VIDEO: All-American Semifinals Set for U.S. Amateur

August 18, 2017 | by AmateurGolf.com Staff

The faces of Doug Ghim, Theo Humphrey, Mark Lawrence, Jr. and Doc Redman<br>reflect the intensity and pressure that mounts with every match (USGA photo)

After four tight matches, with two decided at the 18th hole, four players remain at Riviera, and all are from the USA

PACIFIC PALISADES, CA (August 18, 2017) - Four players advanced at the 117th U.S. Amateur Championship after four tight matches at Riviera Country Club, including two that came down to the 18th hole.

Related: VIDEO: Eight Players Remain at the 117th U.S. Amateur

The semifinal matches will be an All-American affair, and could determine not only who lifts the Havemeyer Trophy but also who will make the U.S. Walker Cup team for next month's matches at Los Angeles Country Club.

Quarterfinal Round Highlights

An intense Theo Humphrey of Greenwich, CT made a clutch par-saving putt on the 18th green to win his match against Chun An Yu of Chinese Taipei. Yu was one down through 16 but birdied the 17th to take the match to Riviera's famed closing hole, and after both players hit their approaches through the green, rolled in a slick downhill twelve footer to force Humphrey to make for the win or go to extra holes. The rising Vanderbilt senior poured in his seven-footer to close it out.

If Humphrey is outwardly intense, Mark Lawrence, Jr. is as smooth as they come. The Virginia Tech rising junior from Richmond, VA caught a break against Dawson Armstrong of Brentwood, TN when he started the round with three straight bogeys but was still all square.

Lawrence, who in his Round of 32 match lost a five hole lead against Tyler Strafaci but turned it around by winning the 17th and 18th to advance, displayed some of the same cool in taking advantage of the opening Armstrong gave him Friday. Lawrence would only make one bogey the rest of the way and started the back nine with a three-hole winning streak that gave him the cushion he needed to close out the match 3&2.

Doug Ghim hugs his mother after winning his match against Connor Syme

Doug Ghim is hoping for two more hugs
from his mother this weekend (USGA photo)

Doug Ghim of Arlington Heights, IL and the University of Texas held off Connor Syme of Scotland by a 2&1 margin in a match in which Ghim never trailed, but could never quite separate himself either. The key hole was the par-three 16th, where Syme, having won the par-three 14th to get within one, bunkered his tee shot on the short side and made double, allowing Ghim to win the hole with bogey. Ghim would go on to par seventeen and win the match.

Ghim is hoping for a Longhorn double at this year's USGA championships. Sophia Schubert of the Texas Women's Golf Team won last week's U.S. Women's Amateur at San Diego Country Club, and Ghim would love to replicate the feat. He has made deep runs in USGA events before, as a semifinalist in the 2013 U.S. Junior and a finalist in the 2014 U.S. Public Links Championship. He won the Pacific Coast Amateur at Chambers Bay GC, a U.S. Open venue, last month. So he may be ready to break through this week at Riviera but he'll have to win two of the toughest matches of his life to do it.

Of the four semifinalists, Doc Redman of Raleigh, NC is on the hottest match play streak. Redman made the Final 16 at the Western Amateur two weeks ago and won three matches before falling to Norman Xiong in the final, and it took Xiong 22 holes to beat him.

Four more wins at Riviera this week, and Redman is now 7-1 in his last eight matches in two of the biggest tournaments in amateur golf. He will no doubt be a tough out for anyone hoping to knock him off this weekend.

There will be a quick turnaround Saturday, with the semifinals played early in the morning, with the 36-hole final on Sunday.

Semifinal Matches

Doug Ghim, Arlington Heights, IL v. Theo Humphrey, Greenwich, CT
Mark Lawrence, Jr., Richmond, VA v. Doc Redman, Raleigh, NC

Related: TV Times and Schedule of Play

About the US Amateur

VIDEO: All-American Semifinals Set for U.S. Amateur

The U.S. Amateur, the oldest USGA championship, was first played in 1895 at Newport Golf Club in Rhode Island. The event, which has no age restriction, is open to those with a Handicap Index of .4 (point four) or lower. It is one of 15 national champ...

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