Daniel Wetterich (Ohio State Athletics)
If there’s been a theme to the leaderboards of many of the top summer amateur events this year, it has been the name
Daniel Wetterich. The Ohio native, fresh out of eligibility at Ohio State, started this summer with the first-round lead – and an eventual top-5 finish –
at the Dogwood Invitational. He has teed it up, and been in the conversation, nearly every week since.
Through two rounds of the Western Amateur at Point O’Woods Golf Club in Benton Harbor, Mich., Wetterich has a share of the lead with
David Laskin of Elk Grove, Calif. Each player has had consistent rounds of 66-68 over the past two days, just in a different order. Wetterich’s card has only seen two bogeys.
“I wasn’t hitting the ball the greatest, but I managed my game really well and put myself in spots to make some birdies,” Wetterich told the Western Golf Association after his second-round 68.
As for Laskin, mentality was also key. He’s been working on that component of his game.
“I’ve been focusing on my mental game and how to handle tough situations,” said Laskin, a rising senior at Arizona. “It was not a great bogey on the first, but I knew I could make plenty of birdies out there.”
A senior at Arizona, Laskin posted four birdies on his second nine, punctuating his round with one from nine feet on No. 18 for his 66.
Another of Laskin’s highlights came at No. 12 when he holed a 50-foot putt over a ridge for birdie. He said he made a similar, but longer, putt on No. 11 in the first round.
“I gave it a run, and it ended up being on the right line,” he said. “It was cool to see that one go in. I joked with my caddie that I should always leave myself below ridges.”
Nine players are tied for third at 5 under, including
Quade Cummins, the recent Pacific Coast Amateur champion.
What was most surprising about the second-round leaderboard was the quality of players left outside the first cut. They include defending champion
Cole Hammer, Walker Cup hopefuls
Steven Fisk,
Isaiah Salinda and
John Augenstein, and North & South winner
Cooper Dossey.
Interestingly, nine men from last year’s “sweet 16” at the Western returned this year, but after Wednesday only one remains. That’s recent Players Amateur champion
Spencer Ralston, who is also part of the tie for third at 5 under.
Quotes and information from the Western Golf Association used in this report
ABOUT THE Western Amateur
Invitational event, and the most important
tournament in American amateur golf outside of the
U.S. Amateur. With a grueling schedule, it's quite
possibly the
hardest amateur tournament to win.
156 invited players come from across the
globe to play one of the toughest formats in
amateur golf. The tournament starts with 18
holes of stroke play on Tuesday and
Wednesday after which the field is cut to the
low 44 scores and ties. Thursday it's a long
day of 36 holes of stroke play to determine
the “Sweet Sixteen” who compete at Match
Play on Friday and Saturday (two matches
each day if you're going to the finals) to
decide the champion.
View Complete Tournament Information