finish all year worse that T-11).

Cory McElyea, 21, Santa Cruz, Calif.

How he qualified: Shot five-under 138 to earn one of five spots at Newport Beach sectional qualifier

Odds of making the cut: 8-1

Skinny: After starting his college career at Washington, the California native has settled in at the University of San Francisco, where he wrapped up his junior season this spring with a team-best 72.86 stroke average. As a high schooler he won a U.S. Open local qualifier and he also won the 2005 First Tee Open at Pebble Beach, suggesting perhaps that USGA venues might be to his liking. That said, this will be a very different atmosphere than what he has faced previously in his career.

Grayson Murray, 19, Raleigh, N.C.

How he qualified: Shot nine-under 133 to earn one of three spots at Ball Ground sectional qualifier

Odds of making the cut: 10-1

Skinny: A birdie on the final hole at sectional qualifying secured his spot in the field at Merion. Murray will play college golf this fall at UNC Greensboro after previously playing at Wake Forest and East Carolina. Like McElyea, Murray has had success in USGA events: three times he made match play at the U.S. Junior and he qualified for 2009 U.S. Amateur at age 15. Past experience in a pro event includes the 2010 REX Hospital Open, where he became the second youngest player to ever make a cut in Web.com Tour event.

Cheng-Tsung Pan, 21, Chinese Taipei

How he qualified: Shot one-under 139 to earn one of two spots at Cle Elum sectional qualifier

Odds of making the cut: 3-1

Skinny: Pan just might have the most impressive resume of an amateur in the field. He just wrapped up his sophomore season at Washington, where he earned first-team All-American honors. He was a quarterfinalist at last year's U.S. Amateur after reaching the quarters in 2007 at age 15, becoming the youngest to do so since Bobby Jones. He has twice been medalist at the Western Amateur and was second at last year's Asian-Pacific Amateur. Oh, and he has played in a U.S. Open before, missing the cut in 2011 at Congressional. His experience and maturity suggest good things could be in store this week at Merion.

Kevin Phelan, 22, St. Augustine, Fla.

How he qualified: Shot nine-under 135 to earn one of three spots at Bradenton sectional qualifier

Odds of making the cut: 5-1

Skinny: He had six top-10 finishes to close his career at North Florida this past season, giving him 22 in 48 career starts. Qualifying for his second U.S. Open (he missed the cut at Pebble Beach in 2010) forced him to pull out of next week's British Amateur Championship, a disappointment but one that selectors for the Great Britain & Ireland Walker Cup side (he holds dual citizenship in the U.S. and Ireland, where he lived from age 3 to 12) are likely acknowledge with an excused absence.

Michael Weaver, 22, Fresno, Calif.

How he qualified: U.S. Amateur runner-up

Odds of making the cut: 5-1

Skinny: The former competitive go-kart racer has had his game in high gear recently, closing out his redshirt junior year at California with a share of the individual title at the NCAA Regional, his first college win. A 78 in the first round at Augusta National doomed Weaver's chances at making the cut at the Masters, but with a major start under his belt Weaver should have the jittered flying in formation.

Chris Williams, 21, Moscow, Idaho

How he qualified: No. 1 in the final 2012 World Amateur Golf Ranking

Odds of making the cut: 4-1

Skinny: This will be final start as an amateur for the two-time first-team All-American at Washington, with an exemption into next week's Travelers Championship awaiting him as he gets set for his pro debut. Should the 2012 Western Amateur champion and recent Ben Hogan Award winner be looking ahead, his time at Merion will likely be brief. Should he stay in the present, however, Williams has the experience (he played in 2011 at Congressional) and skill to claim low amateur honors.

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NCAA Women's Championship Preview: Why Alabama will take the team title

Alex Myers — Tue, 21 May 2013 12:55:00 GMT

By Brendan Mohler ATHENS, Ga. -- On the morning of the 2013 NCAA Women's Division I National Championship, the fog is slowly lifting and will give way to warm temperatures in the upper 80s...

