Tag: Jackson Buchanan

World No. 1 Luke Clanton falls to Jackson Buchanan in Round of 32 at 2024 U.S. Amateur

Luke Clanton’s wild summer is over.

CHASKA, Minn. — Luke Clanton’s wild summer is over.

The top-ranked amateur in the world lost Thursday afternoon in a Round of 32 match at the 2024 U.S. Amateur at Hazeltine National Golf Club. Clanton, who came into the week off playing 39 holes Sunday in the PGA Tour’s Wyndham Championship, lost 1 down to Jackson Buchanan, a rising senior at Illinois who’s ranked 17th in the World Amateur Golf Ranking.

“It’s kind of hard to go against one of your good buddies out here,” Clanton said after his match. “No matter which way it would’ve went, it was awesome. Great match.”

Clanton led 1 up with four holes to play, but Buchanan birdied the par-5 15th to tie the match, and a wayward Clanton drive on the signature par-4 16th led to a bogey and a 1-up lead for Buchanan.

U.S. Amateur: Photos from Hazeltine

Then on 18, Buchanan’s approach missed right while Clanton gave himself a 20-footer for birdie. Buchanan hit a delicate chip shot to a couple feet, and Clanton’s birdie chance slid beneath the hole. Buchanan cleaned up for par, and he’s into the Round of 16, where he will face Tyler Mawhinney Thursday afternoon.

Jackson Buchanan plays his tee shot on the fifth hole during the round of 32 of the 2024 U.S. Amateur at Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska, Minn. on Thursday, Aug. 15, 2024. (Chris Keane/USGA)

Mawhinney won the Canadian Amateur last week to earn his way into the field at the U.S. Amateur.

As for Clanton, his crazy summer has come to a close. After leading Florida State to a runner-up finish at the NCAA Championship in late May, he proceeded to make the cut in five of six PGA Tour events, recording top-five finishes in three of them, the first amateur to do so on Tour since Jack Nicklaus in 1961. He rose to No. 1 in the world, and he also earned 14 points in the PGA Tour University Accelerated ranking, meaning if he can earn six more, he’ll earn an automatic PGA Tour card.

But his biggest lesson this summer was that golf isn’t everything.

“I think I get a little bit too obsessed with it sometimes,” Clanton said. “I’ve got a great family, great girlfriend, great friends. Golf is just a game. You don’t have to be too hard on yourself all the time. But, you know, it was awesome, dude. This is like, what you train for to be in those positions. So it’s fun.”

As for what’s next, Clanton said he’s looking forward to getting back to Tallahassee and beginning his junior season with Florida State. Last year, Clanton finished as the top-ranked player in the NCAA golf rankings.

Now, he returns to college golf as the best amateur in the world with a whole lot of confidence to build on what has been an incredible 2024.

Current USGA champion, 16 year old among medalists at 2023 U.S. Amateur

In the 123-year history of the U.S. Amateur, no one has done what Blades Brown did Tuesday.

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CHERRY HILLS VILLAGE, Colo. — In the 123-year history of the U.S. Amateur, no one has done what Blades Brown did Tuesday.

The 16-year-old, from Nashville, Tennessee, tied the competitive course record at Colorado Golf Club, the stroke-play co-host, shooting an 8-under 64 with four bogeys. He finished at 7 under following 36 holes, tying for medalist honors. Brown is the youngest in the history of the U.S. Amateur to win medalist honors.

“It’s up there,” he said of the accomplishment, “just because this is my first U.S. Am. I was told the U.S. Am is like one level down from the U.S. Open. To be able to shoot 8 under here is awesome. It really gives me confidence in my game and my practice.”

U.S. Amateur: Photos

Brown tied with Sampson Zheng, who earlier this year won the U.S. Amateur Four-Ball title. Zheng shot 1-under 70 at Cherry Hills on Tuesday after an opening 6-under 66 at Colorado Golf Club.

“There were definitely some nerves going off the tee,” Zheng said. “I knew I was the leader and I had the chance to be medalist. But the goal from the start was to win, so I feel like I handled myself pretty well out there. I didn’t back off from any tough shots, I didn’t back off from any tough holes, and I stayed process really well, step by step, I took it one at a time, just fairways and greens, and then stayed out of trouble for the most part.”

Also tying for medalist honors was Jackson Buchanan, who birdied his final three holes at Colorado Golf Club to tie Brown and Zheng.

Stroke play is a little different than match play, I think it proves the best player,” Buchanan said. “Two days is obviously not much but I think stroke play proves the best player. Once you get to match play everyone here is so good. It doesn’t matter if you are [seeds] 64 or 1.”

That trio will be the top three seeds in the Round of 64, which is set to begin at 11 a.m. ET Wednesday. Additionally, there won’t be a playoff because exactly 64 players made the cut, which was even-par. However, that doesn’t mean there weren’t some big names heading home early.

Some, like 2022 semifinalist Dylan Menante and 2023 Western Amateur semifinalist Andrew Goodman, made the cut on the number.

When match play seeds are determined, they’ll be posted here.