3 Things: 2020 U.S. Amateur Round of 32

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During the first round of match play, Wednesday, Aug. 12, Frankie Capan, of North Oaks GC, defeated Derek Busby, 2 and 1, to advance to the Round of 32; Angus Flanagan, of the University GC, and Van Holmgren, of Pioneer Creek GC, lost their matches, 2 and 1, and 3 and 2, respectively.

BANDON, Ore. (August 13, 2020) -- The U.S. Amateur field was trimmed by half on Wednesday at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort as 32 competitors won matches, thereby ending the title dreams of 32 others. With two rounds of match play scheduled on Thursday, only eight quarterfinalists will remain when the sun sets on the picturesque southwest coast of Oregon.

Several big names were surprising first-round victims, including 2019 runner-up John Augenstein, world No. 4 Davis Thompson and two-time USGA champion Scott Harvey, who at 42 years of age was the oldest player to qualify for match play.

Still, four USGA champions remain along with a few other college stars. So as the golf is set to begin at 7 a.m. PDT, here are three things to know for the Round of 32:

Walk This Way
Five years ago, Sam Harned enrolled at the University of Nevada in Reno. with his intended goal to be a regular student. Golf was always a passion, and he played for his high school golf team and competed in regional events either through The First Tee or Northern California Golf Association. But unlike many of his fellow competitors here this week, he didn’t qualify to play in prestigious American Junior Golf Association events or USGA competitions.

Division I schools basically ignored the Rocklin, Calif., native, when he graduated in 2015, so he focused on being a student. But after two years of strictly focusing on academics and campus life, Nevada’s golf coach Jacob Wilner gave him a shot as a walk-on. Harned accepted and has since become one of the Wolfpack’s top players. He eventually earned a scholarship after the 2017-18 season. His senior season in 2019-20, however, was cut short by COVID-19, and with the NCAA granting seniors in spring sports an extra year of eligibility, Harned plans to play in 2020-21. His performances the past three seasons pushed his World Amateur Golf Ranking® inside the top 225 to allow Harned to garner a spot in the all-exempt 2020 U.S. Amateur (he qualified in 2019 but missed the cut for match play at Pinehurst).

An under-the-radar competitor at Bandon Dunes, Harned, 22, has made the most of his opportunity, playing his way into the draw with a 36-hole total of 1-over 144 to earn the No. 61 seed and then ousting No. 4 seed Travis McInroe, 4 and 3. He faces Mateo Fernandez de Oliviera in the Round of 32 on Thursday at 7:40 a.m. PDT. 

“Yeah, I'm playing some good golf right now,” said Harned, who has his girlfriend, Nevada women’s golfer Victoria Gailey, on his bag. “I'm just ready to take on whomever they throw at me.”

Champions’ Fight
While intense matches are expected throughout the Round of 32, there is one intriguing matchup that happens to feature a pair of USGA champions. Philip Barbaree, 21, of Shreveport, La., the 2015 U.S. Junior Amateur champion, will take on 2017 U.S. Amateur Four-Ball champion Frankie Capan, 20, of North Oaks, Minn. The two were rivals in the Southeastern Conference – Barbaree at LSU and Capan at Alabama – until the latter transferred this summer to Florida Gulf Coast. Both showed good form in stroke play, with Capan carding a 5-under 67 at Bandon Dunes on Tuesday to earn the No. 15 seed. Barbaree’s better round (68) came at stroke-play co-host Bandon Trails on Monday. They are two of four USGA champions to reach the Round of 32; the other two are 2016 U.S. Mid-Amateur champion Stewart Hagestad and 2018 U.S. Junior Amateur champion Michael Thorbjornsen.

Marathon Day
Lots of resort guests at Bandon Dunes are accustomed to playing 36 holes in one day. But playing that many holes in breezy conditions under championship pressure takes a special kind of physical and mental stamina. Patience is often an overused word in golf competitions, but on Thursday, it will be required for those fortunate 16 golfers who can advance from their morning matches, and then refocus for another tough encounter in the afternoon. Sometimes it isn’t the most talented golfer who survives, but rather the one who can adroitly stay in the moment and endure the situation. Those who can manage their energy, focus and games will clear a giant hurdle and be rewarded with a spot in the quarterfinals.

David Shefter is a senior staff writer for the USGA. Email him at dshefter@usga.org.

This summary appears on the USGA website, usga.org. Results of match play scoring can be found here: https://www.usga.org/content/usga/home-page/championships/2020/u-s--amateur.html#!scoring