Tag: Dylan Menante

Meet the 10 members of the 2023 United States Walker Cup team

Here’s who will represent the United States at St. Andrews.

CHERRY HILLS VILLAGE, Colo. — The roster for the United States Walker Cup team is set.

Following the conclusion of the 123rd U.S. Amateur on Sunday, the United States Golf Association’s International Team Selection working group and coach Mike McCoy announced the final selections to represent the American team in the 49th Walker Cup at the Old Course at St. Andrews from Sept. 2-3.

The Walker Cup is a 10-man amateur team competition between the U.S. and Great Britain and Ireland. The Old Course has hosted eight previous Walker Cups, more than any other venue, most recently in 1975, when the USA defeated GB&I, 15½-8½.

Rising Stanford senior Michael Thorbjornsen, second in the World Amateur Golf Ranking, would’ve represented the United States but withdrew from the competition, as well as the U.S. Amateur, because of a back injury.

Meet the 10 members of the 2023 United States Walker Cup team.

Players to watch at the 2023 U.S. Amateur at Cherry Hills Country Club

It’s going to be an incredible week at Cherry Hills.

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It’s time for the premier men’s amateur championship.

The 2023 U.S. Amateur started Monday at Cherry Hills Country Club and Colorado Golf Club, both in the Denver suburbs. The field of 312 players will complete 36 holes of stroke play, 18 at each course, before a cut is made to the top 64, who will advance to match play at Cherry Hills beginning Wednesday. This will be the 123rd U.S. Amateur.

Eighteen of the top 20 players in the World Amateur Golf Ranking are in the field, including No. 1 Gordon Sargent.

Last year, Sam Bennett topped Ben Carr 1 up at The Ridgewood Country Club in Paramus, New Jersey.

Here’s a look at 10 players to watch at the 2023 U.S. Amateur at Cherry Hills.

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With Masters exemption on the line, a win means even more at 2023 NCAA Men’s Golf Championship

“It’s definitely something to factor, and it’s just an unbelievable opportunity.”

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Dylan Menante has played some special golf this week.

The senior at North Carolina had eight birdies in the first round but also had six bogeys. In Saturday’s second round, he was 4 under after 11 holes and tripled the 12th and finished at even.

Sunday was his best round yet at Grayhawk Golf Club at the 2023 NCAA Men’s Golf Championship. Menante shot 3-under 67 and moved into a tie fir second at 5-under 205, four shots behind Georgia Tech’s Ross Steelman with 18 holes to play.

He was also thinking of azaleas.

Menante isn’t afraid to admit he has thought plenty about the new exemption into the 2024 Masters the winner gets this week. Last month, Augusta National announced the champion of the NCAA Men’s Golf Championship would begin receiving an exemption into the Masters. And it has players dreaming big in the desert.

“Coming down the last couple holes I was thinking about it today even,” Menante said. “It’s definitely something to factor, and it’s just an unbelievable opportunity.”

Golfweek/Sagarin rankings: Men’s team | Men’s individual
NCAA Leaderboard: Team | Individual | Photos

Vanderbilt sophomore Gordon Sargent, the winner of the 2022 NCAA individual title, played 2023 Masters via a rare special invitation, the first in more than 20 years.

The inclusion of the college champion into the Masters field added further legitimacy to the NCAA Championship.

“And as it relates to the NCAA champion, as I stated, that is a major amateur championship, and I thought it was time that we acknowledged it,” Augusta National Golf Club chairman Fred Ridley said last month.

That means come Monday afternoon in the desert, the winning player will have won a lot more than an NCAA title. He will have earned one of the most special invitations in sports.

“Obviously, in everybody’s mind, it’s a pretty special opportunity,” said Florida’s Fred Biondi, who is 4 under and T-4. “It’s definitely something in the background.”

Biondi said it’s not on his mind much during the round, but he admits he and his teammates have spoken with coaches about it. Menante agreed, saying after Sargent got the exemption this year, he and others were hoping it would become a regular thing.

Could be decision time, for some

However, one of the stipulations is a player must remain an amateur to earn the exemption. For Menante, that’s not as big of an issue since he is returning to North Carolina. But for Biondi and Steelman, it would give them a choice to make: remain an amateur for nearly an entire year or turn professional and dismiss the chance to drive down Magnolia Lane. At least for now.

“Hopefully I’ll have to decide,” Biondi said. “It’s a pretty good decision to make. The Masters is something every kid grows up dreaming about, but yeah, it would take away some other things.”

Steelman has spoken all week about his desire to turn pro after the NCAA Championship finishes. He said he hasn’t really thought about having to make a decision yet to play in the Masters.

