FINAL UPDATE: Players to Watch at the 2017 U.S. Senior Am
8/31/2017 | by AmateurGolf.com Staff
see also: U.S. Senior Amateur, a USGA Championship, Baltimore Country Club: East
One was the winner, another the runner-up. See how all of our 18 Players to Watch fared at the Minikahda Club
MINNEAPOLIS, MN (August 31, 2017) - Before the 63rd U.S. Senior Amateur Championship teed off Saturday, we highlighted 18 "Players to Watch", a sampling of some of the players who have racked up big senior wins this summer or who had finished well in previous USGA events.
Related: VIDEO: Players to Watch at the U.S. Senior Amateur
Related: Sean Knapp Grinds Out a U.S. Senior Am Win
Related: U.S. Senior Amateur: Knapp and Simson Are the Final Two
Related: Storylines Abound as the U.S. Senior Am Cut to the Final 8
Related: U.S. Senior Am Round of 32 Match Play Report
Related: U.S. Senior Amateur Match Play Round of 64 Report
Related: Brown is U.S. Senior Am Medalist as 12-for-7 Playoff Looms
Related: U.S. Senior Amateur: Difficult Scoring in a Wet 1st Round
After two rounds of stroke play at the Minikahda Club, 16 of the 18 players were still alive in the championship. 14 made match play cleanly and 2 advanced through a 12-for-7 playoff for the final match play spots first thing Monday morning.
Going into the Match Play Round of 32, only 10 remained as six lost their first round matches on Monday. Eight of them made it to the Final 16, including the defending champion, last year's runner-up and three other past champions.
Five of them advanced to the quarterfinals, four made up the U.S. Senior semifinals, two made the championship final, and one was the 63rd U.S. Senior Champion--Sean Knapp of Oakmont, PA.
FINAL Players to Watch Leaderboard
Winner of the U.S. Senior Championship
76-71--147 (T20) Sean Knapp, Oakmont, PA
Beat Duke Delcher 2&1, beat Scott Thomas 6&5, beat Doug Hanzel 2&1, beat David Nocar 2&1, beat Dave Ryan 1 up, beat Paul Simson 2&1
Lost in the championship final
73-70--143 (7) Paul Simson, Raleigh, NC
Beat Jay Sessa 1 up, beat John Hornbeck 1 up, beat Chip Lutz 6&4, beat Matt Sughrue 5&4, beat Frank Vana, Jr. 5&3, lost to Sean Knapp 2&1
Lost in the semifinals
73-69--142 (T5) Dave Ryan, Taylorville, IL
Beat Michael Rowley 1 up, beat Ronald LaVerdiere 2&1, beat Michael Hughett 2&1, beat Ken Lee 2&1, lost to Sean Knapp 1 up
75-74--149 (T37) Frank Vana Jr., Boxford, MA
Beat Harrison Rutter 1 up, beat Bryan Norton 1 up, beat Alan Hill 19 holes, beat John Pierce 21 holes, lost to Paul Simson 5&3
Lost in the quarterfinals
68-72--140 (T2) Matthew Sughrue, Arlington, VA
Beat Dave Szewczul 3&1, beat John Fisher 4&3, beat Keith Decker 3&2, lost to Paul Simson 5&4
Lost in the round of 16
74-70--144 (T8) Doug Hanzel, Savannah, GA
Beat Michael Dunsmore 5&3, beat Ned Zachar 20 holes, lost to Sean Knapp 2&1
72-72--144 (T8) Chip Lutz, Reading, PA
Beat David Nelson 1 up, beat Don Donatoni 5&4, lost to Paul Simson 6&4
74-72--146 (T13) Keith Decker, Martinsville, VA
Beat Buddy Marucci 1 up, beat Gene Elliott 1 up, lost to Matt Sughrue 3&2
Lost in the round of 32
77-69--146 (T13) Gene Elliott, W. Des Moines, IA
Beat Pat Tallent 6&4, lost to Keith Decker 1 up
77-75--152 (T58*) Bryan Norton, Mission Hills, KS
Beat Tim Jackson 2&1, lost to Frank Vana, Jr. 1 up
Lost in the round of 64
70-72--142 (T5) Tim Jackson, Germantown, TN
Lost to Bryan Norton 2&1
71-73--144 (T8) Brady Exber, Las Vegas, NC
Lost to Chris Hartenstein by concession
72-75--147 (T20) Jack Hall, Savannah, GA
Lost to Alan Hill 2 up
77-73--150 (T40) Patrick Tallent, Vienna, VA
Lost to Gene Elliott 6&4
76-74--150 (T40) George Zahringer, New York, NY
Lost to Ned Zachar 2 up
77-75--152 (T58*) Dave Szewczul, Farmington, CT
Lost to Matthew Sughrue 3&1
*Advanced through a 12-man playoff for the final 7 match play spots
Missed the cut for match play
79-74--153 (MC) Todd Hendley, Greer, SC
78-76--154 (MC) Tom Brandes, Bellevue, WA
Other notable scores
Lost in the round of 64
77-71--148 (T30) Robert Polk, Parker, CO
Lost to John McClure 4&3
For the second time in six years, Robert Polk got into the championship as an alternate when John Olive of Colorado Springs, CO had to withdraw.
