Dan Erickson’s first competitive round in his new home state of Colorado was a doozy.
The Texas A&M golfer, whose family moved to Loveland early this year, shot a 9-under-par 61 Monday and set the course record — by two strokes — in the first round of U.S. Amateur qualifying at Fort Collins Country Club.
The 19-year-old backed that up with a 3-under 67 in the afternoon, giving him a 12-under 128 total for the day, good for medalist honors out of a field that originally numbered 83.
The stakes were high on Monday as Pebble Beach Golf Links, site of the 2019 U.S. Open, will be hosting the U.S. Amateur Aug. 13-19.
Joining Erickson in earning berths Monday to the historic venue were Colorado State University golfer AJ Ott of Fort Collins, and University of Utah golfer Kyler Dunkle of Parker. (The qualifiers are pictured, from left: Ott, Erickson and Dunkle.)
“We grew up playing Pebble on the Wii and the Tiger Woods (video games) and stuff like that,” Ott noted with a smile. “That was always everyone’s favorite course. It will be really fun.”
Added Dunkle, the 2016 CGA Player of the Year and a former 5A state high school champion: “You’re going to basically the golf mecca. Pebble has had numerous U.S. Opens and other big tournaments. They have a PGA Tour stop there every year. The amount of history there … To be able to walk down those fairways and remember some of the shots hit — like Tiger’s 3-wood onto the green on No. 18 … That will be an experience itself. Being able to play the golf course, that will be really fun, knowing what’s happened there. One of the coolest things will be playing it this year and watching the U.S. Open there next year. It’s a special place, and to have the opportunity to go there will be really cool.”
It will be the second straight U.S. Amateur for Ott, who narrowly missed advancing to match play last year, and the third overall for Dunkle, who went to the match play round of 16 in 2016. Meanwhile, next month will mark the U.S. Amateur debut for Erickson. None of the three has had the pleasure of playing Pebble Beach.
Erickson (left), who claimed one individual victory in the spring portion of the college schedule, had a tap-in eagle on his first hole of the day Monday after hitting a 7-iron from 210 yards, and added nine birdies and two bogeys in round 1. By draining a 40-foot birdie on No. 18 — his fourth in a row — he shot the best score of his golf career and bettered his competitive best by three strokes.
“When we were playing the practice round yesterday and I birdied the first hole and chipped in for birdie on 2 I was like, ‘Oh man, what’s the course record?’ Now I guess I figured it out,” Erickson said with a smile. “That felt pretty good.
“I was driving it fantastic all day to put myself in good positions. I was hitting every drive almost perfect. I did everything pretty good obviously. Everything was just working. This course is great. I love every second of being out here. It was good all around.”
In the afternoon round, Erickson was a bogey-free 6 under par through 12 holes, making him a whopping 15 under for the day. But two double bogeys down the stretch, with a birdie sandwiched in between, left him at 12 under.
Coincidentally, the Fort Collins CC course record that Erickson bettered by two belonged to Dunkle, who shot a 63 in the first round of the Ram Masters tournament in 2015 while he was a CSU golfer before he transferred to Utah.
“That’s insane,” Dunkle said of someone shooting 61. “That’s golf. That’s an unbelievable score. Knowing historically some of the scores that have qualified here and even in CSU’s tournament, it’s really hard to see an individual take it over two or three rounds to 6 or 7 under and he shot 9 under in one round. That’s impressive.”
On Monday, Dunkle (left) wasn’t quite as good, but shot consecutive 67s despite a balky putter. That left the 21-year-old in third place.
“I hit the ball great, unbelievably well,” said Dunkle, who’s been battling back problems but recently finished second in the Utah State Amateur. “Over 36 holes I missed three greens (in regulation). Proximity to the hole was awesome. I don’t want to even begin to count how many putts I had.”
But in the end, Dunkle, who now primarily lives in Salt Lake City, squeaked in for his third trip to the U.S. Am in the last four years.
He said when he advanced to the round of 16 in the 2016 national championship at Oakland Hills in Michigan, “that was by far the most fun I’ve ever had at a golf tournament. Being able to play these world-class golf courses under U.S. Open conditions is something not very many people get to do. The fact that I’ve done it twice and I get to go again, it’s awesome.”
Ott, who won the CGA Match Play last month, grew up in Fort Collins and plays Fort Collins CC regularly as a member of the CSU golf team. On Monday, he qualified for the U.S. Am at the site for the second straight year, this time finishing second. The 20-year-old posted rounds of 68-65, playing his final nine holes in 4 under par.
“Last year playing in the U.S. Am was a real confidence boost for me because I was close (to making match play),” Ott said. “I didn’t play my best and I missed the cut by one out there. The whole U.S. Am experience is cool. It means a lot to go back.
“I struggled so much my freshman year (at CSU), and to go out there (to the 2017 U.S. Amateur) and not play my best and still be right there to make match play, that was a huge confidence boost. I think that’s a big reason I improved my sophomore year.”
The scores on Monday were considerably lower than normal at the Fort Collins CC U.S. Amateur qualifier. Last year, 1-over-par 141 earned a spot in the national championship. This year, it took 6-under 134.
A second qualifying tournament for the U.S. Amateur will take place in Colorado on July 16 at Columbine Country Club.
U.S. Amateur Qualifying
At Par-70 Fort Collins CC
ADVANCE TO NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP
Dan Erickson, Loveland 61-67–128
AJ Ott, Fort Collins 68-65–133
Kyler Dunkle, Parker 67-67–134
ALTERNATES (In Order)
Cal McCoy, Highlands Ranch 68-67–135
Daniel Martinez, Austin, Texas 68-67–135
For all the scores from Fort Collins CC, CLICK HERE.
