123rd U.S. Amateur Championship – Inside The Field

The 123rd U.S. Amateur Championship kicks of next week.

Here's a look inside the field.

FIELD NOTES – Among the 312 golfers in the 2023 U.S. Amateur Championship field, there are:

Oldest Competitors: Gene Elliott (61, born 2-26-1962), Rusty Strawn (60, born 5-26-1963), Mark Strickland (54, born 3-28-1969)

Youngest Competitors: Sohan Patel (14, born 11-14-08), Jack Chung (15, born 4-22-08), Yanhan Zhou (15, born 4-5-08), Luke Smith (15, born 8-29-07), Sahish Reddy (15, born 10-3-07), Brody McQueen (15, born 12-20-07)

Average Age of Field: 22.67

U.S. States Represented – A total of 41 states are represented in the 2023 U.S. Amateur:

California (29), Texas (23), North Carolina (22), Florida (21), Georgia (15), Ohio (11), Pennsylvania (10), Colorado (9), Arizona (8), Kentucky (8), Virginia (8), Alabama (7), New York (7), Indiana (6), Connecticut (5), Michigan (5), Minnesota (5), Oregon (5), Utah (5), Iowa (4), Maryland (4), Massachusetts (4), Illinois (3), Louisiana (3), Oklahoma (3), South Carolina (3), Tennessee (3), Arkansas (2), Hawaii (2), Kansas (2), Mississippi (2), Nevada (2), Idaho (1), Maine (1), Montana (1), Nebraska (1), New Jersey (1), New Mexico (1), Washington (1), Wisconsin (1), Wyoming (1)

International – There are 24 countries represented in the 2023 U.S. Amateur:

United States (255), Canada (11), People’s Republic of China (8), Mexico (5), Australia (4), England (3), Norway (3), Denmark (2), Japan (2), New Zealand (2), Republic of Ireland (2), Sweden (2), Thailand (2), Argentina (1), Chinese Taipei (1), France (1), Germany (1), Hong Kong China (1), Macau (1), Malaysia (1),  Northern Ireland (1), Republic of Korea (1), Scotland (1), South Africa (1)

USGA Champions (10): Aaron Du (2023 U.S. Amateur Four-Ball), Wenyi Ding (2022 U.S. Junior Amateur), Nick Dunlap (2021 U.S. Junior Amateur), Gene Elliott (2021 U.S. Senior Amateur), Stewart Hagestad (2016, 2021 U.S. Mid-Amateur), Bryan Kim (2023 U.S. Junior Amateur), Matthew McClean (2022 U.S. Mid-Amateur), Rusty Strawn (2022 U.S. Senior Amateur), Preston Summerhays (2019 U.S. Junior Amateur), Sampson Zheng (2023 U.S. Amateur Four-Ball)

USGA Runners-Up (8): Joshua Bai (2023 U.S. Junior Amateur), Evan Beck (2008 U.S. Junior Amateur), Hugh Foley (2022 U.S. Mid-Amateur), Austin Greaser (2021 U.S. Amateur), Drew Kittleson (2008 U.S. Amateur, 2022 U.S. Amateur Four-Ball, 2023 U.S. Amateur Four-Ball), Cody Paladino (2007 U.S. Amateur Public Links), Garrett Rank (2012 U.S. Mid-Amateur), Caleb Surratt (2022 U.S. Junior Amateur)

Players in Field with Most U.S. Amateur Appearances (2023 included) – Stewart Hagestad (14), Garrett Rank (11), Gene Elliott (9), Drew Kittleson (6), Bryce Lewis (6), Brett Patterson (6), Henry Shimp (6), Preston Summerhays (6), Michael Brennan (5), Dennis Bull (5), Christian Cavaliere (5), Austin Greaser (5), Ryggs Johnston (6), Dylan Menante (5), Maxwell Moldovan (5), Mark Strickland (5), Karl Vilips (5)

Players in field who competed in 2012 U.S. Amateur at Cherry Hills – Stewart Hagestad (FQ), Brett Patterson (FQ)

18 players are in the Top 20 of the Men’s World Amateur Golf Ranking® as of 8/9/2023:

No. 1 – Gordon Sargent

No. 4 – David Ford

No. 5 – Dylan Menante

No. 6 – Ben James

No. 7 – Caleb Surratt

No. 8 – Austin Greaser

No. 9 – Nick Dunlap

No. 10 – Nicholas Gabrelcik

No. 11 – John Gough

No. 12 – Cole Sherwood

No. 13 – Steward Hagestad

No. 14 – Luke Clanton

No. 15 – Christian Maas

No. 16 – Yuta Sugiura

No. 17 – Frederik Kjettrup

No. 18 – Michael Brennan

No. 19 – Preston Summerhays

No. 20 – Joey Luis Ballester

Players from Colorado (9): Davis Bryant (Aurora), Jack Castiglia (Lakewood), Patrick Grady (Denver), Gavin Hagstrom (Fort Collins), Connor Jones (Denver), Nick Nosewicz (Aurora), Cole Nygren (Longmont), Colin Prater (Colorado Springs), Blake Trimble (Denver)

