U.S. Am Champ Fox: “This whole week feels like a dream to me.”
/There were several reports worth checking out from the dramatic U.S. Amateur finish at Cherry Hills.
Sean Martin's report from the final round includes.
Fox hit 6-iron off the tee on the short par-4 first – the match’s first extra hole – then hit his 70-yard approach past the hole. Weaver, hit driver well past the first green and over the second tee. His 50-yard pitch shot didn’t reach the green, and his third shot was 10 feet short. He could only watch as Fox’s putt trickled down the slope and into the hole. It was the first time Fox had led since the fourth hole of the morning round.
“We just wanted to cozy it down there for par, and I just tapped it,” Fox said of his winning putt, “and luckily it found the hole.”
Fox was 2 down with four holes remaining, but he won the 153-yard, par-3 15th after his 15-foot birdie putt fell on the last drop. Weaver responded by making a 15-foot birdie putt on the par-4 16th to regain his 2-up lead. Both players laid up on No. 17. Weaver putt first, running his birdie putt about 5 feet past the hole. Fox, needing to win the hole to keep the match going, holed an 8-foot birdie putt.
David Shefter has the story of Fox's dad Steven, who sort of resigned after the first 18 holes due to fatigue and seeing his son needing a fresh bit of assistance in the afternoon. The task fell on Ben Rickett, an assistant at UTC where Fox plays.
“Ben’s walked with me a lot,” said Steven Fox. “We get along. We were smiling the whole day, laughing and making jokes and enjoying the crowd. It was awesome.”
The change paid off. It didn’t hurt to get a major break on the 36th hole when Weaver lipped out a 5-foot putt to win the match. But Fox said without Rickett and his coaches showing up for the final, he would not have pulled off the dramatic 37-hole victory.
“We did talk about every shot,” said Steven Fox. “And Ben was perfect for the job.”
Dave Shedloski on the losing finalist Weaver, who missed a putt on the 36th hole that looked like it was going in.
The day before, Weaver had let loose tears of joy for fighting through to the U.S. Amateur final, a path that included beating five players in the top 50 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR). This time, his abject disappointment brought forth a bitter brand of sobbing.
“Not disappointed. Just sad,” said the 21-year-old from Fresno, Calif., trying to compose himself after he saw his late 2-up lead evaporate. “I played well. I thought I made my putt on 18. I kind of looked away. I thought it went in, and it didn’t.
“You know, that’s golf. But just to see it slip through my fingers, it [hurts]. And I know I had a great week and all that. But I’m not really thinking about that now.”
Here is Fox's post-round interview transcript.
And Golf Channel's wrap-up with Whit Watson and Brandel Chamblee:
**The Twittersphere erupted after Michael Weaver hit his bag with his putter upon losing but you can't help but feel for the lad, especially after his apologetic Tweets here and here, as well as his complimentary-to-Fox Tweet here. He lost in 37 holes after almost having the win, let's cut the young man some slack! And give him a Follow.