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BY: RORY SPEARS Lead Writer and Assistant Editor, reporting from Beverly Country Club.
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Then there was four. Day 1 of the Western Amateur match play at Beverly Country Club saw the field trimmed from 16 to 4 players.
Northbrook’s Nick Hardy steamrollered not one but two opponents in route to being the first player into the final four.
The University of Illinois bound Freshman won his matches by a score of 6 & 4 in the morning against Geoff Drakeford, and in the afternoon by a 5 & 4 score over Scottie Scheffler. Quick starts were the key in both matches for Hardy.
Nick Hardy of Northbrook has made the final four at the 112th Western Amateur at Beverly Country Club
Hardy was kind of hoping to play a local friend in Arlington Hts. Doug Ghim who was the medalist of the tournament. Ghim won his first match on Friday 1 UP, after birdieing the 18th hole for a fifth straight time this week. Ghim had a 4 UP lead against Matt Hansen, but lost that lead and had to go to the 18th hole.
Ghim needed birdie number six on 18 in the afternoon match against Texas Longhorn Beau Hossler, but didn’t get it. Instead Hossler eliminated Ghim on the 19th hole after Ghim 3-putted on the par 3, 10th hole, that was used for the playoff.
Hossler and Hardy are the first out semi-final at 7:30 Am on Saturday morning. The other semi-final will have Fighting Illini golf team member Brian Campbell against Xander Schauffele teeing off at 7:45 Am.
Campbell’s afternoon win over Cory Crawford went 23 holes, that tied for second place in terms of the longest matches played in the modern era of the Western Amateur. Which is since 1961 when the matches went to 18 holes. Campbell was 2 UP with two holes to play, but Crawford dug in and forced the match into extra holes.
Big 3 partner Tim Cronin said the Ghim and Hossler match was the best amateur match he is seen since the 1998 U.S. Amateur Quarter Final match between Sergio Garcia and Matt Kuchar. Both Ghim and Hossler shot 30 on the back nine at Beverly, with 5 birdies and no bogeys, according to Cronin.
Another member of the Illinois golf team Charlie Danielson was eliminated in the round of the Sweet Sixteen, he lost 2 & 1 to Hunter Stewart. Defending Champion Jordan Niebrugge made the first cut, but did not advance to the final 16 for match play.
The championship match will begin approximately one hour after the conclusion of the semi-final matches. Come out early and see the semi-final matches.
Click here to hear interviews with Nick Hardy, Doug Ghim, Beau Hossler.