McKinney, No.30 on the World Amateur Golf Ranking, was never down in his Round of 64 match with highly ranked American Travis Vick at The Ridgewood Country Club in New Jersey this morning.
Three straight birdies to open his account saw McKinney take a 3-up lead over Vick, before a double bogey six at the 4th hole gave one back in Vick’s favor. An error the reigning Australian Amateur champion was quick to correct with another birdie at the 5thth to regain his three hole advantage.
“One of my goals in match play, which I haven’t been amazing at, is getting up early,” McKinney said.
Texan Vick managed to gain back another by the time the pair made the turn, and following a win to McKinney at the 248 yard par-3 11thVick clawed things back to be 1-down with three holes to play.
McKinney rediscovered his birdie form, with back-to-back hole wins at the 16thth and 17th for a 3&1 triumph.
“One of my goals in match play, which I haven’t been amazing at, is getting up early.” – Connor McKinney.
Hopewell, the 2020 WA Open winner, was involved in a much tighter tussle throughout his 19 hole head-to-head battle with Mateo Fernandez de Oliveira of Argentina.
Exchanging hole wins at the 2n.d and 3rdthe pair remained all square through eight holes before the Argentinian won the 9thth and 12th holes to lead 2-up.
Hopewell stormed back with a birdie-pair run at the 14thth and 15th to return the match to level pegging before dropping the 16th hole.
Facing elimination, Hopewell’s pars at the penultimate and final holes extended the match, the Royal Freemantle member making a birdie at the first extra hole to advance.
Earlier in the day, US based Aussie Karl Vilips was one of four players to miss the match play from a 15-way play-off.
McKinney will face American Nathan Franks in the Round of 32, while Hopewell will face off with Ford Clegg.
Of the four stroke play medalists, only two survived the first round of match play.
Brazil’s Fred Biondi and Hugo Townsend of Sweden remain in the hunt for the title, while Americans Michael Thorbjornsen and Luke Gutschewski both went down to survivors of the 15 man play-off.
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