The Grind: Jim Nantz's week, Tiger's task, Augusta's food & Masters picks

Tue, 09 Apr 2013 14:53:00 GMT

By Alex Myers

Welcome to another edition of The Grind, where we're starting to question Jim Nantz's whole "Hello, friends" routine. After all, the guy will go straight from covering one of the most exciting Final Fours ever to working golf's most-anticipated event. Considering how jealous we all are, wouldn't "Hello, resentful viewers" be more appropriate? In any matter, the Masters is finally upon us. HELLO, FRIEND! We've missed you. . .

So that's why the grass is so perfect at Augusta National. . . (Photo: Getty Images)

WE'RE BUYING

The Masters Classic Chicken Sandwich. As in, we'd buy a sack of these bad boys to feast on all day if we were at Augusta National. After being off the menu for a couple years, this legend has returned to the Masters. The price is apparently up to $3 now (the highest of any food item), but they're well worth it. Those things are fit to be served at the Champions Dinner.

Martin Laird. OK, where did that come from?! Before his final-round 63 at TPC San Antonio netted him a third career PGA Tour victory, Laird had missed the cut in four of six events and a T-34 was his best finish in 2013. His club even finished in last place at the recent Tavistock Cup. The only downside for this win was the timing, as everyone's attention had already shifted toward Augusta before he even collected his winning check. At least, now the Scot will be teeing it up there.

Inbee Park. If we feel bad for Laird, then we really feel bad for the winner of the LPGA season's first major. John Daly has already received more attention for setting up his trailer at the Augusta Hooters this week.

WE'RE SELLING

Darren Clarke. We're nearing the two-year anniversary of the Northern Irishman's out-of-the-blue win at the British Open. It seems even more out-of-the-blue now considering how little he's done since. Clarke withdrew from the Masters earlier this week due to a pulled hamstring. That must be one bad hammy.

Sunburns. I go to Miami for a bachelor party, get out in the sun for a few hours for the first time this year, and I come back with my forehead and shoulders more red than the average Tiger Woods Sunday golf shirt. How come we never hear about this happening to tour pros? These guys really are good.

Donald Trump. Speaking of said trip to Miami, our group ventured to Doral, where I snapped the above lovely photo of the Blue Monster being renovated. First off, thanks, Donald, for not waiting to start digging until after our trip. Second, what are you doing? Are you trying to "Tiger-proof" a course where Woods has won eight times? Do you not want people to watch? You're fired!

ON TAP

It's Masters week. Woo! Enough said.

Random tournament fact: You probably know or have heard that the Masters is the most enjoyable event to attend, but what doesn't hurt that indisputable fact is that the civil atmosphere makes it the event in which tour wives and girlfriends mingle most. I was standing next to one a few years back when another patron started talking to her. "So, are you following Adam Scott?" he chuckled. "Um, no. I'm following my husband. . . Phil Mickelson."

WEEKLY YAHOO! FANTASY LINEUP

Gotta admit, there's not a lot of creativity this week, as I went with more chalk than in Dick Vitale's typical NCAA bracket. If you want to see some better analysis, check out GolfDigest.com's first-ever Masters fantasy draft. If I win, I get to run GeoffShackelford.com for a day. Just kidding, Geoff! Or am I. . .

Starters -- (A-List): Tiger Woods. In one word? Back. In another? Due. The march to Nicklaus' majors record resumes this week.

(B-List): Justin Rose. The third-ranked player in the world is going to win a major at some point. Why not now? (See above for answer)

(B-List): Matt Kuchar. Kuch has steadily been building toward breaking through at a major the past few years, including his close call at Augusta last year.

(C-List): Adam Scott. Like Rose and Kuchar, it just seems like a matter of time before he wins a big one. Doing it this week would be especially sweet after letting the claret jug slip away from him last summer.

Bench -- Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson, Fredrik Jacobson and Charl Schwartzel.

VIRAL VIDEO OF THE WEEK

Not surprisingly, Augusta natives are very proud of having the attention of the sports world for the week. So much so that apparently some of the younger residents ditch "more normal" spring break activities to hang around for the week. And apparently, some of those people even feel strongly enough to write long, original songs about the experience. As this lovely, young lady says, "Sit back, relax, grab an Arnold Palmer and enjoy."

