The USGA Men’s Amateur Championship was held at the Olympic Club in San Francisco.  The Olympic Club has been host to a number of USGA championships and the recently renovated Lake Course would serve as a fabulous venue for what is the most egalitarian golf tournament on the planet.  The US Amateur represents the quintessential experience of amateur golf and features the best amateur players in the world coming to compete for what is the championship that integrates all aspects of the golf game into one grinding experience. Preliminary rounds were played on both the Lake and the Ocean Course to whittle the field to a match play competition of 64 players.    In typical NCAA type format the highest ranked player plays the lowest ranked player such as No. 1 vs. No. 64 and No. 2 vs. No. 63 and so on.  It just so happens that this year’s winner Mason Howell was ranked No. 63.  Mason had to survive a 20 player playoff to even get into the field as the cut line stood at +3 as he slid into the 63rd slot.  Mason was certainly one of the unlikely candidates to win this event as he enters his senior year of high school.  You have to wonder how Mason would be able to process all of the ups and downs that match play offers and maintain emotion and composure to get through all of these matches.  These young players have been grinding through amateur competitions at every stage of their career so this was the competition that everyone is gunning for.

The Lake Course at Olympic is a stern test and the USGA set up called for accuracy with all the clubs and fair but difficult pin placements throughout the event.  The Lake Course bordering Lake Merced is in a microclimate that envelops the San Francisco summer.  Most days are overcast devoid of sunshine with bouts of fog and general dampness.  Grass at Olympic grows easily and the rough was high enough that it would be at least at half to a full shot penalty if entered.  In traditional USGA fashion, the greens were surrounded with thick grass such that missed approach shots to the green would yield very few par and birdie opportunities for the players.

Saturday’s semifinal round was played in complete fog with reduced visibility for the players but the greens would be softer and more receptive.  The rough would be wet and ugly and some tee shots that found the fairways would meander into the first cut of the carved rough.

significant tilt from the fairway

The 17th hole was a major factor during the week as it sealed the fate for some competitors and allowed some others to come from behind in their match and eventually prevail.  The 17th is a brutal par 5 of over 500 yards where the fairway slopes significantly from right to left.    The tee shot has to find the left center of the fairway to avoid sliding into the right rough.  Tee shots to the center of the fairway or the right will probably find the rough.  Any tee shot missed left will be at least a one shot penalty since there are trees to deal with and menacing bunkers up by the green.  The second shot is also difficult as these kids have the power to make it to the green but the risk/reward is high.  The shot will be a minimum of 225 yards, uphill to a large green surrounded by thick rough and a myriad number of bunkers.  Second shots coming in from the right could miss right to a horrible situation of trees, rough and bunkers to travail to try to make a birdie.  These players have the game to go for this green in two and many paid a hefty price for missing the green anywhere on the hole as an eagle attempt would turn to a par opportunity hopefully to save a hole.

Match play produces similar behavior for the player as the mental set dominates while adrenalin guides the physical dimension to sometimes way better than usual especially in an event as prestigious as this one.  If the match is close and competitive, both players will grind and feed off each others play until an opening is created.  In a close match, the player that is behind has to decide when to take the risk to catch up if his playing partner doesn’t open any opportunities.  In these situations, both players are apt to be way under par as they match shot for shot.  Match play is very tough for the player that is down a number of holes as the comeback generally requires that the leader essentially give back advantage and make mistakes.  The player trying to come from behind has to take risks that might not ordinarily not be taken to regain momentum and change the complexion of the match.

There was one amateur championship where Tiger Woods came back from being 4 down in his match against Trip Kuehne.  Tiger was driving the ball all over the place at Pumpkin Ridge in Bend Oregon,  but started to produce some miracle iron shots and putts that reduced Kuehne to rubble.  It was almost as Tiger had spotted Keuhne this big lead and than had to reclaim it when things got out of control.  Tiger was an intimiating factor that was able to get the job done and speaks to his greatness that would come to be on the PGA Tour.

The final match between Mason Howell and Jackson Herrington would not be close as Howell took advantage of Herrington’s  inability to find fairways and Howell posted a 4 up lead after the morning match.  Herrington  would have to take chances to put some pressure on Howell but the harder he tried, it seemed the worse it became and Howell just kept putting the ball in the fairways and on the greens for pars that would eventually result in a 7 and 6 rout in the final given Howell the coveted Havemeyer Trophy.  It just wasn’t Herrington’s  day and it was the end of a wonderful run  as he had gotten to the final with sudden death victory of a local favorite-Niall Shields Donegan.    The lop-sided result probably cost Herrington a spot on the Walker Cup team that became final with Howell’s addition.  Herrington will be back as he is just entering his second season at the University of Tennessee.

The USGA can be very proud of this event as the amateur game continues to flourish producing many wonderful players and young men to carry on the great game of golf and the Olympic Club deserves significant accolades as a truly outstanding USGA championship venue.