The best non-pro golfers in the world will face the toughest of tests this week at the 122nd US Amateur Championship, which is being held over two courses in New Jersey.
The Ridgewood Country Club and nearby Arcola Country Club, both in Paramus, New Jersey, welcome 312 of the best non-professionals from 29 different countries, but one hole awaiting them in particular has been drawing plenty of attention on social media. The 14th hole on Ridgewood’s championship course has the sort of quick, undulating, raised green that would see even the most seasoned pro break into cold sweats.
Golf stats guru Lou Stagner tweeted (opens in new tab) a video showing a golf ball being dropped at the back of the green, and following it as it gathered pace rolling past the hole towards the front of the green, carried on back onto the fairway, down a hill and coming to rest in a divot in a flat area, leaving a nasty chip back to start the whole process again.
WATCH: LOU STAGNER’S RIDGEWOOD VIDEO
How about this craziness? #USAmateur😬😬😬😬😬 pic.twitter.com/67mnkCzXJeAugust 14, 2022
Xavier University Men’s Golf Coach Brian Arlinghaus also took to Twitter (opens in new tab) to show his experience of the hole, with the caption ‘There will be blood’. His video shows his putt goes past the hole, rolling off the green and back down the hill onto the fairway. Xavier’s Justin Gabbard was the last player to tee off in the US Amateur on Monday, having been drawn in the final group at Ridgewood.
WATCH: UNIVERSITY COACH’S PUTT ROLLS OFF THE GREEN
The US Amateur got under way on both courses on Monday August 15th, with the top 64 players left after everyone has played 18 holes of strokeplay at each venue then moving on, with the rest of the tournament all in the matchplay fromoat and held at Ridgewood . Wednesday and Thursday sees that 64 whittled down to the last eight, with semi-finals on Saturday and the 36-hole final on Sunday 21st.
As ever with the USGA, there are some creative groupings over the first couple of days, the pick of which will tickle Seinfeld fans – Mark Costanza joins Hazen Newman and Campbell Kremer for the first couple of days. All three share, just about, surnames with main characters in the much-loved comedy series.
James Piot is the current champion, having beaten Austin Greaser 2&1 in the 2021 US Amateur at Oakmont Country Club. Piot has since turned professional and joined LIV Golf, where he is a member of the Niblicks GC team. Greaser is now a senior at the University of North Carolina and is back to try again, having suffered a bit of a collapse last year.
With nine holes remaining he was 3-up, but a combination of losing his form at the vital moment and Piot finding his saw Greaser finish runner-up and Piot follow in the footsteps of the likes of Phil Michelson, Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, Tiger Woods and more recently Matt Fitzpatrick, Bryson DeChambeau and Viktor Hovland.