CLEMSON, S.C. — Clemson All-American Jacob Bridgeman made a birdie on the 18th hole early Friday morning to defeat Oklahoma State All-American Bo Jin 1-up in the second round of the United States Amateur Golf Tournament at famed Oakmont Country Club in Oakmont, Pa. Bridgeman now advances to the final 16 to face North Carolina junior Austin Greaser at 8:40 a.m. on Friday morning.
Bridgeman is the 14th Clemson player to advance to the round of 16 at the U.S. Amateur, the first to do it since Doc Redman won the tournament in 2017.
It was the second consecutive match that Bridgeman won the 18th hole to win 1-up. It is the third time he has done it this year, as he defeated Florida State’s John Pak, the number-one player in the nation, with a win on the 18th at the ACC Tournament Championship match.
Bridgeman is now 5-0 in match play this year, 2-0 at the ACC Tournament, 1-0 in the Palmer Cup and 2-0 at the U.S. Amateur.
It was the second time this year, Jin has lost to a Clemson golfer. In late May, Turk Pettit defeated Jin by one shot to win the NCAA Championship.
Bridgeman won the 18th hole by making a 10-foot birdie putt. He hit his drive to the middle of the fairway, 170-yards from the pin on his last shot on Thursday night before the horn sounded ending play for the day due to darkness. Jin had driven the ball into a bunker, 180 yards out.
Friday morning, Bridgeman’s first swing was a good one as he hit his second shot to within 10 feet of the hole. Jin hit his second shot 50 yards from the green.
In the first round, Bridgeman won the match on the 18th hole with a par against Jonathan Griz of Hilton Head, S.C.
Bridgeman has now won 11 holes in his two matches, but that final hole against Jin was the first he has won with a birdie. His other 10 winning holes had been with pars, an indication of how difficult Oakmont is playing.
Bridgeman now takes on Austin Greaser of the University of North Carolina. Both players shot exactly 206 at the ACC Tournament this year to tie for fifth place. Both are second in stroke average in the history of their respective scores.
Jacob Bridgeman at United States Amateur
Oakmont Country Club, Oakmont, Pa.
Aug. 9-11 Stroke Play
63-73/136 -4 T7th
Aug. 11-12 Match Play