Tag: Northeast Amateur

Alabama’s Nick Dunlap comes from behind to win 2023 Northeast Amateur title

Nick Dunlap and Caleb Surratt were tied heading into the 72nd hole.

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Nick Dunlap started the day three shots behind. He ended it holding the trophy.

Dunlap, an incoming sophomore at Alabama, shot 3-under 66 (par 69) in the final round to complete his comeback and win the 61st Northeast Amateur at Wannamoisett Country Club in Rumford, Rhode Island. During Friday’s third round, Dunlap shot a 63 to get himself into the final pairing, and he took advantage, beating Tennessee sophomore Caleb Surratt by five shots on Saturday to win.

Dunlap and Surratt were tied heading into the 72nd hole, but Dunlap birdied while Surratt made bogey, a sour ending to a 2-over 71 in the final round. Dunlap, however, finished at 12-under 264 for a two-shot win.

 

Florida State’s Luke Clanton finished third at 8 under while Brian Stark and Davis Bryant tied for fourth at 7 under. Dylan Menante, the 2022 champion, finished T-9 at 2 under.

Dunlap had a strong freshman season for the Crimson Tide, finishing 16th in the Golfweek/Sagarin rankings and earning second-team All-America honors. He won the Linger Longer Invitational, finished T-4 at the NCAA Norman Regional and placed T-11 at the NCAA Championship. Dunlap even qualified for the 2023 U.S. Open at Los Angeles Country Club’s North Course, where he missed the cut last week.

He has been playing his best golf as of late, and now he’s a Northeast Amateur champion, which should give him some strong momentum the rest of the summer and into his sophomore campaign.

The Northeast Amateur is the second of seven men’s events that are a part of the Elite Amateur Series. Up next is the 123rd North & South Amateur at Pinehurst in North Carolina from June 24-July 1.

A new alliance could rock the amateur game. Which seven events are teaming up and what’s at stake?

Seven of the top summer amateur tournaments in the nation have joined forces to form the Elite Amateur Golf Series, where top point earners from the events will earn exemptions into select USGA, PGA and Korn Ferry Tour events. Prior to the official …

Seven of the top summer amateur tournaments in the nation have joined forces to form the Elite Amateur Golf Series, where top point earners from the events will earn exemptions into select USGA, PGA and Korn Ferry Tour events.

Prior to the official announcement expected on Tuesday, the Elite Amateur Golf Series has been rolling out the names of the tournaments that will make up the coalition, adding, “The Best of the Best Amateur Golfers. Many will try, but only a few can truly be elite.”

The seven tournaments which will make up the Elite Amateur Golf Series include the Southern Amateur, Sunnehanna Amateur, Northeast Amateur, North and South Amateur, Trans-Miss Amateur, Pacific Coast Amateur and Western Amateur.

“These tournaments have a long history of hosting the best players at the best venues producing the best competition,” according to the EAGS promotional video.

Much like PGA TOUR University Global Rankings, the Elite Amateur Golf Series provides another path for top amateurs to gain exemptions into professional events based on season-long performance. The Elite Amateur Golf Series will combine the seven tournaments into a collective competition called the Elite Amateur Cup. The player with the highest amount of World Amateur Golf Ranking points earned from these events will be named the Elite Amateur Cup champion, earning exemptions into select professional tournaments.

(Note: Amateurgolf.com is a partner of Golfweek.)

Here’s a look at the events that have teamed up:

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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Coronavirus: Northeast Amateur latest event to be canceled

The 2020 Northeast Amateur, set for June 24-27 at Wannamoisett Country Club just outside of Providence, R.I., has been canceled.

For the first time in its 58-year history, the Northeast Amateur Invitational will take a break.

The 2020 Northeast, set for June 24-27 at Wannamoisett Country Club just outside of Providence, R.I., has been canceled. The event attracts top amateur players from around the country, and the world, but ran into multiple complications due to the coronavirus pandemic. Tony Romo played in the event last year, but withdrew after injuring his back.

“Our priority is to protect the health and safety of the invitees, officials, volunteers, staff and membership of Wannamoisett Country Club,” said tournament chairman Ben Tuthill. “We care deeply about amateur golf and hosting one of the top events of the year, and make this decision with a heavy heart. Many different considerations went into this decision and we must act responsibly during this pandemic.

“We know how disappointing this news is for the players that were invited and planned to participate in the tournament this year. The tournament committee will acknowledge all exemption criteria used for the 2020 field selection and will invite those players to participate in the event next summer.”

Northeast Amateur chairman Ben Tuthill.

The Northeast regularly attracts one of the best and deepest fields in amateur golf. Last year the tournament was ranked fourth in the United States and ninth in world amateur golf events by strength of field according to Scratch Players World Event Ranking.

The Northeast is joining a slew of national golf tournaments on the sidelines this summer. The USGA recently canceled the U.S. Senior Open that was scheduled for Newport Country Club and five other national events. Also on the chopping block are the U.S. Girls’ Junior, the Junior Amateur, the Amateur Four-Ball, Women’s Amateur Four-Ball, and U.S. Senior Women’s Open.