Played in 2022 U.S. Amateur (79): Owen Avrit, Carson Bacha, Cecil Belisle, Parker Bell, Cade Breitenstine, Michael Brennan, Dennis Bull, John Marshall Butler, Nicolas Cassidy, Christian Cavaliere, Ratchanon TK Chantanauwat, Kelly Chinn, Luke Clanton, Harrison Crowe, Wenyi Ding, Nick Dunlap, David Ford, Bartley Forrester, Zach Foushee, Nick Gabrelcik, Connor Gaunt, John Gough, Austin Greaser, Nicholas Gross, Stewart Hagestad, Gavin Hagstrom, Frankie Harris, Carson Herron, Piercen Hunt, Walker Isley, Benjamin James, Bryan Kim, Kazuma Kobori, Jackson Koivun, Campbell Kremer, Shea Lague, Bryce Lewis, Ben Lorenz, Matthew Lowe, Christiaan Maas, Vicente Marzilio, Mac McClear, Dylan McDermott, Andrew McLauchlan, Kye Meeks, Dylan Menante, Maxwell Moldovan, William Moll, Cole Nygren, Spencer Oxendine, Will Patrick, Brett Patterson, Thomas Ponder, Luke Potter, Mark Power, Alex Price, Austyn Reily, Andrew Riley, Craig Ronne, Drew Salyers, Luke Sample, Gordon Sargent, Patrick Sheehan, Cole Sherwood, Benjamin Smith, Brian Stark, Cole Starnes, Preston Summerhays, Caleb Surratt, Matthew Sutherland, Jacob Tarkany, Jackson Van Paris, Khavish Varadan, Karl Vilips, Benton Weinberg, Joe Wilson IV, Jack Woods, Palmer Yenrick

Played in 2021 U.S. Amateur (55): Collin Adams, Bo Andrews, Cecil Belisle, Dennis Bull, Beck Burnette, John Marshall Butler, Stephen Campbell Jr., Christian Cavaliere, Kuangyu Chen, Kelly Chinn, Canon Claycomb, Jimmy Dales, Nicholas Dentino, Chris Devlin, Nick Dunlap, William Duquette, Caden Fioroni, Bartley Forrester, Mateo Fuenmayor, Nick Gabrelcik, Conor Gough, Austin Greaser, Stewart Hagestad, Stephen Hale, Piercen Hunt, Jose Islas, Ryggs Johnston, Connor Jones, John Kim, Harrison Kingsley, Luke Kluver, Bryce Lewis, Vicente Marzilio, Dylan Menante, Yaroslav Merkulov, Maxwell Moldovan, Sebastian Moss, Mason Nome, Luke Potter, Garrett Rank, Drew Salyers, Gordon Sargent, Patrick Sheehan, Cole Sherwood, Henry Shimp, Neal Shipley, Matthew Soucinek, Brian Stark, Preston Summerhays, Caleb Surratt, Matthew Sutherland, Blake L. Trimble, Brendan Valdes, Khavish Varadan, Kurt Watkins

Played in 2020 U.S. Amateur (35): Jonas Baumgartner, Michael Brennan, Davis Bryant, Christian Cavaliere, Kelly Chinn, Canon Claycomb, Aaron Du, Gene Elliott, David Ford, Maxwell Ford, John Gough, Austin Greaser, Stewart Hagestad, Benjamin James, Ryggs Johnston, Harrison Kingsley, Luke Kluver, Bryce Lewis, Dylan Menante, Yaroslav Merkulov, Maxwell Moldovan, William Moll, Shiryu (Leo) Oyo, Thomas Ponder, Luke Potter, Garrett Rank, Brett Roberts, Gordon Sargent, Henry Shimp, Preston Summerhays, Justin Tereshko, Jackson Van Paris, Andi Xu, Alexander Yang

Played in 2023 U.S. Open (15): Bastien Amat, Michael Brennan, Barclay Brown, Christian Cavaliere, Wenyi Ding, Nick Dunlap, Matthew McClean, Maxwell Moldovan, Omar Morales, Gordon Sargent, Isaac Simmons, Preston Summerhays, Brendan Valdes, Karl Vilips, Alexander Yang

