CHASKA, Minn. — He’s buying gloves and balls from the pro shop. His wedges don’t match. He works in oil and natural gas full-time.
And if scores hold Tuesday afternoon, he’s also the first Mid-Amateur to win medalist honors in 11 years at the 2024 U.S. Amateur.
Meet Jimmy Ellis, the 39-year-old from Florida who punched his ticket into the U.S. Amateur at Hazeltine National Golf Club via his victory earlier this summer at the Florida Amateur. That week, he shot 8-under 64 in the final round to win, which was the lowest round of his life.
On Tuesday at Chaska Town Course, the stroke play co-host, he shot 9-under 61 and left an eagle putt on the last hole a couple rotations short of a championship-tying 60. He’s on pace to be the first Mid-Am in 11 years to win medalist honors at the U.S. Amateur.
“It’s just blind squirrel, honestly,” Ellis said. “I literally made everything today. I bet if we play this tournament 100 times, there’s zero percent chance I would be the medalist.”
Ellis had 10 birdies and one bogey Tuesday, finishing stroke play at 10 under, three shots clear of Luis Masaveu. With the closest chasers playing the more difficult Hazeltine on Tuesday afternoon, it’s likely Ellis will earn the top seed for match play, which begins Wednesday morning.
Ellis found his touch on the greens Tuesday, making everything he looked at. He said 10 footers felt easy in his second round, whereas 3 footers on Monday were nervewracking.
He plays out of Atlantic Beach Country Club, often playing with 15-year-old Miles Russell, a young phenom who missed the match play cut.
U.S. Amateur: Photos from Hazeltine National
Meanwhile, Ellis’ name is at the top of the leaderboard, a flabbergasting scene for someone who wanted to sneak into match play and knock off a big name.
“Some of the names are so funny. I just assumed it would be Gordon Sargent, like, all of the names you hear on TV,” Ellis said. “It’s funny to see my name. I might not even win my club championship.”
While on the range during his championship preparations, Ellis noticed his recently re-shafted gap wedge was half an inch longer than his pitching wedge. So he took that out and inserted a 50-degree U-wedge he had in the bag, something he used often back home near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
He has also bought golf balls at both courses this week. His glove? It’s from Hazeltine because he needed a new one.
“What else you supposed to do?” Ellis said, joking how most players in the field get the essentials for free.
Ellis played collegiately, starting at Florida Gulf Coast before transferring to Ohio, where he went and “had fun.” His golf game didn’t progress to the next level until COVID hit, and that’s when the trophies started to pile up.
This week is Ellis’ second start in the U.S. Amateur and second in three years, as he teed it up at Ridgewood Country Club in 2022.
Yet in a tournament where the best names in amateur golf are battling it out for the Havemeyer Trophy, no one was better than Ellis after two rounds of stroke play.
“This is the best round I’ve ever played, not even close,” Ellis said. “I’m old enough to be most of their dads. And yeah, they’re hitting it probably 40 yards past me. But I’m just going to play my game and see what happens.”