Clemson, S.C.—Clemson senior Turk Pettit shot a one-under-par 71 at Bandon Dunes in Bandon, Oregon on Tuesday and advanced to match play at the United States Amateur for the second time in his career. Pettit finished the 36-hole qualifier with a three-under-par total of 140, tied for 17th in the field of 264 golfers from around the world.
Clemson teammate Jacob Bridgeman shot a second round 69 at Bandon Trail to finish with a 145 total for the 36 holes and will compete in an 18-player playoff for the final three spots beginning at 10 a.m. on Wednesday. He finished in a tie for 62nd in stroke play.
Bridgeman’s round included three birdies, including a one on the par three 17th hole that is 185 yards in length. He hit his tee shot to within six feet and made the put. It was his 23rd consecutive hole without a bogey.
It is the second straight year Bridgeman has been in the playoff for the final positions in match play. Last year he was in a 27-player for the final three positions. He reached the final three players for the last spot before making a bogey on the fourth playoff hole that eliminated him at the tournament held at Pinehurst, NC.
Colby Patton had a second consecutive 79 to finish with a 158 score and did not make the cut for match play.
Pettit also made match play in August of 2017 at Riviera Country Club in California. That was just days before he entered Clemson as a freshman. Pettit joins Doc Redman as the only Clemson golfers to reach match play of the US Amateur twice in the last 12 years. Redman won the 2017 US Amateur in his second attempt at match play.
Pettit, who played his high school golf in Auburn, Alabama, but now lists Sugar Grove, NC as his home, got off to a hot start on Tuesday with four birdies in his first 10 holes and moved into the top eight in the stroke play race. He then made consecutive bogeys on 11, 12 and 13. But, he righted the ship and played the last five holes at one-under-par, including a birdie on the par three 17th hole, to lock up his 17th place finish.
The match play competition begins Wednesday at the Bandon Dunes course that will play host to the entire match play bracket.
