Hughett busts into third round of U.S. Senior Amateur Championship
MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. (Aug. 28, 2017) – Michael Hughett of Owasso reached the third round of the 63rd U.S. Senior Open Championship in impressive fashion today with a 3 and 2 second-round victory over James Pearson of Charlotte, N.C. at The Minikahda Club.
It was the fourth time Hughett had reached the second round but the first time he has broken through that barrier. The 19-time Oklahoma Golf Association champion faces defending champion Dave Ryan of Taylorville, Ill., in the third round at 1:30 p.m.
Hughett had a 3-up lead through six holes over Pearson, was five up at the turn after shooting 32 on the front nine and cruised to victory despite dropping two holes in succession midway through the back nine.
On Monday, Hughett advanced into the second round for the fourth time in his career with a 3 and 2 victory over Larry Corson of Westlake, Texas.
The U.S. Senior Amateur is one of 13 annual national championships conducted by the USGA, 10 of which are strictly for amateurs. The championship is open to amateurs at least 55 years of age with a Handicap Index® not exceeding 7.4. It consists of two rounds of stroke play, after which the field is cut to the low 64 scorers for match play, which concludes with an 18-hole final on Thursday at 7:30 a.m. CDT.
Hughett jumped out to an early 3 up lead over Corson but had to survive several back-nine bogeys which allowed Corson to hang around.
“I got off to a good start, but had some loose swings that got me in trouble, so I have to work on my consistency,” Hughett said. “When it was good today, it was really good, but when it was bad, it was just awful.”
Winners of Tuesday morning’s Round-of-32 matches will tee it up again in the afternoon in the Round of 16. By day’s end, the championship’s quarterfinalists will be determined.
Results of the second- and third-round matches are live here.
63rd U.S. SENIOR AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP
Match Play Results
Round — (Round of 64) – Monday, Aug. 28, 2017
David Brown, Ligonier, Pa. (138) def. Scott Smith, Houston, Texas (152), 3 and 2
John McClure, Los Angeles, Calif. (148) def. Robert Polk, Parker, Colo. (148), 4 and 3
Claud Cooper, Birmingham, Ala. (146) def. Greg Condon, Monte Vista, Colo. (151), 6 and 4
David Nocar, Millersville, Md. (146) def. Ian Harris, Bloomfield, Mich. (150), 2 up
Scott Thomas, Chesterfield, Mo. (151) def. Buzz Fly, Memphis, Tenn. (144), 1 up
Sean Knapp, Oakmont, Pa. (147) def. Duke Delcher, Bluffton, S.C. (150), 2 and 1
Doug Hanzel, Savannah, Ga. (144) def. Michael Dunsmore, Poughkeepsie, N.Y. (151), 5 and 3
Ned Zachar, Bedford, N.Y. (147) def. George Zahringer, New York, N.Y.
