Their last names are Clark and Kent, and though they aren’t Supermen, they did their best imitations Tuesday at U.S. Amateur Sectional Qualifying.
Coloradans Wyndham Clark (at center in photo) and Cody Kent (at right) joined another teenager, Patrick Cantlay of Los Alamitos, Calif., in sweeping the three national tournament spots available at Saddle Rock Golf Course in Aurora.
Clark, a 16-year-old from Greenwood Village, and Kent, an 18-year-old from Castle Rock, will be making their U.S. Amateur debuts, while Cantlay, 18, qualified for the second straight summer. This year’s Amateur will be played Aug. 23-29 at Chambers Bay in University Place, Wash.
“It’s definitely a big deal making it at 16,” said Clark, who’s ranked among the top 20 junior players in the country. “Not many kids get that opportunity. But it’s a big deal for anyone making it. Getting there is awesome. But hopefully this is just the beginning. Hopefully I can make the cut and do the best I can in match play.”
Clark used two eagles in his afternoon round to share medalist honors in the 36-hole Sectional Qualifying. The 2009 4A state high school champion shot rounds of 69-66 for a 9-under-par 135 total. Cantlay matched Clark’s 36-hole score with rounds of 65-70. Joining them in qualifying out of Tuesday’s 67-player field was Kent, the 2009 CGA Junior Player of the Year, who went 70-68–138.
For Clark, earning a U.S. Amateur berth feels that much better after what happened last year. Last July during the U.S. Amateur Sectional, he drew a two-stroke penalty, which proved costly as he would have otherwise qualified for the national tournament.
“I was definitely bummed last year,” Clark admitted. “It was really frustrating because I had it. I would have made it. But I knew if I did that well last year, I could maybe make it this year.”
On Tuesday, Clark left nothing to chance, finishing with two eagles, nine birdies, two bogeys and a double bogey. The junior-to-be at Valor Christian High School eagled the first hole in his afternoon round by holing a sand wedge shot from 94 yards, and posted his second eagle at the 17th, draining an 8-foot putt. Clark started with three straight birdies in the morning round and with eagle-birdie in the afternoon.
“This is one of the goals I had this whole summer,” said Clark, who has made match play at the U.S. Junior Amateur each of the last two years. “Making this is probably the biggest accomplishment I’ve had this year. This will be the biggest tournament that I’ve played in my life. It’s a great experience and you play an amazing course with amazing players. Getting in is huge. But qualifying for it is just part of it. I obviously want to go there and do the best I can — and win.”
As for Kent and Cantlay, the fact that they both qualified was a unique story in itself because they’re friends — they met on the AJGA circuit — and Cantlay was staying at Kent’s home in Castle Rock during the days surrounding this week’s tournament.
“We kind of joked around” about both making it, said Kent, who will play golf at the University of Tulsa beginning in the fall. “We thought it would be kind of funny. It had come up.”
Cantlay, a freshman-to-be at UCLA, and Kent each helped his cause with one eagle on Tuesday. Cantlay, the 2008 Junior Americas Cup champion, added nine birdies over two tours of Saddle Rock.
The highlight of Kent’s day was an eagle on his 34th hole of the qualifying, the par-4 seventh, where he spun a wedge shot into the hole from 100 yards.
“It hasn’t sunk in yet, but this ranks up there for me,” Kent said of qualifying for his first U.S. Amateur. “It’s pretty exciting. Coming into this year, I thought I was ready to take my game to the next level, and this is definitely a step in the right direction.”
The U.S. Amateur will be the second USGA championship for Kent, who qualified for the U.S. Junior Amateur in 2008.
Three players — Philip Francis of Scottsdale, Ariz., Jon Lindstrom of Broomfield and Zahkai Brown of Arvada — tied at 3-under-par 141 and played off for the two alternate spots. Francis finished as first alternate, while Lindstrom was No. 2.
Tuesday marked the second U.S. Amateur qualifying tournament held in Colorado. Beau Schoolcraft of Englewood, Michael Harrington of Colorado Springs and Parker Edens of Greeley earned U.S. Amateur spots last week at the Broadmoor in Colorado Springs.
