Former Rollins golfer Bobby Leopold, 26, is the oldest man left standing in the U.S. Amateur field. (Copyright USGA/John Mummert)
Bobby Leopold, a former Rollins College golfer now selling insurance in Rhode Island, pulled off the upset of the U.S. Amateur’s opening round of match play by knocking out medalist Gregor Main in a 2-and-1 victory.
Leopold, 26, lost the first two holes of a matchup that began Wednesday afternoon, but managed to put the contest square again through six holes. He took advantage of a pair of Main bogeys to move in front for good.
“It’s the U.S. Amateur, so you are playing the best players in the world,” Leopold, who now lives in Cranston, R.I., told a USGA liaison. “It’s a battle every time you tee it up. You expect that. It wasn’t any different with Gregor. It was tough with wind. It was difficult out there.”
Leopold, born in Albany, N.Y., grew up in his parents’ native England but returned in 2003 to attend Rollins. He was first alternate at a U.S. Amateur qualifier in Massachusetts, but got the call last week telling him he was in. Now he’s the oldest player remaining in the field.
The 2009 Rhode Island Amateur champion reached match play by surviving a 20-man playoff for the final four spots in the bracket. He now faces a second-round match against Harris English, who recently won a Nationwide Tour event as an amateur.
Defending champion Peter Uihlein (Lake Nona), who finished his first-round victory late Wednesday, next faces South Africa’s Dylan Frittelli.
Former UCF golfer Blayne Barber (Lake City) couldn’t mount a comeback in the completion of his opening match, falling to Germany’s Stephan Jaeger by a 3-and-2 final.