Thorbjornsen, a junior at Stanford and Massachusetts native, was a Golfweek 2022 All-American honorable mention. At the ’22 Travelers Championship on the PGA Tour, an event played down the road from where he grew up, Thorbjornsen finished solo fourth.
Rory McIlroy didn’t have his best stuff Saturday, making 15 pars, one birdie, one bogey and an eagle to post a day two 2-under 70. He’s tied for seventh, two back of the lead.
Patrick Reed, who’s been in headlines all week thanks to a viral moment with McIlroy, is also at 8 under. The old Ryder Cup rivals aren’t paired together for the third round.
A disappointment for most of the golf community.
Due to weather delays earlier in the week, play will conclude Monday in Dubai.
Here’s what you missed in the men’s college golf world.
The Washington State men’s golf team accomplished something Tuesday it never had before: the Cougars won a tournament in the western half of its state.
Washington State captured its rival hosts tournament, the Husky Invitational held in Bremerton, marking the first time the Cougars have won a tournament in the western portion of the state. WSU finished at 4-over 868, three strokes clear of USC and five ahead of the host Huskies.
“We got off to a shaky start, but give our guys credit. They just hung in there and clawed their way back and just seemed very patient and just played until they were no holes left,” Washington State coach Dustin White said. “You couldn’t really draw a better way to start your season.”
The win was the fourth for White during his tenure with the Cougars.
Junior Jaden Cantafio and senior Pono Yanagi both finished in the top five on the individual leaderboard. Cantafio led the Cougars after he shot 4-under 68 in the final round to finish at 3-under 213, which was solo third. He moved up 15 places over his final round, which included five birdies and an eagle on the par-4 18th. Cantafio ended his day one stroke behind Washington’s Taehoon Song and five strokes behind USC’s Jackson Rivera, who won the tournament. Yanagi finished at 2-under 214 for the tournament, tied for fifth.
“The teams that we were paired with and that we were competing with, these are these are high-level teams and you know, a lot of respect goes to those guys,” White said. “I mean, it’s hard to win in college golf, and anytime you get a chance to be in contention, there’s no other feeling that’s like it. So we’re just really appreciative of the fact that we had some teams that pushed us, and I think we all made each other better.”
Oregon finished in fourth, one shot behind Washington, and Long Beach State tallied a fifth-place finish.
Rivera, a sophomore, has finished in the top 10 in four of his past five starts. It’s the first win of his college career.
Craziness at in Fort Collins
In terms of craziness, there was plenty of it at the Ram Masters Classic at Fort Collins Country Club in Colorado. There were three holes-in-one, an albatross and a tournament record tied during the two-day, 54-hole event.
UC San Diego’s Eliot Bunyaviroch aced the par-3 second hole with an 8-iron in the first round. Creighton’s Shaun Campbell hit a pitching wedge on the ninth hole in the second round, and his ball went in the cup. Then Texas A&M Commerce’s Kittiphong Phaithuncharoensuk made an ace on the par-3 14th during the second round. Northern Colorado’s Garrett Willis then had an albatross, an 8-iron from 210 yards on the par-5 first hole in the second round.
Host Colorado State finished at 17 under for the tournament, tying the event record.
Big win for Cardinal, Thorbjornsen
Elsewhere, Stanford got a signature early-season win against a packed field at the Fighting Illini Invitational at Olympia Fields, beating second-place Florida and Illinois by 13 shots.
The Cardinal, ranked second in the Golfweek Sagarin rankings, shot even during the final round. Stanford led after every round, and junior Michael Thorbjornsen earned his first collegiate victory. He finished at 7-under 203, beating Florida’s Ricky Castillo and Illinois’ Adrien Dumont de Chassart by one shot. Thorbjornsen became the first Cardinal to win the tournament since Maverick McNealy in 2015.
Thor trailed by six shots at the turn, but a 4-under 31 coming in propelled him to his first collegiate win! 🔥@michaelt_1 joins @PRodgersGolf ('11, '12), @Cam_A_Wilson (2013) and Maverick McNealy ('14, '15) as Cardinal to win the Fighting Illini Invitational! #GoStanfordpic.twitter.com/bVl69qFTWp
Arizona State’s Ryggs Johnston finished solo fourth at 5-under 205 while Tommy Kohl of Illinois was solo fifth at 4 under.
More transfer news
The NCAA Division I Board of Directors recently made changes to the transfer portal, including opening and closing dates for specific sports. For men’s golf, the portal will open May 4, 2023, and close June 17 2023. For women’s golf, it will open April 27, 2023 and close June 10, 2023. There will also be a window for golfers to enter between Dec. 1-15, 2022.
