Fort Collins’ Ott opens with 73 to lead local contingent at U.S. Amateur
By Gary Baines – 08/12/2019
AJ Ott has had an impressive summer of competitive golf. He finished second at the Southwestern Amateur, qualified for his third straight U.S. Amateur, won the Southern Amateur and claimed low-am honors at the CoBank Colorado Open.
Next on the agenda will come on Tuesday, when the Colorado State University golfer tries to earn a spot in the match-play bracket at the U.S. Amateur at Pinehurst Resort in North Carolina.
That’s no small task given that a player has to finish the 36-hole stroke-play portion of the event in the top 64 out of a field of 312.
While the Fort Collins resident will have some ground to make up on Tuesday, he’s well within striking distance. The 2018 CGA Player of the Year shot a 3-over-par 73 on Monday at Pinehurst No. 4, which leaves him in a tie for 103rd place. He trails leader Brandon Wu of Scarsdale, N.Y. by eight shots.
Ott (pictured) made three birdies and six bogeys in Monday’s opening round.
As for the other Colorado residents competing this week at Pinehurst, Colorado Springs’ Colin Prater was 1 under par through eight holes but went 6 over the rest of the way and shot 75. And University of Denver golfer Cal McCoy of Highlands Ranch, who finished runner-up in the Canadian Men’s Amateur last week, carded a 77.
Here are the scores for all the U.S. Amateur competitors with strong Colorado ties:
103. CSU golfer AJ Ott of Fort Collins 73
132. DU golfer Jun Ho Won 74
152. Colin Prater of Colorado Springs 75
204. DU golfer Cal McCoy of Highlands Ranch 77
224. CSU golfer Cullen Plousha 78
For all the scores from the U.S. Amateur, CLICK HERE.