My, what a difference a year can make.
Last summer, in his first U.S. Amateur, Kyler Dunkle of Parker shot 86-85 in stroke play and finished 311th out of 312 competitors at Olympia Fields in Illinois.
After qualifying for the championship for the second straight year, suffice it to say this week was a much different story. The former 5A state high school champion finished 41st out of 312 in stroke play at Oakland Hills in Bloomfield Hills, Mich., and not only advanced to match play, but made it to the final 16 of arguably the world’s top amateur golf championship.
But as will be the case with 63 of the 64 match-play qualifiers, his U.S. Am experience ended with a loss. The offseason transfer from Colorado State to Utah fell to University of Southern California golfer Jonah Texeira in the round of 16, 6 and 5. Texeira, who won the 2011 Junior America’s Cup individual title at Hiwan Golf Club, has beaten two CSU players from last season — Colton Yates and Dunkle — in match play. Both Dunkle and Yates qualified for the championship at Fort Collins Country Club.
After winning two 1-up matches, Dunkle never led against Texeira, who birdied three of the first seven holes, plus eagled a par-4. Dunkle was 5 over par through the 13 holes of the match.
It marks the second straight year a Coloradan has made it to the final 16 as then-University of Colorado golfer David Oraee did so last year.
In Dunkle’s round of 32 match, he won his second straight 1-up decision, this one over Canadian Garrett Rank. Dunkle prevailed despite being 4 over par for the round. As with his first match, he was 3 up on the back nine before a tough stretch (3 over in the last four holes) left him holding off his opponent on the 18th hole.
Also In the round of 32, Wyndham Clark of Highlands Ranch fell 2 and 1 to Jimmy Stanger of Tampa, Fla., the 2016 Southern Amateur champion. Clark, the University of Oregon-bound golfer who was playing in his fifth U.S. Amateur, led just briefly in the match, after making birdie on the third hole. He lost despite being 1 under par for 17 holes, with his lone bogey of the day coming on the final hole of the match.
Here are the stroke-play scores, and positions, of all the players with strong Colorado ties among the original field of 312:
Advanced to Match Play
6. Wyndham Clark of Highlands Ranch 69-68–137 (lost in R32)
30. CSU player Colton Yates 71-69–140 (lost in R64)
41. Kyler Dunke of Parker 69-72–141 (lost in R16)
Failed to Advance to Match Play
126. Colin Prater of Colorado Springs 75-70–145
126. CSU player Blake Cannon 77-68–145
212. Tanner Jenson of Parker 73-76–149
224. Tristan Rohrbaugh of Carbondale 77-73–150
261. Former CU golfer John Hayes 83-69–152
For all the U.S. Amateur results, CLICK HERE.
