Australian Curtis Luck wins prestigious US Amateur Championship
Australian Curtis Luck has become the third Australian to win the US Amateur Championship.
Curtis Luck has become just the third Australian to win the prestigious US Amateur Championship after defeating American Brad Dalke 6&4 in the final in Michigan on Sunday.
Western Australian Luck has played some phenomenal golf, including some spectacular shots to win the semi-final at the 21st hole. But it was an eight hole stretch in the middle of the 36-hole final that saw Luck take a championship winning lead.
After finishing the morning round one hole down, Luck put the foot down starting with an eagle at the second hole (the 20th of the match) at the Oakland Hills course in Bloomfield Hills to get the match back to square. Luck added to the eagle with no worse than par on the next seven holes to complete a remarkable stretch that saw him win eight holes in a row.
.@CurtisLuck6 continues to roll, winning his seventh-straight hole. Luck’s lead is now 6 up in the #USAmateur Final. https://t.co/QLiPI3L7oD
— USGA (@USGA) August 21, 2016
“I was walking talking to Dad as we do out there, and I just — it just kind of clicked all of a sudden,” Luck said. “I thought, hang on, I’m 7 up and I was 1-down through the first hole of the second 18. I turned to dad, and I said, I’ve just won eight holes in a row, and Dad said, yep, you’ve got to win a few more in a row, too.”
Luck set up the final day with an incredible win in this semi-final match against local favourite Nick Carlson. Luck never held the lead in the semi-final until his win at the 21st hole (sudden-death third extra hole) but it was this amazing fairway bunker shot at the second extra hole that will forever be remembered.
After Carlson knocked his approach to gimme range, Luck needed something special to stay in the match but sitting in a fairway bunker, it wasn’t going to be easy. Luck produced the shot of the tournament and rolled in the putt for birdie to match Carlson and keep the match alive, eventually grabbing a spot in the final.
Neither @CarlsonNickJ or @CurtisLuck6 gave way on the 20th hole. Watch the finish now on @FOXTV. https://t.co/53CJ7YefzA
— USGA (@USGA) August 20, 2016
The victory means that Luck has earned himself a spot in next year’s Masters, US Open and British Open, rewards that have put any thoughts of turning professional on hold.
“I still don’t believe it, but it did,” Luck said. “I’m super happy to say that I’m going to be an amateur for another however long, eight or nine months, get to play some unbelievable golf tournaments within those months, and I guess get even more experience for when I do turn pro.”
The 20-year-old from Perth follows in the footsteps of previous Australians to win the U.S. Amateur, Walter Travis (1900, 1901, 1903) and Nick Flanagan (2003).
“This is why I practice every day.”@CurtisLuck6 on what it means to be the champion of the 116th #USAmateur.https://t.co/UiVxVIWCsz
— USGA (@USGA) August 21, 2016