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Ian Gilligan conquers Western Amateur marathon
03 Aug 2024
by Justin Golba of AmateurGolf.com

see also: View results for Western Amateur, Skokie Country Club, Ian Gilligan Rankings

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Ian Gilligan (Ben Adelberg/Back of the Range Photo)
Ian Gilligan (Ben Adelberg/Back of the Range Photo)

The Western Amateur is already one of the longest events in amateur golf. For Ian Gilligan and Jack Turner, Saturday seemed never to end.

The final match between Florida teammates went 29 holes, with the two talented golfers trading blows throughout. Both golfers had multiple short putts to win the Western, but neither was able to convert. Since both semifinal matches went to 19 holes, the two golfers played 48 holes of golf on the day.

Ultimately, on the 29th hole of the match, Gilligan put his approach shot from the rough to eight feet and converted the birdie putt while Turner was in for par. This was the longest 18-hole match in the 122-year history of the Western Amateur.

"Definitely the craziest match I've ever been a part of or heard of," Gilligan told the Western Golf Association after the match. "I think I owe an apology to everyone for making it so long."

Gilligan defeated his Florida teammate Parker Bell in 19 holes in the first semifinal, while Turner defeated Henry Guan in 19 holes to set up the all-Florida final.

According to the Western Golf Association, The longest Western Amateur final was previously a 22-hole affair featuring Norman Xiong and Doc Redman in 2017. It was beaten more than an hour before Gilligan was crowned champion.

"Jack and I were talking about it on our ninth playoff hole and decided we were ready for it to be over," Gilligan said with a laugh. "But I just kept telling myself you're playing for a tournament of the biggest magnitude and need to keep going."

Gilligan is currently ranked No. 18 in the Golfweek/AmateurGolf.com World Rankings

The semifinal matches started at 8:00 a.m. ET in Dayton and finished at 7:40 p.m. ET.

Florida has already had a successful year in the WGA championships, with incoming freshman Parker Sands claiming the Western Junior at Ruth Lake Country Club in Illinois in June. Gilligan becomes the first Gator to win the Western Amateur since Bubba Dickerson's win at Point O' Woods Golf and Country Club in 2001.

First played at Glen View Club in 1899, the Western Amateur is the world’s third-oldest amateur championship, behind only the British Amateur (1885) and the U.S. Amateur (1895). It regularly attracts the top players from across the country and around the world.

The Western Amateur is one of the most demanding golf events due to its grueling combination of stroke play and match play. The field of 156 players competes in 72 holes of stroke play over three days to determine the Sweet 16 for match play.

Round of 16 Results
Parker Bell, Tallahassee, Fla., def. Jackson Koivun, Chapel Hill, N.C., 3 and 2
Mikkel Mathiesen, Denmark, def. Gregory Solhaug, Norway, 3 and 2
Ian Gilligan, Reno, Nev., def. Blades Brown, Nashville, Tenn., 2 and 1
Benjamin James, Milford, Conn., def. Zachery Pollo, Rocklin, Calif., 5 and 4
Tyson Shelley, Holladay, Utah, def. Max Herendeen, Bellevue, Wash., 5 and 4
Jack Turner, Orlando, Fla., def. Jake Peacock, Milton, Ga., 2 and 1
Henry Guan, Irving, Tex., def. Mahanth Chirravuri, Chandler, Ariz., 2 and 1
William Sides, Tulsa, Okla., def. Jackson Herrington, Dickson, Tenn. 1 up

Quarterfinal Results
Bell def. Mathiesen, 3 and 2
Gilligan def. James, 2 and 1
Turner def. Shelley, 5 and 4
Guan def. Sides, 3 and 2

The Western Golf Association contributed to this report

Results: Western Amateur
WNVIan GilliganReno, NV1500
RUFLJack TurnerOrlando, FL1200
S'sFLParker BellTallahassee, FL900
S'sTXHenry GuanDallas, TX900
Q'sDenmarkMikkel MathiesenDenmark700

View full results for Western Amateur

ABOUT THE Western Amateur

Invitational event, and the most important tournament in American amateur golf outside of the U.S. Amateur. With a grueling schedule, it's quite possibly the hardest amateur tournament to win.

156 invited players come from across the globe to play one of the toughest formats in amateur golf. The tournament starts with 18 holes of stroke play on Tuesday and Wednesday after which the field is cut to the low 44 scores and ties. Thursday it's a long day of 36 holes of stroke play to determine the “Sweet Sixteen” who compete at Match Play on Friday and Saturday (two matches each day if you're going to the finals) to decide the champion.

View Complete Tournament Information

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