U.S. Amateur match play -day one hard on Oklahoma contingent
When the field of 312 amateur golfers was reduced to just 64, there were seven with Oklahoma connections to advance to the match play rounds at Southern Hills Country Club. And, after this round of 32 matches concluded on Wednesday, only three of the seven survived to see the second round.
Oklahoma State sophomore Morgan Hoffmann was the first to be eliminated on the day with a match that stretched to 19 holes. Hoffmann was 3-up after 12, but then gave away the next three holes to put the match at all square. The match remained tied through the end of the regulatory 18, advanced to an extra hole and Hoffmann lost after bogeying the first, a hole he had birdied at the start of the day.
After a tough match that stayed within one for the entirety of the round, Hoffmann’s roommate at Oklahoma State Peter Uihlein also had to face a 19th hole in order to complete his match. Uihlein fared better than his friend though, and managed a birdie on the first playoff hole to advance to the round of 32.
Another O State golfer that advanced to match play, Kevin Tway, also played a tough and closely contested match. Tway was never ahead in the match, but hung in and had the score to all square heading into the 18th hole of play. A bogey on this final hole proved to be the last hole of competition that Tway and his caddie and father, Bob Tway, would walk at Southern Hills this week.
Rickie Fowler, perhaps the most notable Oklahoma State golfer to reach the field of 64 had a tough draw in the match play rounds and was paired with Walker Cup teammate Bud Cauley. Cauley took the lead at the first tee and never relinquished it. Fowler, who will be hitting the pro circuit after the Walker Cup, fell 3 & 1 to Cauley.
Sallisaw, Oklahoma native and another Cowboy golfer, Trent Whitekiller advanced to match play as the sixth seed in the bracket, but faced a tough challenge in Wednesday’s round. As with Hoffman and Uihlein, Whitekiller was forced to play extra holes after a back and forth 18 with Wesley Bryan. A birdie on the first extra hole was enough to seal the match and Whitekiller became just the second of the five Oklahoma State match play golfers to make it to round two.
Carl Albert High School golfer Talor Gooch had a rough outing in his match against Dan Woltman. Gooch started the day 1-up, but by the third hole of play Woltman took the lead and never relinquished it back. Gooch bogeyed 5-of-7 holes in the back nine and lost the match 3 & 2.
The third and final Oklahoma-connected golfer to advance was University of Tulsa graduate Nico Geyger. Geyger was exempt from tournament qualifying due to his individual score at the 2008 World Amateur Team Championship. Geyger, a native of Santiago, Chile, led early in his match against Derek Ernst, had seven holes of all square golf in the middle of the round, and regained the advantage on the 13th hole of play. He held on to win the match 1-up and advance to Thursday’s match play in Tulsa.
Thursday’s second-round matches are:
Peter Uihlein vs. Connor Driscoll
Nico Geyger vs. Matt Smith
Trent Whitekiller vs. Mike Van Sickle
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