[IMAGE: USGA]
Victorian Harvey Young and rising Sydney superstar Jeffrey Guan have progressed to the matchplay section of the US Junior Amateur at Bandon Dunes in Oregon.
Young began the second round of strokeplay in a tie for the lead at six-under and backed that up with a round of two-over 73 at Bandon Trails to end the 36-holes in a tie for 11th, well inside the top-64 cut-off to progress.
The reigning two-time Australian Boys’ Amateur champion, Guan followed up his opening round of even-par 72 with a one-under par round of 7 at Bandon Trails to finish three strokes inside the cut-line in a tie for 35th.
They now move on to the first of six rounds of matchplay to determine the 2022 US Junior Amateur champion, a title Tiger Woods won three years straight (1991-93) and which Jordan Spieth won on two occasions (2009 and 2011).
Min Woo Lee (2016) is the only Australian to taste victory in the event, Young and Guan now the odd couple left hoping to add their names to the history books.
The cut for match play came at one-over-par 144. Eleven players will play off for the last five spots in the matchplay draw on Wednesday morning in Oregon. The first round of the matchplay will start at 2.30am AEST.
Originally from Melton Valley Golf Club in Melbourne’s western suburbs, Young is playing in the US for the first time while Guan has already enjoyed success in the United States.
He won the UNIQLO/Adam Scott Junior Championship by eight strokes and has been heralded as one of the brightest talents to emerge in Australian golf for a number of years.
Starting his second round from the 10th tee, Guan made up for the bogey at 11 with back-to-back birdies at 14 and 15 to make the turn in one-under.
He dropped a shot at the par-4 fourth to be riding the cut-line but birdies at six and eight provided the buffer he needed to move into the matchplay section of the tournament.
A double bogey at his second hole (the par-4 11th) was not how Young wanted to begin his second round but his cool temperament came to the fore.
He birdied the 251-yard par-3 12th before dropping shots at 14 and 17 to go out in three-over 38.
A birdie at the first somewhat righted the ship, only to give it up with a bogey at the very next hole.
A run of four pars were followed by a birdie at the par-4 seventh, two closing pars putting him comfortably through to the matchplay.
A round of five-over 76 saw Queensland’s Kai Komulainen miss out on advancing by two strokes, Jye Halls (76) and Josiah Gilbert (72) also bowing out at the end of the strokeplay section.
Rounds of 68-68 for a two-round total of seven-under saw New Zealand’s Jayden Ford finish in a tie for second just two strokes back of medalist, American Keaton Vo.
The other notable name to advance was Jack Cantlay, younger brother of PGA TOUR superstar Patrick Cantlay.
Final strokeplay scores
T11 Harvey Young 66-73—139
T35 Jeffrey Guan 72-70—142
T88 Kai Komulainen 70-76—146
T114 Jye Halls 72-76—148
T130 Josiah Gilbert 77-72—149
