Men's Golf . July 23, 2019

Stevens Punches Ticket to 119th U.S. Amateur

All-American won a three-hole playoff for the final spot at his sectional qualifier

ROCKY MOUNT, N.C. — Former Gamecock men’s golf All-American Scott Stevens punched his ticket to the 119^th U.S. Amateur next month after finishing runner-up in his sectional qualifier on Monday. The recent graduate shot 70 (-2) and 69 (-3) at Benvenue Country Club for a 36-hole total of 139 (-5).
Stevens advanced in dramatic fashion, winning a three-man playoff for the final spot. The Knoxville, Tenn., native, birdied the first playoff hole alongside Spencer Oxendine. He and Oxendine then each made par on the next playoff hole, the par-3 17^th. Stevens then made par at the par-4 18^th to advance, as Oxendine bogeyed the hole.

Click here for full results from Stevens’ sectional qualifier.

This marks the second appearance at the U.S. Am for Stevens. He played in the 2017 U.S. Am at Riviera Country Club but missed the cut. Stevens joins former teammate and rising sophomore Ryan Hall in the field this year. They’ll be the first Gamecock golf duo to compete in the U.S. Amateur since All-American Matt NeSmith (2012-16) and rising senior Caleb Proveaux in 2015.

Stevens, who started every tournament the past four seasons for Carolina, finished his career one of the top players in program history in May. His 71.57 career scoring average is the lowest mark all-time and his 20-career top-10 finishes are T-3^rd most all-time. Stevens had a stellar final season in Garnet and Black, leading the team in scoring average (70.59), rounds of par or better (26), top-five finishes (3), top-10 finishes (5) and top-20 finishes (10). The 2019 First Team All-SEC selection helped lead the Gamecocks back to the NCAA Championship this season. He T-3^rd at the NCAA Pullman Regional after matching a career 54-hole low, shooting 198 (-12) at Palouse Ridge Golf Club. He was named a PING Third Team All-American and Golfweek Third Team All-American.

This year’s U.S. Am takes place Aug. 12-18, 2019, at Pinehurst Resort & Country Club in the Village of Pinehurst, N.C. Sixty-seven players are fully exempt into the most prestigious championship in amateur golf, and the remaining places in the 312-player field will be filled from 36-hole sectional qualifiers being conducted by Allied Golf Associations at 93 sites July 1-24.

Pinehurst, which first hosted the U.S. Amateur in 1962, will be hosting its third U.S. Amateur Championship and 10th USGA championship all-time. Pinehurst has also hosted three U.S. Opens (1999, 2005 and 2014) and will host the 124th U.S. Open in 2024.

Pinehurst’s Course No. 2 and Course No. 4 will host the stroke-play rounds Aug. 12-13. After 36 holes, the field will be trimmed from 312 players to 64 for match play. The first five rounds of match play – through the semifinals – will be played on Course No. 2 on Aug. 14-17. FS1 will be providing live TV coverage of match play.

Click here to purchase tickets.

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