How Curtis Luck Won The 2016 US Amateur

The Scoreboard for the US Amateur at Oakland Hills
The Scoreboard for the US Amateur at Oakland Hills

The US Amateur finals are played over 36 holes, divided into 18 holes in the morning and (potentially) 18 holes in the afternoon.

After the morning rounds, Luck and Dalke were All Square. Luck was up on 12 of the eighteen holes, but Dalke kept in touch. On fifteen, sixteen and seventeen, Dalke looked as though he was changing the narrative, but Luck got back to AS on eighteen.

US Amateur Final Round Scoring - Morning

Hole123456789
Par453444443
Yards465523193453481293456470158
1 up1 upAS1 up1 upAS1 up1 up1 up
Curtis Luck444345453
Brad Dalke543443653
ASAS

Hole101112131415161718
Par445344434
Yards442464547186506365399176495
1 up2 up2 up1 up1 upASAS
Curtis Luck445445434
Brad Dalke455344335
AS1 up1 upAS

The decisive action was in the afternoon. Here’s the play-by-play:

 

Curtis Luck tees off on the first hole in the afternoon round of the finals.

Curtis Luck tees off on the first hole in the afternoon round of the finals.

Hole 19 (1): Par 4, 465 Yards

Off the tee, Luck is in the right rough away under some trees. Dalke is in a left fairway bunker.

The flag is to the right. Luck’s second lands behind the green. His pitch is to six feet.

Meanwhile, Dalke has landed close to the flag. He sinks his putt.

Dalke 1 Up Through 19

Fans heading down the first hole at the US Amateur afternoon finals.
Fans heading down the first hole at the US Amateur afternoon finals.

Hole 20 (2): Par 5, 523 Yards

Luck is the right fairway. Dalke is in the left bunker.

The second shot from Luck is on the left side of the green. Dalke is off the green right and fifty yards away. His pitch to the green threads the opening between the bunkers and rolls toward the flag. Dalke’s putt just misses and is conceded. Luck holes a long putt.

All Square Through 20

Hole 21 (3): Par 3, 193 Yards

Luck’s tee shot lands near the hole on the right front. Dalke is left of the flag. Dalke’s long putt is past. After a near miss, Luck’s next putt is conceded. Dalke misses. then misses again.

Luck 1 Up Through 21

Brad Dalke chips on the fourth green while Curtis Luck watches.
Brad Dalke chips on the fourth green while Curtis Luck watches.

Hole 22 (4): Par 4, 453 Yards

Dalke is in the right rough, 135 out. Luck is in the center of the fairway a little ahead.

The second for Dalke hits the center of the green and skips back. Luck’s parks near the flag.

Just off the green, Dalke hits a little chip that glides past. Luck’s putt pauses on the edge of the hole but doesn’t fall in. Dalke misses again for a five.

Luck 2 Up Through 22

 

Hole 23 (5): Par 4, 481 Yards

Luck drives down to 150 to the hole. Dalke is off the the side, left of a tree.

The second for Dalke is into a bunker right of the green. Luck hits the center of the green for a virtual tap-in. Dalke misses the hole out of the bunker. Luck’s tap-in is conceded.

Luck 3 Up Through 23

 

Curtis Luck putts on the sixth green.
Curtis Luck putts on the sixth green.

Hole 24 (6): Par 4/293

Luck is to the left of the green, 40 yards out. Dalke is right in the long fescue. His ball hits a power  station and careens right. His next makes it to the green and rolls to the center front.

The lob from Luck his high, pauses, then starts to roll back. It is well above the green.

A downhill putt from luck is just outside the right edge. It is conceded. Dalke misses.

Luck 4 Up Through 24

 

Fans following Luck and Dalke down the fairway of the seventh hole at the US Amateur.
Fans following Luck and Dalke down the fairway of the seventh hole at the US Amateur.

 

Hole 25 (7): Par 4, 456 Yards

Luck’s shot is to the fairway. skirting the water right. Dalke’s drive is to behind the pond, some 180 to the green.

Dalke’s second is 5 feet away from the hole. Luck is 155 away. His shot lands some 20 below the hole.

The birdie putt from Luck is drained. Dalke misses his short putt.

Luck 5 Up Through 25

 

Curtis Luck preparing for his second shot on the eighth in the afternoon round of the US Amateur finals.
Curtis Luck preparing for his second shot on the eighth in the afternoon round of the US Amateur finals.

Hole 26 (8): Par 4, 470 yards.

