Blades Brown (USGA Photo)
Under the mostly cloudy and occasionally rainy skies, one particular match was more than just a blip on the radar. In a test of endurance on the famed South Course at Oakland Hills Country Club, Trevor Gutschewski and Rich Wills battled for 23 grueling holes on “The Monster.”
Gutschewski, a Florida Gators commit, chomped his way to an early lead with three birdies, building a 4 up lead through eight holes against Wills, a future Clemson Tiger. Wills quickly fought his way back and finally evened the match with a clutch par save on 18 to force extra holes.
“He [Rich Wills] hit a ton of good shots on the back nine and brought himself back in it,” said Gutschewski. “I hit a bad drive in the bunker on 18 and made bogey, so we went to extra holes. I just figured, ‘win the next hole and you’re done.’”
On the 19th hole, Gutschewski was faced with his first of two do-or-die putts. With Wills in close after a flagged approach shot, Gutschewski stared down a 30-footer from off the green and drained it. Then on the 22nd hole, Wills stepped up and poured in a 15-footer for birdie, yet again putting the pressure solely on Gutschewski. The Omaha, Neb. native delivered, curling in a putt just inches inside Wills’ to keep himself afloat.
“I was just trying to stay in the moment and make it to the next hole,” said Gutschewski. “It’s always nice to see those drop and to know you’re still alive.”
Overall, the pair tied three of the first four extra holes with birdies, before Gutschewski closed out the match with a par on the 5th hole. The son of PGA Tour player Scott Gutschewski, Trevor will face medalist Blades Brown in tomorrow’s Round of 32.
“It feels good right now,” said Gutschewski. “It didn’t feel very great on the back nine, but it’s always good to come away with the win regardless.”
The top-seeded Brown was able to pull away from No. 64 Alex Huang to advance. In a match that didn’t see more than a 1 up lead until the 14th hole, Brown turned on the jets down the stretch to secure a 3 and 2 victory.
“[Alex] was hitting fairways and applying pressure on me,” said Brown. “He was doing what he was supposed to be doing, and I was not doing what I was supposed to be doing. Then the back nine I turned it on a little bit, got some momentum and flew with it.
On Tuesday, Brown joined only Tiger Woods and Bobby Clampett in having secured medalist honors at both the U.S. Junior Amateur and U.S. Amateur. Brown earned his U.S. Amateur medalist position last summer at Cherry Hills Country Club in suburban Denver, Colo.
Miles Russell, who became the youngest golfer ever to make a cut on the Korn Ferry Tour earlier this year, took care of business with a conceded victory over Hamilton Coleman of Martinez, Ga. Russell was 5 up through 10 holes when Coleman retired due to a back injury. The U.S. National Junior Team member also made his first PGA Tour start last month at the nearby Rocket Mortgage Classic.
“It’s a good match play course. There are a lot of birdies to be made, you just need to be careful,” said Russell. “I don’t know what the weather looks like the rest of the week, but if there’s no rain, I think it can get a little crispy and it can get fun.”
Luke Colton, who came into his second U.S. Junior Amateur with seven top-five finishes this year, including wins in the Byron Nelson Junior Championship and the Terra Cotta Invitational, jumped out to a 4 up lead through the turn on University of Notre Dame commit Pavel Tsar.
“I was playing really smart golf,” said Colton, about his front nine lead. “I was putting it in play and giving myself a few birdie putts and making them. Just knowing when to play aggressive and when to put it in the middle of the green was important.”
However, the future Golden Domer hung tough and fought throughout the back nine, eventually forcing extra holes with a par on the 18th. Colton was able to eventually close the door with a birdie on the 20th hole.
“I’m just kind of overwhelmed right now,” said Colton. “I had a few chances to win out there, but I was able to pull it together down the stretch. I’m just glad I was able to come out with the victory.”
Joshua Bai, last year’s runner-up, was able to outlast Brayden Miller, 3 and 2. Bai jumped out to a 2 up lead after two holes and never trailed for the duration of the match.
ABOUT THE
U.S. Junior Amateur
While it is not the
oldest
competition, the U.S. Junior Amateur is
considered the premier junior competition,
having been around since 1948. The event
is
open to male golfers who have not
reached
their 19th birthday prior to the close of
competition and whose USGA Handicap
Index
does not exceed 2.4. The U.S. Junior is
one of
15 national championship conducted
annually
by the USGA.
View Complete Tournament Information