Played in 2023 U.S. Senior Open (2): Rusty Strawn, Mark Strickland

Played in 2023 U.S. Junior Amateur (22): Joshua Bai, Boston Bracken, Blades Brown, Jackson Byrd, Ratchanon TK Chantananuwat, Luke Colton, Josh Duangmanee, Nicholas Gross, Will Hartman, Bryan Kim, Brandon Knight, Chase Kyes, Stanley Lin, Nathan Miller, Chase Nevins, Jacob Modleski, Kevin Mu, Parker Paxton, Jack Votjko, William Walsh, Grayson Wood, Yanhan Zhou

Played in 2023 U.S. Amateur Four-Ball (15): Herbie Aikens, Evan Beck, Boston Bracken, Blades Brown, Rui Chang, Aaron Du, Aaron Fricke, Jack Gilbert, Kevin Johnson, Zach Kingsland, Drew Kittleson, Alex Price, Garrett Rank, Dan Walters, Sampson Zheng

Playing in 2023 Walker Cup Match (4): Nick Dunlap (USA), David Ford (USA), Gordon Sargent (USA), Caleb Surratt (USA)

Played in 2021 Walker Cup Match (3): Barclay Brown (GB&I), Stewart Hagestad (USA), Mark Power (GB&I)

Played in 2019 Walker Cup Match (2): Conor Gough (GB&I), Stewart Hagestad (USA)

Played in 2017 Walker Cup Match (1): Stewart Hagestad (USA)

PLAYER NOTES:

Herbie Aikens, 41, of Kingston, Mass., owns an electrical contracting business and is competing in his 18th USGA championship and second U.S. Amateur. Aikens advanced to the Round of 16 of the 2011 U.S. Amateur Public Links at Bandon Dunes. He has qualified for three U.S. Amateur Four-Balls with partner and 2017 U.S. Mid-Amateur champion Matt Parziale. He won the 2014 Massachusetts Mid-Amateur and was the runner-up in the 2018 Massachusetts Amateur. He started his electrical business at age 20 with a $267 job and now his business generates more than $20 million in electrical work with a staff of 60 employees.

Shane Bacon, 39, of Westport, Conn., is a former Fox and Golf Channel broadcaster/analyst who is competing in his first USGA championship. The left-hander, who grew up in Texas and later attended the University of Arizona (did not play on the golf team), also does a weekly Podcast (“Get A Grip”) with some of the biggest names in the game, including good friend and six-time PGA Tour winner Max Homa. After graduating from college, Bacon caddied at the Old Course in St. Andrews as well as on the LPGA Tour. He landed a position with Fox and later transitioned to Golf Channel, where he spent time on Golf Today and on several live tournament broadcasts. Bacon also published a children’s book in 2022 titled “The Golfer’s Zoo.”

Jack Barber, 26, of San Francisco, Calif., was a four-year letterwinner in tennis at Stanford University from 2015-19, ranked as high as No. 2 nationally during that period. His career was hampered by three wrist surgeries. While working on his M.A. in sustainability and business at Stanford in 2020, he found he could swing a golf club without pain. He qualified for the U.S. Amateur on July 10 at Almaden Golf & Country Club, in San Jose, with rounds of 67 and 68. Last December, Barber co-founded a venture-backed personalization software business.

Michael Brennan, 21, of Leesburg, Va., is competing in his eighth USGA championship and fifth U.S. Amateur. He qualified for the 2023 U.S. Open at The Los Angeles Country Club. He also lost in the Round of 32 to eventual champion Preston Summerhays in the 2019 U.S. Junior Amateur at Inverness Club. He was invited to the USA practice session for the 2023 Walker Cup Match. A rising senior at Wake Forest, he won the 2023 Atlantic Coast Conference individual title, becoming the 23rd Demon Deacon to do so. Brennan was a second-team All-American for the 2021-22 season.

Blades Brown, 16, of Nashville, Tenn., tied the third-lowest U.S. Amateur qualifying score (65-62–127) since 1999 at the Franklin, Tenn., site on July 13. Brown has turned in a solid 2023 campaign by winning the Tennessee Junior Amateur by 12 strokes, capturing three AJGA tournaments since April, finishing third in the North & South Junior Amateur, ninth in the Western Junior and fifth in the Tennessee State Open. He also reached the quarterfinals in the 2023 U.S. Amateur Four-Ball with partner Jackson Herrington. His mother, Rhonda Blades, is a former WNBA player and All-American point guard at Vanderbilt University. She has coached Brentwood Academy to five state high school girls’ basketball titles.

