Peter Uihlein begins defense today of the U.S. Amateur crown he captured a year ago. (Getty Images)
It’s been 15 years since anyone captured back-to-back U.S. Amateur titles – some skinny, promising kid named Tiger Woods – but that’s the challenge awaiting Lake Nona’s Peter Uihlein as he tees off today in the championship’s 111th edition at Erin Hills GC in Wisconsin.
Uihlein was the last man standing a year ago at Chambers Bay, earning the perks of teeing it up at the Masters, U.S. Open and British Open – not to mention sponsor exemptions at a few PGA Tour stops.
He made the cut at the British Open, as well as PGA Tour stops in Tampa and Philadelphia, and recently tied for ninth at the Nationwide Tour’s stop in Columbus, Ohio.
Uihlein credits it all to valuable learning experience, saying recently it’s helped him “become a better player this year than I was last year.” That includes four other amateur wins over the past year, including this summer’s Northeast Amateur in Rhode Island.
Two dozen other Florida golfers will join Uihlein in the 312-man field, where two stroke-play rounds will determine who makes the 64-man bracket for match play that starts Wednesday.
Lake City’s Blayne Barber, now at Auburn after a year at UCF, and outgoing UF golfer Bank Vonvanij are seeking to advance deeper than last year, when both were eliminated in the round of 32.
Ten other Florida entrants took medalist honors in the qualifying stage, including reinstated amateur Nick Gilliam of Gainesville. The former UF golfer won the 2001 NCAA title – part of a Gator squad with future U.S. Amateur champ Bubba Dickerson and current PGA Tour pro Camilo Villegas – but struggled in the pro ranks and sought to regain amateur status last year.
Gilliam topped the field at a U.S. Amateur qualifier at Oakland Hills in Michigan. Other medalists were Orlando’s Joey Petronio (Shingle Creek GC), Longwood’s Hojin Kang (Black Bear GC), Gainesville’s J.D. Tomlinson (Golden Ocala), Lynn Haven’s Zach Primavera (Pensacola CC), Jacksonville’s Sean Dale (Amelia National GC), Crystal River’s Nick Brothers (Cypress Run GC).
Weston’s Ryan Abbate and Miami’s Andres Pumariega shared medalist honors at Doral’s TPC Blue Monster. Edward Figueroa of Naples also was a co-medalist at Bay Colony GC, then won a playoff for the only spot available.