The US Amateur looks distinct this year, as COVID-19 forced the cancellation of qualifiers and the field was reduced to a pool of 264 exempt players.
However, it is a loaded group that has converged on the Oregon coast.
As players prepare to take on Bandon Dunes and stroke play co-host Bandon Trails starting Monday, here’s a look at the favorites, sleepers, and some players who are big stories coming into the week:
The favorites
John Augenstein
The Senior Vanderbilt hasn’t been at the top of its game for much of the year, but as we saw last summer, it can turn it on in an instant. Big players show up in big events, right? His second place finish at Pinehurst earned him a spot on the Walker Cup squad, and he won both singles matches twice at Royal Liverpool, a performance that proved he can play on the ground. Also, once Augenstein comes into play, watch out – he’s 19-6-1 in singles matches dating back to Spring 2017.
Pierceson Coody
Coody’s biggest obstacle this week will not be his competitors or the course, but rather his legs. He played 138 holes before capturing the Western Amateur on August 1st. Fortunately, Coody had plenty of time to rest. His game is definitely in great shape. The junior college of Texas possesses great power and is used to playing tough golf courses in the fan (is a member of Maridoe). He advanced to last year’s round of 16 at Pinehurst (along with his twin, Parker). Coody’s dad, Kyle, will be caddy again this week at Bandon.
Quade Cummins
Before narrowly skipping the game at the Western Amateur, the Oklahoma senior finished third and fourth to amateurs Southern and Sunnehanna respectively. He’s also coming out of being an All-American on the first team. He is one of those players who welcomes the wind and his skill on the green is equal to very few. This week in Bandon, you’ll see some ridiculously creative and thorny introductions.
Austin Eckroat
The Oklahoma State senior has a solid USGA pedigree, having played a US Open and US Junior medals in 2017 before falling to future teammate Matt Wolff in the quarterfinals. He’s another Oklahoma guy who knows how to fly it, and his coach Alan Bratton said he’s doing it the best he’s ever had right now.
Cole Hammer
It’s been two years since Hammer’s bubbly summer, where he won the Western before co-medaling and reaching the US Amateur semifinals at Pebble. It wasn’t a great second campaign for the Texas star, who finished at number 101 at Golfstat. Still, the talent is there and Hammer has been quietly solid this summer, finishing no worse than the T-21 in any of its three amateur starts. He has a big draw for stroke play – he’ll get Bandon Trails soon on what will be a windier Monday – and we all know it comes to life in match play. With an emphasis on wind play and skill around these wide, undulating Bandon greens, Hammer is as well equipped as anyone else.
Davis Thompson
Georgia senior is a grinder and performs well on larger stages. He won the Jones Cup, a difficult course generally played in even more difficult conditions. He won a medal at the Western last year before reaching the quarter-finals for the second consecutive year. He’s also advanced to the round of 16 in the North and South this summer, so he’s at the top of his game. Oh, and did we mention he’s the highest-scoring player on the field at number 4 in the WAGR?
The sleepers
Devon Bling
Speaking of the Bandon Dunes Championship, here’s the guy who won it. UCLA senior also has experience in this league, as he finished second to Viktor Hovland along the west coast at Pebble Beach in 2018.
Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen
Some of his peers are already excited about the Oklahoma State junior this week. He’s fresh off a second place finish at the Western Amateur, so fatigue could be a factor later in the week should he progress. With the way he’s doing it right now, deep match play seems almost inevitable.
Joe Pagdin
This may be his first US Amateur, but the Florida freshman already plays like a seasoned college player. He never seems to be having a bad week and is usually always in the mix for a top-20. He made match play at the Western Amateur and reached the US Junior semi-finals last summer while also playing match play at the British Amateur.
David Perkins, State of Illinois
Many may not recognize his game, but the great wonder of Illinois can play the best of them. He proved it last season when he earned All-American honors and then proved it again this summer, losing in a play-off at the Southern and making the round of 16 in the North and South. He may sneak up on some guys in match play if it comes.
Preston Summerhays
The committed 18-year-old Arizona State and reigning United States Junior Champion has long been considered one of the best players in the Class of 2021, already having two Utah State Ams to his name. However, he achieved an even bigger feat this summer by winning one of the best amateur events, the Sunnehanna. He has excellent mentoring in father / coach / caddy Boyd Summerhays and PGA Tour player Tony Finau. A player on the field has already called Summerhays the best junior golfer I’ve ever seen. When you see Summerhays play, it’s easy to see why.
Spencer Tibbits
Why not choose a “local” guy? The Oregon State elder, on the three-hour drive along the Oregon coast this week, finished third at Bandon Dunes last season in the finals of the Beavers tournament before closing. That milestone followed his T-6 shown the year before in Bandon. Last season he scored two wins and three more top 3s.
The stories
Doug Hanzel
At 63, he is the second-oldest player on the pitch behind Dave Ryan, 66. This is particularly noteworthy this year considering the risks of playing in the midst of a pandemic. While golf is one of the safest sports right now with its natural social distancing characteristics, you can expect Hanzel, a retired pulmonologist who is the only player to do match play in the United States Amateur, US Mid-Am and US senior in the same year (2012), to be particularly attentive this week; is a type 1 diabetic and plays on an insulin pump.
Yaroslav Merkulov
Do you remember this guy? In 2009, he lost to eventual US Junior Champion Jordan Spieth in the quarter-finals before playing for Duke. He turned pro but regained his amateur status 15 months ago. He earned a spot in this year’s championship, his first US Am in seven years, reaching the quarterfinals at last year’s Mid-Am.
Andy Ogletree
The pandemic has extended Ogeltree’s amateur career, so even if he doesn’t return to Georgia Tech for an extra year, he will have a chance to defend his US amateur title. These days it’s a rarity. The last player to defend in this league was 2014 winner Gunn Yang in 2015. The last player to win consecutive titles? That Tiger Woods guy, who won three straight wins (1994-96).
Sandy Scott
As you can see, there are a lot of great internationals not playing this week. Many of them were unable to get to Bandon due to travel restrictions. For much of the summer, Scott, a senior at Texas Tech, thought he would be among them. However, the restrictions eased just in time for him to leave Nairn, Scotland, using his student visa. He hasn’t played a competitive event since March, but he should like the windy, connecting conditions. He was extraordinary at last fall’s Walker Cup before winning the Carmel Cup at Pebble last fall. He also advanced to the quarters of the British Am last summer.
Justin Tereshko
The coach can play. He might even be the best college golf coach. The 30-year-old Hanover College (D-III) head coach and former Louisville assistant is playing his third US Amateur. He also played match play in each of his two previous matches (2014 and ’17).
US Open hopefuls
New this year is that far more invitations to the US Open are at stake in addition to the usual two figures for winner and runner up. The top seven WAGR players starting August 19 (who are not already exempt) will receive a spot in this fall’s US Open at the Winged Foot. These are the players already present: Andy Ogletree, John Augenstein, Cole Hammer, Preston Summerhays, Lukas Michel, James Sugrue. These are the players currently in that position in the top seven: Takumi Kanaya (1), Ricky Castillo (2), Kevin Yu (3), Davis Thompson (4), Eduard Rousaud (5), Sandy Scott (6), Pierceson Coody (7). Only Thompson, Scott and Coody are on the pitch this week. John Pak (8), Stewart Hagestad (15) and William Mouw (17) are the only other top-20 players who played at Bandon this week.
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