Colorado University Athletics
Dylan McDermott battled to the end Wednesday in the U.S. Amateur
Photo by: Lexi Hartmann
McDermott Eliminated In U.S. Amateur Match Play
August 16, 2023 | Men's Golf
First Round Match Came Down To Final Hole
DENVER — University of Colorado junior Dylan McDermott was eliminated in the first round of match play in the 123rd U.S. Amateur, falling to Auburn freshman Jackson Koivun, 1 up, in a match decided on the 18th hole.
The two were in the middle of the pack in seeding, Koivon No. 32 and McDermott No. 33, after being among 12 golfers who tied for 26th in stroke play qualifying with 2-under 143 scorecards. Their match certainly resembled one that pitted the two closest of the 64 seeds together the first day of match play and had a battle one could say for the ages, at least the first 14 holes
Koivun, the No. 1 recruit as rated by the AJGA and the 73rd ranked amateur in the world, and McDermott, ranked 135th, each won six holes and only tied on two others. At that point, they both matched wits, both scoring pars on the par-3 No. 15, the par- 4 No. 16 and the par-5 No. 17, respectively.
It would all come down to the 487-yard, par-4 18th. Koivun's drive had him roughly 205 yards out and hit an incredible shot to within six feet of the pin. McDermott's drive was just shy of 300 yards and was thus roughly 20 yard closer, but his approach shot kicked up in front of the green and went about 25 feet past the hole. He hit a solid, fast winding putt to within four feet, but Koivun nailed a hard and very fast putt for a birdie and the win.
"It was good to be out there," McDermott said. "I love match play, always fun to play match play. I hit the ball great, just didn't seem to make many putts, and he made one at the end. I lost a little momentum going into the back nine (after he bogeyed No. 9), but overall I thought I played well and hopefully will be back next year."
Koivun opened with two birdies on two par-4s, the 327-yard 1st and 420-yard 2nd, and the due tied on the 327-yard 3rd, the three shortest par-4 holes on the 7,343-yard, par-71 Cherry Hills Country Club course. Koivun then parred No. 4 while McDermott bogeyed to go three up, the largest lead for either player on the day.
McDermott then came roaring back, winning the next four holes, birdying the 562-yard par-5 5th, the 162-yard par-3 6th and the 424-yard par-4 7th. He then parred No. 8, a 211-yard par-3 to take the lead, but Koivon made par on No. 9, a 492-yard par-4 that McDermott bogeyed. Thus at the turn, they started all over again at even.
McDermott birdied the 451-yard 10th hole, only to see Koivun tie the match immediately when he made par on the monster 638-yard 11th, which McDermott bogeyed. Both matched pars on the 201-yard 12th, and McDermott took his last lead of the day when he parred the 426-yard 13th and Koivun bogeyed. They flipped scores on No. 14, Koivun making a par while McDermott bogeyed.
"It was a great match, sometimes you play bad and win, and other times you play well and lose," said CU head coach Roy Edwards, who followed McDermott throughout the round. "But it was still a great week for Dylan – I know he wanted to get farther, but he still played a lot of great golf this week."
Edwards was also pleased with the play of incoming freshman, Brandon Knight, who is the reigning California state high school champion. Knight shot 77-75—152, with eight of his nine strokes over par directly traced to three holes where he had one double and two triple bogeys.
"Brandon made a lot of birdies and played a lot of good golf himself," Edwards said. "Him being here was a great experience for him and he will build on it. We're excited to get the season started and expect him to be a big part of the year."
NOTES: McDermott had some bad luck on No. 9, he hit a solid drive, but the ball rolled into a unrepaired divot by one of the players in the first group ahead of them (he was in the second tee time); he said he hit the ball solid out of the divot but it did spray to the left and had to chip and then two-putted … Sophomore Hunter Swanson caddied for McDermott here; though he missed qualifying himself for the U.S. Amateur, he had quite a summer, averaging 69.2 strokes in 15 competitive rounds in sanctioned amateur play … McDermott was the 12th-known Buffalo out of 48 with CU ties (pre-, during or post-CU careers) to advance to the match play portion of the U.S. Amateur … The Buffaloes open the 2023-24 season in the Maui Jim Invitational in Scottsdale, Ariz., scheduled for Sept. 8-10.
