CU’s Dylan McDermott falls to world’s top-ranked amateur in round of 64 at U.S. Amateur
By Gary Baines – 8/14/2024
When it comes to the U.S. Amateur, University of Colorado golfer Dylan McDermott hasn’t had the best of luck regarding opponents in the first round of match play.
Last year at Cherry Hills Country Club, McDermott lost 1 up in the round of 64 to Jackson Koivun of Chapel Hill, N.C., who currently is the No. 3-ranked amateur in the world. Koivun was the college golfer of the year last season while competing for Auburn.
Then this year at the U.S. Am in Chaska, Minn., McDermott returned to match play by finishing in the top 64 out of the original field of 312. But again, he was done no favors with the opponent he drew in the round of 64. This time it was Luke Clanton of Hialeah, Fla., who is No. 1 in this week’s World Amateur Golf Rankings.
Clanton, a Florida State golfer, has been extraordinarily impressive in competing as an amateur on the PGA Tour this summer, recording three top-10 finishes: 10th in the Rocket Mortgage Classic, second in the John Deere Classic and fifth late Sunday at the Wyndham Championship. And in June, he made the cut and placed 41st at the U.S. Open.
Despite the fact that Clanton played 39 holes on Sunday at the Wyndham Championship, flew from North Carolina to Minnesota, then played one round each on Monday and Tuesday at the U.S. Am, he appeared in good form on Wednesday. The result was that Clanton defeated the CU senior to be, 4 and 3 at Hazeltine National to advance to the round of 32.
Clanton didn’t lose a hole until his bogey at No. 14 and finished 3 under par for the 15 holes of the match despite bogeying his last two. McDermott, meanwhile, went 3 over on Wednesday.
“I thought I played pretty solid, but I was going up against a buzzsaw,” McDermott told CUBuffs.com.
The loss put a wrap on McDermott’s third U.S. Am appearance, and second straight year making match play. Two years ago, McDermott’s teammate Justin Biwer advanced to the round of 16 at the U.S. Amateur.
Meanwhile, former Colorado State University golfer Gunnar Broin survived a 14-for-11 playoff on Wednesday morning and advanced to match play. Broin, who now plays for the University of Kansas, made a bogey and a birdie on his two playoff holes.
In the round of 64, Broin gained an early 1-up lead over third-seeded Luis Masaveu Wednesday afternoon, but ended up losing to the Spaniard 3 and 2.
After the advantage went back and forth on the front nine, Broin tied things with a winning par on 12. But Masaveu won the next three holes — going par, birdie, par — to gain a 3-up lead, then closed things out when both players parred 16.
Broin finished 1 over par for 16 holes, while Masaveu was 2 under.
How players with significant Colorado ties fared at the U.S. Amateur:
MATCH PLAY ROUND OF 64 WEDNESDAY
Luke Clanton, Hialeah, Fla., def. CU golfer Dylan McDermott, Granite Bay, Calif., 4 and 3
Luis Masaveu, Spain, def. former CSU golfer Gunnar Broin, Shorewood, Minn., 3 and 2
STROKE PLAY MONDAY AND TUESDAY
Advanced to Match Play
32. CU golfer Dylan McDermott 67-74—141
54. Former CSU golfer Gunnar Broin 74-68–142
Failed to Make Match Play
68. CU golfer Brandon Knight 73-70–143
86. Connor Jones, Westminster 68-76—144
86. CSU golfer Christoph Bleier 69-75–144
117. Colin Prater, Colorado Springs 75-70–145
137. CU golfer Ty Holbrook 70-76—146
248. Miles Kuhl, Boulder 81-72–153
269. Cole Nygren, Denver 77-78—155
311. Colorado School of Mines golfer Lukas Taggart 83-85–168
For all the U.S. Amateur results, CLICK HERE.
About the Writer: Gary Baines has covered golf in Colorado continuously since 1983. He was a sports writer at the Daily Camera newspaper in Boulder, then the sports editor there, and has written regularly for ColoradoGolf.org since 2009. The University of Colorado Evans Scholar alum was inducted into the Colorado Golf Hall of Fame in 2022. He owns and operates ColoradoGolfJournal.com