For those of you who miss my beat-by-beat coverage of important events, welcome home. Having perfected the skill of covering major events on-site, I strive now to reach farther, to events located nowhere near my present geographic distinction. I apprenticed in early August with the PGA and USGA Women’s Amateur championships, and now attempt to bring you breathtaking news from San Francisco’s Olympic Club. Here goes:

Comical: the weather.
Fog delayed medal play some three to four hours on Monday, further delaying play on Tuesday, carrying the medal rounds into Wednesday. Match Play is scheduled to commence Wednesday morning, Pacific Coast Time, relatively promptly after the last medal contestant putts out. If you’re not familiar with on-site qualifying, all the local qualifiers go at it again for 36 holes, one round on each of the club’s two courses. The low 64 players (resolved by playoff if necessary) are then seeded into match play and have at it for six rounds until a champion and runner-up are decided.
Source: US Amateur Website

Curious: Gary Wolstenholme and Drew Weaver.
Wolsty was left off the Great Britain-Ireland Walker Cup side for the first instance in decades. He had been playing shabbily of late, but looks to be through to match play. Love to see him with the championship, so the Royal and Ancient might smile that flummoxed smile of “why now?” Weaver is the Virginia Tech player who won the British Amateur championship earlier this Summer at Royal Lytham & St. Anne’s. Weaver is also through to match play. Given his relative dearth of success after the BAmateur, Weaver is on the outside looking inward of the USGA’s final two Walker Cup selections. Only a high finish (semifinals or better, I believe) will vault him past Rickie Fowler, Brian Harman, and Kyle Stanley, onto the team. If Fowler, Harman and Stanley were to fail to advance to match play, then quarters should do it for Weaver. As of right now, Stanley is easily through at even-par, while Fowler is on the bubble (+7…tied for 67th) and Harman is certainly out (+8…tied for 85th). As such, it should be down to Stanley and Fowler, with Weaver looking better. If Fowler doesn’t make and Weaver wins two matches, I say, send Weaver. He’s on a match-play run! One more name to watch: Alex Prugh. Also on a run.
Source: See Source below

Suspect USGA Selections: Jonathan Moore and Tripp Kuehne
Currently Tied for 120th, hopelessly down the road for match play, Moore has not acquitted himself with any distinction this year, and was the recipient of largesse (read as I played well last year) by the USGA. Moore should not be on this team, but instead, should have been selected an alternate, given his experience. Kuehne is even farther down the list, tied for 254th after an 83 in round two. I’d lobbied for Kuehne to be the quintessential (read as automatic) mid-amateur selection to the team. Now I’m rethinking my urging. Now I’ve rethought my urging. Alternate # 2.
Source: Too many articles and tournaments to mention.

Biggest Question: Tyson Ketchum.
How did this guy make the field? There’s always one guy, and this year, it’s Tyson Ketchum. 94-90 in qualifying? I’d shoot that, and I’m not good. Depending on which nine he commenced play, Ketchum either started quad-double-single or triple-double-triple. There are three guys who are happy to have Ketchum along side: Brant Peaper, David Easley and Ryan Hitt. If not for Tyson, they’d be battling for this distinction.
Source: US Amateur Website

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