Redman Comeback Falls Short at Western Amateur

Clemson, S.C.—Clemson sophomore Doc Redman overcame a four-hole deficit in the final four holes to force extra holes, but competitor  Norman Xiong of the University of Oregon birdied the fourth extra hole  to win the 115^th Western Amateur Championship at Skokie Country Club in Skokie, Ill.  

Redman was attempting to become the first Clemson golfer to win the Western Amateur, which dates to 1899 and is the third oldest amateur tournament in the world behind the British Amateur and the US Amateur.   Redman will compete in the US Amateur later this month.

The rich history of the Western Amateur, which is played annually in the Midwest near Chicago, includes past champions Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson.

As it was Redman was the first Tiger to reach the finals.   He did so be defeating William Gordon of Davidson, NC and Vanderbilt, 1 up, downed Win Woo Lee of Perth Australia, 2 & 1, and Cameron Champ of Sacramento, CA and Texas A&M 3 & 2.

The championship match featured two of the top freshman in the nation during the 2016-17 college season.  Redman was the ACC Freshman of the Year and was a first-team Freshman All-American by the Golf Coaches Association.  Xiong was not only a Freshman All-American, but he won the Phil Mickelson Award as the top freshman in the nation. 

As was the case in each of Redman’s first three matches, he fell behind early.  Xiong had a commanding 4-up lead through nine holes.   But Redman won the 10^th hole, then won 15, 16 and 17 to tie the match.   He won with a birdie on 15, his third straight birdie, then watched Xiong make bogey on 16 and 17.  The two players both made par on 18 before Xiong won the match with a birdie on the 22^nd hole of the match.  Both players shot two under par rounds of 69 for the  first 18 holes.

Saturday’s action completed a grueling week for Redman who played four rounds of stroke play, then four rounds of match play  He played 145 holes in the five days.

Redman Results at 2017 Western Amateur

Stroke Play, July 31- August 3

Skokie Country Club, par 71,  7091 yards

72-67-66-69 = 274  (-10),  T 6^th

Match Play

d. William Gordon of Davidson, NC (Vanderbilt) 1 up

d.  Win Woo Lee of Perth Australia, 2 & 1

d.  Cameron Champ of Sacramento, CA (Texas A&M) 3& 2

L.  Norman Xiong of Canyon Lake, CA (Oregon), 22 holes