Davis Bryant, 23, of Aurora, Colo., is competing in his second U.S. Amateur. He won the Southwestern Amateur last month, becoming the first repeat champion in 34 years. He carded a final-round 66 as he rallied from five strokes off the pace. Bryant, who was a three-time All-Mountain West Conference selection at Colorado State University, was a North & South Amateur quarterfinalist, tied for fourth in the Northeast Amateur and placed 10th in the Pacific Coast Amateur this summer. He was runner-up in the 2022 Colorado Amateur and won the 2017 Class 5A state high school title. His father, Matt, reached the quarterfinals of the 1995 U.S. Amateur Public Links.

Jackson Byrd, 16, of St. Simons Island, Ga., qualified for his first U.S. Amateur at Dataw Island Club, in St. Helena, S.C., when he shot a 73-65–138, then survived a 2-for-1 playoff. He also advanced to match play in last month’s U.S. Junior Amateur. Byrd finished 20th in this year’s Junior Invitational at Sage Valley and won the AJGA’s Matthew NeSmith Junior in 2021. His father, Jonathan, won five PGA Tour events, played in five U.S. Opens and was a member of the 1999 USA Walker Cup Team. His uncle, Jordan, is the head men’s golf coach at Clemson University and was a 2007 U.S. Mid-Amateur quarterfinalist.

Jack Castiglia, 22, of Lakewood, Colo., just completed his college eligibility at Northern Colorado University, where he played five seasons, including an extra year due to COVID-19. He was the runner-up in the 2023 Big Sky Championship and was a first-team All-Big Sky selection three out of his five seasons at the Greeley campus. Castiglia posted one collegiate win, the Ram Masters Classic during the 2021-22 season. Son of former University of Northern Colorado basketball player Rick Castiglia. Attended Lakewood (Colo.) High.

Kelly Chinn, 20, of Pinehurst, N.C., will compete in his fourth U.S. Amateur after advancing from the Williamsburg, Va., qualifier on July 10. He was a semifinalist in the 2019 U.S. Junior Amateur and partnered with David Ford to reach the 2021 U.S. Amateur Four-Ball quarterfinals. He posted four top 10s, including a tie for seventh in the NCAA Norman Regional, as a sophomore at Duke University in 2022-23. His father, Colin, is a retired rear admiral in the U.S. Navy who served as joint staff surgeon at the Pentagon and the chief medical advisor to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Luke Clanton, 19, of Hialeah, Fla., is a rising sophomore at Florida State University who will compete in his fifth USGA championship and second U.S. Amateur. Clanton reached the semifinals of the 2021 U.S. Junior at The Country Club of North Carolina, losing to 2019 U.S. Amateur semifinalist Cohen Trolio. He also advanced to the quarterfinals of the 2022 U.S. Junior Amateur at Bandon Dunes, losing in 19 holes to defending champion Nick Dunlap. He lost in a playoff for the final match-play spots in the 2019 U.S. Amateur at Pinehurst. Clanton won the 2022 North & South Amateur at Pinehurst as well as the 2022 Azalea Invitational at the Country Club of Charleston. Became the first Florida State freshman to win an NCAA regional title, shooting 6 under par at the Morgan Hill (Calif.) site.

Wenyi Ding, 18, of the People’s Republic of China, became the first male golfer from China to win a USGA championship when he claimed the 2022 U.S. Junior Amateur. This earned Ding an exemption into the 2023 U.S. Open at The Los Angeles Country Club. He plans to enroll at Arizona State University this fall. In 2021, Ding won the China Amateur and the Boao Classic, a professional event in China. Earlier this year, he made the cut in a pair of professional events: the Singapore Classic and the PIF Saudi International, and he finished 47th in the ISPS Handa Australian Open at the end of 2022.

Nick Dunlap, 19, of Huntsville, Ala., was named to the 2023 USA Walker Cup Team and is coming off an impressive summer campaign with back-to-back wins in the Northeast Amateur at Wannamoisett Country Club in Rumford, R.I., followed by the North & South Amateur at Pinehurst No. 2. The sophomore at the University of Alabama has played in six USGA championships, including three U.S. Amateurs, and advanced to the semifinals of the 2022 U.S. Junior Amateur Championship at Bandon Dunes. He won the 2021 U.S. Junior Amateur Championship, earning an exemption into the 2022 U.S. Open at The Country Club in Brookline, Mass. He qualified for the 2019 U.S. Amateur as a 15-year-old. Dunlap was named the 2021 AJGA Rolex Golfer of the Year. He has also been a national finalist in the NFL Punt, Pass & Kick competition and was mentored by Al Del Greco, a 17-year NFL placekicker.

