4 Tigers qualify for the 116th U.S. Amateur
AUBURN, Ala. (auburntigers.com) – Auburn’s Matt Gilchrest, Graysen Huff, Ben Schlottman and Trace Crowe have qualified for the 116th U.S. Amateur at Oakland Hills Country Club in Bloomfield Hills, Mich., August 15-21.
“It’s awesome to have four players in the U.S. Amateur to represent Auburn University,” head coach Nick Clinard said. “They are excellent players that will perform very well at Oakland Hills.”
Gilchrest, a senior from Southlake, Texas, qualified at the Trophy Club Country Club in Dallas, Texas, finishing 3rd out of 139 participants.
He was the only amateur in the 132-player Barbasol field in July, just missing the cut in his PGA Tour debut finishing 1-over 70-71—141, one stroke off the cut line. He finished third and was low amateur in the Texas State Open.
A first-team All-SEC selection as a sophomore, Gilchrest averaged 72.43 last season with five top-10 finishes including a career-best third at the SEC Championship, and was also named an Academic Top Tiger.
Huff qualified at the Dacotah Ridge Golf Club in Morton, Minn., tying for second out of 147. The sophomore from Eagle, Idaho, averaged 74.50 as a freshman and won medalist honors for the first time of his career at the ASU Fall Beach Classic.
Schlottman, a junior from Advance, N.C., won the 137-player qualifier at the Newnan Country Club in Newnan, Ga. He averaged 72.57 last season with four top-10 finishes after becoming the first freshman in Auburn history to earn honorable mention All-America honors.
Crowe, a sophomore from Bluffton, S.C., qualified at the Burningtree Country Club in Decatur, Ala., finishing second of 135. He won the USA Individual Tournament last season while averaging 74.13.
After a pair of practice rounds on Saturday and Sunday, the U.S. Amateur begins two rounds of stroke play August 15-16 with 18 holes on both the North Course and South Course before the 312-person field is trimmed to 64 begin match play onAugust 17. The rounds of 32 and 16 are on August 18 with quarterfinals and semifinals played August 19-20. The 36-hole championship match will be played on August 21.
Television coverage will begin with match play on August 17 on Fox Sports 1 from 2-5 pm Central followed by August 18 on USGA from 10 am – noon and Fox Sports 1 from 2-5 pm. The quarterfinals on August 19 will air on Fox Sports 1 from 2-5 pmwhile the semifinals on August 20 air on FOX from 2-5 pm. The 36-hole championship on August 21 airs on USGA from 10-noon and on FOX from 2-5 pm.
The South Course at Oakland Hills has played host to 16 of the most prestigious golf championships, including nine majors – six U.S. Opens and three PGA Championships, including the 90th PGA Championship in 2008 – as well as two U.S. Senior Opens; a U.S. Women’s Amateur; a U.S. Amateur; a Western Open; a Carling World Open, and the 35th Ryder Cup in 2004.
Some of the greatest players ever to play the game including Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player and Ben Hogan have competed and won on the famed South Course … “The Monster”.
