The US Am: 5 NC Natives to Watch
The US Amateur begins this morning at Hazeltine National Golf Club and Chaska Golf Course outside of Minneapolis, MN. Golf at the amateur and collegiate level has been covered more extensively in recent years due to the immediate professional success of top amateur talents, but it is still undervalued as a whole. The college season, along with the summer amateur circuit, consistently provides elite competition and harder course setups compared to the PGA Tour. Those characteristics are exemplified in their best form at the US Amateur.
NBC produces notoriously garbage golf coverage; nonetheless, Peacock and Golf Channel will be covering the match play portion daily, Wednesday through Sunday (full schedule here). The current group of top amateurs is tremendously talented—metaphorically, I’d consider it a top draft class. Of the World Amateur Golf Rankings (WAGR) top 10, at least half of them are “can’t miss” type prospects.
What really warms my heart and has me looking forward to this week is the number of strong players in the field with North Carolina ties. The result of a great state golf association, top college programs, and local junior/amateur support shines bright on a stage like this. There are 11 North Carolinians in the field, and several others playing who attend a university within the state. Here are 5 NC natives that can make a run and hopefully will be seen on your television screen later this week.
Jackson Koivun (Chapel Hill, NC)
Although somewhat of a pseudo-North Carolinian, Koivun must be included on this list. The #1 WAGR player moved to Chapel Hill, NC in 2021 during high school, after having spent his early years in California. The top amateur is a rising sophomore at Auburn. Also considered the #1 junior player in the 2023 class, the freshman at Auburn proved to be not only that, but also the best player in college golf last year. He became the eighth player in history to earn the triple crown of college golf awards, winning all three Player of the Year honors: The Haskins, Hogan, and Nicklaus Awards. Ludvig Aberg (2023) and Sahith Theegala (2020) are some recent notables to also accomplish this.
Koivun top 10’d in 11/12 collegiate events last year, earning 2 wins and a runner-up at the D1 Stroke Play National Championship. Most recently this summer, he medaled in the Western Am stroke play qualifying, but could not make it past the round of 16 in match play. Koivun also played in two PGA Tour events, The Memorial and Rocket Mortgage, finishing 52nd and 108th (CUT). Look for Koivun to be involved heavily in match play this week—his competitors will certainly have a big chip on their shoulders against him, as he’s the biggest fish in the sea right now.
Jackson Van Paris (Pinehurst, NC)
Seemingly lurking in the shadows of the supremely talented Vanderbilt program his first couple of years, JVP broke through in his junior season this past year. JVP racked up four top 5’s, including a win at the St. Andrews Links Intercollegiate (Stroke Play portion). He also finished T-10th at the Puerto Rico Open in March, a PGA Tour event. This summer, he narrowly missed winning his prized hometown event, finishing runner-up at the North and South Amateur Championship. JVP seems to quietly go about his business, but his play is starting to speak for itself.
Peter Fountain (Raleigh, NC)
At #35 in the WAGR, Fountain has continued to maintain his amateur status this summer following his graduation from UNC. The recent grad served as a lineup lock over his 4 years at UNC, helping turn the program into a true powerhouse under Head Coach Andrew DiBitetto. This summer, he missed match play in the North and South and Western Am’s, respectively. Fountain has deep ties with the Carolinas Golf Association (CGA), winning the 2020 North Carolina Amateur, and playing in events throughout his junior and amateur days.
Walker Isley (Oak Island, NC)
Speaking of the CGA, the reigning back-to-back NC Amateur Champion, Walker Isley, will compete this week. Isley won the NC Am this summer by a record 15 shots. The recent UNCW grad recorded six top 10’s in his final lap as a Seahawk, leading to CAA Player of the Year honors as well. He’ll be playing in his third US Amateur in a row, making it to the round of 32 in 2022.
Garrett Risner (Holly Springs, NC)
There is not a better golf course than Alamance Country Club to prepare you for Hazeltine 😜. Though I’m biased towards my home county university, Risner is one of the top players to come out of Elon that I can remember, if not the best ever. During his junior campaign last year, Risner produced six top 10’s and was named All-CAA First Team. On the amateur side, Risner, much like Isley, is turning into a CGA legend. Last summer, Risner won the 2023 NC Amateur Match Play Championship and 2023 Carolinas Amateur. This summer he successfully defended the Carolinas Amateur, earning his third CGA title in 2 years. He’s also added a quarterfinal appearance at the North and South Am plus a top 5 at the NC Amateur this summer.
Huge kudos to Head Coach Don Hill for turning Elon into a truly legitimate golf program over the past 10 years or so, as previous leadership was obstinate to change and development. Coach Hill’s modernized the program to where it needs to be from both a recruiting and developmental standpoint. It’s really cool to see the blossoming of the program parallel with player success. I’d love to see Risner represent Elon deep on the national stage this week.
Content for the Curious
📺- The Golfer’s Journal: A Range Session with No. 1 Amateur Gordon Sargent
✍️- No Laying Up: GHIN & Tonic, Vol. 14 (TC)
✍️- The Athletic’s Brendan Quinn: Scottie Scheffler’s Golden Olympic Moment…
🎧- Fried Egg Golf: Recapping 2024 Olympic Men’s Golf