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“Just going to put it in the back of my mind until hopefully we come to that decision tomorrow afternoon,” Steelman said.

The rule to remain an amateur isn’t only a strain on players, but it affects coaches and their conversations with their teams.

Illinois coach Mike Small is a huge fan of the exemption and thinks it’s great for the college game. However, he also knows it can put a senior at a disadvantage.

“It’s their exemption, and they can do whatever they want with it,” Small said, “but I’m a big believer that a senior who wins and is turning pro should still be able to play. If they’re a senior and instead of turning pro, they have to be an amateur and sit around for nine more months, that just doesn’t make a lot of sense.”

With top transfer Dylan Menante leading the way, North Carolina men capture Jackson T. Stephens Cup

Dylan Menante, Austin Greaser and Ryan Burnett scored victories for the Tar Heels.

North Carolina’s men’s golf team flexed its muscles Wednesday at Seminole Golf Club by walking away with the team title at the second annual Jackson T. Stephens Cup.

The Tar Heels turned back Florida State, 3-2 to claim the men’s title.

Dylan Menante, Austin Greaser and Ryan Burnett scored victories for the Tar Heels, which claimed its second consecutive team title after their win at the Ben Hogan Collegiate Invitational last week.

Menante fell one behind Florida State’s Frederik Kjettrup on the 16th hole, but saved par with an 18-footer on the 17th to draw even and sank another 18-foot birdie putt on the 19th hole to give UNC its first point. Menante had kept his match all square on the 15th by sinking his shot from a greenside bunker to halve the hole.

Menante was a standout player for Pepperdine when the Waves won the national championship in 2021 and beat Burnett in a decisive 19-hole match. He has since taken his talents from the west coast to the east coast to join the Tar Heels and was listed among Golfweek’s top transfers of 2022.

Greaser was 1-down through 12, but won the 13th hole to tie the match and the 15th and 16th holes to defeat Patrick McCann, 2 and 1.

Burnett had a much easier time of it with Brett Roberts with a 5 and 3 victory. His win on the 15th hole gave UNC its third team point for the tournament title.

North Carolina concludes the fall portion of its schedule Oct. 21-23 at the Williams Cup presented by STITCH Golf at Eagle Point Golf Club in Wilmington.

 

For the full leaderboard from the Jackson T. Stephens Cup, click here to see the post from our partners at AmateurGolf.com.

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College golf top transfers: Players with a chance to take a big step forward after a change of scenery in 2022

Sometimes all it takes is a change of scenery.

The transfer portal is the hottest hangout spot for student athletes these days.

Established in October of 2018, the portal, which allows players to declare their intention to transfer and begin communication with prospective schools while still on campus at their current school, has been used by athletic programs across the country, especially in college golf.

Not only do some players still have an extra year of NCAA eligibility to use due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, but don’t forget the NCAA also passed a new rule in 2021 that allows players to transfer penalty-free one time in their collegiate career.

As rosters turn over ahead of the 2022-23 season, a few transfers have stood out among the rest. Here are some players who may be well equipped to take advantage of a change of scenery this season.

Coaching carousel: Coaches in new positions with something to prove in ’22

U.S. Amateur: Sam Bennett and Ben Carr advance to championship final at The Ridgewood Country Club

It all comes down to this.

Sam Bennett looked as if he was going to cruise into the finals of the 122nd U.S. Amateur.

The 22-year-old fifth-year senior from Texas A&M was 2 up with five to play in his semifinal match against Dylan Menante at The Ridgewood Country Club in Paramus, New Jersey. Yet on the 17th tee, the match was tied. Menante, a senior at North Carolina, sat in the middle of the fairway while Bennett watched his drive leak right into the trees.

Bennett’s ball came to rest nearly against the trunk of a huge tree. He and his caddie spoke at length about his options, and he opted to hit a high draw that somehow avoided further tree trouble and settled in a fairway bunker. Menante’s 3 wood second shot settled just short of the green.

However, Bennett didn’t let being behind the 8-ball bug him. He flushed his shot out of the bunker and was inside Menante once both players were on the green, and he sank the birdie putt, which ended up being the difference in a 1 up victory to advance to the U.S. Amateur finals on Sunday.

Bennett will face off against Ben Carr, a fifth-year senior at Georgia Southern, in the 36-hole final on Sunday. Carr topped Derek Hitchner, 3 and 2, catching fire on the back nine to advance to the championship match.

Both Bennett and Carr secured spots in the 2023 Masters and 2023 U.S. Open at Los Angeles Country Club by advancing to the final.

