After competing in three of the USGA’s most prestigious nationwide tournaments and enjoying a summer of unprecedented success, junior Nathan Smith has returned to Durham to resume his studies and prepare for the 2005 collegiate season. Monday and Tuesday, the Santa Cruz native reprised his appearances in the U.S. Open and U.S. Public Links with a strong showing at the U.S. Amateur Championship at the Winged Foot Golf Club in Mamaroneck, N.Y., where he fell just short of advancing to the match play rounds of competition.
Smith finished the two days of stroke play 10 over par, just above the cut-line, but since only 64 players can advance to match play, he was forced into a playoff with the other 14 golfers who had also shot 10 over.
When the junior came to the third playoff hole, the par-3 13th, only two other golfers remained in the hunt for the final two spots in the match play tournament. Smith had double-bogeyed the hole earlier in the day, and in the playoff he produced the same result, and became the last player to fail to qualify for match play.
“It sucks to be the last person eliminated and not have the chance to move on,” Smith said. “I was able to play pretty well down the stretch, which was really encouraging. If I had gotten into match play I really could have done some damage.”
On the first day of play, the junior was forced into playing conditions unlike any he had ever seen. Smith made eight bogies over the first eighteen holes.
“On the first day, we played in pouring rain all the time, literally,” Smith said. “It was something I had never had to deal with; with 312 golfers though, [the tournament organizers] had to make sure they got everybody in over two days, so unless there was lightning, we weren’t coming off the golf course. The golf course was flooding—there were times when they had to squeegee my line whenever puddles got in my way on the putting green. It was pretty ridiculous.”
Lack of sufficient preparation also plagued the junior’s early play.
“I had taken almost two weeks off hanging out with my teammates enjoying the rest of my summer,” Smith said. “I didn’t have the best preparation; I didn’t even get to play practice rounds on the golf course; I didn’t hit the ball very well. I got up and down pretty decently, but other than that my game was pretty rusty. It was a little disappointing.”
Smith’s second day started with equal frustration. The junior made four bogies on the front nine, and it appeared his day would be over after double-bogeying the 13th.
Smith staved off elimination, however, by finishing the rest of the round with five straight pars. Although the effort was not quite enough to advance, it was enough to satisfy the junior’s competitive spirit.
“The golf course was really hard, but it has a beautiful layout and I enjoyed playing there,” Smith said. “It was such a great field, and it’s a top-rate tournament. Sometimes you just fall short.”
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