An ill-timed double bogey resulted in Fred Biondi, Luke Gutschewski and Hugo Townsend sharing the honor.
PARAMUS, N.J. — Oops.
Michael Thorbjornsen had the U.S. Amateur medal in his back pocket Tuesday until the 20-year-old Stanford All-American made a mess of the 18th hole at Arcola Country Club. An ill-timed double bogey resulted in Fred Biondi, Luke Gutschewski and Hugo Townsend sharing the honor.
He drove into a bunker, hit a chunky gap wedge, chipped to eight feet and three-putted to finish at 3-under 138.
No harm. No foul.
“Yeah, I mean, medalist, solo medalist, same thing,” said Thorbjornsen, who last month won the Western Am. “It doesn’t really matter. Kind of just more disappointed in myself for just doubling the last hole, whether it’s for nothing or for the whole tournament to win the U.S. Amateur or win medalist or whatever. I just don’t like playing bad golf.”
Biondi who’s a senior at Florida by way of SĂŁo Paulo, Brazil, was the only player in the field with a pair of sub-70 rounds. Only eight players finished in the red. Gutschewski plays at Iowa State. His father, Scott, is prepping for the Korn Ferry Tour finals. Townsend is a 23-year-old native of Ireland and resident of Sweden. He played four seasons at Boise State and is heading for graduate school at Ole Miss.
Thorbjornsen ranks among the favorites this week.
“I’d say I have the momentum I need,” he said. “Kind of just going to forget about this last hole here, sort out my driver tomorrow morning or whenever I’m teeing off, maybe hit the gym or something, I don’t know, because it’s unacceptable the way I’m hitting my driver right now, especially at Ridgewood.”
Thorbjornsen is making his fifth appearance in the U.S. Amateur. He reached the quarterfinals in 2020 at Bandon Dunes. The Massachusetts resident won the 2018 U.S. Junior Amateur Championship at Baltusrol Golf Club.
Experience is a bonus.
“It’s definitely going to help,” Thorbjornsen added. “Just playing all these match play events … I kind of know how it’s going to go. I’m really happy that we’re playing Ridgewood as a match play course. Very tough, have to hit the ball well. I played well there yesterday. Felt like I can play well again there (Wednesday) and this upcoming week.
“Yeah, it’s completely new tomorrow. Who cares about what happened today? I’m going to try and forget about it.”
Back to the day job
Christian Cavaliere is ready to get to work. Literally. The 24-year-old Katonah native struggled from the start of stroke play at the U.S. Amateur, finishing well back Tuesday with a 16-over total of 157.
Advancing to match play was the goal, but reality struck quickly.
Cavaliere is the creative force behind Tremont Sporting Co, a company he founded a year ago that designs and produces high-end golf products like headcovers and headwear. Keeping up with the growing demand requires more and more time off the golf course.
“I’m going to get back to the sewing machine,” he said with a laugh. “I think it’s where I belong.”
“The courses were hard and I didn’t play well this week. I made a lot of bad swings and was sloppy with my putting. The U.S. Am is special, but I’m getting a little sick of playing in this event and not even sniffing match play.”
Cavaliere was 4-over just three holes into the championship and shot a 78 on Monday at Arcola. He followed up with a 79 at Ridgewood.
Finding a suitable work-golf balance is a project for another day.
“I haven’t put in anywhere near the prep time this year as I have in past years,” added Cavaliere, a former Boston College player who’s appeared in three consecutive U.S. Ams. “I’ve played some good golf this summer, but I’m probably not as sharp as I could be. I have to budget my time and I probably need to manage expectations and be OK with some of the outcomes, knowing I’m not able to put in the same kind of work, but I’m still so competitive and this kills me. Not being in contention and just kind of moseying around, the fire this lights in me is crazy.”
Charlie Jackson putts at the 2022 U.S. Amateur at Arcola Country Club in Paramus, New Jersey. (Kathryn Riley/USGA)
Crunching the numbers
The members were undoubtedly keeping score in the background, which is part of the fun when hosting a U.S. Amateur. Ridgewood is located a mile away from Arcola, so the courses have long been compared and contrasted.
So, which one is the more difficult test?
“Honesty, I felt the afternoon wave Monday at Arcola was tougher than the morning wave today here at Ridgewood because the greens were so firm and the pins were tucked,” noted Shea Lague, a sophomore at San Diego State, who followed a 74 at Arcola with a 71 at Ridgewood. “But the rough is pretty gnarly out here so I’d say they’re about even.”
