South Africa’s No 1- ranked Kyle McClatchie and compatriots Ross Sinclair and Ian Snyman will join the hunt for the most sought-after title in amateur golf at the 117th US Amateur Golf Championship in Los Angeles next week.
Youth Olympian McClatchie from Ekurhuleni, Gauteng North’s Sinclair, and Snyman from Western Province qualified alongside 309 amateurs from 29 countries starting the 36-hole stroke play qualifier at the Riviera and Bel-Air Country Clubs on Monday.
Only the leading 64 players will advance to contest for the iconic Havemeyer Trophy in the match play stage at the Riviera Country Club from 16-20 August.
Just 64 players were fully exempt into this year’s championship, which meant the South African trio had to join more than 7,000 hopefuls around the globe who had to fight their way into the starting line-up at 100 qualifying sites in the United States, Canada, Mexico and Puerto Rico.
McClatchie claimed his spot in the North Carolina Sectional Qualifier, Snyman guaranteed his start in Texas and Sinclair secured his berth in Ohio.
Reigning English Amateur Stroke Play champion McClatchie joined 64 amateurs at Benvenue Country Club in Rocky Mount, where he claimed the third and final spot behind co-leaders Australian Dylan Perry and Scott Stevens.
Perry fired five birdies down the back nine for a 65, and the American also racked up five birdies over the last nine holes for a 69 to claim the first of two qualifying spots on eight-under.
‘I shot 70 in the first round and I got to nine-under through 15 holes in the final round, but I thought I’d blown my chances after I dropped 16 and 18,’ said McClatchie.
‘The two guys who won the qualifier finished at eight-under and I managed to snag the third spot at seven-under. It’s just a real pity that the US Amateur conflicts with the Fellowship Cup Test against India at home, because I would have loved to represent South Africa.
‘The chance to compete against the top amateurs in the world is too good to pass up. No matter how far I go in this championship, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and I couldn’t miss the chance to test myself and gain experience against this quality field.’
Snyman (right), who has just started his second season at the North Texas University, qualified courtesy of a nine-under-par performance at the Lantana Golf Club in Dallas Fort Worth.
He posted rounds of 67 and 68 to claim the second qualifying spot and finished three strokes behind the winner Matthew Perrine from the United States.
Sinclair, pictured below, qualified at the Shaker Heights Country Club.
The former GolfRSA National Squad player returned successive rounds of 72 for an aggregate score of four over 144 that was good enough to earn him the third qualifying spot. A former Nomads SA Boys Under-19 champion and AJGA Under Armour Championship series winner, Sinclair starts his second season at University of New Mexico this year.
Pictures courtesy of GolfRSA