Jeff Wilson of Fairfield has kept right on rolling after earning co-medalist honors in the 64th U.S. Senior Amateur Championship earlier this week at Eugene Country Club in Eugene, Ore.
The 55-year-old Wilson will face defending champion Sean Knapp of Oakmont, Pa., in the 18-hole match-play final on Thursday.
“(It) feels really good,” said Wilson, who is trying to become the first medalist to win the tournament in 31 years and claim his first United States Golf Association title. “I played great today.
“Every time I’m listed, the only thing missing is a win. You know, I’ve enjoyed playing these things and I’ve had some success, but bottom line is I don’t have one.”
Wilson claimed two victories on Wednesday, rallying from an early deficit of 2 down to eliminate 2015 champion Chip Lutz of Reading, Pa., 2 and 1, after trouncing Ned Zachar, of Bedford, N.Y., 6 and 4, in the quarterfinals.
Even though he has never won a USGA title, Wilson is the only player in USGA history to earn stroke-play medalist honors in the U.S. Amateur (twice), the U.S. Mid-Amateur (three times) and the U.S. Senior Amateur.
Knapp, 56, of Oakmont, Pa., trying to become the first repeat champion since William C. Campbell in 1979-80, improved his match-play record in the tournament to 11-0 by claiming a 2-and-1 semifinal victory over 2013 U.S. Mid-Amateur champion Michael McCoy, of Des Moines, Iowa, after beating 2013 Senior Amateur champion Doug Hanzel, 4 and 3, in the quarterfinals.
Before that, Knapp had to get through a 14-man playoff to earn one of 64 spots in the match-play portion of the tournament and needed 19 holes to get past Jeff Burda of Modesto in the round of 32, and 19 more to turn back Jack Larkin of Atlanta in the round of 16.
“It’s just been miracle after miracle,” Knapp said. “I (probably) shouldn’t (have) made it into match play. I make it into match play, I’m getting everybody’s best and they’re all talented.”
Wilson would like to put the capper on a big season, as he won the Southern California Golf Association Mid-Amateur and lost in a playoff in the Northern California Golf Association Mid-Amateur earlier this year.
For complete results, visit http://www.usga.org/content/usga/home-page/championships/2018/u-s–senior-amateur-.html#!scoring