David Ford, 20, of Peachtree Corners, Ga., was named to the 2023 USA Walker Cup Team in June as a top American in the World Amateur Golf Ranking®/WAGR®. He was named first-team All-American (GCAA and Golfweek) and voted ACC Player of the Year as a sophomore at the University of North Carolina in 2022-23. He was also selected to this year’s Palmer Cup team and was recognized as both a Haskins Award finalist and Hogan Award semifinalist. Ford won the 2022 Southern Amateur Championship at Sea Island Golf Club in St. Simons Island, Ga., and reached the quarterfinals of this year’s North & South Amateur, losing to eventual champion Nick Dunlap.

Maxwell Ford, 20, of Peachtree Corners, Ga., and his identical twin brother, David, are competing in the same U.S. Amateur for the second time (also in 2020). They have a triplet sister, Abigail. Maxwell advanced to his third U.S. Amateur through the Johns Creek, Ga., qualifier on July 25. He will join his brother at the University of North Carolina this fall after playing for two years at the University of Georgia. He posted seven top-20 finishes for the Bulldogs as a sophomore. In 2023, he tied for second in the Dogwood Invitational and tied for ninth in the Northeast Amateur.

Nick Gabrelcik, 21, of Trinity, Fla., is coming off a victory in the 2023 Southern Amateur Championship at the Honors Course in Ooltewah, Tenn., after shooting a final-round 8-under 64 to come from six shots back. The rising senior at North Florida University advanced to the semifinals of the 2021 U.S. Amateur at Oakmont (Pa.) Country Club. In 2021, he was named the Phil Mickelson Award winner for being the top freshman in college golf, and he was a first-team freshman All-American. He is a three-time Atlantic Sun Conference Player of the Year, and the 2021 ASUN Freshman of the Year. In 2022, he won the ASUN individual title. He is a three-time USA Palmer Cup competitor, and he was invited to the USA Walker Cup practice session for the 2023 Match. He made the cut in the 2023 Valspar Championship on the PGA Tour, shooting a second-round 67.

Austin Greaser, 21, of Vandalia, Ohio, earned a spot in the 2022 U.S. Open by finishing runner-up to James Piot in the 2021 U.S. Amateur at Oakmont (Pa.) Country Club. The University of North Carolina fifth-year senior lost in the 36-hole final, 2 and 1. He was one of only four amateurs to make the cut at The Country Club. Greaser won the 2022 Western Amateur Championship, defeating Mateo Fernandez de Oliveira in the finals. He was a quarterfinalist in the 2019 U.S. Junior Amateur at Inverness Club in Toledo, Ohio, losing to eventual champion Preston Summerhays. In April 2022, he missed the cut at the Masters Tournament, his first major-championship start.

Patrick Grady, 37, of Westminster, Colo., is a self-employed certified public accountant. He qualified for his first U.S. Amateur at Collindale Golf Course, in Fort Collins, Colo., on July 25. Grady, a two-time Colorado Golf Association Player of the Year, won five events on the Adams Pro Golf Tour, from 2010-12, then quit competitive golf to become a tax CPA. Grady, who reached the Round of 16 in the 2008 U.S. Amateur Public Links at nearby Murphy Creek Golf Course, was reinstated as an amateur last year. His wife, Jessica (Borth), played college golf at Sam Houston State.

Stewart Hagestad, 32, of Newport Beach, Calif., has been a member of three winning USA Walker Cup Teams (2017, 2019, 2021). Hagestad, who has competed in four U.S. Opens, reached the quarterfinals of both the 2022 and 2020 U.S. Amateurs. He has played in 26 USGA championships, including 13 U.S. Amateurs. He captured the 2021 U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship at Sankaty Head Golf Club, defeating Mark Costanza, 2 and 1. He also defeated Scott Harvey in 37 holes in the 2016 U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship, producing the largest comeback victory since a 36-hole final was introduced in 2001. Hagestad was the low amateur in the 2017 Masters Tournament, becoming the first invited Mid-Amateur champion to make the 36-hole cut.

Gavin Hagstrom, 21, of Fort Collins, Colo., spent the past two years at Colorado State University before transferring to the University of Minnesota for the 2023-24 academic year. During his sophomore campaign with the Rams, he finished in the top 10 of both individual tournaments he played and recorded six rounds of par or better. Hagstrom earned Academic All-Mountain West Conference honors in 2021 and 2022. He qualified for the 2022 U.S. Amateur Championship at The Ridgewood Country Club, shooting 77-74 during stroke play to miss the cut. He also advanced to the semifinals of the 2022 Colorado Golf Association Match Play Championship.

