John Daly II and the Favorites Advance at the U.S. Amateur
The son of the two-time champion of important tournaments, John Daly, joined 31 other players who secured their spot in the first round of match play at the U.S. Amateur, held at The Olympic Club. Notably, five of the top ten amateurs in the world also managed to advance.
John Daly II, who is about to start his last year at Arkansas, demonstrated a very different game from his father’s “wild” style. In a 1-up victory against Cooper Claycomb, Daly won the 11th hole with a birdie, while the other remaining 17 holes were split.
Jackson Koivun, from Auburn and number one in the world in the amateur ranking, was tied with Ryan Vools until he achieved a par on the 16th hole, gaining a 1-up lead. Then, he sealed his victory with a two-putt birdie on the 17th hole, a par 5. This was Koivun’s only birdie in the match.
Ben James, the world’s number 2 amateur and a senior at Virginia, defeated Parker Claxton 2-and-1, while Preston Stout, ranked fourth, won 4 and 3 over Pennson Badgett.
Two top 10 players suffered defeats in extra holes. Tommy Morrison of Texas (No. 6) lost to 18-year-old Mason Howell after a bogey on the 17th hole, a par 5, with a 1-up lead, and then a double bogey on the 19th hole. Filip Jakubcik (No. 5) fell to Eric Lee in 19 holes.
Other top 10 players who advanced were Jace Summy (No. 7) and Christiaan Maas (No. 9).
Tim Wiedenmeyer, from Germany, staged the biggest comeback. After losing five of the first seven holes against Reed Greyserman, he won the last four holes for a 2-and-1 victory.
In one of the most exciting matches of the first round, the son of a former British golf writer managed to defeat the son of a prominent Ryder Cup player.
Niall Shiels Donegan, from Scotland, whose father, Lawrence, was a long-time golf correspondent for The Guardian, birdied the last two holes, securing a 1-up victory over Luke Poulter, a Florida student and the son of Ian Poulter.
Donegan was one of 17 players who advanced from a 20-player playoff on Wednesday morning to define the final 64 for match play today.
