NO LUCK FOR CURTIS IN SEMIS by BRUCE YOUNG, iseekgolf
West Australian Curtis Luck has bowed out of the US Junior Amateur Championship after narrowly losing his semi-final match against Texan William Salatoris.
Earlier in the day Luck had defeated one of the best juniors in the US, William Grimmer, in a high quality quarter final match which went to the final hole before Luck won 2 up.
Luck had led that match by 5 holes through ten and was forced to fight off a spirited comeback by the American.
Luck staged a great comeback in his semi final match Salatoris, recovering from a three hole deficit through 13 holes with three consecutive birdies to square the match at the 16th before a bogey at the par five last cost him the match.
Earlier, Luck’s fellow Australians, Ryan Ruffels and Zach Murray, had lost in the match play phase.
Back to back wins overnight for Curtis Luck has moved the Cottesloe member in to the Quarter Finals at the US Junior Amateur.
Without trailing in either of his matches, Luck was never troubled as he dispatched of Tanner Owens 3-up in the Round of 32 and Joshua McCarthy 5&4 in the Round of 16.
Luck managed six birdies through 14 holes in his win against Joshua McCarthy in the Round of 16, and he will need a similar game tomorrow as he faces the Number 4 seed in Will Grimmer from Ohio.
Grimmer played this years US Open where he missed the cut, but is much more well known for his 59 shot at Pinehurst’s No. 1 course last year while playing the North and South Amateur.
The pair will tee off at 8:40pm WST tonight with the hope of making the Semi Finals later that afternoon where they will face either Number 1 seed Sean Crocker of Zimbabwe or Number 8 seed William Zalatoris of Texas.
LUCK THROUGH TO ROUND OF 32
Cottesloe’s Curtis Luck held off American Spencer Ralston in a very close Round of 64 Match in the US Junior Amateur overnight.
Seeded number 12 after the strokeplay rounds, Luck was favoured to take the win against the 53rd seed, but it was Ralston who took the early lead with a birdie on the fourth hole.
Luck then went on a run of winning four straight holes from the sixth to the ninth to make the turn with a commanding 3-up lead. Ralston’s four birdies on the back nine helped bring Luck’s lead back to just 1-up, however Luck was able to hold on for a tight 1-up victory.
Luck’s round was consistent, with three birdies and an eagle on the par-5 eighth to give him confidence for his round of 32 match against Tanner Owens, seeded number 44 from Tennessee.
If Luck can defeat Owens, he will play another matchplay round in the afternoon against either Joshua McCarthy (60) or Dwight Cauthen (37).
LUCK FINISHES QUALIFYING WITH A 66
A round of 66 on the second day of the US Boys Amateur has fired Cottesloe’s Curtis Luck into the top 10 after the strokeplay rounds at Carlton Woods in Texas.
In a tie for 63rd place after the opening day, Luck was on the brink of missing the top 64 for the matchplay rounds. Luck’s 6-under 2nd round was equal to the best score during qualification with seven birdies highlighting his performance.
Luck will head into the matchplay rounds as a favourite after excelling in matchplay tournaments this year, winning the WA Amateur and finishing runner-up in the Australian Amateur. One of Luck’s main rivals will be in compatriot Ryan Ruffels of Victoria, qualifying in a tie for 6th place and coming off a victory at the Callaway World Junior Golf Championships a week earlier.