Carson Herron, 21, of Deephaven, Minn., is the son of former PGA Tour professional Tim Herron. He qualified for the 2022 U.S. Amateur before missing the cut. Herron was named the 2022 Mountain West Conference Freshman of the Year for the University of New Mexico. The Herron family is one of three families with three generations of U.S. Open qualifiers. Tim, Carson (Tim’s father) and Carson (Tim’s grandfather) all played in the USGA’s flagship event. Alissa Herron, Carson’s aunt, won the 1999 U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur with Tim on the bag. Tim is one of three players to defeat Tiger Woods in a USGA amateur match-play event, prevailing in the Round of 32 in the 1992 U.S. Amateur.

Ben James, 19, of Milford, Conn., is coming off an accolade-filled freshman year at the University of Virginia, as he was named winner of the 2023 Phil Mickelson Outstanding Freshman Award, a First-Team Ping All-American, ACC Freshman of the Year and a finalist for both the Haskins and Jack Nicklaus Awards. He finished sixth at the NCAA Championships, set the UVA record with five first-place finishes and finished in the top six in 11 of 13 tournaments. James is only the second player in Virginia history to earn first-team All-America honors. He was also selected to the 2023 U.S. Palmer Cup team. He received a sponsor exemption to play in the 2023 Travelers Championship in his home state of Connecticut.

Connor Jones, 21, of Denver, Colo., qualified for the 2021 U.S. Amateur at Oakmont Country Club. He completed his senior season at Colorado State in the spring and finished third in the 2023 NCAA Auburn (Ala.) Regional as an individual to help the Rams advance to the NCAA Championships in Arizona. Jones claimed the 2022 Mountain West Conference title and also won the 2022 Colorado Golf Association Match Play and the 2022 Colorado Amateur. He played his freshman and sophomore years at the University of Denver. At Mountain Ridge High in Highlands Ranch, he was a three-year letterman in basketball. He was the Colorado State High School runner-up as a senior, and his team finished second in the 5A division.

Bryan Kim, 18, of Brookeville, Md., won this year’s U.S. Junior Amateur at Daniel Island Club, defeating Joshua Bai, 2 up, in the 36-hole final. Kim, who will attend Duke University in the fall, was the runner-up in this year’s Maryland 3A/4A state high school championship. In 2022, Kim qualified for the U.S. Amateur, earned a spot on the Junior President’s Cup team, tied for sixth in the Rolex Tournament of Champions and tied for 10th in the Junior Players. Kim, who was a competitive swimmer before turning to golf at age 12, tied for second in this year’s Terra Cotta Invitational.

Drew Kittleson, 34, of Scottsdale, Ariz., finished runner-up in this year’s U.S. Amateur Four-Ball for the second consecutive year with partner Drew Stoltz. He was also the runner-up to Danny Lee in the 2008 U.S. Amateur at Pinehurst No. 2. The Florida State University graduate, who regained his amateur status six years ago, owns a bathroom remodeling company. Kittleson, who reached match play in his first U.S. Mid-Amateur in 2019, has competed in nine USGA championships. He played in the Masters and U.S. Open in 2009 and reached the quarterfinals of the 2005 U.S. Junior Amateur.

Dylan Menante, 22, of Carlsbad, Calif., became the first University of North Carolina player to finish in the top 10 in both an NCAA regional (T-6) and the NCAA Championship (T-4) in the same season. The fifth-year senior transferred to Chapel Hill from Pepperdine last year and has now played on teams that earned top-three finishes in the NCAA Championship in each of the last three seasons. Menante earned his second consecutive West Coast Conference Player of the Year honors during a junior year at Pepperdine that included four top-10 finishes. Menante helped the Waves capture the 2021 NCAA Championship, their first national title since 1997. He has competed in four U.S. Amateurs (2018, 2020, 2021, 2022). His father, Dean, played at the University of Nevada and competed in the 1984 U.S. Amateur.

Maxwell Moldovan, 21, of Uniontown, Ohio, qualified for his second consecutive U.S. Open this year. He just completed his junior year at The Ohio State University, where he won the 2023 NCAA Auburn (Ala.) Regional in May to help the Buckeyes advance to the NCAA Championships. Moldovan also posted three wins in the 2021-22 season. In 2019, he was named the American Junior Golf Association's Player of the Year and was a member of the 2019 USA Junior Presidents Cup Team. He advanced to the Round of 32 in the 2019 U.S. Amateur, losing to eventual champion Andy Ogletree. That year, he also won the Ohio Amateur. He also reached the Round of 16 of the 2019 U.S. Junior Amateur at Inverness Club in Toledo, Ohio.

