111th US AMATEUR KRAFT DEFEATS CANTLAY 2 UP
THE HAVEMEYER TROPHY BELONGS TO KELLY KRAFT OF DENTON TEXAS AND SMU PLAYER. KRAFT UPSET WORLD AM #1 PATRICK CANTLAY 2 UP.
KELLY KRAFT...world number #47 defeated world #1 Patrick Cantlay
2 UP to win the 111th US Amateur at Erin Hills.The two players are
now teammates on the USA Walker Cup Team.
With his win Kraft thinks he will be an amateur for a while instead of
turning pro in short future as he had planned. Kraft did admit he is
looking forward to playing in the Masters.
"This is a dream come true, " Kraft said. "Winning this is unbelievable
and making the Walker Cup Team too is just amazing. I'm excited
to go over to Scotland and beat those guys up.'
It all ended the way great matches always do, on the last hole. With
Cantlay conceding a par putt to Kraft to end the match.
"Yeah it's strange to win on a concession, " Kraft said. " But I thought
he would concede if he missed his par putt. Hey I'll take it (win) anyway
it comes.'
" I know I played well all week, "Cantlay said. " But you don't come to
a golf tournament to try and finish second."
The match went back and forth as it was Cantlay who jumped to the
early lead 1 Up after the first hole, before Kraft made things A/S on
the third hole. Kraft took his first lead on the on the sixth, but Cantlay
made it A/S on the next hole. On the ninth hole Kraft started to build
a lead with a short birdie. Another birdie on 12 made it 2 UP.
After a bad tee shot by Cantlay on 13, Kraft made it 3 UP, but a poor
tee shot that found a bunker on 14 allowed Cantlay to cut into the lead
and trail by two. But Cantlay blew his tee shot well over the short par 4
15th green and Kraft made par and the lead was again 3 UP.
The par 3 16th saw a unusual situation occur. With Kraft on the green
and Cantlay in the right bunker, Cantlay's blast attempt did not get out
of the trap, at that point Cantlay was assessed a penalty when his caddy,
starting raking the bunker before Cantlay played his third shot. At that
point Krafts lead was 4 UP.
Kraft then blasted a drive down the 17th fairway, with Cantlay finding the
right rough. Kraft hit his approach in to 10 feet, while Cantlay was short
and left of the green. But just when Kraft appeared to be going 5 UP, his
fortune changed as Cantlay drained about a 50 footer with the putter.Kraft
then missed his putt the lead was three and match was on again.
The 18th hole playing 675 yards with a tough left pin placement, saw both
players struggle. In the end Kraft conceded a six to Cantlay after making
a snowman 8 himself. The players went to the break with Kraft 2 UP.
A birdie on the 22nd hole saw Cantlay pull with in one. Two holes later a
par on the 236 yard par 3 sixth (24th) allowed Cantlay to pull even after a
Kraft three putt. A one putt par put Kraft back in the lead on the 26th hole,
but after going bunker to bunker on the par 3 ninth (27th) the match was
A/S again.
Cantlay made par on the par 4 524 yard tenth hole playing into the wind
to regain the lead 1 UP with eight holes to play. But after a birdie by Kraft
on the 31st hole things were A/S. The par 5 14th (32nd) saw Cantlay
regain the lead with a short birdie putt, but the short par 4 15th or hole
33 was again the beginning of Cantlays undoing.
Playing it "safe" he hit an eight iron expecting to find the fairway, instead
he found a pot bunker. The approach flew the green and Cantlay could not
get up and down, the match with three holes to play was All-Square again.
"I thought that was a mistake, " Kraft said. " I would not have done that
whether I was ahead or behind.
"I pulled that shot 15 or 20 yards, " Cantlay said. "I thought my best chance
there was to spin in a wedge to that back hole location. So I decided to lay
up. But I pull hooked the shot and it bounced into the bunker and that was
that."
Now if was Krafts turn to take the lead, the par 3 playing 197 yards, saw
Cantlay about 10 feet away. Kraft was 20 feet past but putted up to a foot
and Cantlay conceded the putt. Cantlay then blew his putt past the hole
and missed the comeback. Kraft was 1 UP with two holes to play.
"Obviously on 15 and 16 I made mental mistakes out there, " Cantlay said.
"Combined with some poor physical shots, I threw away the golf tournament
on 15 and 16. I could not recover on 17 and 18."
After both players made par on 17, the match went to the 18th and both
players found bunkers on opposite sides of the fairway. Both players were
still short in three, but Krafts bunker shot to six feet sealed the win. Cantlays
chip was short of the hole and missed a par putt before conceding the
match.
"I just tried to stay down and hit the bunker shot, " Kraft said. 'It was a hard
shot considering the circumstances, but I hit it well."
With the win, Kraft joined the USA Walker Cup team. The Walker Cup
matches will be played Sept 9-10-11 at Royal Aberdeen in Scotland.
USGA President Jim Hyler announced that Captain Jim Holtgrieve also
selected Jordan Spieth and Blayne Barber to round out the ten man
team USA.
TO HEAR INTERVIEWS WITH US AMATEUR CHAMPION KELLY KRAFT
AND RUNNER UP PATRICK CANTLAY PLEASE CLICK HERE:
Download | Duration: 00:17:12
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