Missed the cut for match play
77-76--153 (MC) Jim Rollefson, Franklin, WI
Rollefson, who first picked up a club at the age of 28, qualified for his first USGA event at 51, and competed this year at a 69-year-old (read his story here), missed the 12-for-7 playoff by one shot.
Related: VIDEO: Players to Watch at the U.S. Senior Amateur
Related: Sean Knapp Grinds Out a U.S. Senior Am Win
Related: U.S. Senior Amateur: Knapp and Simson Are the Final Two
Related: Storylines Abound as the U.S. Senior Am Cut to the Final 8
Related: U.S. Senior Am Round of 32 Match Play Report
Related: U.S. Senior Amateur Match Play Round of 64 Report
Related: Brown is U.S. Senior Am Medalist as 12-for-7 Playoff Looms
Related: U.S. Senior Amateur: Difficult Scoring in a Wet 1st Round
After two rounds of stroke play at the Minikahda Club, 16 of the 18 players were still alive in the championship. 14 made match play cleanly and 2 advanced through a 12-for-7 playoff for the final match play spots first thing Monday morning.
Going into the Match Play Round of 32, only 10 remained as six lost their first round matches on Monday. Eight of them made it to the Final 16, including the defending champion, last year's runner-up and three other past champions.
Five of them advanced to the quarterfinals, four made up the U.S. Senior semifinals, two made the championship final, and one was the 63rd U.S. Senior Champion--Sean Knapp of Oakmont, PA.
Winner of the U.S. Senior Championship
76-71--147 (T20) Sean Knapp, Oakmont, PA
Beat Duke Delcher 2&1, beat Scott Thomas 6&5, beat Doug Hanzel 2&1, beat David Nocar 2&1, beat Dave Ryan 1 up, beat Paul Simson 2&1
Lost in the championship final
73-70--143 (7) Paul Simson, Raleigh, NC
Beat Jay Sessa 1 up, beat John Hornbeck 1 up, beat Chip Lutz 6&4, beat Matt Sughrue 5&4, beat Frank Vana, Jr. 5&3, lost to Sean Knapp 2&1
Lost in the semifinals
73-69--142 (T5) Dave Ryan, Taylorville, IL
Beat Michael Rowley 1 up, beat Ronald LaVerdiere 2&1, beat Michael Hughett 2&1, beat Ken Lee 2&1, lost to Sean Knapp 1 up
75-74--149 (T37) Frank Vana Jr., Boxford, MA
Beat Harrison Rutter 1 up, beat Bryan Norton 1 up, beat Alan Hill 19 holes, beat John Pierce 21 holes, lost to Paul Simson 5&3
Lost in the quarterfinals
68-72--140 (T2) Matthew Sughrue, Arlington, VA
Beat Dave Szewczul 3&1, beat John Fisher 4&3, beat Keith Decker 3&2, lost to Paul Simson 5&4
Lost in the round of 16
74-70--144 (T8) Doug Hanzel, Savannah, GA
Beat Michael Dunsmore 5&3, beat Ned Zachar 20 holes, lost to Sean Knapp 2&1
72-72--144 (T8) Chip Lutz, Reading, PA
Beat David Nelson 1 up, beat Don Donatoni 5&4, lost to Paul Simson 6&4
74-72--146 (T13) Keith Decker, Martinsville, VA
Beat Buddy Marucci 1 up, beat Gene Elliott 1 up, lost to Matt Sughrue 3&2
Lost in the round of 32
77-69--146 (T13) Gene Elliott, W. Des Moines, IA
Beat Pat Tallent 6&4, lost to Keith Decker 1 up
77-75--152 (T58*) Bryan Norton, Mission Hills, KS
Beat Tim Jackson 2&1, lost to Frank Vana, Jr. 1 up
Lost in the round of 64
70-72--142 (T5) Tim Jackson, Germantown, TN
Lost to Bryan Norton 2&1
71-73--144 (T8) Brady Exber, Las Vegas, NC
Lost to Chris Hartenstein by concession
72-75--147 (T20) Jack Hall, Savannah, GA
Lost to Alan Hill 2 up
77-73--150 (T40) Patrick Tallent, Vienna, VA
Lost to Gene Elliott 6&4
76-74--150 (T40) George Zahringer, New York, NY
Lost to Ned Zachar 2 up
77-75--152 (T58*) Dave Szewczul, Farmington, CT
Lost to Matthew Sughrue 3&1
*Advanced through a 12-man playoff for the final 7 match play spots
Missed the cut for match play
79-74--153 (MC) Todd Hendley, Greer, SC
78-76--154 (MC) Tom Brandes, Bellevue, WA
Other notable scores
Lost in the round of 64
77-71--148 (T30) Robert Polk, Parker, CO
Lost to John McClure 4&3
For the second time in six years, Robert Polk got into the championship as an alternate when John Olive of Colorado Springs, CO had to withdraw.
Missed the cut for match play
77-76--153 (MC) Jim Rollefson, Franklin, WI
Rollefson, who first picked up a club at the age of 28, qualified for his first USGA event at 51, and competed this year at a 69-year-old (read his story here), missed the 12-for-7 playoff by one shot.
About the U.S. Senior Amateur
The USGA Senior Amateur is open to those with a USGA Handicap Index of 5.4 or lower, who are 55 or older on or before the day the qualifying begins, usually in August. It is one of 15 national championships conducted annually by the USGA.
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