Four Tie for Medalist Honors at U.S. Amateur; Capan & Hitchner to Be in 15-for-11 Playoff

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PARAMUS, N.J. -- Michael Thorbjornsen fought an uncooperative driver on Tuesday during the second round of stroke-play qualifying for the U.S. Amateur, but the 2018 U.S. Junior Amateur champion appeared to be winning the fight as he arrived on the 18th tee at Arcola, one of the two courses being used for the tournament this week. (Ridgewood Country Club is the other course.) That was when his recalcitrant driver launched an errant missile, and Thorbjornsen ended up making a double bogey on the 452-yard finishing hole.

So instead of being the the one and only medalist -- he could have made a bogey and still had medalist honors all to himself -- he wound up sharing the honors with three other players -- Fred Biondi, Luke Gutschewski and Hugo Townsend. 

Thorbjornsen, who will be a junior at Stanford in a couple of weeks, had to settle for an even-par 70 at Arcola on Tuesday, which gave him a 36-hole total of 138 (3 under). Biondi, soon to be a senior at Florida, shot a second straight 69, this one at Ridgewood on his way to the same number. Gutschewski, a sophomore to be at Iowa State and the son of PGA Tour veteran Scott Gutschewski, matched Thorbjornsen's 70 at Arcola. Townsend, an Ole Miss grad transfer from Boise State who has distinguished himself by carrying his own bag, was also at Arcola, and he shot 67.

"It doesn't really matter," Thorbjornsen said, when asked about being the sole medalist vs. being a co-medalist. "Kind of just more disappointed in myself for just doubling the last hole. It doesn't matter whether it's for nothing, or to win the U.S. Amateur. I just don't like playing bad golf." 

The four co-medalists wound up one shot ahead of Gordon Sargent, who capped off his freshman year at Vanderbilt this spring by winning the NCAA individual championship. Sargent shot the only bogey-free round of the day and signed for a 65 at Arcola.

Right behind him, there was a three-way tie for sixth that included Luke Potter, a former Junior World champion. He followed a 71 at Arcola with a 69 at Ridgemont on Tuesday and wound up at 140. 

Those guys will be the top eight seeds.

What hasn't been determined yet is who the bottom 11 seeds will be, because there was a 15-way tie for 54th place. They couldn't fit the playoff in Tuesday night; so they'll do it Wednesday morning.

The Minnesota State Amateur champions from the last two years -- Frankie Capan (2020) and Derek Hitchner (2021) -- will both be in it.

Capan started his Tuesday round on the 10th tee at Arcola, and he had a little bit of everything on the back nine, beginning with a double on the 437-yard, par-4 10th hole. He made two birdies, three pars and three bogeys over the next eight holes. Over the first eight holes on the front nine, the former Arizona state high school champion made birdies at the 382-yard third hole and the 427-yard, par-4 fifth, plus six pars.

That put him in a position to avoid the mass playoff, but he bogeyed the par-5 ninth (554 yards). 

Hitchner's round followed a similar patern at Arcola, except with the nines reversed. The former Minnesota state high school champion had a variety pack on the front nine at Arcola, with four pars, four bogeys and a birdie at the third hole. He made three of those bogeys in a row -- Nos. 5, 6 and 7. But he parred the long, 514-yard, par-4 eighth and the 554-yard, par-5 ninth to conclude the outward nine, and made another five pars in a row to start the inward nine. The only hole on the back nine that he didn't par was another par 4 that would have been a par 5 not that long ago -- the 498-yard 15th.  

The playoff is scheduled to begin 7:30 a.m Eastern Time on the 15th hole at Ridgemont, a 148-yard par 3, and continue through the 18th, a 461-yard par 4. After that, they will just keep playing No. 18 until all of those last 11 seeds are determined. The first Round of 64 match will start a 9 a.m. 


U.S. Amateur

At Ridgewood Country Club (par 71, 7,403 yards) 

& at Arcola (par 70, 7,251 yards)

Paramus, N.J. 

Stroke play (the top 64 finishers advance to match play on Wednesday)

Final results

T1. Fred Biondi                              69A  69R -- 138 (-5)

T1. Luke Gutchweski                     68R  70A -- 138

T1. Hugo Townsend                      71-R  67A -- 138

T1. Michael Thorbjornsen              68R  70A -- 138

5. Gordon Sargent                        74R  65A -- 139

T6. Adrien Dumont de Chassart    70R 70A -- 140

T6. Luke Potter                              71A 69R -- 140

T6. Christo Lamprecht                   68A 72R -- 140

T9. Rasmus N. Peterson               73R 68A -- 141

T9. Benjamin James                      71R 70A -- 141

T9. Mark Power                             73R 68A -- 141

T9. Cohen Trolio                           71R 70A -- 141

Playoff (15 players will vie for the last 11 spots in match play Wednesday morning) 

T54. Derek Hitchner                    72R 74A -- 146

T54. Frankie Capan                    74R 72A -- 146

Missed cut 

Carson Herron                             76A 75R -- 151

Connor Schubring                      76R 75A -- 151

Samuel Storey                             79A 73R -- 152

Owen Mullen                                77A 78R -- 155

Cecil Belisle                                 73A 83R -- 156

Gunnar Broin                               78A 80R -- 158

Jacob Pedersen                           82A 79R -- 161