Dallas Hangs on For First State Victory at MGA Senior Amateur
September 11, 2024
CHASKA, Minn. – Carding the second lowest round in the 124-year history of the U.S. Amateur, Florida’s Jimmy Ellis’ 9-under 61 Tuesday at Chaska Town Course moved him on top of the leaderboard by one stroke over Duke University’s Ethan Evans, becoming the first mid-amateur player to earn medalist honors since Jeff Wilson in 2010.
With 10 birdies and one bogey on his scorecard Tuesday, the 38-year-old Ellis came up one stroke short of Billy Horschel’s mark of 60 at Chaska Town Course during his first round of the 2006 U.S. Amateur.
“It’s unbelievable. I’m sure the other guys that had scores like that were, you know, much bigger names than me, who’s just a blind squirrel,” Ellis said of his performance Tuesday. “I just made absolutely everything today. The greens were absolutely perfect speed. I don’t know what happened, everything just went in.
“I putted awesome. I had real troubles yesterday, at least on the front nine at Hazeltine, I putted horribly. Then, all of a sudden, the last few holes I started making some putts, and it just carried over to today.”
Ellis, who earned his ticket to this year's national championship by winning the Florida State Golf Association Amateur Championship in early June, rattled off five birdies and a bogey during his opening nine to reach 5-under for the tournament.
After birdies at the 11th and 13th, he’d move to 7-under, and he finished his second round with three consecutive birdies over his last three holes to advance to the match play portion of the championship as the tournament’s top seed.
Evans, from Mercer Island, Wash., began the championship with a 2-under 70 at Hazeltine Monday, and would play his opening nine in 1-under at Chaska Town Course during his second round Tuesday before rattling off six birdies during his final nine to catapult up the leaderboard into sole possession of second at 9-under 133.
Following a 2-over 74 Monday at Hazeltine National Golf Club, former Minnetonka High School standout Gunnar Broin needed a pair of birdies on his final two holes at Chaska Town Course Tuesday to finish the first two rounds of stroke play at even par 142, tied for 54th.
“It helped that I knew the courses, it helped a lot,” Broin said after his second round Tuesday. “I just grinded my way out of Hazeltine. I tripled the first hole in the first round, so I was kind of battling back the whole rest of the 35 holes. “I hung in there nicely today–I made one mistake on the back nine, had a few putts drop down the stretch. Very happy with where I’m at.”
Broin will tee off at 7:30 a.m. Wednesday in a 14-way playoff to determine the final 11 spots for match play.
“It would mean a lot just to get an opportunity to play in match play. I mean that’s the whole goal for the week, right?” Broin said. “At least I gave it a run there at the end and birdied the last two. Good or bad, it’s exciting to be here, it’s exciting to at least feel the pressure and this atmosphere.”
The Kansas University golfer played his opening nine in 1-over Tuesday before a birdie at the second and an eagle at the short, par-4 third to reach even par for the championship.
Broin stumbled at the par-5 fifth with a double-bogey, but staged a late rally by converting back-to-back birdie chances on his final two holes to fire a second-round 68 and into a playoff.
The 14-way playoff will begin at 7:30 a.m. at Hazeltine National Golf Club, followed by the start of the Round of 64 at 8 a.m.
THE 124TH U.S. AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP
HAZELTINE NATIONAL GOLF CLUB
CHASKA, MINN.
7,548 YARDS, PAR 72
CHASKA TOWN COURSE
CHASKA, MINN.
6,851 YARDS, PAR 70
TUESDAY’S SECOND ROUND STROKE PLAY RESULTS
1. Jimmy Ellis, Atlantic Beach, Fla., 71-61—132
2. Ethan Evans, Mercer Island, Wash., 70-63—133
T3. Luis Masaveu, Spain, 70-65—135
T3. David Ford, Peachtree Corners, Ga., 67-68—135
T3. Paul Chang, China, 64-71—135
T6. Leandro Mihaich, Argentina, 67-69—136
T6. Sebastian Moss, Houston, Texas, 71-65—136
T8. Bryan Kim, Brookeville, Md., 72-65—137
T8. Tom Fischer, Birmingham, Ala., 64-73—137
T8. Jackson Van Paris, Pinehurst, N.C., 67-70—137
T8. Carson Bacha, York, Pa., 70-67—137 T54.
T54. GUNNAR BROIN, SHOREWOOD, MINN., 74-68—142
MC. BEN WARIAN, STILLWATER, MINN., 69-74—143
MC. JACQUES WILSON, CHASKA, MINN., 72-72—144
MC. SAM UDOVICH, INVER GROVE HEIGHTS, MINN., 74-74—148
MC. NATE DEZIEL, EAST GRAND FORKS, MINN., 84-69—153
MC. JOSH PERSONS, UNIV. OF MINN., 81-74—155
MC. JACOB PEDERSEN, SHOREWOOD, MINN., 73-83—156
For complete tournament results go to: https://championships.usga.org/usamateur/2024/scoring.html
September 11, 2024
September 11, 2024
September 10, 2024
Contact Us
Have a question about the Minnesota Golf Association, your MGA membership or the contents of this website? Let us help.