Ridgewood is a Tillinghast classic. Arcola was reworked by Robert Trent Jones. Ridgewood is playing to a par of 71 at 7,487 yards. Arcola is playing to a par of 70 at 7,256 yards.
“I feel like they played pretty similar,” said Tommy Kuhl, an All-Big 10 performer at Illinois last season who closed with a 69 on Tuesday at Ridgewood, climbing into the top 10 with an even-par total of 141. “Obviously, they are totally different styles. I feel like this is a bigger, championship-style golf course. … This place is tough. You have to be on your game. The rough is long and there is a lot of mental fatigue. You can’t lose focus out there.
“This is going to be such a fun course for match play because I feel par is going to win a lot of holes.”
Based on the numbers, Ridgewood (76.8) was more difficult, but the margin was roughly half a stroke in relation to par. Arcola is known for its slick putting surfaces and the greens were firm. Despite the weather, the rough at Ridgewood is juicy and will be an issue right into the weekend.
Timing during stroke play was a major factor, as well.
“I was just happy to be out early,” said Townsend, who shot a 67 on Tuesday at Arcola after opening with a 71 at Ridgewood. “I played in the afternoon yesterday, and the greens were getting baked, the wind was picking up. I mean, the courses are tough, the rough is thick.”
Quotable
“Oh, man, it’s awesome,” Mark Costanza said of a slippery 25-footer he made on his final hole at Arcola for birdie to gain a spot in a 15-for-11 playoff. “I’d be kicking myself if I didn’t make that putt and we’ll obviously see what happens, but I played really well the last two days. I made a triple yesterday and I made a double today. If I take just a couple strokes off both of those, I’m in clean. It would have been really disappointing given how well I played to not have a chance, but I’m glad that at least I have a chance now, and it’s such an amazing stage, and being so close to home, I hope I can keep moving on.”
“It was not easy,” Biondi said of the conditions over the first two days.
“It means a lot,” said Adrien Dumont de Chassart, who finished stroke play 1-under and moved on to match play. “I don’t think anyone from Belgium has ever won a U.S. Am. And it would be also cool to play in the majors. Just having access to the Masters and U.S. Open is something very cool.”
Up next
There will be 15 players vying for 11 spots in a playoff that starts on the 15th hole at Ridgewood at 7:30 a.m. Players begin teeing off in the Round of 64 at 9 a.m.
Mike Dougherty covers golf for The Journal News and lohud.com. He can be reached at mdougher@lohud.com or on Twitter @lohudgolf.
Thorbjornsen, who finished fourth at the Travelers, gave a sneak-peek why he is believed to be a future star on Tour.
Michael Thorbjornsen gave a sneak-peek into why he is believed to be a future star on the PGA Tour.
After a birdie at the 11th hole in the final round of the Travelers Championship in Cromwell, Connecticut, the 20-year-old amateur and rising junior at Stanford was alone in second place, just one stroke behind Xander Schauffele.
Thorbjornsen, who grew up 90 minutes away in Wellesley, Massachusetts, was bidding to become the first amateur to win on the PGA Tour since Phil Mickelson at the 1991 Northern Telecom Open.
He carded an eagle at the par-5 sixth hole, belting his second from 260 yards to just more than a foot, and added four birdies in a six-hole stretch to put some heat on Schauffele.
“I think I saw his name at the U.S. Open. I don’t know too many young guys. I saw a few that played in Arizona in the NCAA finals. I think just the talent coming out is going to be incredible and I think he’s one of those guys that will be up there leading the pack,” Schauffele said of Thorbjornsen after the third round.
For Thorbjornsen, seeing his name on the leaderboard at a PGA Tour took a little getting used to.
“It’s kind of weird seeing my name up there,” he explained. “I’m not really looking for my name. I’m looking for the other guys. I’m used to looking at the PGA Tour app to see how like the best players in the world stacking up. It’s kind of cool to see my name above some of those guys.”
Schauffele will know about the former U.S. Junior Amateur winner now. At the time, Thorbjornsen wasn’t aware that he was threatening the lead.
“I figured I was around there, but I was thinking,’ Okay, well, let’s go. Let’s keep it going. Let’s try and hit some good shots,’ ” he said before making back-to-back bogeys at Nos. 12 and 13 to sidetrack his pursuit at victory. “It got a little difficult there, two holes straight into the wind, mishit two drives there. But overall it was a lot of fun.”