(150), 2 up
Craig Steinberg, Agoura Hills, Calif. (152) def. Chuck Palmer, Dallas, Texas (140), 1 up
Bob Cooper, Monroe, La. (147) def. Steve Rogers, Bowling Green, Ky. (148), 3 and 2
Ken Lee, Franklin, Tenn. (146) def. Jack Kearney, Peachtree City, Ga. (151), 4 and 2
Mark Coward, Paradise Valley, Ariz. (150) def. Bart Dornier, Metairie, La. (147), 20 holes
Dave Ryan, Taylorville, Ill. (142) def. Michael Rowley, San Luis Obispo, Calif. (152), 1 up
Ronald LaVerdiere, Amherst, Mass. (149) def. Kevin Cahill, Waukesha, Wis. (147), 3 and 2
Michael Hughett, Tulsa, Okla. (145) def. Larry Corson, Westlake, Texas (151), 3 and 2
James Pearson, Charlotte, N.C. (150) def. T.J. Brudzinski, Columbus, Ohio (147), 1 up
Matthew Sughrue, Arlington, Va. (140) def. David Szewczul, Farmington, Conn. (152), 3 and 1
John Fisher, Collierville, Tenn. (148) def. Andrew Fogarty, Ballwin, Mo. (148), 2 and 1
Keith Decker, Martinsville, Va. (146) def. George Marucci Jr., Villanova, Pa. (151), 1 up
Gene Elliott, West Des Moines, Iowa (146) def. Patrick Tallent, Vienna, Va. (150), 6 and 4
Paul Simson, Raleigh, N.C. (143) def. Jay Sessa, Garden City, N.Y. (152), 1 up
John Hornbeck, Saratoga, Wyo. (149) def. Bev Hargraves, Little Rock, Ark. (147), 2 and 1
Chip Lutz, Reading, Pa. (144) def. David Nelson, Reno, Nev. (151), 1 up
Don Donatoni, Malvern, Pa. (150) def. Larry Clark, Kingston, Ga. (147), 4 and 2
Mitch Wilson, Portage, Mich. (140) def. Gordon Marshall, Sarasota, Fla. (152), 5 and 4
John Pierce, San Antonio, Texas (148) def. Jeff Hoffman, Folsom, Calif. (148), 1 up
Bob Royak, Alpharetta, Ga. (151) def. Don Dubois, Newport Beach, Calif. (146), 3 and 2
Russ Perry, Winston Salem, N.C. (146) def. Steve Golliher, Knoxville, Tenn. (150), 20 holes
Bryan Norton, Mission Hills, Kan. (152) def. Tim Jackson, Germantown, Tenn. (142), 2 and 1
Frank Vana, Boxford, Mass. (149) def. Harrison Rutter, Winston-Salem, N.C. (147), 1 up
Chris Hartenstein, Austin, Texas (151) def. Brady Exber, Las Vegas, Nev. (144), By concession
Alan Hill, Spring Branch, Texas (150) def. Jack Hall, Savannah, Ga. (147), 2 up
63rd U.S. SENIOR AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP
Match Play Pairings
Round — (Round of 32) – Tuesday, Aug. 29, 2017
7:00 am David Brown, Ligonier, Pa. (138) vs. John McClure, Los Angeles, Calif. (148)
7:10 am Claud Cooper, Birmingham, Ala. (146) vs. David Nocar, Millersville, Md. (146)
7:20 am Scott Thomas, Chesterfield, Mo. (151) vs. Sean Knapp, Oakmont, Pa. (147)
7:30 am Doug Hanzel, Savannah, Ga. (144) vs. Ned Zachar, Bedford, N.Y. (147)
7:40 am Craig Steinberg, Agoura Hills, Calif. (152) vs. Bob Cooper, Monroe, La. (147)
7:50 am Ken Lee, Franklin, Tenn. (146) vs. Mark Coward, Paradise Valley, Ariz. (150)
8:00 am Dave Ryan, Taylorville, Ill. (142) vs. Ronald LaVerdiere, Amherst, Mass. (149)
8:10 am Michael Hughett, Tulsa, Okla. (145) vs. James Pearson, Charlotte, N.C. (150)
8:20 am Matthew Sughrue, Arlington, Va. (140) vs. John Fisher, Collierville, Tenn. (148)
8:30 am Keith Decker, Martinsville, Va. (146) vs. Gene Elliott, West Des Moines, Iowa (146)
8:40 am Paul Simson, Raleigh, N.C. (143) vs. John Hornbeck, Saratoga, Wyo. (149)
8:50 am Chip Lutz, Reading, Pa. (144) vs. Don Donatoni, Malvern, Pa. (150)
9:00 am Mitch Wilson, Portage, Mich. (140) vs. John Pierce, San Antonio, Texas (148)
9:10 am Bob Royak, Alpharetta, Ga. (151) vs. Russ Perry, Winston Salem, N.C. (146)
9:20 am Bryan Norton, Mission Hills, Kan. (152) vs. Frank Vana, Boxford, Mass. (149)
9:30 am Chris Hartenstein, Austin, Texas (151) vs. Alan Hill, Spring Branch, Texas (150)