Bryson DeChambeau of Clovis got past Maverick McNealy of Portola Valley, 3 and 2, to reach the quarterfinals of the 115th United States Amateur Championship at Olympia Fields Country Club in Olympia Fields, Ill.
The match was all square through 10 holes before DeChambeau, the NCAA individual champion from SMU, took control by winning three of the next four holes. McNealy, the All-American from Stanford, led only when he won the first and third holes.
“I’ve tried nine times in USGA amateur events, and I’ve qualified for match play in every single one of them and gotten to the quarterfinals only in the Public Links last year,” said DeChambeau, who helped the United States win the 2014 World Team Championship.
“So to make it to the quarterfinals in the Amateur is pretty special, something that I’ve wanted to do for quite a long time now.”
Sean Crocker of Westlake Village also reached the quarters by turning back Robby Shelton of Wilmer, Ala., with a par on the 20th hole, where Shelton missed a three-foot putt and made bogey.
Crocker, a sophomore at USC, never led until he won the 14th hole with a birdie and was on the verge of victory in regulation before Shelton forced extra holes with a 22-foot birdie putt at No. 18.
Also in the round of 16, Austin James of Canada eliminated Jake Knapp of Costa Mesa and UCLA, 2 and 1.
In the round of 32 earlier in the day, DeChambeau beat Matt NeSmith of North Augusta, S.C., 5 and 4; McNealy downed Maverick Ancliff of Augusta, Ga., 5 and 4, and Crocker defeated Adam Ball of Glen Allen, Va., 3 and 1.
Friday in the quarterfinals, DeChambeau will play Paul Dunne of Ireland, Crocker will face James, Jon Rahm of Spain and Arizona State will take on Derek Bard of New Hartford, N.Y., and Kenta Konishi of Japan will meet Matthew Perrine of Austin, Texas.
For complete results, please visit http://www.usga.org/championships/2015/u-s–amateur/scoring.html.