Menante, No. 8 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking, didn’t challenge Bennett on the final hole. Menante’s tee shot was right and his second shot short of the green in the rough. Bennett, meanwhile, found the fairway and hit a 7-iron to about 15 feet for birdie, giving a vicious club twirl after hitting the shot.

For Bennett, he continues his stellar run. None of his opponents have been ranked lower than No. 27 in the WAGR.

Carr, 22, from Columbus, Georgia, capitalized on a strong back nine. He won three holes in a four-hole stretch, including birdies on the par-5 13th and par-4 14th, to go 3 up. He narrowly missed a short birdie putt on the par-3 15th to clinch victory, but he ended up winning with a par on the next hole.

No. 70 in the WAGR, Carr is looking to become the first current or former Georgia Southern player to win the U.S. Amateur since alum Stewart “Buddy” Alexander captured the 1986 title at Shoal Creek.

There was also an emotional moment for Carr in his post-round interview. He uses a special ball marker to commemorate his father, who died in 2019. But, it went missing.

“On the first tee, I couldn’t find it,” Carr told Smiley Kaufman, who’s working as a reporter for Golf Channel, after the match. “I emptied out my pockets, there was nothing. I emptied out my bag. I couldn’t find it in my bag.”

But then he found it right before clinching his match.

“I’m over my putt on 16, and it’s just in my left pocket,” Carr said. “I don’t know how. I sweat to God, I checked. I check my pocket, I swear to God.”

U.S. Amateur: Scoring | Photo gallery

U.S. Amateur semifinal results

  • No. 36 Sam Bennett (Madisonville, Texas) def. No. 16 Dylan Menante (Carlsbad, California), 1 up
  • No. 34 Ben Carr (Columbus, Georgia) def. No. 59 Derek Hitchner (Minneapolis), 3 and 2

U.S. Amateur final schedule

  • No. 36 Sam Bennett vs. No. 34 Ben Carr, Sunday, 8 a.m.

How to watch

Sunday, August 21
36-hole championship match, Golf Channel: 2–5 p.m. ET

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And then there were four: Meet the semifinalist at 2022 U.S. Amateur

The 2022 U.S Amateur is down to the final four.

After five days of action-packed golf, four players remain at the 2022 U.S. Amateur in Paramus, New Jersey.

The two rounds of stroke play were held at Ridgewood Country Club and Arcola Country Club, but since match play started with the Round of 64, Ridgewood has been the lone host.

Created in 1895, the U.S. Amateur is the oldest of the USGA’s 15 championships. After the marathon Thursday featuring the Rounds of 32 and 16, Friday had four matches

One of the biggest storylines entering the quarterfinals was Nicholas Gross, a 15-year-old from Pennsylvania, who took down the No. 8 seed Luke Potter in the Sweet 16. Gross, however, fell in his Friday match.

U.S. Amateur: Scoring | Photo gallery

U.S. Amateur quarterfinal results

  • No. 16 Dylan Menante (Carlsbad, California) def. No. 56 Nicholas Gross (Downingtown, Pennsylvania), 4 and 3.
  • No. 36 Sam Bennett (Madisonville, Texas) def. No. 21 Stewart Hagestad (Newport Beach, California), 3 and 2.
  • No. 34 Ben Carr (Columbus, Georgia) def. No. 26 Alex Price (Hillsboro, Virginia), 2 and 1
  • No. 59 Derek Hitchner (Minneapolis) def. No. 51 Shea Lague (Jamul, California), 3 and 2.

U.S. Amateur semifinal schedule

  • No. 16 Dylan Menante vs. No. 36 Sam Bennett, Saturday, 2 p.m. ET
  • No. 34 Ben Carr vs. No. 59 Derek Hitchner, Saturday, 2:20 p.m. ET

How to watch

Saturday, August 20
Semifinals, Golf Channel, 3–6 p.m. ET

Sunday, August 21
36-hole championship match, Golf Channel: 2–5 p.m. ET

Dylan Menante transfers from Pepperdine to North Carolina

Dylan Menante helped the Waves win the 2021 NCAA championship.

The college golf transfer portal had some more movement Friday as Dylan Menante has left Pepperdine for North Carolina.

Menante helped the Waves to the national championship at the 2021 NCAA Men’s Golf Championship. He was also the West Coast Conference Player of the Year that season.

But after three seasons playing for the southern California school, he’ll finish his college career in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.

“I chose UNC because the school and coaches offer a critical balance between golf, growing as a person, academics and top-notch peers to surround my game” Menante said in a release sent by the Tar Heels athletic department. “I am looking forward to joining the Tar Heel program, but I also appreciate the support the Pepperdine community gave me the last three years.”