Nick Nosewicz, 39, of Aurora, Colo., is competing in his fifth USGA championship, and first U.S. Amateur. He advanced to the Round of 32 in the 2019 U.S. Mid-Amateur at Colorado Golf Club, losing to eventual champion Lukas Michel. Also twice represented Colorado in the USGA State Team Championship (2014 and 2016). Nosewicz played briefly as a professional before regaining his amateur status in 2012. His grandfather, Ed Nosewicz, is in the Colorado Golf Hall of Fame with five Colorado Golf Association titles. His uncle, Jim Nosewicz, qualified for the 1974 U.S. Amateur at The Ridgewood Country Club and another uncle, Tom Nosewicz, qualified for the 2003 U.S. Senior Open at Inverness Club. All four of his uncles are golfers and two are lifetime PGA members. He and his father, Lenny, run a golf and ski shop in Aurora.

Brett Patterson, 31, of Oxford, Miss., teaches cost and financial accounting at the University of Mississippi while he completes his Ph.D. in accounting. Patterson is a certified public accountant who has worked in specialty tax services. He qualified for his sixth U.S. Amateur at Worthington Manor Golf Club, in Urbana, Md., on July 24. He is one of two players in the field who competed in the 2012 U.S. Amateur at Cherry Hills. Patterson, who was a three-time all-conference selection at Middle Tennessee State University between 2010-15, was a two-stage qualifier for the 2011 U.S. Open.

Andrew Paysse, 28, of Temple, Texas, is the brother-in-law of 2022 Masters champion and 2013 U.S. Junior Amateur champion Scottie Scheffler. He is married to Scheffler’s sister, Callie, who played collegiate golf at Texas A&M and qualified for the 2012 U.S. Girls’ Junior. Andrew’s younger brother, William, also played for the Aggies and qualified for a U.S. Amateur and U.S. Junior Amateur. Andrew played PGA Tour Canada for one season before getting reinstated as an amateur in 2020. He is a commercial insurance agent. In 2022, he advanced to the quarterfinals of the U.S. Mid-Amateur at Erin Hills before losing in 19 holes to Bryce Hanstad. Callie has served as his caddie in U.S. Mid-Amateurs. In 2021, he advanced to the Round of 32 at Sankaty Head.

Luke Potter, 19, of Encinitas, Calif., finished his first year at Arizona State with the second-best freshman scoring average in school history. He advanced to the Round of 16 in the 2022 U.S. Amateur and advanced to the quarterfinals of the 2022 U.S. Junior Amateur, falling to eventual champion Wenyi Ding. Potter reached the Round of 32 in the 2021 U.S. Amateur at Oakmont (Pa.) Country Club. Potter and partner Preston Summerhays, the 2019 U.S. Junior Amateur champion, reached the quarterfinals of the 2021 U.S. Amateur Four-Ball Championship. In 2023, Potter finished fourth at the Southwestern Invitational, 10th at the Cabo Collegiate Invitational and eighth at The Calusa Cup.

Garrett Rank, 36, of Canada, is a full-time National Hockey League referee who has competed in 22 USGA championships, including 11 U.S. Amateurs, three U.S. Mid-Amateurs and the 2018 U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills. In 2021, Rank finished second in the Porter Cup and tied for second in The Dogwood Invitational. He won the 2019 Western Amateur, becoming the first Canadian to win the championship in 42 years and the first mid-amateur to win the title since 1997. Rank, who overcame a cancer scare at age 23, was runner-up to Nathan Smith in the 2012 U.S. Mid-Amateur.

Gordon Sargent, 20, of Birmingham, Ala., was named to the 2023 USA Walker Cup Team in June as a top American in the World Amateur Golf Ranking®/WAGR®. He made the cut in this year’s U.S. Open and went on to earn low-amateur honors with a T39 finish. He was voted Southeastern Conference Player of the Year as a sophomore at Vanderbilt University in 2022-23. He posted eight top-5 finishes, including fifth in the SEC Championship and a tie for seventh in the NCAA Auburn Regional. Sargent won the 2022 NCAA individual title in a playoff and received the Phil Mickelson Award as the nation’s top freshman. He helped the USA win a bronze medal at last year’s World Amateur Team Championship in Paris, France. His father, Seth, has played in two USGA events, advancing to match play in the 2006 U.S. Mid-Amateur.

Cole Sherwood, 21, of Austin, Texas, is set to play in his third consecutive U.S. Amateur. The rising senior at Vanderbilt University advanced to match play in 2021 at Oakmont Country Club. Sherwood was named an honorable-mention All-American for the 2022-23 season and advanced to the quarterfinals of the 2022 Western Amateur. He was also invited to the practice session for the 2023 Walker Cup Match. Sherwood was named a first-team All-American for the 2021-22 season and was a finalist for the Haskins and Jack Nicklaus Awards, given to the nation’s best collegiate golfer. Posted two wins and finished tied for third in the Southeastern Conference Championship.

