Internationals Dominating '13 U.S. Amateur
/And what better way to make the USGA's Exenophobic Committee--the few who made it to Brookline to show their faces in public after their rushed and high-risk cash grab vote--hit The Country Club lounge for a clear beverage than to watch people with accents trying to win the U.S. Amateur?
Ryan Herrington reports that the average age of the quarterfinalists you've never heard of is just over 20, but that's with a 27 year old preventing this from transforming this into the AJGA Summer Match Play Final.
Isn't technology that makes everyone really good so very interesting?
Herrington on the tally for the impressive international showing which, if nothing else, might ehance Fox desire to map out a U.S. Amateur to Fox Sports 9 by 2015.
Two Englishmen (Neil Raymond and Matt Fitzpatrick), two Australians (Oliver Goss and Brady Watt) and a Canadian (Corey Conners) were among those moving on, with a trio of Americans (Scottie Scheffler, Adam Ball and Brandon Matthews) rounding out the Elite 8.
Three years ago the USGA altered the qualifying criteria for the U.S. Amateur, adding an exemption into the championship field for anyone among the top 50 players on the World Amateur Golf Ranking the day entries close. That change made competing in the event more feasible for many international players who previously found it prohibitive from a time and money standpoint to come to the States to trying and play in a sectional qualifier then, if they actually succeeded, return again shortly later to play in the championship.
So good on Golf Australia, I say.
Meanwhile, how about a little love for Golf Digest's Max Adler, who didn't make the match play but who became the second scribbler from Digest to make it to the amateur.
Alex Myers with Adler's story and experience this week.
Oh and here is the official USGA take on Thursday's action, hosted by Jessica Marksbury.
By the way, the competition will be buried late Friday on Golf Channel but gets the network love this weekend. And we can only hope for a visit to the NBC booth by Fox Sports fan and USGA President Glen Nager. Anything to liven up the proceedings!
The schedule going forward:
Golf Channel Airtimes (Eastern):
Friday 9-11 p.m. (Tape Delay)
NBC Airtimes (Eastern)
Saturday 4-6 p.m. (Live)
Sunday 4-6 p.m. (Live)