Luck hits the left rough, some 185 yards away. Dalke is in the right rough about the same distance away. Both are to the outside of the nearby fairway bunkers.

The second from Luck is about 70 short of the green, in the center of the fairway. Dalke is left, below the green in the rough. He has to carry two left greenside bunkers.

The pitch by Luck is high, and spins back. Dalke lands on the front of the green below the hole. Dalke just misses and taps in. Luck drains his short putt.

Luck 6 Up Through 26

 

Curtis Luck chipping from just off the ninth green during the finals of the 2016 US Amateur
Curtis Luck chipping from just off the ninth green during the finals of the 2016 US Amateur

Hole 27 (9): Par 3, 158 Yards

Luck’s shot is high and slips off the back left not the lip of a bunker in the rough. Dalke is in the center of the green.

From the center, Dalke’s long putt is high, then tails toward the hole. His next is under the hole. Luck’s chip jumps three inches, then rolls toward the hole. He makes the putt.

Luck 7 Up Through 27

 

 

Brad Dalke tees off on the tenth during the afternoon round of the US Amateur.
Brad Dalke tees off on the tenth during the afternoon round of the US Amateur.

 

Hole 28 (10): Par 4, 442 Yards

Luck is in the left bunker, some 180 out. Dalke is well ahead to the right.

The second for Dalke is on the green. Luck is in a greenside bunker.

Out of the bunker, Luck lands a short putt from the hole.

Luck is away, and just misses his putt. It is conceded. Dalke makes a clutch putt.

Luck 6 Up Through 28

 

Curtis Luck plays a shot to the eleventh green during the afternoon round of the US Amateur
Curtis Luck plays a shot to the eleventh green during the afternoon round of the US Amateur

Hole 29 (11): Par 4, , 486 Yards

Dalke is 180 or so out, on a downslope on the left side of the fairway. Luck is 150 out on the right, on a nice, flat lie.

Luck’s second lands in the rough behind the hole, short-sided. Dalke is on the front center of the green.

Dalke gets a very long putt close. The next is conceded. Luck chips past the hole. The ball runs down several feet. He just misses the comebacker.

Luck 5 Up Through 29

 

Curtis Luck putts on the 12th green during the afternoon round of the US Amateur finals.
Curtis Luck putts on the 12th green during the afternoon round of the US Amateur finals.

Hole 30 (12): Par 5, 547 Yards

Dalke is some 200 to the green. Luck is in the left bunker , some 230 yards out.

Luck is about 70 out. He opens the wedge wide. His ball catches the top of the ridge and rolls back.

Meanwhile, Dalke has hit his ball to the back quarter fo the green. His downhill 30 foot putt just slides past. He’s still away. Dalke sinks the putt. Luck’s six footer is in.

The hole is halved.

Luck 5 Up Through 30

 

Hole 31 (13): Par 3, 186 yards

Dalke’s tee shot is on the back tier of the green. Luck is in the front center. The hole is cut on the left side.

Dalke is away and just misses the downhill putt right. Luck putts uphill to tap in range.

The match is Dormie.

Luck 5 Up Through 31 with 5 to go

 

Brad Dalke trying to hole a shot to extend the match on fourteen during the afternoon round of the US Amateur finals.
Brad Dalke trying to hole a shot to extend the match on fourteen during the afternoon round of the US Amateur finals.

Hole 32 (14): Par 4, 506 yards

Dalke is in the right rough. Luck is left under a tree. Both are about 190 out.

The second for Dalke lands on the green, then rolls off the back. Luck hits a low shot that lands on the green and rolls away from the hole off the green.

Luck’s chip gets to ten feet. Dalke’s chip goes past the hole for a medium distance putt. Dalke misses the putt.

Dalke concedes the match.

Luck Wins 5 Up Through 32

Curtis Luck hoists the Havemeyer Trophy after winning the US Amateur
Curtis Luck hoists the Havemeyer Trophy after winning the US Amateur

 

Scoring for the second round of the finals:

 

US Amateur Final Round Scoring - Afternoon

Hole19 (1)20 (2)21 (3)22 (4)23 (5)24 (6)25 (7)26 (8)27 (9)
Par453444443
Yards465523193453481293456470158
AS1 Up2 up3 Up4 UP5 Up6 Up7up
Curtis Luck533434343
Brad Dalke354545454
1 UpAS

Hole28 (10)29 (11)30 (12)31 (13)32 (14)
Par44534
Yards442464547186506
6 up5 up5 up5 up6 up
Curtis Luck55434
Brad Dalke44435

 

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