18-man playoff for three spots in US Amateur

It's all to play on Wednesday for 18 players looking to earn one of three spots in the US Amateur...

Andy Roberts's picture
Wed, 12 Aug 2020
18-man playoff for three spots in US Amateur

A total of 18 players will battle it out for three spots in Wednesday's playoff at Bandon Dunes in order to make the US Amateur's 64-man matchplay format, which starts later in the day. 

The mammoth playoff is scheduled to start on the par-4 10th hole and continue, if necessary, to the par-4 11th and then to the par-3 12th.

 

 

Believe it or not though, 18 players in a playoff for the US Amateur is not the record. In fact, it's not even close. 

The current record for most players in a playoff stands at 33 contenders in a race for 10 spots back in 1988 at Virigina Hot Springs. 

There have also been at least four other times when at least 25 players have gone in search of lucrative spots in the tournament.

 

 

Wilson Furr, a rising senior at the University of Alabama, carded a 9-under-par 62 in breezy conditions to earn medalist honors by two strokes over James Piot. Furr finished at 11-under par for the 36-hole tournament. 

Furr said: "We were just trying to run our game plan all day, and I just started hitting it close and a couple putts went in, and then kind of looked up and we were 7-under through 12. It happened real fast, so I don’t know what to say really."

Billy Horschel owns the US Amateur and USGA 18-hole scoring record of 60, which he produced in Round 1 of the 2006 championship at the Chaska (Minn.) Town Course.

Big-name players to miss out on making the US Amateur this year include Texas junior and reigning McCormack medalist Cole Hammer, as well as Preston Summerhays, the Arizona State commit and last year’s US Junior champion..

The US Amateur is a matchplay format and will commence on Wednesday's Round of 64 matches, right the way through to Sunday's 36-hole final. 

Past US Amateur winners include Tiger Woods, Matt Kuchar, Bryson DeChambeau and Viktor Hovland.