Menante is ranked 15th in the World Amateur Golf Rankings.

In the 2022 NCAA Championship, Pepperdine and North Carolina were among the eight teams to advance to the match-play portion of the event, with Pepperdine eliminating North Carolina to advance. Menante won his quarterfinal match but lost his semifinal match as Pepperdine was eliminated by Arizona State.

“All of us with Carolina Golf are thrilled Dylan chose to be a Tar Heel and is joining our family” UNC head coach Andrew DiBitetto said in a release. “He’s a winner, an All-American, a national champion and most importantly, an incredible young man. He’s one of the best amateurs in the world and immediately makes an already strong team even better. Clarkie (assistant coach Matt Clark), all our guys and I can’t wait to interact, compete and work with Dylan. We also look forward to helping him improve on and off the course.”

The Tar Heels return four starters: Ryan Burnett, David Ford, Peter Fountain and Austin Greaser.

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With Northeast Amateur win, Pepperdine’s Dylan Menante keeps confidence at an all-time high

Dylan Menante was still reeling from his Pepperdine team’s NCAA Championship victory last month. Now add a Northeast Am title.

Dylan Menante talks about one sensation more than any other in reliving his Pepperdine team’s recent national-title run: heart rate.

“I was so hyped – even after I lost my match I was so hyped to go watch all the guys,” Menante said of an NCAA high. “My heart was beating just like I was playing and it just meant so much in the time and the present.”

It can take awhile to come down from a supreme high like that, but Menante is already out of the clouds and with his feet firmly planted in…Rhode Island. The Carlsbad, California native had never been to the Ocean State before this week, but he’ll leave with some extra baggage. Menante won the prestigious Northeast Amateur on Sunday with a 9-under total that left him two shots ahead of Illinois player Jerry Ji.

Scores: Northeast Amateur

“I was really comfortable today,” Menante said after a final-round 67 that kept him safely ahead of the field. “A lot of the other times I was playing, I was a little bit on edge or something like that, a little anxious. Today I felt pretty comfortable, knew where my game was.”

Menante, 20, isn’t sure he fully grasps all that Pepperdine’s national-championship win means just yet – the potential, the legacy. He’s trying not to get too far ahead of himself.

“I think I’m starting to get over it now,” he said after his Northeast win. “This win helped me keep my confidence at an all-time high.”

Menante isn’t a particularly long hitter and Wannamoisett Country Club in Rumford, Rhode Island, fit him nicely in that regard. Many of the bunkers – and the rough – didn’t particularly come into play.

“That was super nice,” he said. “I could do my own thing and not have to worry about it.”

His strength is in his short irons and short game. Menante also switched to a 33-inch Ping Tyne 4 putter a few weeks ago and is using a wrist-lock putting stroke. Another comfort at the Northeast? Having his dad Dean on the bag.

“In college we get our coaches, but nothing like having your dad – he’s my swing coach – on the bag,” Menante said.

In the second half of the college season, Menante knocked at the door plenty of times, finishing fourth at the Prestige, seventh at the Valspar Collegiate and second at the Augusta Haskins Invitational before winning the individual title at the West Coast Conference Championship.

Menante admits to feeling a bit of intimidation in the fall of 2019 when he joined the Pepperdine roster as a freshman. Looking around, he was surrounded by nothing but talent – not the least of which was Sahith Theegala, one of the best players in college golf who would eventually win the Haskins Award, college golf’s Heisman.

“All those guys on one team definitely pushes you to get better and I’m really competitive so it just driving my competitive nature to get better and want to be in the lineup,” he said.

Menante played seven times his freshman season, but often as an individual. As a sophomore, he played nearly double that and was Pepperdine’s low finisher four times. Menante finished 17th individually at the NCAA Championship, then tied his quarterfinal match, won his semifinal match and lost his final match (against Oklahoma powerhouse fifth-year Jonathan Brightwell) to end a dream week.

Two years ago, Menante roomed with fellow incoming freshman William Mouw at Pepperdine. In May, Mouw took a turn on the U.S. Walker Cup team, scoring two points for the victorious Americans. The next iteration of those matches happens in 2023 at the Old Course at St. Andrews. The Northeast is a handful of must-plays for U.S. team hopefuls.

Consider Menante one of those men.

“I’ve wanted to play in the Walker Cup because it’s such a defining honor to represent the United States,” he said. “…It’s always a goal I’ve wanted to achieve so hopefully I’m in their consideration.”

Consider this year’s win, while still months away from the next Cup, a leg up.

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