Mitchell Davis and Marco Steyn (Photo submitted)
Sand Creek Country Club in Chesteron, Ind., just seems to fit Mitch Davis’ eye. Over the span of the past four days, Davis has medaled in a U.S. Amateur qualifier at Sand Creek and won a major amateur event there, too. It makes sense that he would find success at this place – afterall, he is a member.
Davis, an incoming sophomore at Indiana, became the Northern Amateur champion on Friday when he finished 54 holes at Sand Creek at 12 under. Davis had a five-shot lead at the start of the day but hardly cruised home with it.
After opening his day with four bogeys for a front-nine 40, Davis had blown his entire lead. He pulled it together on the back nine, however, and with birdies on Nos. 10 and 11, was back to a two-shot lead. He played his remaining holes in 1 under to finish with a final-round 73 and a four-shot victory.
Marco Steyn of Cape Town finished second at 8 under after a closing 70.
Tyler Copp, from Ann Arbor, Mich., was 7 under and solo third.
Recent Illinois Amateur champion Ethan Farnam was part of a group tied for seventh at 5 under. Defending champion Alec Dutkowski, who put himself in this year’s conversation with a second-round 66, fell to a 78 on Friday and at 1 over, finished with a share of 17th.
ROUND TWO RECAP
It can be hard to follow up an eight-birdie, no-bogey day, but Mitchell Davis didn’t seem to have any trouble with that. After opening with a 54 at Sand Creek Country Club in Chesterton, Ind., on Wednesday for the Northern Amateur lead, Davis came back with a second-round 67 that included only one bogey. He has built his lead to five shots entering the final round.
David is a Valparaiso, Ind., native who plays for the University of Indiana. His steady play on Thursday included a birdie at the opening hole, which he gave back with a bogey at No. 6. He made birdies at Nos. 8 and 10 before making three straight from Nos. 13-15.
Behind Davis, Tyler Copp of Ann Arbor, Mich., backed up an opening 65 with a 71 to lose some ground. Marco Styen, who is in solo third at 6 under, was consistent with a second consecutive round of 69.
Four men are tied for fourth at 5 under. That group includes Ethan Farnam, the Crystal Lake, Ill., native who just won the Illinois Amateur, as well as defending champion Alec Dutkowski.
ROUND ONE RECAP
Eight birdies in a single round is particularly impressive when there are no bogeys to go along with them. That was Mitchell Davis’ story during the first round of the Northern Amateur at Sand Creek Country Club in Chesterton, Ind.
Davis, who is about to enter his sophomore season at the University of Indiana, got to the top of the leaderboard that way. He sealed his lead with a birdie on 18.
The Valparaiso, Ind., native finished in the top 20 at the Big Ten Championship this spring and will play the U.S. Amateur next month after advancing through qualifying. The Northern Amateur is his first major amateur start this summer. He wasted no time in climbing to the top of the leaderboard. Davis birdied his second hole of the day, made two more birdies at Nos. 5 and 6 and was off to the races from there.
Behind Davis, Tyler Copp from Ann Arbor, Mich., had a round of 7-under 65 that included only one bogey. Copp is solo second.
Nicholas Tenuta of Mt. Prospect, Ill., is third at 5 under, followed by two men in a tie for fourth at 4 under: Luke Ambrust of Wheaton, Ill., and Patrick Allgeier of Fort Wayne, Ind.
ABOUT THE Northern Amateur
Popular national amateur tournament played
from
1967-2001 (with a solid list of past
champions)
returned to the schedule in 2011. 54-hole
stroke
play championship with a field of 96 players.
Par-3 contest held after round 1.
View Complete Tournament Information