Thorbjornsen posted a final-round 66 and a 72-hole aggregate of 15-under 265 to finish alone in fourth place. It marked the best finish by an amateur at the Travelers Championship, erasing Jim Grant, who was T-6 in 1966, from the tournament record books. It also was the best finish in a Tour event by an amateur this season, eclipsing Chris Gotterup, who finished T-7 at the Puerto Rico Open, and the second-best finish in a Tour event by an amateur since 2000 (only Robby Shelton, who was T-3 at the 2015 Barbasol Championship as an amateur, did better).
What did Thorbjornsen think of his hero’s welcome as he and his caddie, high school classmate Drew Cullen, walked up to the 18th green on Sunday?
“It’s better than like how I dreamt about it,” he said. “It’s so loud. It was very welcoming. I can’t wait to come back next year and the following years.”
Thorbjornsen had run out of steam on the back nine Sunday but gave every indication he’ll have more chances with a little more seasoning. Next up: a flight overseas to represent the United States at the upcoming Palmer Cup. And no rest for the weary either as he’ll try to qualify for the British Open on Tuesday.
BROOKLINE, Mass. — Francis Ouimet. Michael Thorbjornsen.
They may be separated by more than 100 years, but the goal is the same: Win the U.S. Open.
In 1913, Ouimet, who grew up across the street from The Country Club, claimed the Open championship as a 20-year-old amateur. Now, 109 years later, Thorbjornsen, who grew up 15 minutes away from the famed course in Brookline, is attempting to do the same.
“It’s really cool the position that I’m in and how it emulates Francis a little bit,” Thorbjornsen said. “But, I mean, I’m a different person than him. I’m going to try to do the same thing that he did and just hope for the best.”
Hometown kid tries to win U.S. Open
This isn’t Thorbjornsen’s first jaunt at a U.S. Open.
In 2018, he won the U.S. Junior Amateur. The victory earned Thorbjornsen a spot in the 2019 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach — where he made the cut as a 17-year-old and finished 79th.
The Wellesley High grad is trying to do a little better this time around. Thorbjornsen will tee off as part of the opening group at 6:45 a.m. ET Thursday.
“My game has definitely gotten a lot better,” Thorbjornsen said. “I’m just excited to go out and play on Thursday.”
This week, Thorbjornsen has enjoyed a growing entourage.
Friends and family flock each fairway during practice rounds. On his bag is longtime friend and now caddie, Drew Cohen, who graduated from Wellesley High with Thorbjornsen in 2020. The two friends even bought matching T-shirts that have “1913” written on the front with a silhouette of Ouimet and his caddie, Eddie Lowery.
“Definitely trying to channel that energy this week,” Thorbjornsen said.
“He’s a hometown kid, he’s an amateur and I feel like that says it right there,” Cohen said. “We’re going to try to pull off something special here.”
To get to Brookline, Thorbjornsen secured one of three spots in an eight-player playoff at the Final Qualifying in Purchase, New York. The Stanford sophomore has had a solid build-up to the qualifying as he compiled a 70.66 stroke average during his 2021-22 season.
Now, he’s competing for a major championship as an amateur.
“It feels like a home event,” Thorbjornsen said. “That’s why it feels really good just having all the support. It’s kind of nerve-wracking out there, just playing in the U.S. Open, especially 15 minutes away from my house. All the help, all the support, (it) definitely helps a lot.”
His father is his coach
Joining Thorbjornsen this week is his golf coach, who also happens to be his father.
The last time Thorbjorsen saw his dad, Ted, in person was in 2019 at the U.S. Amateur at Pinehurst. Ted, who lives in Abu Dhabi, made sure he wasn’t going to miss seeing his son play in Brookline this week.
“It’s nice seeing your son at the U.S. Open,” Ted said. “That’s what you wish for. I know that’s what he’s been wishing for so, so long. You don’t get such an opportunity, again, when you’re 20 years old at The Country Club.”
At a news conference on Monday, Thorbjornsen mentioned he and his father do the best they can with his swing mechanics despite being separated by a couple thousand miles. He also had a special message for his father at the presser.
“It’s really good to have you out here, Dad,” Thorbjornsen said. “Thanks for coming.”
The entire Wellesley community will come in droves on Thursday and Friday to see Michael Thorbjornsen tee it up. He’s hoping to replicate what another amateur did more than a century ago.
“It almost seems like a dream but it’s a reality,” Cohen said.
“I’m just extremely grateful for these two opportunities to play against the best players in the world,” Thorbjornsen said, “and (I’m) just really looking forward to start on Thursday.”
