Ott Moves On and Augustein Falls at US Am

It won’t be a repeat year for John Augenstein, who was runner up at the US Amateur last year, as he fell in the round of 64 this year. However, his Vanderbilt teammate, Harrison Ott, won his match convincingly, 5&4.

Augenstein, the number 21 ranked player in the WAGR and number 10 ranked player by PGATOUR U, was two up after nine holes on his opponent, Matthew Sharpstene. Then Shapstene birdied three of the next four holes while Auggie parred all four.

Augenstein birdied the 15th to bring the match to a tie, but Sharpstene parred the 16th while Augenstein bogeyed. They played the last two holes square, giving the 395th ranked WAGR golfer the victory.

Meanwhile, Harrison Ott went four up after nine through a combination of birdies and opponent bogeys. His opponent, Ford Clegg, qualified 33rd in the match play field (Ott, 32nd), won the 10th with a birdie, but Ott responded with a par and birdie on the 12th and 13th holes to win each.

The match ended on the 14th when they tied, but Ott retained a five-up lead with only four holes to play.

Both Ott and Augenstein are slated to return to Vanderbilt for their Senior and Super Senior years, respectively. However with COVID, it is unlikely if we will get to see them play. They may stay enrolled to take advantage of the PGATOUR U program that guarantees up to seven sponsor exemptions for golfers who graduate from their schools.

The US Amateur is being contested at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort in Bandon, Oregon. It is one of the best golf complexes in the United States as it combines the coastal settings of Oregon with the best golf modern architects like Tom Doak and Core and Crenshaw.

It’s also impossible to get to. Like Streamsong in Nowhereville, FL, Bandon is a resort boasting four or more courses, hiking, fishing, and a spa. Its remote nature calls to people who want a unique experience apart from typical tourism.

Ott tees off on at 7:00 AM PDT against Wilson Furr. Furr qualified first for match play with an -11 70, 62. He’s the 97 player ranked by WAGR, but clearly is on a heater. He dispatched of his Round of 64 opponent 6&4.

You can follow Ott’s progress on the USGA website and on the live broadcast that starts on Peacock at 6:00 PM EST and then on Golf Channel for two more hours.