RANDOM PROP BETS OF THE WEEK

-- Tiger Woods will hit a shot out of the pine straw at some point: 2-to-1 odds

-- It will make for a fantastic photo: LOCK

-- Augusta National will run out of Masters Chicken Sandwiches, BEDLAM ensues: Let's not bet on this. It would be too painful for those there.

THIS AND THAT

The Masters unveiled a drive, chip and putt contest for kids, ages 7-15, beginning next year at Augusta National. Fourteen-year-old phenom Guan Tianlang, who is in the field this week, has been listed as an early favorite. . . . Caroline Wozniacki will caddie for boyfriend Rory McIlroy at Wednesday's Par-3 Contest. Wozzilroy! . . . Mojitos in Miami are really good.

RANDOM QUESTIONS TO PONDER

How many navy blazers does Jim Nantz own?

Why doesn't CBS do a "One Shining Moment" montage video for the Masters?

Can someone bring me one of those chicken sandwiches back from Augusta?

-- Alex Myers is an Associate Editor for GolfDigest.com. Feel free to email him and please follow him on Twitter since he has self-esteem issues.

The Grid: Hoop Dreams

Peter Finch — Thu, 28 Mar 2013 04:00:00 GMT

The best public courses near this year's NCAA men's basketball regional sites and Final Four.

GCAA, WGCA submit proposed recruiting calendar

Ryan Herrington — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 16:03:00 GMT

By Ryan Herrington Tell me if you've heard this one:The NCAA, in a noble yet somewhat hurried attempt to look out for the best interests of prospective student-athletes as well as college coaches, has asked...

NCAA men eyeing 72 holes again to crown indy winner

Ryan Herrington — Wed, 12 Dec 2012 00:30:00 GMT

By Ryan HerringtonLAS VEGAS—Love it or hate it, the match-play component of the men's NCAA Championship will be around for the foreseeable future. So said San Jose State men's coach John Kennaday and Georgia Southern's...

The Syllabus: Settling in

Ryan Herrington — Thu, 20 Sep 2012 14:00:00 GMT

One of the best things about college golf is that the top programs in the country go head-to-head against each other as much as any sport. Case in point: the Ping/Golfweek Preview, which begins Saturday...

2012-2013 College Preview

Ryan Herrington — Tue, 28 Aug 2012 04:00:00 GMT

Who'll be the next super frosh? Is Jordan Spieth leaving Texas? What's next for Lindy Duncan and the women's game? Our Campus Insider has the answers.

Frittelli, White to be named co-winners of Byron Nelson Award

Alex Myers — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 12:30:00 GMT

Texas' Dylan Frittelli and Georgia Tech's James White will be named co-winners of the 2012 Byron Nelson Award later today. The award, given by the Golf Coaches' Association of American in conjunction with Cleveland...

GW Monday: Bittersweet start to Kono's pro career

Mon, 05 Dec 2011 14:43:00 GMT

Of the 20 golfers who earned full LPGA status at last week's Qualifying School, Stephanie Kono is likely the only one disappointed about it.

The UCLA senior simply wanted a Futures Tour card so she could play there after finishing college this spring. Had she been told correctly before the final stage that she had achieved that just by advancing to the five-day final -- instead of after the start of the competition -- Kono said she wouldn't have bothered to come to LPGA International.

Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images

But when she and Bruins' coach Carrie Forsyth separately talked to tour officials last month, each was mistakenly informed Kono needed to play in Daytona Beach. So Kono played, and played well, finishing T-9.

Since you can't defer an LPGA card, or use it as an amateur, Kono had to call Forsyth Sunday to tearfully tell her she was cutting her college career short. Forsyth understood (you can't pass on playing in the big leagues) even though it hurts UCLA's chances of repeating as NCAA champs.

Related: Five historic Q School grads

Still, why did the LPGA have to be so rigid with its protocol? Given their role in the mix-up, officials could have made an exception for Kono and let her join the tour after her college season. Kono certainly has a bright future as a pro. Too bad it starts under such bittersweet circumstances.

-- Ryan Herrington
Follow on Twitter: @GWcampusinsider