BROOKLINE, Mass. – It hadn’t really hit amateur Michael Thorbjornsen that he was hitting the first tee shot at the 122nd U.S. Open until a reporter asked what it meant. Suddenly, that 6:45 a.m. ET tee shot on Thursday at The Country Club took on new …
BROOKLINE, Mass. – It hadn’t really hit amateur Michael Thorbjornsen that he was hitting the first tee shot at the 122nd U.S. Open until a reporter asked what it meant. Suddenly, that 6:45 a.m. ET tee shot on Thursday at The Country Club took on new meaning for a 20-year-old who grew up not far in Wellesley.
“That’s very special,” said Thorbjornsen. “Something I’ll remember for the rest of my life. I guess I’m a part of history in that sense.”
Thorbjornsen, the 2018 U.S. Junior champion, had his U.S. Open debut as a teenager three years ago at Pebble Beach, where he made the cut and finished 79th. The rising Stanford junior qualified for this year’s championship via an 8-for-3 playoff in sectional qualifying.
It’s not often that an elite male amateur points to the best player in women’s college golf as role model, but Thorbjornsen isn’t shy about going to fellow Stanford player Rose Zhang for advice.
“Everything on that episode is true about Rose,” said Thorbjornsen of No Laying Up’s recent film on the Cardinal women’s team.
“She is a sage. She’s the youngest one there, but she’s definitely the wisest when it comes to golf. She knows exactly what she’s doing.”
Thorbjornsen said Zhang, 19, is always the first one at the school’s practice facility and often the last one to leave.
“My dad is my swing coach and he is obsessed with her swing,” he said. “So I’m always asking for pointers or asking like how things look because I’m almost trying to emulate her swing in a way.”
Stanford’s Rose Zhang wins the individual title at the 2022 NCAA Championship at Grayhawk in Scottsdale, Arizona. (Photo: Darren Reese/Stanford)
Stanford’s Zhang is the No. 1 player in the world and her resume includes victories at the U.S. Women’s Amateur and U.S. Girls’ Junior. She recently won the individual title at the NCAA Championship and led the Cardinal to the team title.
Thorbjornsen looks to Zhang in particular for tips on how to practice.
“I know this might sound kind of stupid,” he said, “but she just says to putt more, hitting like 100 4- or 5-footers in a row. I kind of struggle with some three-putts here and there.
“She said rather than hitting 30-footers, 40-footers, just to focus on making everything inside of five feet so I won’t have to worry about hitting 30-footers five feet short or long.”
Zhang helped lead Team USA to a convincing victory at the Curtis Cup last week at Merion. She and Thorbjornsen will team up together to represent the U.S. in July at the Arnold Palmer Cup in Switzerland at Golf Club de Genève.
Michael Thorbjornsen landed atop the bracket at the Western Amateur, considered one of the most grueling amateur tournaments of the summer.
Michael Thorbjornsen has put his name in the deep record books kept at Glen View Golf Club in Golf, Illinois. In the second round of the Western Amateur, the Stanford freshman fired a bogey-free 8-under 62 at Glen View. No one has scored better in the club’s 124-year history.
Thorbjornsen came back on Thursday with rounds of 70-67 and now is safely on to the 16-man bracket with a stroke-play medal around his neck.
The double-round days continue from here.
Thorbjornsen, of Wellesley, Massachusetts, landed at 13 under after 72 holes of stroke play in what is often considered one of the most grueling amateur golf tournaments of the summer. That put him one shot ahead of David Ford, a three-time AJGA Invitational winner last year, and Walker Cupper Pierceson Coody, the 2020 Western Amateur champion.
The names of the 16 men still standing after four rounds makes for a distinguished list. It also includes Sunnehanna Amateur champion Trent Phillips, a senior at Georgia, plus Coody’s Walker Cup teammate Ricky Castillo.
Beware of Castillo, the Florida junior, as this tournament wears on. He was undefeated at the Walker Cup in May and has advanced to the semifinals in each of his past two starts at the Western.
Pepperdine’s Joe Highsmith also made the bracket, as did Gordon Sargent, an incoming Vanderbilt player who advanced to the quarterfinals of the U.S. Junior Amateur last week.
Four players tied at 6 under for the final two spots, and after a playoff, Johnny Keefer and Maxwell Moldovan claimed them. It’s a sweet bit of redemption for Moldovan, who recently won the Southern Amateur, after he found himself in the same situation at this tournament a year ago but failed to advance.
The Sweet 16 and quarterfinal rounds will be played on Friday with the semifinal and final rounds following on Saturday.
