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Of the five Southern Californians who advanced to the match-play portion of the U.S. Amateur at Southern Hills Country Club in Tulsa, Okla., Bakersfield’s Bhavik Patel seemed least likely to make a serious run at the title. But as has been demonstrated numerous times in the 109-year history of the event, anything can happen during match play. Patel defeated recent Clemson University graduate Phillip Mollica 1-up in Friday’s quarterfinal match, setting up a semifinal showdown with Korean Byeong-Hun An Saturday. Should Patel win that 18-hole match, he would face the winner of the Ben Martin-Charlie Holland match in the 36-hole final Sunday. “Still hasn’t hit me yet — I’m sure it will soon,” Patel said of reaching the semifinals. A sophomore on the men’s golf team at Fresno State University, the 18-year-old Patel has enjoyed some accolades as an amateur — but none on the same level as Southern Californians Rickie Fowler and Cameron Tringale, former collegiate stars who are no strangers to the national spotlight. When Patel was only 15, he finished runner-up in the 2006 SCGA Amateur at Bakersfield Country Club, concluding one stroke higher than Scott McGihon. Patel has reached match play at the U.S. Junior Amateur twice, winning one match in both 2007 and 2008. Patel’s collegiate coach, Mike Watney, says Patel is a very straight driver of the ball and “his short game may be the best on the team.” Joining the competitive squad this past spring, he had a decent campaign, recording two top-10 finishes and qualifying for NCAA regionals as an individual. However, it’s surprising that Patel still finds himself standing among the final four at what is arguably the most competitive amateur golf event in the world — an event that’s recently been historically dominated by American collegiate standouts and young international stalwarts. Tringale, a Laguna Niguel native who graduated from Georgia Teach earlier this year, made it to the round of 16 before falling to Sweden’s David Lingmerth 2-and-1. Fowler, on the other hand, drew fellow U.S. Walker Cup team member Bud Cauley in the first round and was defeated 3-and-1. Two other Southern Californians made it to match play at the U.S. Amateur and were both eliminated in the round of 32 — UCLA men’s golf team member and Encinitas resident Connor Driscoll lost to Peter Uilhein in 19 holes, while Brett Kanda of La Crescenta faltered against An 2-and-1. For up-to-the-minute results, visit usga.org. ALSO SEE: Fowler and Tringale advance to match play ay U.S. Amateur 10 locals to watch at U.S. Amateur |
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