GOLF | Gaels Begin Play at US Amateur

Two Saint Mary's golfers took part in the opening round at the US Amateur Open in North Carolina on Monday.

PINEHURST, N.C. — Two Gaels began play on Monday at the prestigious US Amateur Open at Pinehurst Resort and Country Club with a huge prize on the line: exemptions into The Masters, US Open and British Open.

Rising senior Blake Hathcoat finished tied for 44th at 1-over after the first round of play among the 312 competitor field and is a manageable five strokes back of the leader, Arizona's Trevor Werbylo. Rising sophomore Ryan Grauman shot 5-over in the first round to sit in the middle of the pack, tied for 157th, after the first day.

Full leaderboard results can be followed along here.

After two rounds of play, the top 64 players will make the cut and proceed to knockout match play to decide the champion. The champion will earn admittance into the three formerly mentioned major championships while the runner-up earns an exemption into The Masters and US Open.

Qualifying for the US Amateur Open is no small task as this year 7,191 entrants participated in qualifiers around the country for one of the 312 spots available. Hathcoat shot rounds of 68-65 to earn medalist honors and qualify at Kings Country Club in Hanford, Calif. while Grauman shot 70-71 at Bayonet Golf Course in Seaside, Calif. to earn his spot.

Hathcoat became the first Gael ever to play in the US and British Amateur Open during the same year while Grauman qualified for his second event Amateur championship after playing in the US Junior Amateur Open in 2016.

Both Gaels will look to top Saint Mary's all-time best showing at the US Amateur set by Ben Geyer in 2011 at Erin Hills in Wisconsin. Geyer earned a six-seed heading into match play and was only undone in the Round of 16 by future world No. 1 overall, Jordan Spieth. Geyer's second round 66 at Erin Hills was a course record for a competitive round at the time.

Other Gaels to have competed in the event during recent years include Dalan Refioglu, Mac McClung, Jonathan De Los Reyes, Robert McRae, Daniel Cone, Chad Cocco, and Liam Kendregen.

Many all-time greats have hoisted the tournament's hardware, also known as the Havemeyer Trophy, including Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus, Bobby Jones, Arnold Palmer, Phil Mickelson, and many more. Last year's tournament was won by Norway's Victor Hovland who played collegiately at Oklahoma State.

This year's 119th US Amateur is being played at Pinehurst Resort and Country Club in Pinehurst, North Carolina, on the number 2 and number 4 courses. There are nine championship courses on the property, all denoted by number and designed by world renowned architects. Pinehurst has hosted more championships than any other club in the country and is also set to host the 2024 US Open Championship.

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Players Mentioned

Blake Hathcoat: 5' 11"; Junior

Ryan Grauman: 6' 1"; Freshman

Players Mentioned

Blake Hathcoat
: 5' 11"; Junior

Ryan Grauman
: 6' 1"; Freshman