Matthew McClean will be Ireland’s only representative in the matchplay stages of the 2023 US Amateur Championship after he squeezed into the last-64 at Cherry Hills Country Club.
The cut fell at level-par and McClean was one of fifteen players to make the last-64 cut on that number after a second round of two-over 74 followed up an opening effort of 69 – enduring tough finishes in both rounds of strokeplay.
McClean was one of three mid-amateurs to make the knockout stages and the reigning US Mid-Amateur champion will take on seventh seed Andi Xu of China who qualified in a share of fourth place.
The Malone man tees off at 7.20 pm Irish time as he looks to further strengthen his Walker Cup bid with selection coming later this month.
Kilkenny’s Mark Power and Royal Dublin’s Hugh Foley both missed the cut.
Youthful exuberance was on show as 16-year-old pair Bowen Mauss and Blades Brown shared the top medalist honours after 36 holes.
“I was told the U.S. Am is like one level down from the U.S. Open,” said Brown. “To be able to shoot 8 under here is awesome. It really gives me confidence in my game and my practice.
“My expectations were not super high. I just knew it would be a really cool experience and I wanted to make the most out of it and hopefully make match play. That was probably my best round ever, especially in these circumstances,” added Mauss.
Meanwhile mid-amateur Steward Hagestad is bidding four a fourth consecutive Walker Cup appearance for the USA having won his previous three when wearing the stars and stripes.
“It’s not exactly a secret that making the Walker Cup is a goal and something that I’ve really tried to push myself to be chosen for. It’s an honor to represent your country and, whether I get in or not, I’ve given myself a good fighting chance. I think it shows the committee that even after making a 10, and when I could have thrown in the towel, that I worked my tail off.”
Leave a comment