By: by KSU Sports Information
JOHNS CREEK, Ga. - Using a birdie on the final hole to force a playoff, Kennesaw State men's golfer Matt Nagy won on the third hole of sudden death to qualify for the U.S. Amateur Championship.
Only the top four golfers in sectional qualifying at The Standard Club would move on to the U.S. Amateur. Nagy opened play Monday with a 71 to sit in a tie for sixth entering the second and final round Tuesday. The Buena Vista, Ga., native opened his round on the first hole, but strung together pars on the next eight holes before making the turn.
On the second nine, Nagy started to come around. A birdie on the 10th hole moved the rising senior back to level par on his round, but a costly bogey on 11 nearly ruined his chances. After a par at 12, Nagy tallied one of only two birdies on the day at No. 13 to get back to even par for his round.
After a par at No. 14, Nagy went to the 15th hole still needing at least one birdie to have a chance at qualifying. Nagy was able to coax a birdie out of the 410-yard hole, moving to two-under-par for the tournament with three holes to go.
After a par at 16, Nagy moved to the the most difficult hole on the course, the 242-yard par 3 17th. The hole would trip up the KSU golfer, as a bogey dropped Nagy back to even par for the round heading for the last hole.
On the 18th hole, Nagy would find salvation. Playing the par-5, 555-yard closing hole, Nagy would earn a birdie to close with his second straight 71, finishing at two-under-par.
Still, Nagy would need help to get into a playoff. That help came when Christian Raynor bogeyed both No. 17 and No. 18, forcing a tie between the two. After matching each other on the first two holes of sudden death, Nagy closed out the playoff with a birdie on the third playoff hole, earning his spot in the U.S. Amateur Championship.
A future teammate of Nagy's also performed well in the qualifier, as Jimmy Beck carded rounds of 73 and 71 to finish at even-par for the event, just two strokes out of a playoff.
Nagy will join fellow KSU men's golfer Jeff Karlsson at the U.S. Amateur August 22-28 at Erin Hills Golf Course in Erin, Wis. Karlsson was exempt from qualifying for the event.
