Sturgeon Earns Trip to US Amateur with Sectional Qualifier Win

July 22, 2014

ROCKY MOUNT, N.C. — South Carolina senior Caleb Sturgeon qualified for the 114th U.S. Amateur Championship on Monday by winning a sectional qualifier at Benvenue Country Club.

Sturgeon won the qualifier with a 36-hole total of 131 (-13), firing rounds of 65 (-7) and 66 (-6). Patrick Cover of Huntersville, N.C., finished runner-up with a total of 135 (-9).

A native of Laurens, S.C., Sturgeon will be making his first appearance at the U.S. Amateur Championship. He is coming off a stellar junior season with four top-20 finishes, including his second career win. Sturgeon will join teammates Matt NeSmith and Will Murphy at the championship. NeSmith and Murphy qualified earlier this month by finishing first and second, respectively, at a qualifier at Columbia Country Club.

This year’s U.S. Amateur will be held Aug. 11-17 at The Atlanta Athletic Club in Johns Creek, Ga. A total of 312 golfers will play 18 holes of stroke play on Aug. 11-12. The field will then be cut to the low 64 scorers for six rounds of match play, which begins on Aug. 13.