Future teammates will meet in U.S. Junior Amateur quarterfinal
Austin Eckroat and Matthew Wolff have been an inseparable duo this week when they haven’t been competing during the 70th U.S. Junior Amateur.
From practicing on the driving range and putting green to watching “Family Guy” and “South Park” at their hotel, the future Oklahoma State teammates have joined forces to unwind.
The talented 18-year-olds will get to spend more time together as opponents in Friday’s quarterfinals as both won two matches Thursday on another sweltering day at Flint Hills National Golf Club.
Eckroat, the No. 1 seed and stroke-play medalist from Edmond, Okla., needed just 13 holes to eliminate Yuki Moriyama and 14 to bump Ryan Gerard from the championship as the match-play field was reduced to eight.
Wolff, from Agoura Hills, Calif., got through the second round easily, but had to rally past future Oklahoma golfer Logan McAllister in 19 holes. Wolff and Eckroat will play the first quarterfinal match at 7 a.m. Friday.
The matchup was foreshadowed by their seeding – Wolff is No. 8 – and both reacted to it with a combination of anticipation and dread.
“I think we didn’t want it to happen,” Eckroat said. “But if I want to lose to someone, I want it to be Matt.
“It’ll be fun, but it’ll also suck more when one of us isn’t going any further.”
Eckroat, who was knocked out of last year’s U.S. Junior in the third round, is trying to become the first medalist to win the championship since PGA Tour star Jordan Spieth claimed the first of his two titles in 2009. Eckroat shot 10-under-par 132 in stroke play to earn the top seed, and hadn’t bogeyed a hole until Thursday, completing the first four days with two in 78 holes.
His next challenge will come from Wolff, who trailed McAllister by three holes at the turn before catching him with a 15-foot birdie putt on the par-5 18th.
Wolff followed with another birdie at the par-5 first to win the match and advance one round past his elimination point at the 2015 U.S. Junior in South Carolina.
“It’s unfortunate that we have to play each other, but at the same time, making it to the quarterfinals is definitely an accomplishment on its own,” Wolff said.
The two Cowboys will be joined by other top juniors who have their sights set on Saturday’s 36-hole finale. That includes 17-year-old Noah Goodwin, a Corinth, Texas, native who finished second to Australia’s Min Woo Lee in last year’s championship.
Goodwin, an SMU commit who shot 59 at Oakmont Country Club in his hometown earlier this year, will play four-time U.S. Junior qualifier Davis Shore of Knoxville, Tenn., in the quarters. At No. 27, Goodwin is the highest-ranked U.S. Junior competitor in the latest world amateur golf rankings.
“I know what to expect,” said Goodwin, who topped Sean Maruyama 5 and 3 in the third round. “I know how hard it is. I know it’s just going to get harder mentally.”
Ryan Smith, a 15-year-old Californian, stayed in the hunt in his first U.S. Junior. One day after knocking off Wichita’s Wells Padgett in 22 holes, Smith defeated Aaron Chen and Kaito Onishi. Others advancing were India’s Rayhan Thomas, South Africa’s Garrick Higgo and North Carolina’s Aman Gupta.
None will have the connection of Eckroat and Wolff, who became friends after meeting at an AJGA tournament two years ago.
“He threw a water bottle at my eye last night, so maybe he’s trying to take me out,” Wolff joked, later adding, “No, it’ll be good.”
U.S. Junior Amateur
Match play
Second round
At Flint Hills National GC
Upper bracket
No. 1 Austin Eckroat, Edmond, Okla., def. No. 33 Yuki Moriyama, Japan, 7 and 5; No. 49 Ryan Gerard, Raleigh, N.C., def. No. 17 Won Jun Lee, Republic of Korea, 23 holes; No. 8 Matthew Wolff, Agoura Hills, Calif., def. No. 40 Christian Salzer, Sumter, S.C., 7 and 6; No. 9 Logan McAllister, Oklahoma City, def. No. 41 Parker Coody, Plano, Texas, 3 and 2.
No. 36 Garrick Higgo, South Africa, def. No. 61 Angelo Giantsopoulos, Canada, 4 and 3; No. 13 Cole Hammer, Houston, def. No. 20 Frankie Capan, North Oaks, Minn., 2 and 1; No. 37 Trent Phillips, Spartanburg, S.C., def. No. 5 Joshua Armstrong, Australia, 3 and 1; No. 12 Aman Gupta, Charlotte, N.C., def. No. 44 Jackson Solem, Longmont, Colo., 2 and 1.
Lower bracket
No. 34 Kaito Onishi, Japan, def. No. 63 Alvin Kwak, Mukilteo, Wash., 1 up; No. 50 Ryan Smith, Carlsbad, Calif., def. No. 18 Aaron Chen, Fremont, Calif., 4 and 3; No. 26 Jake Beber-Frankel, Miami, def. No. 58 Noah Norton, Chico, Calif., 5 and 4; No. 23 Rayhan Thomas, India, def. No. 10 Mac Meissner, San Antonio, 19 holes.
No. 35 Sean Maruyama, Japan, def. No. 3 Cole Ponich, Salt Lake City, 3 and 2; No. 19 Noah Goodwin, Corinth, Texas, def. No. 14 Joe Highsmith, Lakewood, Wash., 3 and 1; No. 27 Ricky Castillo, Yorba Linda, Calif., def. No. 59 Ryan Hall, Knoxville, Tenn., 3 and 2; No. 11 Davis Shore, Knoxville, Tenn., def. No. 43 Peter Fountain, Raleigh, N.C., 1 up.
Third round
Upper bracket
No. 1 Austin Eckroat def. No. 49 Ryan Gerard 5 and 4; No. 8 Matthew Wolff def. No. 9 Logan McAllister 19 holes; No. 36 Garrick Higgo def. No. 13 Cole Hammer 2 and 1; No. 12 Aman Gupta def. No. 37 Trent Phillips 2 and 1.
Lower bracket
No. 50 Ryan Smith def. No. 34 Kaito Onishi 2 up; No. 23 Rayhan Thomas def. No. 26 Jake Beber-Frankel 5 and 4; No. 19 Noah Goodwin def. No. 35 Sean Maruyama 5 and 3; No. 11 Davis Shore def. No. 27 Ricky Castillo 1 up.
Friday’s quarterfinals
7 a.m.—No. 1 Austin Eckroat, Edmond, Okla., vs. No. 8 Matthew Wolff, Agoura Hills, Calif.; 7:10—No. 36 Garrick Higgo, South Africa, vs. No. 12 Aman Gupta, Charlotte, N.C.; 7:20—No. 50 Ryan Smith, Carlsbad, Calif., vs. No. 23 Rayhan Thomas, India; 7:30—No. 19 Noah Goodwin, Corinth, Texas, vs. No. 11 Davis Shore, Knoxville, Tenn.
U.S. JUNIOR AMATEUR
- When: Through Saturday
- Where: Flint Hills National Golf Club, Andover
- Admission: Free
- TV: 2-4 p.m., Fox Sports 1
This story was originally published July 20, 2017 at 7:19 PM with the headline "Future teammates will meet in U.S. Junior Amateur quarterfinal."