Neal Shipley, 23, of Pittsburgh, Pa., is a former Oakmont Country Club caddie who is competing in his second U.S. Amateur. He qualified at Colonial Country Club, in Harrisburg, Pa., on June 29 as part of a solid summer. Shipley tied for second at the Dogwood Invitational, finished runner-up in the Sunnehanna Amateur, lost in a playoff for the Trans-Mississippi Amateur title and tied for third in the Pacific Coast Amateur. He played his final year at Ohio State in 2022-23 after transferring from James Madison University.

Preston Summerhays, 21, of Scottsdale, Ariz., played in his second U.S. Open this year, after surviving a 3-for-2 playoff at the Hillcrest Country Club final qualifier. Summerhays won the 2019 U.S. Junior Amateur, which earned him an exemption into the 2020 U.S. Open at Winged Foot. Summerhays, who has played in five U.S. Amateurs, is the son of former PGA Tour player Boyd, the nephew of PGA Tour player Daniel and the great nephew of Bruce, who won three PGA Tour Champions events. Preston's sister, Grace, qualified for this year’s U.S. Women's Open and his uncle, Joe, was in the field at the U.S. Senior Open. Preston partnered with Luke Potter to reach the quarterfinals of the 2021 U.S. Amateur Four-Ball. He also won the 2020 Sunnehanna Amateur, becoming the youngest champion in tournament history. In 2022, Summerhays was named Pac-12 Conference Freshman of the Year after recording eight top-10s during his first year at Arizona State University.

Caleb Surratt, 19, of Indian Trail, N.C., had a dominant week at the SEC Championship earlier this year, claiming the individual championship by six strokes. The rising sophomore at the University of Tennessee is coming off a runner-up finish at this year’s Northeast Amateur, falling just short to Nick Dunlap. He has seven top-10 finishes in 2023. Last year, Surratt won the Junior Invitational at Sage Valley, became the first back-to-back winner of the Terra Cotta Invitational and won the Elite Amateur Golf Series. He also finished runner-up in the 2022 U.S. Junior Amateur Championship at Bandon Dunes, losing to Wenyi Ding, 3 and 2, in the 36-hole championship match. Surratt reached the Round of 16 in the 2021 U.S. Junior Amateur and the Round of 32 in the 2021 U.S. Amateur at Oakmont (Pa.) Country Club. He won the 2021 Western Junior to join a list of champions that includes Jim Furyk, Collin Morikawa and Rickie Fowler.

Matthew Sutherland, 22, of Sacramento, Calif., is the nephew of Kevin, who has won on both the PGA Tour and PGA Tour Champions, and the son of David, who competed on the PGA Tour in the early 1990s and is now the director of golf at Sacramento State University. Matthew qualified for his third U.S. Amateur with a pair of 65s to earn medalist at Crystalaire Country Club, in Llano, Calif., on July 18. He was chosen All-Mountain West Conference and had five top-10 finishes as a junior at Fresno State University in 2022-23.

Jackson Van Paris, 19, of Pinehurst, N.C., became the youngest player since Bob Jones in 1916 to win a first-round match in the U.S. Amateur at Pebble Beach in 2018 at the age of 14. The rising junior at Vanderbilt University lost in the Round of 16 of the 2021 U.S. Junior Amateur to eventual semifinalist Luke Clanton at The Country Club of North Carolina, his home course. He advanced to match play in the 2019 U.S. Junior Amateur and qualified for the 2020 and 2022 U.S. Amateurs. He organized and hosted the Carolinas Cup through the American Junior Golf Association’s Junior Leadership Program, raising more than $250,000 for charity. Van Paris won the 10th Junior Invitational at Sage Valley in 2020. In June, he won the Sunnehanna Invitational in Pennsylvania. This year, he was the medalist in the North & South Amateur at Pinehurst, where he established a Course No. 4 record with a 61 in Round 1.

Karl Vilips, 21, of Orlando, Fla., was one of four current Stanford University players to qualify for the 2023 U.S. Open at The Los Angeles Country Club, joining Michael Thorbjornsen, Barclay Brown and Andrew Yang. The rising senior was born in Indonesia and raised in Perth, Australia, where he played junior golf with 2016 U.S. Junior Amateur champion Min Woo Lee. Vilips went to high school at Saddlebrook Prep in Florida. Last summer, he was the stroke-play medalist in the North & South Amateur. This year, he advanced to the championship match before losing to 2021 U.S. Junior Amateur champion Nick Dunlap. Vilips was a five-time American Junior Golf Association All-American, earning first-team honors four times. At 15 years of age in 2017, he joined Bob Jones as the youngest winner of the Southern Amateur. He also advanced to the quarterfinals of the 2019 U.S. Amateur at Pinehurst.