U.S. Amateur Sectional Qualifying
At Par-72 Saddle Rock Golf Course in Aurora
QUALIFIERS
Wyndham Clark, Greenwood Village, Colo., 69-66–135
Patrick Cantlay, Los Alamitos, Calif., 65-70–135
Cody Kent, Castle Rock, Colo., 70-68–138
ALTERNATES (In order)
Philip Francis, Scottsdale, Ariz., 72-69–141
Jon Lindstrom, Broomfield, Colo., 69-72–141
FAILED TO QUALIFY
Zahkai Brown, Arvada, Colo., 74-67–141
Kevin Dougherty, Murrieta, Calif., 74-68–142
Michael Love, Castle Rock, Colo., 72-70–142
Matthew Schovee, Englewood, Colo., 71-72–143
Nick Allen, Littleton, Colo., 71-73–144
Brian Dorfman, Greenwood Village, Colo., 72-72–144
Sean Thomas, Arvada, Colo., 74-70–144
Klinton Krieger, Cheyenne, Wyo., 75-70–145
Danny Riskam, Broomfield, Colo., 76-69–145
Jordan Burgess, Windsor, Colo., 72-73–145
Chris Keirns, Thornton, Colo., 73-73–146
David Holtgrewe, Cherry Hills Village, Colo., 72-74–146
Austin Graham, San Clemente, Calif., 72-74–146
Matthew Rubin, Castle Rock, Colo., 71-75–146
Tristan Bierenbroodspot, Loon Op Zand, 71-76–147
Brennan Dolan, Boulder, Colo., 75-72–147
Alexander Gutesha, Greenwood Village, Colo., 76-71–147
Robert McCracken, Golden, Colo., 72-75–147
Derek O’Neill, Parker, Colo., 78-69–147
Steven Moore, Greenwood Village, Colo., 74-74–148
Cody Miller, Kiowa, Colo., 76-72–148
James Kurtenbach, Highlands Ranch, Colo., 73-75–148
Dean Clapp, Littleton, Colo., 74-75–149
Michael Tilghman, Castle Rock, Colo., 73-76–149
Branden Barron, Centennial, Colo., 77-72–149
Philip Bagdade, Eugene, Ore., 75-74–149
John Fowlds, Lone Tree, Colo., 76-74–150
David Harris, Avon, Colo., 76-74–150
Zach Johnson, Arvada, Colo., 72-78–150
Trent Sanders, Scottsdale, Ariz., 75-76–151
Wlad Colmenares, Aurora, Colo., 77-74–151
Chris Carlson, Highlands Ranch, Colo., 80-72–152
Edward Timmins, Denver, Colo., 80-72–152
William Roth, Niwot, Colo., 76-77–153
Nicholas Reisch, Thornton, Colo., 78-75–153
Greg Johnson, Lakewood, Colo., 77-76–153
Scott Schultz, Denver, Colo., 76-77–153
Andrew Moore, Loveland, Colo., 74-80–154
Chad Bell, Parker, Colo., 76-78–154
Eric Klinger, Wise, Va., 76-79–155
Jeffery Holm, Lone Tree, Colo., 77-78–155
Clint Miller, Englewood, Colo., 82-73–155
Charles Chon, Aurora, Colo., 76-80–156
Tim Fitzgerald, Lone Tree, Colo., 78-78–156
Scott Tridle, Lincoln, Neb., 76-80–156
Christopher Good, Aurora, Colo., 81-76–157
Joseph Smith, Centennial, Colo., 75-83–158
Samuel Rock, Superior, Colo., 76-82–158
Bryan Olshock, Arvada, Colo., 83-76–159
Cory Thelen, Castle Rock, Colo., 80-79–159
Rory Finch, Boulder, Colo., 79-81–160
Dan Valenti, Denver, Colo., 78-83–161
Oliver Grabb, Boulder, Colo., 82-81–163
Nicklaus Mertz, Longmont, Colo., 86-78–164
Ryan Lovell, Aurora, Colo., 87-82–169
