Considering where Scott Sullivan of Grand Junction stood early in the second round of the U.S. Senior Amateur, it’s quite remarkable that he made it to the Sweet 16 at Eugene Country Club in Oregon.
Through the first 19 holes of the event, he was 9 over par and looked like he was heading home after the two rounds of stroke play in his third U.S. Senior Am.
But three straight birdies and two more late in the round led to a 1-under-par 71 on Sunday, getting him into the top 64 that made match play.
Sullivan, the 2018 CGA Western Chapter senior champion, parlayed that into victories in the round of 64 (1 up) and the round of 32 (3 and 2). But he met up with co-medalist Jeff Wilson of Fairfield, Calif., in Tuesday afternoon’s round of 16, and Sullivan’s run came to an end, 2 and 1. (Thursday update: Wilson went on to win the Senior Am title.)
Wilson, the low amateur in this summer’s U.S. Senior Open at The Broadmoor, trailed early but led throughout the back nine. After the match was all square through eight holes, he won the ninth and 12th with pars to go 2 up. Sullivan won the 13th with a birdie and the 16th with a par, with Wilson prevailing on No. 14 with a birdie. That left Sullivan 1 down through 16. But Wilson closed out the match with a birdie on 17 while Sullivan made a bogey.
Sullivan finished 3 over par for the 17 holes of the match, while Wilson was 2 over.
In the morning round of 32, Sullivan defeated Jeff New of Scottdale, Ariz., 3 and 2.
Sullivan, who started off with a birdie, never trailed in the match. After being 1 up through 10, he won 11 and 12 with pars and parred out for the victory. He was 3 over par for the 16 holes.
Also in the round of 32, stroke-play co-medalist Greg Condon of the southern Colorado town of Monte Vista was upset 2 and 1 by 33rd-seeded Buzz Fly of Memphis, Tenn.
Condon, competing in this national championship for the second time, never led in the match, though he squared it up with a winning par on 9. But Fly, a former PGA Tour player who advanced to the semifinals of this event in 2013, won Nos. 11 and 13 with pars to go 2 up and the players halved the next four holes to close things out.
Condon, who made the round of 32 at the U.S. Amateur Public Links six years ago, finished 1 over par for the 17 holes.
Here were the results for the Coloradans competing this week in the U.S. Senior Amateur:
TUESDAY’S MATCH PLAY ROUND OF 16
Jeff Wilson, Fairfield, Calif., def. Scott Sullivan, Grand Junction, 2 and 1
TUESDAY’S MATCH PLAY ROUND OF 32
Buzz Fly, Memphis, Tenn., def. Greg Condon, Monte Vista, 2 and 1
Scott Sullivan, Grand Junction, def. Jeff New, Scottsdale, Ariz., 3 and 2
MONDAY’S MATCH PLAY ROUND OF 64
Greg Condon, Monte Vista, def. Kirk Wright, Oklahoma City, 4 and 3
Scott Sullivan, Grand Junction, def. Louis Brown, Marietta, Ga., 1 up
STROKE PLAY
Advance to Match Play
T1. Greg Condon, Monte Vista 67-72–139
41. Scott Sullivan, Grand Junction 80-71–151
Failed to Advance to Match Play
93. Guy Mertz, Longmont 80-76–156
For all the results from the championship, CLICK HERE.