The two were in the middle of the pack in seeding, Koivon No. 32 and McDermott No. 33, after being among 12 golfers who tied for 26th in stroke play qualifying with 2-under 143 scorecards. Their match certainly resembled one that pitted the two closest of the 64 seeds together the first day of match play and had a battle one could say for the ages, at least the first 14 holes
Koivun, the No. 1 recruit as rated by the AJGA and the 73rd ranked amateur in the world, and McDermott, ranked 135th, each won six holes and only tied on two others. At that point, they both matched wits, both scoring pars on the par-3 No. 15, the par- 4 No. 16 and the par-5 No. 17, respectively.
It would all come down to the 487-yard, par-4 18th. Koivun's drive had him roughly 205 yards out and hit an incredible shot to within six feet of the pin. McDermott's drive was just shy of 300 yards and was thus roughly 20 yard closer, but his approach shot kicked up in front of the green and went about 25 feet past the hole. He hit a solid, fast winding putt to within four feet, but Koivun nailed a hard and very fast putt for a birdie and the win.
"It was good to be out there," McDermott said. "I love match play, always fun to play match play. I hit the ball great, just didn't seem to make many putts, and he made one at the end. I lost a little momentum going into the back nine (after he bogeyed No. 9), but overall I thought I played well and hopefully will be back next year."
Koivun opened with two birdies on two par-4s, the 327-yard 1st and 420-yard 2nd, and the due tied on the 327-yard 3rd, the three shortest par-4 holes on the 7,343-yard, par-71 Cherry Hills Country Club course. Koivun then parred No. 4 while McDermott bogeyed to go three up, the largest lead for either player on the day.
McDermott then came roaring back, winning the next four holes, birdying the 562-yard par-5 5th, the 162-yard par-3 6th and the 424-yard par-4 7th. He then parred No. 8, a 211-yard par-3 to take the lead, but Koivon made par on No. 9, a 492-yard par-4 that McDermott bogeyed. Thus at the turn, they started all over again at even.
McDermott birdied the 451-yard 10th hole, only to see Koivun tie the match immediately when he made par on the monster 638-yard 11th, which McDermott bogeyed. Both matched pars on the 201-yard 12th, and McDermott took his last lead of the day when he parred the 426-yard 13th and Koivun bogeyed. They flipped scores on No. 14, Koivun making a par while McDermott bogeyed.
"It was a great match, sometimes you play bad and win, and other times you play well and lose," said CU head coach Roy Edwards, who followed McDermott throughout the round. "But it was still a great week for Dylan – I know he wanted to get farther, but he still played a lot of great golf this week."
Edwards was also pleased with the play of incoming freshman, Brandon Knight, who is the reigning California state high school champion. Knight shot 77-75—152, with eight of his nine strokes over par directly traced to three holes where he had one double and two triple bogeys.
"Brandon made a lot of birdies and played a lot of good golf himself," Edwards said. "Him being here was a great experience for him and he will build on it. We're excited to get the season started and expect him to be a big part of the year."
NOTES: McDermott had some bad luck on No. 9, he hit a solid drive, but the ball rolled into a unrepaired divot by one of the players in the first group ahead of them (he was in the second tee time); he said he hit the ball solid out of the divot but it did spray to the left and had to chip and then two-putted … Sophomore Hunter Swanson caddied for McDermott here; though he missed qualifying himself for the U.S. Amateur, he had quite a summer, averaging 69.2 strokes in 15 competitive rounds in sanctioned amateur play … McDermott was the 12th-known Buffalo out of 48 with CU ties (pre-, during or post-CU careers) to advance to the match play portion of the U.S. Amateur … The Buffaloes open the 2023-24 season in the Maui Jim Invitational in Scottsdale, Ariz., scheduled for Sept. 8-10.
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