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Schmid Falls in Playoff at United States Amateur
August 15, 2019 | Men's Golf
Matthias Schmid lost the title on the 19th hole.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - University of Louisville rising junior Matthias Schmid lost to Japan's Takumi Kanaya at the U.S. Amateur championship on Wednesday in Pinehurst, N.C.
Kanaya sank a 12-foot birdie putt at the 18th hole on the Pinehurst No.2 course to tie up his match with European Amateur titleholder Schmid and force a playoff.
Schmid struggled on the first extra hole and conceded the match after taking four shots to reach the green at the par-four.
During regulation, Hiroshima had been outdriven by some 50 yards by the powerful Matthias and he knew he needed something special at the par-four 18th.
Schmid found trouble with both his drive and second shot, but somehow coaxed in a 15-foot par-saving putt that seemed likely to clinch victory.
But Kanaya, the world's third-ranked amateur, was up to the challenge as he made the putt to force extra holes, punching his fist and screaming 'come on' as the ball disappeared.
Schmid's waywardness on the extra hole, however, was an anti-climactic end to a match otherwise worthy of a final.
Instead it was only the first round of the match play phase for the 64 players who survived 36 holes of stroke play in the world's most prestigious amateur tournament.
Brandon Wu, the leading qualifier in the 312-man field, found that his two rounds of excellent stroke play counted for nothing as he fell 1-up to the 64th and final qualifier, fellow American Austin Squires.
The second round of stroke play had been delayed by rain and only completed earlier on Wednesday with 27 contenders in a playoff for three spots in the match play phase.
Players Mentioned
